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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
CINCINNATI DEALERS DOING RECORD-BREAKING BUSINESS
Figures for Last December Already Exceeded—Pianos Being Shipped From One Store to An-
other in an Effort to Keep Stocks Filled—Baldwin Co. Uses Full Page Advertisement
*
11
dolph Wurlitzer Co. was somewhat inclined to
run around in circles on Saturday in order to
take care of the immense demand for Victrolas.
The piano force was also busy establishing a
new record for business.
A precedent has been established by the
Baldwin Co. In yesterday's Enquirer the fac-
tory took up a full page advertisement, setting
forth the value of the Baldwin products and
published a list, with pictures, of the names of
prominent users of their pianos.
The wife of Hugh Whittaker, former manager
of the foreign department of the Baldwin Co.,
died Saturday at Sanarac Lake, N. Y. She had
been ill some time. Mrs. Whittaker was prom-
inently connected in Cincinnati. Besides her
husband she is survived by two children.
The Geis Piano Co. has opened a store room
at 506 Broadway, this being a decidedly new
location for a piano store.
The McKee Music Co., Charleston, W. Va.,
CINCINNATI, O., December 18.—With Christ-
mas less than a week off the piano and talk- has been incorporated with a capitalization of
ing machine dealers, as a unit, are predicting $5,000 by R. A. and J. T. McKee, J. C. McKee,
the greatest avalanche of business in the his- ST., and J. C. McKee, Jr., and W. T. Eisen-
tory of the trade. Without exception the va- smith.
rious houses are already ahead of last Decem-
Divisional Manager Wells, of Steinway &
ber's business, and the general thought is the Sons, returned yesterday from Newt York City
fear of a shortage in practically all lines of on a combined business and social mission. One
musical instruments.
of the big sales of the year was put through
That the trade is skinning the fat houses for by the Cincinnati branch in the sale of an art
the benefit of the lean ones is the situation grand piano to Mrs. S. P. Fetter, of Paints-
which was given the undivided attention of the ville, Ky., who paid $5,000. The top is cov-
trade throughout the Ohio valley last Saturday. ered with a painting taken from a scene in
For instance, the Cincinnati branch of the Starr "Romeo and Juliet." This work is said to have
Piano Co. earlier in the year made unusual de- cost $1,000.
mands on the factory for talking machines, and
The talking machine department of The Ru-
Manager Pauling and his right-hand man, Mr.
any more, although I love the old game. Busi-
Hewitt, accumulated more than a normal house
WANAMAKER'S BIG BUSINESS
ness is business and we are certainly getting
could dispose of even in a holiday rush. Stores
without excess stock are now being fed from Heavy Pre-Holiday Trade Stimulated by Suc- it."
cessful Offering of a Number of Used Pianos
If a big demand for pianos in Tennessee is
Cincinnati. More than 400 talking machines will
at Prices Advertised to Allow No Profit
going to affect the future plans of the Red Sox
be sold by the local Starr branch in December,
the owners surely will have to do something
according to Mr. Hewitt.
The John Wanamaker store, New York, is .about it.
Then, again, the branches at Dayton and
Springfield have too many straight pianos, and finishing up the last remaining days of the
the Cleveland house apparently is unable to Christmas selling season in its piano depart-
R. M. Lauersdorf, formerly with the J. T.
secure enough stock. Both branches are send- ment with banners flying. In addition to the Wamelink & Sons Piano Co., is now a member
ing their possible excess material by express usual immense holiday business of the depart- of the sales staff of the Hart Piano Co., Cleve-
to the Forest City. This is the story of one ment an unexpected Christmas sale of used land, O.
factory, and evidently the same situation also pianos and used player-pianos is in progress.
To quote from the advertisement appearing in
holds good with other firms.
the metropolitan dailies: "It did not seem pos-
E. E. Roberts, of The Baldwin Co., said:
sible, owing to the pressure in the skilled labor
"This December undoubtedly will be the largest
market, to rebuild and refinish any quantity of
from the standpoint of business in the history
AWARDED
used pianos and player-pianos in time for a
of the Cincinnati branch. The demand is a
Christmas sale. But by working at nights we
wonderful one. We thought last December's
have succeeded in getting through our factory
showing was a good one." The house is al-
seventy-two pianos and players." These are
ready tabulating an excess amount of business,
advertised to be sold entirely without profit
when compared with last December.
to the Wanamaker store. A representative of
Player-piano business is the feature of this The Review visited the department on the open-
Supreme Award
year's holiday demand. Steinway & Sons are ing morning of the sale and found it a veritable
of Merit
doing wonders with their very extensive line of bee-hive.
instruments.
The John Church Co.'s pianos are to be
BIGGEST STANDARD WEEK
handled by D. W. Martin, who is about to open
a store at Washington Court House, Ohio.
He was formerly identified with the J. C. Mar- Manufacturers of the Standard Player Action
Operating at Rate of 40,000 Actions Per An-
tin Co., Dayton.
num—Large
Shipments Made by Express
Appraisers are now at work on the chattels
of the Knabe Bros. Co., at Norwood, and it is
" The week which ended Saturday last was the
possible that they will make their report soon. biggest week ever experienced by the Standard
Pneumatic Action Co., Fifty-second street and
Twelfth avenue, New York, which shows that
the company is going along at a gait of 40,000
player actions per annum. So great has been
Maker of
the demand during the last month that only
last week fourteen cases of these actions were
ordered forwarded by express! The prediction
of J. A. LeCato, president of the company, that
1917 will be a tremendous player year, which
appears in another part of this paper, is ap-
parently borne out by the above fact.
American Steel &
Wire Company
Smith,
Barnes
and
Strohber
Company
CHICAGO
Over 145,000 Pianos
in American Homes and
All Giving Satisfaction
MONEY MAKERS FOR THE DEALER
Write for Catalogues and Prices
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Go.
1872 Clyboura Avenue
CHICAGO
PIANOS MAY COST RED SOX A MAN
"Tillie" Walker Is So Busy Selling Pianos That
He May Not Have Time to Play Ball
BOSTON, MASS., December
18.—Acting
Secre-
tary John A. Lane, of the Red Sox team, re-
cently received a letter from Clarence W. "Til-
lie" Walker, center fielder of the world's cham-
pions, which indicates that this enterprising
ball player may be lured away from the game
by the music business. Walker is at the head
of a piano concern in Limestone, Term., and in
his letter he said:
"I thought I would drop you a line and let
you know that I am still among the living. I
am feeling fine after the strenuous season. Have
been hunting some, but not much, as this is our
busy season. You know during the Christmas
season is the busiest time selling pianos, and
believe me it keeps four of us going all the
time.
"We are selling them faster than we can get
them, and if it keeps up I may not play ball
Perfected
and Crown
Piano Wire
Highest Standard of
Acoustic Excellence
Chicago, New York, Worcester, Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. S. Steel
Products Co., New York. Pacific Coast representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.