Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
WOEXF
THE
V O L . LV. N o . 16
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 373 Fourth Ave., New York, Oct. 19,1912
C
SINGL E
$ 2 .OO°PER S VEAR: ENTS
AN there be any successful trade yardstick adopted by which the value of used pianos taken in ex-
change can be satisfactorily measured?
That is a question which" has been propounded many, many times by piano merchants every-
where, and it is a question which has remained unanswered, notwithstanding that it is of vital im-
portance to the entire industry.
It is a question, too, that will have increased importance as the years roll on, for with the augmenta-
tion of the player-piano in public use it must mean necessarily that there will be an increased number of
used pianos which must be traded in as part payment on new instruments.
It is well known that some piano merchants have adopted the plan of granting an extremely liberal
allowance for old instruments taken in exchange.
They have increased sales by these methods. They have made purchasers believe that they were
extremely liberal and fair by placing a high valuation upon used instruments, and the purchasers did
not realize that there was a corresponding price increase upon their new instruments to offset any ab-
normal values which might be figured in on the old pianos.
That plan has worked out in thousands of cases; but conditions are materially changing, as I have
indicated, by the steady increase in sales of player-pianos. And the demand for a standard for used
pianos will become more and more imperative.
What is the real worth of a used piano?
Is there any standard of value which may be broadly applied to used pianos which will be fair to the
merchant and fair to the piano purchaser?
Suppose for illustration that a customer has paid $300 for a piano and that he has used that piano
for two years and desires to trade it in for a new player-piano.
Now, what shall the merchant allow the customer for the old piano?
'
.
To allow $300 for the piano is wrong; that plan is unwise and is mighty poor business.
The merchant is fooling himself badly provided he places an honest valuation upon his new player-
piano which replaces the old piano.
The customer had had the use of the piano for two years.
It was purchased at the regular price and represents presumably excellent value.
Now, what would such a piano have cost at rental?
Five dollars a month—no less. Therefore, the purchaser has had $120 of straight piano goodness
out of the instrument which he has had in his possession for two years.
Then would it not be just to the merchant and the owner of the piano to value the old instrument at
$180 when traded in on the new piano?
-
And right here, would not the rental value of a piano be a fair value to place upon used pianos which
had been out two or three years?
The purchasers have had new instruments. They used them and surely they are worth at least the
regular established rental value price per month.
.
The owners have had that value out of them. Therefore, why is it not fair to them and to the piano
merchants to deduct that value from their instruments when traded in on new pianos or player-pianos?
Of course, a great many piano merchants announce that they will allow the full sale's price on any
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