Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
B. BKITTAIW WILSON,
A. J. NICXLIN,
CAILBTOH CHACS,
AuouiT J. TIIIFB,
L. M* ROBINSON,
W M . B. WHITE,
GLAD HIMDBKSON,
L. E. B O W U L
BOSTON OFFICE
CHICAGO OFFICE:
lnmM TT WIT BAM i i i Wuhiiwton Si
E- P. VAN HABLINOBM, Consumers' Building.
'
H WiMOW, I t * Washington i t .
^
^
^
Wabash 6774,
m
Stfeet
Telephone, Main 6960.
HBNBY S. KINGWILL, Associate,
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall S t , E. C.
N E W S SERVICE I S S U P P L I E D WEEKLY B Y OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 378 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION
(including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada,
11.60; all other countries, $6.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS,
$8.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages 9110.00.
REMITTANCES.
In other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
»
dealt
with
w ^ b e " f o u n | i B Mac , tbtr
M c t j O n of tws
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning which
will be cheerfully gire« upon request
PfanA
anil
nailU BIN!
tiong of a
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Diploma
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1001
Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold M#tf«/..L«wis-Clark Exposition, 1906
D»TAjro> TBunroirsa—XTDXBBXB ssra—sssa MADUIOV BQ.
Connecting- all Departments)
Oabl« addreii:
"KIDIU, K » W Tork."
NEW TORK, APRIL
10, 1915
EDITORIAL
STUDY of the advertising being clone by piano dealers
throughout the country brings to light some rather interest-
A
ing facts that put one in an interrogative mood.
For instance, why is it that piano dealers—some of them old-
time and prominent houses at that—devote so much special and
cleverly arranged advertising to talking machines and so little to
pianos, player-pianos, music rolls and other lines which they handle?
An answer to the question would be that talking machines are
in greater demand at present than the other lines of goods handled.
But would not the same amount of space and the same intelli-
gent interest, devoted to pianos, players, rolls or sheet music, bring
results by stimulating a special interest on the part of the public in
these products?
Evidently the dealers referred to do not think so, for we have
come across a number of piano houses carrying on a persistent cam-
paign of publicity for the talking machine, while only an occasional
advertisement bears upon the other lines handled.
There can be only one reason for this. And it is that the en-
couragement and stimulation exercised by the manufacturers of
talking machines in supplying the dealers with advertising .sugges-
tions and ideas such a< prepared advertisements for the daily
papers, window hangers, window displays, circulars and effective
posters lead the dealer to believe that the talking machine is the
real live up-to-the-minute trade issue.
Now, would it not pay other manufacturers in the music trade
field to keep in closer touch with the dealers and arouse their in-
terest in the pianos, players or music rolls which they handle, so
that they may be likewise enthused and stimulated to the extent
of bringing these products to the attention of the public in a manner
that would be out of the ordinary and which would bring results
in a business way?
We believe it would.
Proof of this is to be found in the fact that the number of
large piano houses which, through their advertising departments,
have been furnishing "first aid" in the way of ideas and helps to
the dealers have secured results that have been surprisingly satis-
factory.
The keynote of modern success is co-operation.
Too many dealers are inclined to adopt traditional methods of
doing business; they lack initiative, at least in the matter of adver-
tising ideas, and they gladly welcome suggestions from the houses
they represent—and take advantage of them.
Again, there are piano houses that cannot be awakened from
the lethargy which seems to be part of their make-up. They prefer
to drift along, content with themselves and indifferent to the
modern methods of healthy expansion.
There can be no doubt, however, that the activity in the talking
machine field must be largely attributed to the remarkable adver-
tising and educational work being done by the manufacturers, not
only by means of national publicity but by providing the dealer
with help to make their products known locally.
It is quite evident that piano merchants, no matter how indif-
ferent they are ordinarily to advertising as far as pianos are con-
cerned, have become impressed with the necessity of being as "live"
as their neighbor who handles talking machines exclusively. And
this accounts for the rather unusual conditions in the retail adver-
tising field which led to these remarks.
P
IANO manufacturers and dealers can rejoice. The population
of the United States has officially passed the hundred million
mark. This is duly verified by the Government statisticians. This
means an increased demand for pianos—if not this season, at least
at some later period—in other words, the business is there to be
developed. The increase in population alone, since the taking of
the last census in April, 1910, has been more than the entire popu-
lation of the United States in 1810, when the census showed
7,239,881. To analyze further, there are just twice as many in-
habitants in this country as in 1880, more than three times as mam-
as at the outbreak of the Civil War and fives times as many as
when the discovery of gold in California began the development
of our far western coast.
It is an amazing story that is unfolded as we take a cross-
section of the world's population in relation to the numerical
strength of America. The United States has twice as many in-
habitants as all South America, or Great Britain, or Austria-Hun-
gary, or Japan, fifty per cent, more than Germany and twenty per
cent, fewer than European Russia. Seventy per cent, of the people
of all North America are in the United States.
But, as an editorial writer in the Mail pointed out the other
day, there is more than the power of numbers to figure upon in
considering the present greatness and the future position of America
among the nations of the world. A coherent mass, with a high
average of education, with productive ability well developed, with
industry a national characteristic and temperance a national virtue,
the people of the United States are conquering not by might of
arms, nor by craft, but by honest service to the world.
There is a stability and strength in the admixture of races in
this country that is not to be lost sight of in the forecast, and a
strongly-held tradition that right is the only might that is in-
vincible. Peace-loving, peace-serving and peace-preserving, the
hundred million Americans to-day face the future with confidence
and faith, while great nations are in the throes of mortal combat,
and their sun-lit faces are unafraid.
' T H K value of trade-paper advertising is a helpful and con-
i-
structive power in business—a force which is becoming
better appreciated than ever before by national advertisers.
The Curtis Publishing Co. recently occupied a full page space
in the Philadelphia Ledger, and in the announcement a distinct com-
pliment was paid to the trade publications of this country in the
following excerpt: "A very large majority of all the manufacturers
in the United States appear with more or less regularity in trade
papers, and trade-paper advertising is unquestionably of great value
when proper mediums are used with proper copy."
That advertisers are showing a greater discrimination in the
selection of their trade-paper"advertising than ever before is seen
in the steady advance of trade papers which exert a constructive
influence. Manufacturers in all lines are exhibiting keener judg-
ment than ever before in the selection of trade-paper mediums, and,
too, they are preparing copy which has great attractive power.
Trade-paper space cannot be treated indifferently. It is valu-
able space, and for the circulation is high-priced, but it is direct
and goes always to a directly interested class. The space, when