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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
SEASONABLE WEATHER JJFVESJSNAP TO DETROIT TRADE
Activity Increases as Christmas Draws Near—Freight Congestion Results in Shortage of Instru-
ments—New Store for Clough & Warren—Grinnell Department Opened—Other News
DETROIT, MICH., December 18.—Being just be-
would hurt the city of Detroit as a whole. But
fore the wind-up of Christmas business, The that remains to be seen.
Review correspondent made it a point to spend
C. A. Grinnell, general manager and vice-
a few minutes last week with as many of the president of Grinnell Bros., Detroit, has pur-
retailers as he could "get to." The first ques- -chased 111 feet of Woodward avenue front-
tion he popped was, "Well, how's the holiday age, near Medbury avenue, containing a three-
trade?" and invariably the response he got bacTc story brick double house, and brick garage.
was, "Good."
One thing we do know—the The purchase by Mr. Grinnell was made as an
piano and talking machine stores have been investment.
extremely busy with people, and while they
Clough & Warren Co. opened their new store
were not all buyers of pianos, players or talking this week at 84 Broadway, and there is more
machines, many of them bought kindred lines, credit to the piano business as a result of this
such as benches, stools, cabinets, records, music new store, which makes the fifth to invade this
rolls, etc. The particular department of the thoroughfare. Roy Dupraw is manager of the
trade that seems to get a big play at holiday store, as well as sales manager for the com-
time is the small goods department. Percy pany in the State of Michigan. The first floor
Guest, of the Grinnell store, and Willard Bryant, is for the display and sale of pianos, players
who operates such a department in connection and talking machines, all manufactured by the
with the Cable piano store, both report unusual company's factory at Adrian, Mich. The talk-
big business this year, and that what is bother- ing machine is sold under the name of the
ing them more than selling goods is the ability Manophone. There is a mezzanine in the rear
to get them. "Shortage" is the cry by all small of the store, which is for the private office of
goods managers and dealers. On some lines Mr. Dupraw as well as the general office. The
dealers are supplied for only a short time after whole interior is attractive and extremely cosy
the holidays, and the outlook is that after the looking. It should be a big success, and is
supply is exhausted, they will not be able to certainly a better proposition than the third
get more. It means that dealers will have to floor of the University Building, where it was
concentrate on American-made lines.
There absolutely out-of-sight, so to speak.
are so many things in the way of small instru-
The new first floor Victrola department of
ment goods that make ideal Christmas gifts Grinnell Bros, store, at 243 Woodward avenue,
that it is no trick to do a big business at holiday was formally opened last week, and is all that
time. As one dealer said, it's a question of ad- was promised for it. It gives the firm at this
vertising, good window displays and having the store a total of thirty-seven sound-proof demon-
merchandise.
strating rooms, including those in the base-
The sudden cold weather of the past week— ment. It adjoins the main store on the first
the temperature going down to zero—stimulated floor, a large archway being made for the con-
the music business, but made worse the freight nection; in addition there is an entrance right
congestion, and more than one dealer has given off Woodward avenue. The main floor is for
up hope completely of getting certain ship- records, while the mezzanine which goes around
ments which have been on the way for some- practically the whole floor is for Victrolas.
time.
Manager Andrew, of the J. L. Hudson piano
This year the Detroit dealers in everything store, is more than satisfied that he will get
musical more than spread themselves on ad- his quota before Christmas from the way things
vertising, and the newspapers for the past two are going. He feels well pleased with the fall
weeks have been largely and liberally patron- and holiday trade and is enthusiastic about
ized by the dealers. This proves more than business for 1917.
anything else that Detroit dealers are prosper-
The Detroit correspondent of The Review
ous, and that they thoroughly believe in the extends to the Michigan subscribers and his
pulling power of "printers' ink." Several of the many acquaintances and friends in the trade a
Detroit papers have had special editions de- Merry Christmas.
voted to the music business, and practically
every dealer was represented in the advertising
MAKING PIANO SALES INTERESTING
columns, each making announcement as to the
lines he handled.
One of the Instances That Serve to Take the
To the traveling piano salesmen and repre-
Monotony Out of Business
sentatives who come here, it might be interest-
That the business of piano selling is not al-
ing for them to know that at the annual meet-
ing of the Michigan Hotel Men's Association together one of monopoly is indicated by occa-
held last week in Detroit a resolution was sional incidents out of the ordinary concerning
passed favoring the early increasing of hotel the sale of some special instrument. In enclos-
rates to meet the increasing cost of foodstuffs, ing a check to Krakauer Bros, in payment for a
and other departments. It was the contention Krakauer piano style 32, A. F. Germond, piano
of the members that no room with bath should dealer of Oneonta, N. Y., said in his letter:
"This piano has an interesting story for us,
sell at less than $1.50 in the country hotels, and
%2 in the cities.
Detroit hotelkeepers also and we think it will interest you. It reached us
want to get ready for the loss which they will on Tuesday afternoon about 2 o'clock. Imme-
feel because of prohibition in May, 1918, and diately after unboxing the instrument I took
raising the rates is about the only way to cover the car and drove out to a neighboring village
it. At the above convention, the hotel men about sixteen miles, saw my prospective and
were mighty blue and felt that prohibition would brought her in to town with me, reached here
be a serious menace to. their business, and about 4 o'clock, sold the piano, took her back
home and got my cash. My competitor had his
piano in the freight house in her town awaiting
delivery to her home. He got his piano I'm
told, but I should worry, I got the cash. She
got a fine Krakauer piano and is very much
pleased.
"W r e loaded the piano on a truck at 7 o'clock
on Wednesday morning and it was placed in her
home in the forenoon. My competitor phoned
ETTER Piano or Player-
her that his piano was in the freight house and
Piano value cannot be
he would come to make delivery, but she told
found. You had better
him she would return his instrument as she had
investigate the Schmidt-
found one she liked much better."
Dauber instruments.
B
409 W E S T 14TH S T . NEW YORK
The Holland Piano Co. is now installed in the
new three-story addition to its factory at Mc-
nomonie, Wis., which was recently completed.
Victrola XVI, $200
Victrola XVI, electric, $250
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $15 to $400
" Will there be a
Victrola in your home
this Christmas?"
This important question is
confronting the people of the
whole country right now.
It is the keynote of our
nation-wide holiday advertising
campaign, and its force is send-
ing thousands of customers into
the stores of Victor dealers
everywhere.
It is helping to make this the
biggest holiday season you ever
had—even ahead of the phe-
nomenal business of last Christ-
mas.
Victor Talking Machine Co.,
Camden, N. J., U. S. A.
Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreal,
Canadian Distributors
Important warning. Victor records can be safely and
satisfactorily played only with Victor Needles or Tungs-tone
Stylus on Victors or Victrolas. Victor records cannot be
safely played on machines with jeweled or other reproducing
points.