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THE
12
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Keeping
Conference of Manufacturers, Exporters, Jobbers and Agents to Be Held at Commercial Museum,
December 12th—Many Matters of General Interest to Be Discussed—Conditions in Piano
Trade Uneven—New Heppe Colonial Style—The "Open Evening" Question.
(Special to The Review.)
Open
Evenings
During
Holidays.
There is considerable speculation as to what the
firms are going to do regarding "open evenings"
during holiday trade this year. Last year Wana-
maker's started the "not open evenings" plan and
all the other big department stores followed. A num-
ber of the piano firms followed suit, but several
had announced that they would be open evenings
and could not well recall the notice. It is to be
hoped this year that mighty few of them will be
foolish enough to try it. It has never paid in
Philadelphia and never will. With the department
stores closed it is practically impossible to get peo-
ple to the center of the city in the evenings, un-
less they come down to the theaters. Why waste
a lot of light and a lot of energy on the part of
the salesmen trying to keep awake? You can't
bluff your neighbors. They know they are not
doing any business and they are looking in your
windows to see whether you are, and as you are
not you both catch one another.
There has been a great scarcity of piano men
visiting Philadelphia lately and I was able to hear
of but one man here during all of last week, show-
ing that they feel that they have stocked Philadel-
phia up to the neck and are going to stay away
until they unload.
will probably help the piano business, for five
Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 28, 1911.
operas a week keep the music lovers pretty well
For the purpose of bringing about a better un- on the jump that they could not think of much
derstanding and clearing up any differences that else. There should be a marked increase in the
may exist between manufacturers, exporters, job- sale of opera records from this on, as well as mu-
bers and agents, with a view to a general exten- sic rolls for the players, especially since we are
sion of the American export trade, a conference having such a variety of good musical shows here
of many of the largest concerns in the country a: present.
will be held at the Commercial Museums in this
W. F. Keogh, representing the Christman Piano
city on December 12.
Co., New York City, was a Philadelphia visitor
This conference has been arranged by Dr. W. this week.
P. Wilson, director of museums, at the request
New Heppe Colonial Style.
of manufacturers. Notices were sent broadcast
The Heppe firm are very proud of their latest
and acceptances are numerous and prompt. It
piano production, in the form of an old Colonial,
will be the first conference of its kind ever held,
which they have just gotten in from their factory
if. is said, and is expected to bring about such good
in two styles, with the satin finish and mahogany
results as to warrant other conferences in the fu-
mirror finish. It is what might be termed "se
ture. The importance with which the conference is
verely Colonial." The Colonial idea is carried out
regarded is shown by the standing of the concerns
in every way, even to the name, which is very old-
that will participate, some of which are the largest
fashioned in appearance and is done in a new
of their kind in the world, while others are the
and up-to-date decalcomania effect. The firm are Emil Levy, who for the past two years has been
largest in America.
looking for some new Heppe grands and expect manager of the Birmingham, Ala., store of the
The keynote of the conference will be "Export
them this week in time for the holiday trade. Seals Piano and Organ Co., has resigned from that
trade; how to get and keep it." Those who were
They are completely sold out on these instru- position, but has made no announcement regarding
invited were asked to notify the directors as to
ments.
his future movements.
what specific subjects they wished discussed, and
speakers of authority will be selected.
The attitude, value and obligations of the ex-
port commission firms will be one important
question considered, and representatives thereof
have promised full and cordial co-operation. Rep-
resentatives of foreign concerns located in this
country have also been invited to attend, and
many have signified their intention of doing so.
That there is friction in the general export busi-
ness is shown by the replies received from some
concerns, which indicate that the conference will
not be exactly a love feast, and it is for the very
purpose of smoothing out such difficulties that the
conference will be held.
Among the questions which have been sug-
gested with special reference to the commission
houses are, "When granted an exclusive agency
for a country, what steps does the average com-
mission house take to further the manufacturers'
interests? 1 ' and "How does a commission house
help a manufacturer in competing against prod-
ucts of local or foreign "manufacture?"
And the manufacturer will be asked "What
steps do you take to make your connections with
commission houses most profitable?" "If you of-
fer a commission house better terms than your
trade customers, how do you protect yourself
against their competition?" "In your experience
have commission houses been willing to co-oper-
ate in increasing your sales through their cus-
tomers?"
Review of Piano Trade Conditions.
It is very hard to ascertain the exact condition
of the piano business in Philadelphia the past
week, or in fact during the entire month of No-
vember. It is more or less of a quandary. Most
of the managers hold themselves very much in
reserve when the subject is broached, and this at-
titude I have generally' found to indicate that
things are not as satisfactory as they would wish.
Personally, I don't believe that November has been
as good a month this year as was November last
year. But December may make up the deficit. It
has come in a rush previous years—the holiday
trade—and this year may be the same.
There is one thing certain, the piano dealers
have done their part. They have selected a great
variety of instruments, of a great variety of prices,
in woods, in styles, etc., to suit all tastes, and now
if they cannot dispose of them they cannot re-
proach themselves at not making the proper ef-
fort.
Philadelphia is going to be a little quiet in music
for the next two months, as the Philadelphia-
Chicago Opera Co. have taken their departure for
W. A. SAMBALINO
the Windy City and we are only going to have one
opera a week from this on until they return. This
WHAT IS IN A NAME?
Very much indeed if it is a name like Lyon
& Healy, which is known in millions of homes
throughout the land.
Just think for a moment what a tremendous
selling power there is in that name!
The enormous publicity campaign carried
on by the house has made the
PIANO
one of the most valuable agencies to be
secured by dealers.
More new agencies have been created dur-
ing the past year than for any single instru-
ment in this country.
Wise dealers should see to it that they give
the Lyon & Healy proposition most careful
consideration.
It is a business builder for them.
There are points in the East where we are not repre-
sented and we will be glad to take the matter of rep-
resentation up with the Eastern trade.
EASTERN OFFICE, 415 BROADWAY, NEW YORK