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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SP1LLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
GLAD. HENDERSON,
A. J.NICKLIN,
H. E. JAMASON,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
C. CHACE,
B. BEITTAIN WILSON,
WM. B. WHITE,
L. E. BOWERS.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 37 South Wabash Ave.
Telephone, Central 414.
Room 806.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Main 6950.
PHILADELPHIA:
REVIEW
one can read a convincingly written advertisement without being
impressed and interested in the house behind it.
Advertising in all industries is being conducted to-day on a
higher plane than ever before. Both manufacturers and nerchants
realize its importance and value to a business, and in order to secure
the best results the "copy" should be prepared by a man thoroughly
acquainted with the products of which he speaks. Hence the wis-
dom of piano merchants getting into close touch with the advertis-
ing departments of the various houses whose pianos they represent.
In this way the piano merchant is able to get the viewpoint of the
manufacturer as far as his products are concerned.
This close intercourse will help in time to eliminate much of
the dishonest, disreputable advertising which has done so much to
bring odium on the retailing end of the piano business—provided
the manufacturers' publicity policy is the right one.
T
HE question of selling expense is one that interests, or should
interest, every live piano dealer at the present time, and
CINCINNATI, O.: JACOB W. WALTERS.
BALTIMORE. MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
nothing should be overlooked that will reduce that expense or so ,
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
arrange it that it will become almost fixed in relation to the price
of the instrument.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Everything connected with the selling of pianos has increased
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
in cost—the rents are higher, advertising is more necessary and
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Can-
ada, $3.50; all other countries, $4.00.
the higher cost of living has made it necessary that employes re-
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
ceive higher compensation. In other ways the dealer faces heavier
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
charges than he did some years ago, without a proportionate in-
Lyman Bill.
crease in the volume of sales or in the price of the pianos them-
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Player-Piano and
selves and with the time for payments extending over a period
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, reg-
and repairing of pianos and player-piano» arc
Technical Departments. ulating
dealt with, will be found in another section of this
that serves to still further reduce the net amount received on the
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
sale.
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
While set expenses are not to be dodged the dealer should
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
endeavor
to make a certain amount of expense produce a certain
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
result
and
this can only be accomplished by maintaining a strictly
Gold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
one-price system and insisting on suitable terms on instalment sales.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES - NUMBERS 59S2 5983 MADISON SQUARE
People who desire accommodation when paying' for a piano
Connecting all Departments.
should
be willing to pay for that accommodation at a reasonable
Cable address " "Elbill. N e w York."
rate or do without the instrument until such time as they are in a
NEW YORK, APRIL 13, 1912.
position to pay a proper amount down and fair fixed monthly in-
stalments.
The theory that it is good business to meet the customer's
terms in order to keep a competitor from getting the business has
EDITORIAL
long ago been exploded.
A sale that proves to the disadvantage of the dealer is bad
r S
I HE campaign against fraudulent advertising, which has re- business even though it is made to spite the other fellow. A sale
-L ceived consideration in these columns for the past two years, must show a profit or a loss. There is no breaking even for each
is doing much to eliminate the disreputable methods so much in
sale has to bear a portion of the selling costs and fixed overhead
vogue, and there is to-day evident a distinct improvement in the charges of the store. When it doesn't the other good sales suffer.
advertising put forth by retail piano merchants all over the country.
The selling cost must be watched constantly and every trans-
This does not mean, however, that there is not still an army
action must cover that item before any profit can be shown.
of offenders who fail to see the light of reason and commonsense,
It is not the number of pianos sold during the course of the
and who believe that the public can be hoodwinked.
year that measures the success of the dealer, but the manner in
A change toward better conditions meanwhile prevails, and
which they are sold.
piano merchants who hitherto have given their advertising but little
The dealer who insists upon quality rather than quantity sales
consideration are now realizing that the character of the house is
is aiding materially in the development of his own business and
judged by the character of its publicity.
the general uplift of the industry as a whole. It makes for a
A man of repute and character should not permit any employe,
sounder business base.
whether manager or advertising man, to put out a class of adver-
tising that undermines the confidence of the public in his house or
E have had some inquiries recently from advertisers re-
in himself.
garding the protection accorded piano case designs, and
Money-making ends do not justify misleading publicity, and
it may be of general interest to state that in this country de-
it is best that the trade should realize the truth of the old saying
signs when patented are accorded the full protection of American
that "honesty is the best policy" in advertising as in everyhing else.
patent procedure, the relative paragraph of the law reading:
One factor that has contributed toward the betterment of piano
"A design patent may be obtained by any person who has in-
merchants' publicity is the closer intercourse with the manufacturers
vented any new, original and ornamental design for an article
for the purpose of receiving merchandising and advertising sugges-
of manufacture, not known or used by others in this country be-
tions which may be helpful to them in their local business. There
fore his invention thereof, and not patented or described in any
is a closer communion of interests to-day than every before, and
printed publication in this or any foreign country before his in-
where the manufacturer is imbued with progressive ideas regard-
vention thereof, or more than two years prior to his application,
ing merchandising and publicity, the dealer is benefited accordingly.
and not caused to be patented by him in a foreign country on an
application filed more than four months before his application in
The advertising policy of many of the leading manufacturers in
this country, and not in public use or on sale in this country for
this city is being adopted by their agents to good purpose, and these
more than two years prior to his application, unless the same is
manufacturers have taken pains to keep their dealers apprised of
proved to have been abandoned, upon payment of the fees required
their work in an advertising way by supplying cuts and copy when
by law and other due proceedings had. the same as in cases of in-
requested for use in their local papers. This has proven most help-
ventions or discoveries."
ful and has raised the dignity of the dealers' business because no
R W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 88 First Street.
CLYDE JENNINGS
W