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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
INFORMAL RECITALS PROMOTE BUSINESS IN NEW YORK.
Significant Happenings in Way of Sales and Inquiries Indicate That Coming
Busy One in This City—Local Advertising of Used Pianos.
Fall
Will Be a
Although the local retail trade has not experi-
enced any radical improvement of conditions the
past week, there have been plenty of significant
happenings in the way of sales to indicate that
this fall in New York retail circles will be one of
the most prosperous seasons local dealers and
stores have ever experienced. As a matter of fact,
the majority of the local piano warerooms stated
that their sales this week equaled and in several
instances exceeded those of the corresponding
week last year, and this report is an excellent one
in view of the dull business conditions existing in
all parts of the country.
A feature of the local advertising in the daily
and Sunday newspapers this week was the appear-
ance of a number of good-sized advertisements de-
voted to sales of used pianos. These advertisers
included both New York and Brooklyn houses.
According to reports these sales have proven very
satisfactory, and refute the oft expressed theory
that there is absolutely no piano business to -be
secured in New York during the months of July
and August. That there is not a "great deal of
business" to be gained in these months is perhaps
true, but aggressive organizations manage to close
some good sales during these hot weather times
because they seek them right.
A few of the largest houses are carrying out the
plan just now of giving informal recitals every
afternoon in order to keep up the interest of the
public in their warerooms and piano departments.
These recitals are given along high-grade lines,
and serve to let the stay-at-home music lovers en-
joy good music in pleasant surroundings. Judging
from the remarks of several leading piano ware-
room managers, this method of publicity will be
utilized to better advantage next year than in the
past, as the members of the trade are just begin-
ning to realize that New York attracts many thou-
sands of out-of-town visitors during the summer
months, in addition to the fact that a large per-
centage of the public remains home the greater
part of the summer and have leisure time for the
enjoyment of musical entertainment.
E0UIPP1NG NE\V^YORK OFFICES.
START DAY WITH SONGS.
Geo. H. Beverly Supervising Arrangement of
New York Quarters of M. S. Wright Co.
Admirable Plan of Securing Mental Poise and
Stimulation in Vogue at Wanamaker's.
The New York offices of the M. S. Wright
Co., Worcester, Mass., on the ninth floor of the
Knabe Bldg., 437 Fifth avenue, are being put
into shape with all possible speed, under the su-
pervision of Eastern Sales Manager Beverly.
Judging from present indications the completed
offices will afford splendid opportunity for the
presentation of the M. S. Wright player action.
A BETTER SPIRIT PREVAILING
In Trade Circles, Says G. M. Soule, Who Has
Just Returned from Trip Through Several
States and Who Booked Real Orders.
G. M. Soule, sales manager of DeRivas & Harris,
made a flying trip through Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Delaware and New Jersey last week and came back
with some orders. "In fact," commented Mr.
Soule, "the trip was a better one than the journey
I made last year to the same territory. Dealers
seem to be in an optimistic spirit, and while they
are not selling as many instruments, their volume
of business is larger, due to the increasing per-
centage of player sales. They are gradually be-
coming familiar with the mechanical features of
players and ] don't see anywhere near the trouble
this year. The repair feature is an important fac-
tor in the promotion of the player business, and
with the dealer able to handle this work, the sale
of players is bound to be greatly increased.
MR. POWELL OVERCOME BY HEAT.
J. J. Powell, treasurer of F. G. Smith, Brook-
lyn, N. Y., and one of the veterans of this promi-
nent Brooklyn piano house, is confined to the
Brooklyn Hospital as the result of being over-
come by the intense heat last week. Mr. Powell
is convalescing slowly, but is handicapped by the
unusual weather conditions.
H. W. Yeager, manager ot the piano department
at the O'Neill-Adams store, is at present away
on a few weeks' vacation, subsequent to which
he will visit the piano department at the Lord &
Gage store at Reading, Pa., before returning to
his desk.
E. R. Hunter, road ambassador for Hardman,
Peck & Co., 433 Fifth avenue, New York, left this
week for a short trip through New York State
and near-by territory.
Under the auspices of the piano department of
the New York store of John Wanamaker, all
the employes in the new building o.f this institu-
tion are joining in an old-fashioned song revival
every morning that is being commented upon most
favorably by all who have witnessed it.
At 8 :30 each morning the employes of the store
6efore beginning the day's work gather around the
store's rotunda on the various floors, and under
the direction of several members of the piano de-
partment join in the singing of a number of pa-
triotic songs. The large pipe organ on the piano
floor of the building furnishes the music for the
choristers, and the keen interest of the employes
and their evident pleasure in the morning's sing-
ing bear eloquent evidence to the popularity of this
innovation.
BUSINESS ISJ>ROGRESSING
Says Manager Hess of Gulbransen, Dickinson
Co. Who Has Just Returned from a Trip
Through Connecticut in Optimistic Mood.
"We have no fault to find with existing con-
ditions, contrary to the reports of many business
enterprises," said H. W. Hess, general Eastern
manager of the Gulbransen-Dickirison Co., 505
Fifth avenue, New York. "I have just returned
from a trip through Connecticut, and although I
did not find members of the trade breaking rec-
ords, there was sufficient indication of business
stability to encourage the most confirmed pessi-
mist. Our own business is progressing splendidly,
and we have a number of important deals under
consideration at the present time, which will tend
to still further increase the popularity of our
piano player."
J. F. WEIL WILL ASSUME CHARGE
Of New Philadelphia Tel-Electric Store Next
Week—Well Qualified for Important Post.
Joseph F. Weil, who, as announced in a recent
issue of The Review, has been appointed man-
ager of the new store to be opened in Philadel-
phia, Pa., by the Tel-
E l e c t r i c Co., New
York, will leave Mon-
day to assume his new
duties. Mr. Weil has
been making frequent
trips to Philadelphia to
supervise the furnish-
ing and decorating of
the v/arerooms, and
promises that the new
store, which is located
J. F. Weil.
a t 1531 W a i n u t
will be in every way typical of modern high-class
piano and player warerooms. The Tel-Electric
player line will be handled exclusively in the new
store.
Mr. Weil is particularly fitted for his new and
important post, as his many years' connection
with the local piano and player-piano trade has
given him a wide knowledge of retail piano mer-
chandising. For several years Mr. Weil was con-
nected with the local warerooms of John Wan-
amaker, and for the past few months has been a
member of the local sales staff at the Tel-Electric
warerooms. His enviable sales records in these
positions will doubtless be equaled in his Philadel-
phia managerial post.
GREAT IMPROVEMENT NOTED
By C. Alfred Wagner in the Various Cities
Visited During His Recent Trip.
C. Alfred Wagner, president of the Musical
Instrument Sales Co., 11 West Thirty-sixth
street, New York, and C. R. Wagner, manager
of the company's wholesale Victrola department,
returned to New York this week after a short
trip through the Middle West and -East, on which
they visited several of the stores maintaining
piano and Victrola departments under the control
of the Musical Instrument Sales Co.
In a chat with The Review, President Wagner
expressed his optimism over the business outlook,
stating that the industrial situation in the various
cities he visited was considerably improved as com-
pared with this spring. The several piano depart-
ments under the company's supervision are plan-
ning an energetic campaign for fall business.
DEATH OF GEORGE H. McVEY.
Geo. H. McVey, for fourteen years president of
the Amalgamated Piano Makers' Union of North
America, died Sunday at the home of his sister,
Mrs. Rebecca Heddenberg, 542 Jerome street,
Brooklyn, N. Y., aged sixty-seven years. Mr. Mc-
Vey had long been prominent in labor and political
circles. He was for a time chief clerk in the
registrar's office, had served as a strike arbitrator
in this city and was also a former chairman of the
New York Central Labor Union. He is survived by
three sons, Geo. H., Wm. F. and Alfred C. Mc-
Vey, and a sister.
TRYING TO PUSH_COLLECTIONS.
SOHMER & CO.'^ WINDOW HOODOO.
Credit men and collection agents are putting forth
efforts in the dunning letter class just now that
they feel sure, when times improve, will be re-
garded as classics, says the New York Times. Some
accounts, that in the past have discounted their
bills, are now asking for time, and the movement to
put off payment has passed in accelerated fashion
down the line. The slow accounts of the past are
taxing the letter writing ability of the credit men
to the uttermost.
To add to the annoyance and inconvenience that
Sohmer & Co. have been experiencing as a result
of the narrowing of their windows facing on
Thirty-second street, they have just been informed
that their handsome front show window on Fifth
avenue projects eighteen inches beyond the build-
ing level, and must consequently be made that
much narrower. In the meantime the Sohmer
warerooms resemble a battle siege, although a
number of sales are being closed regularly.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos