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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
SOME PLAYER BUYERS GETTING INTO BAD HABIT.
WILL OPEN NEWMWJS1C HOUSE.
Purchasers of Player-Pianos Who Have Formerly Purchased Straight Instruments Frequently
Inclined to Drop Back to Low Payments—Causes a Reaction.
Fritz & Schnier Music Co. Organized and Will
Be Ready for Business September 1 at 225
So. Wabash Avenue, Chicago.
(Special to The Review.)
the sale of player-pianos is being encountered by
Detroit dealers, or perhaps it is an old difficulty
becoming emphasized by expansion and becoming-
chronic. This is the fact that many buyers of play-
ers who sign contracts for adequate payments, but
who previously have purchased straight pianos on
smaller payments, soon drop back to the lower
payments they have been accustomed to, always
promising to make up the balance the next month,
but never doing so. The amount they are paying
is their limit. They keep up the smaller payments
punctually, so the dealer can hardly press them.
Such delinquency, of course, changes what was
supposed to have been a profitable sale into an un-
profitable one. The great majority of player sales
are to people who have ordinary pianos and want
to trade them in. While a good many have the
necessary funds, or incomes, for the larger invest-
ment, more have not. They are simply willing to
take their chances on going beyond their capacity
for the sake of getting a player. They are honest
and mean well and eventually will pay up unless
beset with a streak of unusually hard luck. They
manage to make the required first payment and for
a few months pay the stipulated amounts on their
:ontracts. But they have not figured the cost of
ouying player rolls and of meeting other ordinary
expenses. Eventually they reduce their payments,
not from desire but because forced to.
Such conditions cause some dealers to refrain
from pushing the player end of the business for
the present. It requires the investment of too much
capital to make it profitable. Some see a future
profit in sales of player rolls and nurse the de-
linquents along by exchanging rolls with them at a
low price. If they cannot get new rolls they will
lose interest in their player. After they have fin-
ished paying for their player they will have several
dollars a month to invest in rolls. Most dealers
ceased some time ago to allow liberal valuations
for old pianos when traded in on players, having
recognized the truth of The Review's arguments
regarding trade-ins. Exactly how this new prob-
lem is to be met is yet to be worked out.
C. A. GRINNELL SAFE IN LONDON.
TO INVITE MERCHANTS OF STATE.
Detroit Piano Man Loses Baggage in Paris, but
Suffers Little Inconvenience—Waiting for
Suitable Cross-Sea Accommodations.
Ohio Association of Piano Merchants Expected
to Send Out General Invitation to Attend
the Convention of That Body.
DETROIT, MICH., August 17.—A new difficulty in
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., August 17.—The anxiety of the
members of the Grinnell Bros, as to the safety
and comfort of C. A. Grennell and his family, who
have been in Europe since last May, was relieved
this week by receipt of a letter from Mr. Grinnell,
dated London, August 3, one day after the German
movement upon France commenced. Mr. Grinnell
left the Hotel Meurice, Paris, on August 2, check-
ing his baggage for London, where he had made
reservations in a hotel for August 4. While he and
his family arrived all right, the baggage did not. It
is supposed that the hotel was closed because of the
summoning of all the waiters, valets, etc., to the
army, to say nothing of the uselessness of operat-
ing a hotel in Paris just now, and the baggage is
locked up there until the place reopens.
Mr. Grinnell had planned to stay in London
from August 4 to August 23 and had made reserva-
tions on the "Mauretania" for that date. As the
"Mauretania" has been withdrawn from commerce,
he, of course, does not know now when or how
he will get to New York. He had practically com-
pleted his European itinerary, with the exception
of England, and arrived in London only two days
ahead of his schedule. He has had no trouble get-
ting funds and therefore has not had to undergo
any of the privations which the press dispatches
of early in August told of.
While Mr. Grinnell is very anxious to return
home, he does not care to subject his family to
the experiences of a steerage passage, and unless
the war takes a turn which threatens England with
invasion, or bombardment, he will remain un f il the
rush is over.
(Special to The Review.)
WANTS MONE^RETURNED.
CINCINNATI, O., August 17.—While no definite
announcement has been made as yet, it is likely
that the officers of the Ohio Association of Piano
Merchants will issue a general invitation to all
merchants in the State, irrespective of their affilia-
tion with the organization, to attend the annual
convention at Columbus on September 8. This will
be done for the purpose of showing those holding
off that the association is working for their benefit.
A representative of the Ohio Tax Commission will
address the convention on taxing matters as they
relate to the piano business in this State.
New York Woman Seeks to Recover Amount
Paid on Piano Which Dealers Seized on
Judgment—Claims Judgment Is Void.
WILL SEND TRADE AGENTS.
Department of Commerce Announces Its South
American Plans.
(Special to The Review.)
Onlyoiie
piano is
made in
this large
WASHINGTON, D. C, August 19.—The Depart-
of Commerce last week issued an announcement of
the plans for the development of the South Ameri-
can trade. The announcement read in part:
"The department will promptly undertake the
establishment of both a permanent and traveling
force in South America. This force will consist
of men familiar with the language, customs and
business methods of Latin America, who have had
practical experience in various lines of business
carried on with Latin-American countries.
"Eour of the department officers will be com-
mercial attaches, for which provision was made
by recent legislation. They will be assigned to
Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago and Lima.
It is hoped to have these officers at their posts by
or before October 1.
"In addition to these, six traveling commercial
agents will be promptly dispatched to South Amer-
ica and will, in their travels, cover all the com-
mercial areas of that continent. These will in-
clude specialists in hardware, textiles, lumber and
other industries, and arrangements will be made
also for a general study of any commercial and
industrial opportunities that may open in favor of
American interests."
that is the
COL. HUNTER'S LATEST BOOK, "PEP."
A storeroom on Second avenue, S. W., Puyallup,
Wash., has been leased by W. S. Stahl, who will
put in a stock of pianos.
fatod
gemi'uve
LINDEMAN
originated
in 1621 by
W*Lid
Liixdero&n 6 Sons Piano G).
45^? St. 6 11* Avc.
N e w York.
(Special to The Review.)
'CHICAGO, I I I . , August IP.—The Fritz & Schnier
Music Co., of this city, will be the name of a new
house to be established at 225 South Wabash ave-
nue, where they will have handsome quarters on
the third floor September ]. The new concern will
handle and publish band and orchestra music, vio-
iin solos, studies, etc., wind instrument music,-
"methods" of all kinds, and reeds for all instru-
ments. It will do both a retail and wholesale busi-
ness.
The lines above mentioned will only be a
nucleus, as they expect in the near future to add
a complete line of band instruments and small
goods and enter the trade in quite an extensive
manner.
Both members of the house are experienced men
and long connected with the Chicago trade. A. H.
Fritz has been for years manager for Louis B.
Malecki & Co., which position he has just resigned
to go into business for himself, and previous to
his connection with Malecki he was employed by
the John Church Co. Fred J. Schnier has also
been for some years with Malecki & Co., and pre-
vious to that was with the John Church Co. and
with Lyon & Healy.
Col. William C. Hunter, advertising manager
of the J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., Kansas
City, Mo., is the author of a new book on hints on
mental and physical efficiency, issued under the
illuminating title of "Pep." The new book, which
is the fourteenth written by Col. Hunter, is pub-
lished by Reilly & Britton, Chicago.
(Special to The Review.)
AMSTERDAM, N. Y., August 17.—Mrs. A. F. Al-
len, of Mechanicsville, has secured from Justice
Henry V. Borst, of this city, an order referring
her 'application for restitution of money on an
alleged void execution in an action brought by
the George A. Cassedy Music Co., of Schenectady,
to William Rooney, of Ballston Spa, to take evi-
dence and make a report. Mrs. Allen alleges she
paid $104.42 on a piano to prevent deputy sheriffs
taking it from her home on what they claimed to
be an execution secured by default. She claims
she had no service of summons or complaint and
judgment by default was entered without appeal
to the court, and that it is therefore rendered null
and void.
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