Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1912 Vol. 55 N. 11

PUBi.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com
-- digitized with support from namm.org
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THE
flUJIC TIRADE
V O L . L V . N o . 11.
Published Every S a t u r d a y by E d w a r d L y m a n Bill a t 3 7 3 F o u r t h Ave., N e w Y o r k , Sept. 14, 1 9 1 2
COPIES. 10 CENTS.
b SINGLE
l
$ioo
PER YEAR!
Merchandising
P
LANS that are outlined early usually mature best: Many merchants delay business plans for fall
to such an extent that they are apt to lose some of the finest results of seasonable trade.
Business problems should be solved now instead of later, for there is but a portion of Sep-
tember left and with October looming up it is not wise to delay placing orders until too late or
until a time when the delay may be expensive and annoying.
Merchandise stocks must not only be assembled in warerooms and in the different departments
before trade actually opens up, but selling and operating plans must be formulated that will further the
movement of goods.
Plans for stimulating trade must be not merely outlined, but must be completed and problems of
administration and systematization must be worked out; also the personnel of the sales and operating-
forces must be looked into as well as important items relative to the store's physical accommodation.
Merchandising, selling and operating plans are.never good until they are well matured.
They cannot be devised and applied simultaneously to fit the problems of selling. Therefore, the
farther ahead the average merchant can look, the clearer his survey of the road and the smoother his going.
Already much of the merchandise in many lines of trade which will form the basis of business later
on has been bought, and it is quite time that piano merchants obtain an accurate line on the fall campaign
while September is still on the calendar.
: .
'
Now is the time to get the whole machinery of business into careful working order, and now is the
time to begin getting up steam to run the machinery—that is, if full merchandising speed is expected
when the flood tide of business actually reaches us.
A careful survey of business possibilities in the local fields should be taken at this time. Has the
population of your city and town increased within the year? Since last fall has any material change
taken place in the population with direct reference to the absorption of pianos and player-pianos? Has
the percentage of high-class trade increased?
Are there many newcomers to your city whom you have not canvassed directly in order to acquaint
them of your store—its line of instruments and its service?
All of these things require minute consideration and should be looked into with a view of meeting
every new circumstance of trade with force, precision and directness.
Then, again, have you a clearly formulated idea of how your store measures up with other stores in
your vicinage with special reference to competing lines of pianos?
If you have failed to do this, now is the accepted time to analyze the situation.
The piano merchant with keen foresight should see to it that the individual members of his sales
force obtain an intimate knowledge of the various lines of instruments which he handles.
Every salesman should acquaint himself thoroughly with the different grades of pianos and how they
fit into different selling plans.
.
.
.
Every salesman should understand the kind of advertising put forth daily, not only by the establish-
ment with which he is associated but by others in his vicinage, and the proprietors should.see to it that
there is no haphazard advertising.
.
.
.
.
Space in newspapers may be a source of great loss at any time unless that space is wisely used.
There are many things to consider in the fall campaign, but the ones which I.have outlined are well
worthy of the careful consideration of readers everywhere, for we should remember that securing a profit-
able business is largely a matter of being equipped to handle it when the proper time comes, in response
to well directed efforts to stimulate business. Being in full readiness to handle fall business is pre-emi
nently a matter of foresight and planning ahead.
There are in the business world of America too many men who do not give the whole business situation
the careful study which it deserves.
They go at it in a haphazard way with plans perhaps not varying from
those of years ago, thus forgetting that the world is constantly changing;
and the business man who fails to adjust his machinery with the changing
times will be thrown in the scrap heap of trade failures unless he remodels
his plans so that they conform to a 1912 setting.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
\
THE
MUSIC TRADE
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EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
GLAD. HKNDEKSON,
A. J. NICKLIN,
H. E. JAMASON,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
C. CHACE,
B. BXITTAIN WILSON,
WM. B. WHITB,
L. E. BOWEHS.
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 884 Washington St.
Telephone, Main 6950.
PHILADELPHIA:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 87 South Wabash Ave.
ALBERT G. BRENTON, Assistant.
Room 806. Telephone, Central 414
MINNEAPOLIS a n d ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTEN.
CLYBE JENNINGS
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GRAY, 88 First St.
DETROIT, MICH.: MOKBIS J. WHITE.
CINCINNATI. O-: JACOB W. WALTERS.
BALTIMORE. MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND^ STANLEY H. SMITH
MILWAUKEE, W I S . : L. E. MEYER.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada,
$3.50; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.50 per inch single column, per insertion.
On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
* Pi an A anil
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques
'IlallU ailU
tj
f technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
I a t o i r n ! S o a a
TPl*hni<*fll n p n a r t m p n t C
& n d repairing of pianos and player-pianos arc
ICCUIllUU U e p d r U I i e i l l S . d e a j t h w i t h j w i n b e f o u n d i n a n o t h e r section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning which
will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposjtion, 1902
Diploma... .Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 5982-5983 MADISON SQUARE
Connecting all Departments.
Cable a d d r e s s - "FJblll, N e w York."
NEW YORK,
SEPTEMBER
1 4 , 1912.
EDITORIAL
REVIEW
of the situation by the publicity sent forth by the manufacturer.
This literature should abound in helpful suggestions to enable
the piano merchant to best grasp the opportunities that arise during
the musical season. In this way the piano merchant can recom-
pense the manufacturer for his labors and efforts in bringing to a
larger public notice the merits of the piano which he represents.
The best results can be secured by an interchange of views
between the manufacturer and his representative, and now is exactly
the time to put this work into force and develop it. The concert
tours of famous artists in which pianos of prominent makers are
used, can be made a greater source of profit to both manufacturer
and dealer if the suggestions outlined are followed.
T
ALKING of the musical season and its possibilities brings to
mind the remarkable tribute paid the Pianola in London in
the early summer when it appeared in concert with the London
Symphony Orchestra, of which Arthur Nikisch is conductor. This
was an event of tremendous significance not only because of the
vista it opens up for the future of the player, but for the player
pianist. It may mean the beginning of the end of the mediocre
pianist, and the competition of the real musician who has opened
up to him a great storehouse of musical literature formerly closed
through lack of technic-means which are supplied by the instru-
ments of the Pianola type.
While the player-piano has been heard more frequently in con-
cert in this country than abroad this London concert referred to
marks the first time that the Pianola, or any other type of player-
piano has been heard as a solo instrument with a great orchestra
under the baton of a conductor of international distinction.
The question arises will New York fall in line the coming con-
cert season? Will the Pianola or some other player-piano be heard
at the concerts of the great orchestral organizations throughout the
country ?
Within the past two years the antipathy of the musician to the
so-called semi-mechanical musical instruments has rapidly disap-
peared, as it is realized that they are playing a great part in de-
veloping musical knowledge and intelligence, thus working for a
greater diffusion of musical appreciation.
T
HAT there is still a large army of piano merchants throughout
"\ yl 7"ITHIN a few weeks the musical season will have started in,
the country who are staunch adherents of the quality standard
V V and judging- from the bookings reported by the leading
as applied to pi^ino retailing, is evident from the letters which have
managers the winter season of 1912-13 promises to be most inter- reached The Review during the past few days, referring in most
commendatory terms to the vigorous editorial, written by the
esting by reason of the appearance in concert and recital of noted
piano virtuosi and other celebrated artists.
editor-in-chief, Edward Lyman Bill, which appeared on the first
The growth in appreciation of high class music, which is now
page of last week's Review, in which the point is made that quality
and not price should be the all-important factor to-day.
so evident in the smaller cities throughout the country, means that
One of the several prominent merchants whose communica-
these centers will be included in the visits to be made by noted
pianists the coming season.
tions have been received writes' as follows: "I most heartily sub-
In this connection it is timely to bring to the attention of piano
scribe to your quality platform as set forth in the splendid editorial
which appeared in last Saturday's Review. The increasing ten-
merchants the necessity of co-operating with the manufacturers of
dency among manufacturers and dealers alike to ignore quality for
the pianos to be handled by the visiting pianists to the end that an
intelligent and successful campaign of publicity may be inaugurated
price in the piano field is steadily undermining the piano business.
in the various cities. In this way the public will be informed in
Too many manufacturers and merchants' are full of the idea that if
they sell a large number of pianos they are making piles of money,
the fullest of the merits of the piano which the visiting artist is
whereas more satisfactory profits can be made by handling and
playing and become acquainted as well with the dealer representing
that special instrument in the city visited.
pushing pianos of recognized quality and high standing.
With some gratifying exceptions piano merchants have been
"I have found this to be the case in my business. Our house
rather indifferent to the sales and prestige-making possibilities fol-
handles commercial pianos to meet the demands of the trade, but
lowing the visit of a famous pianist to their city, claiming that the
we have placed more emphasis on the quality piano during the past
few years than ever before, and with a gratifying amount of suc-
manufacturers themselves lend but little aid in the way of sugges-
cess.
tions or. support as to how best a proper campaign may be con-
ducted.
"In your editorial you cover the subject so masterfully and so
completely that it is to be hoped that it will have the effect of stimu-
There is some justice in this complaint. Many of the piano
lating the trade to start a fall campaign along progressive lines with
manufacturers making high grade pianos would do well to study
closely the policy pursued by the Victor Talking Machine Co. in the following culled from your editorial as a text: 'Price does not
helping its dealers to properly exploit its product, particularly when
endure—quality is enduring.'
grand opera artists visit a city. The work of this corporation has
"This covers the situation in a few words. We have found
been most admirable in every respect and most productive of re- the quality piano to be a reputation and business stimulator, for
sults.
one good piano in the home does more to augment the prestige of
the house selling it than a dozen cheap and unsatisfactorily built
A great many dealers are either too busy or too indifferent to
seize the opportunities that arise from the concert tour of a cele-
instruments which are a source of constant worriment. I hope
brated pianist. They can be aroused however to a full appreciation
every piano merchant who has the interests of the industry at

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