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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE
at the lower figure. Not until the piano has been
sold, therefore, at a figure commensurate with a
profit on the transaction do we consider that we
have closed the sale of the player-piano.
A house that has an outlet for its trade-ins, of
course, is much better off than the one that has
nothing of this sort, or that cannot be sure of any
method for disposing of these second-hand pianos.
There is no doubt that to accumulate a stock of
trade-in pianos in a small business is bad, and the
dealer must know that he can only come out right
by making sure that the figures he allows in valu-
ation are not excessive. If the trade associations
By A. J. L.EHMKUHL,
Manager of the Retail Department, Lyon &
Healy, Chicago.
A. J. Lehmkuhl, manager of the retail piano
department of Lyon & Healy, Chicago, being asked
for an expression of opinion in connection with
the policy of Lyon & Healy in dealing with the
problem of exchange for old pianos, stated that
the "trade-in" problem is one of the most difficult
, to solve of any that they encounter in piano re-
'; tailing, but that it had been found capable of sat-
. isfactory solution through a system of establishing
exchange values for old instruments, based on the
estimated retail value of the latter.
Any dealer can fairly estimate the retail value
of any old instrument, whether it be a "straight"
piano or player-piano, and by a knowledge of what
it will bring at retail the dealer may estimate the
would find such a document useful in enabling
them to fix values for old pianos or player-pianos
in exchange.
He admits too that the efforts of his salesmen
;ire sometimes taxed to the utmost to convince cus-
tomers that the old instrument is worth no more
than the appraisement made of its value and that
it is also true that in some cases, through stress
of competition, they are obliged to allow a little
more for an old instrument than it is actually
worth on a wholesale cash basis.
The greatest difficulty encountered is in compet-
ing with other dealers who have no fixed prices and
on which the salesman may fix prices to meet any
retail value pf the old instrument on a wholesale competition which arises. In most cases he states
basis. Emphasis on the latter indicates the key- they are able to convince customers of the justness
note of the proposition and means that old in- of the valuations placed on the old piano by re-
struments are estimated for exchange on a basis ferring to price cards of second-hand pianos which
of actual cash value.
various dealers display in their show windows, and
He states that they are able in many instances as an instance he mentions the fact that when a
to allow no more for an old instrument than second-hand piano is displayed in a competitor's
would represent its fair investment value from window and priced at $75, it is naturally incon-
which the retail selling price of it is estimated. As sistent for that dealer to offer $150 for a similar
an example, $75 would be allowed for an old piano when negotiating an exchange with a cus-
"straight" piano which it has been estimated would tomer who has one like it.
bring $150 at retail, after being thoroughly over-
Mr. Lehmkuhl states that he thinks it would be
hauled in order to render it salable.
an excellent plan for influential dealers in the
He also expressed the opinion that the National trade to combine their influences to the end of es-
Association of Piano Manufacturers and Dealers tablishing schedules of fixed valuations for old
might formulate by a system of averages a scale pianos and player-pianos of various ages and thinks
of allowances to be made for old pianos and this would be not only practicable, but a most sat-
isfactory solution of the "trade-in" problem in
player-pianos, such a schedule to be circulated
among the trade at large. He believes that dealers every particular.
would take the matter up and get hold of some
method "for fixing valuations by some definite
standard, something would have been done which
would have greater importance for the trade and
be more of a benefit than anything else I can think
of at present. But there must be concerted action.
Perhaps the manufacturers can do something in
the way of beginning.
Lowest-possible valuation figures, an outlet for
disposal of old pianos taken in trade and a system
of bookkeeping which insists that a traded-in in-
strument is a bought instrument; these are the
requirements for right handling of this situation.
OFFICES IN NEW LOCATION.
New York Display Rooms of the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Co. to Be Located at 505 Fifth
Avenue Instead of on Forty-second Street, as
First Announced—Manager H. W. Hess Busy
Getting the Quarters Into Shape.
Harry W. Hess, the newly appointed general
Eastern manager of the Gulbransen-Dickinson
Co., announced this week that the company had
completed arrangements to occupy the entire third
floor of the building at 505 Fifth avenue, New
York, corner Forty-second street, for use as dis-
play rooms and general Eastern headquarters. As
stated in The Review a few weeks since the Gul-
bransen-Dickinson Co. had decided to greatly in-
crease its sales facilities in New York, and to that
end had completed arrangements to take space at
27 West Forty-second street, New York, retaining
its factory at 329 East Twenty-ninth street, New
York. These plans were changed, however, be-
cause the company could not secure just the space
it needed at 27 West Forty-second street in order
to carry out the ideas it had in mind.
By leasing the entire third floor at 505 Fifth
avenue, the Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. secures am-
ple space for its general wholesale and retail offices
with available room for the construction of several
demonstration booths. Manager Hess states that
the new offices when ready for occupancy will be
tastefully furnished and decorated, affording every
possible convenience and comfort to visitors. A
complete line of Gulbransen-Dickinson player-
actions for both grands and uprights will be dis-
played at these offices, and the Gulbransen player-
action will be installed in pianos for the benefit
of the retail trade. According to his present plans,
Mr. Hess expects to be settled in the new general
offices about April 10. The factory in New York
will be conducted as heretofore, being under the
general supervision of Mr. Hess.
P O I N T OF VIEW—(Continued from page 5.)
A PLAYER BENCH THAT PUMPS.
Latest Invention of South Carolinian Does Away
with the Pedals on a Flayer Piano and Lets
the Movement of the Bench Do the Work.
SELECTIVE PLAYER MECHANISM.
Fred R. Goolman Patents Device Whereby the
Character of Music Being Played Can Be
Instantly Changed, Without the Necessity
of Being Removed Manually.
(Special to The Review.)
COLUMBIA, S. C, March 23.—When the latest in-
vention of J. P. Rawls, a well-known piano tuner
of this city, comes into general use, the player-
piano salesman will have an excellent argument to
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 24.—Patent No.
1,090,706, for a selective piano player mechanism,
was last.week granted to Fred R. Goolman, Bing-
hamton, N. Y., which he has assigned to the Har-
ris Player Piano Co., same place, and which has
for its primary object to provide a mechanism
which embodies novel features o.f construction
whereby the character of the music being played
can be instantly changed without the necessity of
manually removing or replacing the perforated
music sheet in the usual manner now generally in
vogue.
A further object of the invention is to provide
advance to those who object to the effort of pedal- a device of this character which gives a consid-
ing to operate the instrument. Mr. Rawls' inven- erable latitude in the selection of music and which
tion, upon which he has been granted a patent, is lequires but little care and attention on the part of
nothing more nor less than -a special player bench the operator.
with a sliding seat connected with the bellows of
the player-piano by a shaft as indicated by the ac- TRANSMISSION FOR PLAYER PIANOS.
companying illustration. A simple body movement
(Special to The Review.)
on the part of the pianist puts the new device into
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 24.—Frank V.
operation with the result that the effort required to Crofut, Shelton, Conn., was last week granted
play is hardly noticeable.
patent No. 1,090,386, for a transmission fo.r player-
Although Mr. Rawls does not so state, it is prob- pianos, which has for its object to provide a sim-
able that a roll of that "snap your fingers" sort of
ple, inexpensive and durable transmission for
music would prove the most serviceable in in- player-pianos in which the number of parts shall
fluencing the player to get the full action out of be reduced to. the minimum, in which the parts
the bench, while a solemn classic would require may be readily assembled, and in which longi-
more or less noticeable effort to keep the player tudinal movement of the driving shaft or of a
going at the proper speed. In any event the new driving pinion thereon shall be avoided.
invention can be regarded as an interesting at-
tempt to solve the pedaling problem.
TO OCCUPY LARGER QUARTERS.
The Troup Bros. Piano House, in Harrisburg,
Alva Babcock has joined the firm of L. & A.
Pa., and with numerous branch stores in Central
M. S. Glazier, piano dealer of Gardner, Mass., Babcock, Norwich, N. Y., which concern has been
Pennsylvania, is preparing to move to larger quar-
has moved his store from 63 Parker street to new engaged in the piano business in Central New York
ters at 212 North Second street.
State for over half a century.
quarters in the Ryan block, that city.
NATIONAL F l p p t r i
Xlie
*No Trouble*'
The *
"Mo
Trouble" Player
NEW ART STYLES
MANDOLIN, a n d t h e N e w VIOLIN-FLUTE
ATTACHMENT
KJ M V / V / 1 1 1
NATIONAL PIANO PLAYER
OREGON-ILLINOIS
Write tor Descriptive Catalogue
PIANO
ISJickel-in-tlie-Slot
Continuous Roll* and Antomatlc
Rewind Styles—Also 88 Note Peda
and Combination Pedal and Elec-
tric Styles.