Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
GOOD AND BAD ADVERTISING CONTRASTED.
Pertinent Comments on Developments in Indianapolis—Baldwin Advertising That Attracted-
Sommers & Co. Open Piano Department—Schaeffer Line with Rapp & Lennox.
(.Special to The Review.)
Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. 3, 1912.
An Indianapolis piano 'house which frequently ad-
vertises pianos at ridiculously low prices, recently
conducted a large sale. Prices were slashed, ac-
cording to the large advertisements in the local
papers, because the lessor of the rooms occupied by
the piano house had leased half of the room over
its head, and the piano company was "forced to
vacate."
This piano house is now in one-half the room
,it formerly occupied, the other half 'has been walled
off and a "For Rent" sign is in the window. The
passerby sees that the room was not leased "over
the head of the piano house." He draws the con-
clusion that the piano house had seen fit to lessen
the size of its quarters.
"How much better it would have been," said a
piano dealer who has grown up in the piano busi-
ness in Indianapolis, and who is known as one
of the "gentlemen of the old school," in discussing
"yellow" advertising, "how much better it would
have been if that piano house had told the public,
through the newspapers, that it did not need such
large quarters, and that to save the buying public
the money it was expending to maintain commodi-
ous quarters, it 'had decided to cut down its floor
space by one-half. Then it would have been telling
the truth and the campaign of advertising would
have done just as much and probably more good
than it did do."
The player-piano busii.-css is good. One piano
dealer has instructed his salesmen to regard every
customer as a player-piano prospect.
N. B. Pratt, of the Poole Piano Co., Boston,
spent Thanksgiving here and visited the Carlin
Music Co. He was on his way back East and had
covered considerable territory in the West ana
Southwest. He found the player business good,
but said he could not say as much for the regular
piano business. He thought the straight piano
business could stand some improvement.
A window display of the Baldwin Co.'s player-
piano, the Manualo, has been attracting attention
in the company's local store in North Pennsylvania
street. A mechanical doll has been operating the
instrument. The sidewalk was often blocked by
passersby, who argued as to whether the doll was
alive. Some even ventured inside to consult the
salesmen. The mechanical doll did his work well.
The manager whispered to the writer that the doll
really was "real," and not a dummy. The Bald-
win Co. employed the "doll" during the Corn Fes-
tival held at Terre Haute, Ind., several weeks ago.
His work there proved so successful that he was
brought to Indianapolis.
The Rapp & Lennox Piano Co. has taken the
agency for the Schaeffer pianos and players.
The Auto-Grand Co. of Indiana, which handles
the Krell Auto-Grand at 118-120 East New York
street, had a Thanksgiving eve recital in its rooms.
The pupils of Mrs. Ora E. Rundell took part in
the recital.
C. C. Thomas, local manager of the Aeolian Co.,
says the recent sale of second-hand pianos by the
company is the greatest in the history of the local
branch. Page "ads." told the public of the sale,
and the result was a genuine "cleaning up." The
pianos sold were those taken in trade on Pianola
players.
The Aeolian Hall Tuesday afternoon recitals have
been discontinued until after the holidays. Mr.
Thomas found that the Tuesday matinee was prov-
ing too much for his help on account of the in-
creased holiday trade. The regular Friday night
recital is being continued with great success.
D. Sommers & Co., furniture dealers, have opened
up a piano department and announce that the Stultz,
Ivers & Pond, Thompson, Starck, Johnson and
Weser pianos will be sold. The department is in
charge of O. L. Bragg, who has been in the piano
business in Indianapolis for a number of years.
SOME NOTARLEJBEHNING SALES
Consummated This Week at the Fifth Avenue
Warerooms—Players and Grands in Favor.
A noticeable feature of the business consum-
mated the past week at the Behning warerooms,
425 Fifth avenue, New York, was the number of
sales made to persons prominent in various walks
of life. Among these was a beautiful Behning
player to Mrs. E. V. Neal, a prominent New
Yorker, whose temporary address is the Hotel
Astor, New York. Mrs. Neal contemplates taking
the player to Europe before the end of the month,
and made a thorough investigation of many other
makes before finally selecting the Behning as best
suited to meet her requirements. Another sale of
particular interest was that of an expensive player
to Frederick Wright, the famous New York por-
trait painter, who is known from coast to coast
as one of the leaders in his profession.
The Behning period pianos are known in the
trade for their handsome and artistic appearance
and tonal qualities, and Manager Kessler was
greatly pleased this week to receive an order for
a beautiful high-priced Louis XVI grand to be
finished in a costly gold leaf case. This order
was given by a person prominent in the theatrical
world who was greatly impressed by the many
splendid attributes and merits of the Behning
grand.
HOLD OPENING OF HARTFORD STORE.
The Hallet & Davis Piano Co., which recently
took over the stock of the Yeager Piano Co., in
Hartford, Conn., held the formal opening of its
n^w warerooms in that city last week, visitors be-
ing entertained by two concerts, at which the
Virtuolo was featured. The warerooms are at
231 Asylum street.
THE CASE OF THE PIANO
—is just the piano case, of
course. But you can't dispose of
case-making with a supercilious
quip. A fine piano is worthy of
a fine housing, one that expresses
adequately the beauty of the spirit
within. Cable-Nelson case-work
is noted. It is staunch, to endure;
it is satisfying in outline and pro-
portion; it is beautiful in color
and finish. So Cable-Nelsons are
not only good pianos—they are
easy to sell. Write us to-day.
CABLE-NELSON STYLE "O"
CABLE-NELSON PIANO COMPANY
Republic Building, CHICAGO
Factory: SOUTH HAVEN, MICH.