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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Recent Movement Toward Revision of Catalog Prices of Music Rolls
Engaging The Attention of The Trade—Movement Will Have Beneficial
Effect on Entire Industry—High Prices Have Hindered Trade Expansion.
No single question at the present moment so
holds the attention of the trade as that involved
in the recent general movement towards a revision
of catalog prices for music rolls. Just how far
this movement is seen by the trade in its com-
plete significance is, perhaps, an open question;
but that the significance is apparent to those who
think cannot be denied. For nearly fifteen years
and more the public has been asked to purchase
music rolls at prices ranging, according to catalog,
from 50 cents to $3. Perhaps it would be fair to
say that $1.50 has been an average catalog list price
for rolls. Within the last few months, however,
there suddenly appeared on the market a line of
rolls selling at 10 cents. In spite of the inferior
character of the paper, the flanges and the gen-
eral appearance, in spite of the skimped arrange-
ments and general musical defects, these rolls sold
in large quantities, till they dropped off almost
as suddenly as they came out. Meanwhile, how-
ever, rolls began to appear at 25 cents list price,
rolls which look as good as any costing several
times as much. And along with this has come
the announcement by more than one great roll
publisher that the catalog prices that have ruled
for fifteen years are to be revised drastically,
something like one-half the original figures being
cut off.
Good Reasons for the Change.
Now, when in a trade like ours a movement
like this runs like wild-fire through the ranks, it
is fairly safe to say that there is a good reason
for the change. The reason in the present case
is not far to seek. Prices, in fact, are never re-
vised downward unless (1) they have become in-
operative or (2) demand is to be speeded up. In
the present case it may be cruel, but it is certain-
ly true, to say that both causes are to be held
accountable.
The facts can best be understood by a glance
at the earlier history of the player business. When
the first cabinet players came on the market, they
were advertised in a thoroughly high-grade way,
and exploited with equal conscientiousness. For
the first year or so there was really no serious at-
tempt to attract the attention of the non-monied
classes, and everything was done on a generously
broad scale, both as to methods and as to prices.
The player was a fad and those who bought it did
so usually because they had the money to spare
to indulge a fad, and not half so often because
they really saw its genuine musical possibilities.
Naturally, the first sales were cash sales only.
This, too, applied to the music rolls. And there
was another equally important feature of the sit-
uation. The original catalogs showed by their
contents that the makers of these rolls and of
these players were inspired by truly high ideals.
Standard music was produced in large quantities,
and, in fact, the first :ew years must have been
largely devoted to the task of producing master
rolls; for the original masters of the rolls used in
t'.'.e old self-playing organs were in some cases
not available and in all cases unsuitable. Of
course, production costs were high. So also retail
prices were high in proportion. Sales were limited
in quantity. Profit per individual sale must there-
fore be large. All this follows quite naturally on
accepted economic principles.
But there is still another point. The public be-
gan to take to the player after a year or so in a
fairly encouraging manner, but the tastes of those
who took to it were not the tastes that had been
provided for orginally. Jn a word, the musi-
cians refused with pleasing unanimity to have any-
thing to do with the player. Hence the raggety-
minded ones must be cultivated, and they did, in-
deed, take to it. Their tastes then must also be
cultivated. This in turn meant the production of
an immense amount of master-rolls of popular
music, much of it exceedingly ephemeral in the
duration of its popularity, all of it quite uncer-
tain. Again, then, overhead charges remained
high and production costs in general required
large individual profits. Hence, prices continued
to be as they oiiginally were.
Nevertheless, logical as all this may have been.
it did not alter the fact that the majority of those
who were buying the player were, as indeed they
are yet and will likely remain, people of rudi-
mentary musical taste. To them the main thing
was, and is, to have lots of the popular stuff.
How then could they be satisfied when the aver-
age cost was over a dollar a roll? On the other
hand, if rolls cost too much, the sale of player-
pianos falls off. So, when the trade in general
had taken up the player and was offering it every-
where, the plan of loaning music on a circulat-
ing library plan was tried. It flourished for a
while, but did not fill the bill. Slowly, but surely,
it expired of inanition. Again the straight sale
was the only method remaining.
How Giving Away Rolls Hurts.
At the same time, the practice has arisen of
giving away music with the purchase of a player-
piano. This has simply hastened the progress of
the disease which afflicted the business from the
first: the disease of inflated value. An expensive
roll really operates to hurt the entire trade in
player-pianos. So also giving away rolls hurts it
still more because it deprives the roll of any
semblance of value it may ever have had. It is
bad enough to ask a high price for an article
necessary to the enjoyment of another article
which you are selling; especially when the price
is almost prohibitive, if the use of the article is
to be as extended as it ought to be. But when
on top of this you make the fatal blunder of im-
mediately destroying all your claims as to the
article's value by giving it away in quantities in
order to stimulate the sale of the other article,
then you have managed, with the best intentions
in the world no doubt, to kill your whole proposi-
tion entirely, so far as its stability in a commercial
sense is concerned. And that is what the trade
has done.
WRIGHT
Satms Offices at
437 5th Ave., New York
CMTK H. Beverly. Manager el Sales
It is not necessary to speak of the lesser evil
of splitting the trade discount with one's retail
consumers, by letting them have larger or smaller
discounts from the catalog price. The major evils
of which we speak have been the real causes of
the present demoralization.
Well, now we are offering rolls in the catalog
at half the old prices. We are selling a line of
popular music at 25 cents apiece. And we are
doing other things horrifying to behold. But it
is all good sense. It is, in our humble opinion,
the best thing that ever happened. And it is some
consolation to know that perhaps it could not
have been done any earlier in the game, even if
anybody had realized the necessity. For the over-
head charges were too great in early days. Now,
with the original investment written off and the
edition of standard music reasonably complete,
operating costs diminish. Profits may be well
made very close to secure greater output. (Tn
popular music large output is the only salvation,
be it noted.) Discounts may be smaller, for the
dealer need no longer split with the consumer.
The music roll, in fact, takes on a real value. It
is sold at a price that not only looks reasonable to
the consumer and tempts him to buy in larger
quantities, but also eliminates the secret rebate, a
curse to every trade.
Large Roll Library Increase Player Interest.
More power to it, say we! If the roll can be
got down finally to the basis of retail-at-a-cent-a-
foot, or something like that, then it will be the
best thing for the trade that ever happened. Pre-
cious few people seem to understand yet that the
lack of a large music-roll library is the cause f
more dissatisfaction with the player at the hands
of those who use it and operates more efficiently
to cut down the popularity of the instrument and
retard new sales, than any other single, element
of the business that can be adduced. Get people
to buy a real collection of rolls, and they will like
their player-pianos. It is playing over the same
ten or fifteen rolls forever and a day that annoys
people. And now that the prices are where they
look, no matter what any one may say, really rea-
sonable and within reach, there will be less com-
plaint among the users. And that means new
sales. Satisfied customers are certainly one of the
"best advertisements."
We have not adverted to one phase of the ques-
tion which might well be held to furnish excuse
for the anomalous situation which has hitherto
prevailed. We mean the change from sixty-five
note to eighty-eight note range. The effect .of
this was revolutionary, and naturally operated to
retard internal reforms. But such a change is
not likely to come again; in fact, cannot come
again.
So we welcome the change and believe that so
long as the efficiency of the leading makes is
maintained, the change to low prices means the
opening of a new era of prosperity for all con-
cerned.
METAL PLAYER ACTION
Easily 100% in advance of any action ever offered. Simple—
Responsive—Durable—Beautiful. Contains the Wright "Ideml"
bellows.
Being made of metal (the logical material for player actions)
cannot be affected by dampnesi or any climatic conditions. Iti
exclusive features save many dollars in repair work and
make many sales in competition. Write us.
M. S. Wright Company
Worcester," Mass.