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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
The Value of Window Display for Piano Dealers.
Many Piano Stores Waste Window Space—How to Utilize Local Incidents and
Make the Window Pay—Some Notable Displays and How They Were Built.
Written for The Review, by ELLIS HANSEN, Display Manager for the R. Wurlitzer's Go's Chicago Store.
It would b^ considered ridiculous for a merchant
wiio wanted to establish a piano store to rent a store
without show windows. Such a store, if it could
be found, could probably be obtained for half or
1< ss than half the usual rent and still go begging
fur a tenant. It is, tiieri.-fo"e, very strange that the
average piano dealer does not pay more attention to
his show windows than is now the case.
I doubt that any other class of merchandising has
less interesting window displays than the music
trade. One or two pianos without any accessories
whatsoever, and the merchant considers his duty
somebody in the sales force that has a liking for
this very interesting and fascinating work and will
take pride in keeping the windows interesting and
instructive. The head of the firm should encour-
age such a person and allow him the time and
money that is necessary in this department of the
business as in all others.
It is impossible to put down a set of rules by
which to arrange piano displays. A great help for
all display men, liowever, is well written and inter-
esting show cards, although the trimmer must be
able to transmit his ideas without putting all of
be taken advantage of in window displays. Of
course, nearly all pianos sold here are made in this
country. Nevertheless, it offers an excuse for mak-
ing a patriotic display without waiting for one of
our national holidays. For such a display get two
American flags 5x8 feet, which can be bought for
seventy-five cents each, as cotton flags for inside
use are really better adapted than the more ex-
pensive woolen flags. Drape these flags around a
show card with the name of your piano and the
slogan "Made in U. S. A." Have four or six
smaller cards made to tell whatever you want to
say about your instrument, and adorn each one of
these with a small American silk flag about 4xG
inches. The use of our national symbol with a dis-
play of this sort is in good taste and will induce
people to stop and read your signs.
A San Francisco World's Fair Display.
An International Peace Display Window Devoted to Musical Instruments.
done to the "display" and trusts to his good luck.
Such is generally the case in most cities all over
the country.
Pianos, good, bad and indifferent, when seen in a
show window, do not differ much as far as appear-
ance goes to the casual observer. Perhaps piano
dealers or people connected with the trade may be
able to judge a good piano from a bad one when
standing in front of a show window, but in the
average person the faculty of observation as far as
pianos go is not very much developed, and it is
from the average person that business comes.
It is here that the mission of tne show window
cCtnes in. The display must fire the imagination-
it must, as it were, magnify all the good points of
the instrument exhibited and still tell a true and
sincere story. Nothing is gained'by an insincere dis-
play. If honest newspaper advertising pays—and of
that there can be no doubt—it stands to reason that
misleading statements in a show window will only
canst.' a lnt of trouble. Local newspaper copy is, as
a general rule, changed each time it appears, but
show window "copy" will be observed for several
weeks by the same people that pass the store. Any
kind of deceit will therefore be far easier to detect
in a window display than in a newspaper, and if
people begin to suspect the dealer of '"putting some-
t ling over" on them and using his display to decoy
them into the store, then the window publicity will
spoil the reputation and hurt the merchant's busi-
ness.
Piano puzzle advertising and other schemes of
the same class will not be tolerated in the advertis-
ing columns of our great journals; that is one rea-
son why these journals are great; the same objec-
tions that keep ads of a fakish nature out of our
leading periodicals should be applied to the legiti-
mate piano dealer's show windows, and he will be
rewarded by the greatest ally a business man can
have—confidence.
First of all the dealer must try to get ideas into
his displays. Don't be afraid to spend a few dol-
lars, for there is no other means of advertising that
gives any way near equal returns for the same ex-
penditure. Only big stores can afford to have a
skilled decorator to take care of the window dis-
plays and only that, but in most stores can be found
(No.
them into words. In the following 1 shall try to
give a few hints of what can be done with a little
effort and at a small expense.
A Music Room Interior.
A great many stores have "open windows," that
is, a show window without a background. To
transform such a window it is only necessary to
make a stretcher the size of the background.
Use one and one-half inch strips and cover with
cheap unbleached muslin. Get a few rolls of wall
paper of an attractive design and paste this on your
muslin. You can get the paste in the wall paper
A great many of our American pianos are at this
time being exhibited at the San Francisco World's
Fair. Get information from your manufacturer
where your piano is exhibited, and if possible get a
photograph of the instruments shown. All of the
ticket agents that sell round trip tickets to the fair
tan supply you free with elaborate booklets with
beautifully colored reproductions of the most im-
portant palaces and buildings. Mount these on
cardboard, leave a margin of about two inches, and
have your card writer write the name on each of
these photographs of the buildings. If you can get
the picture of your State building, so much the
better. A display of this kind will also allow you
the use of the Stars and Stripes. Few people will
pass your window without looking and incidentally
read the information you wish to convey about your
instruments.
Player-pianos offer a hundred display opportuni-
ties that the live dealer should not overlook.
Take Advantage of Concerts.
Suppose a great pianist is going to give a concert
in your city. You can nearly always get a photo-
graph of the artist from his manager, who will be
glad to get this extra advertising free. Arrange
this in the center of the display. Group around this
as many player rolls as you can supply of the selec-
tions he is going to play. Have small cards written
Attractive "Made in U. S. A." Window Display.
store. Almost any furniture store would be glad
to loan you a few pieces of furniture if you would
acknowledge the courtesy on a small card. Two
or three pictures with musical subjects, a piano
lamp, a palm and a rug and, of course, the piano,
would make a fair imitation of a music room. Have
a show card written to the effect that a small cash
payment and so much a day would secure the in-
strument and bring the piano right into the home.
Such a display would attract many prospects.
Made in U. S. A.
So much has been said and printed about goods
made in the U. S. A. that this movement ought to
(No. 2 ) .
with each title of the rolls and call attention to the
fact that you will be glad to play part of the artist's
program at an informal recital for anybody inter-
ested. If the performer is a good one you will be
surprised at the number of music lovers who will
respond to your invitation. The same holds good
for any musical comedy or operetta.
A Dance Display.
The craze for modern dances like the tango and
fox trot gives the piano dealer another convincing
argument why people should have a player-piano
in their home. An effective display could be made
{Continued on Page 11.)