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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS BROKEN IN CINCINNATI TRADE
Piano Sales in December Greatly Exceeded Business for Same Month in Former Years—Cash
Sales and Excellent Player Demand Features of the Month—Grau Co. Moved Last Week
CINCINNATI, O., December 26.—Phenomenal in
the extreme is the best way to describe the
avalanche of business which fell to the lot of
the Cincinnati piano merchants during the holi-
day season. All records were smashed to smith-
ereens all along the line during December.
There were some uprights sold but the big
business was in players, a liberal amount of
grand pianos and a raft of talking machines.
Straight pianos did not have the call and the
gradual increase in the demand for players will
be given due consideration by the trade in mak-
ing their arrangements for next year's supply
of goods. Much of the business was based on a
higher percentage of cash than the trade was in
the habit of expecting.
"Bar none," is the way E. E. Roberts, of the
Baldwin Co., describes the holiday business. On
Saturday the house was ahead of last Decem-
ber's showing and a week of live business re-
mained in sight.
"Use your Christmas money to bring music
into your home," is the slogan of The Rudolph
Wurlitzer Co. The appeal was used in connec-
tion with a half-page advertisement on Sunday
when an announcement was made of an increase
in the price of Kingston players on February
1. The instrument is a product of the Wurlitzer
factory.
The Milner Music Co.'s new home, on West
Sixth street, will be ready for occupancy early
in January.
The finishing touches are being
made now.
The Otto Grau Piano Co. last week moved
into its old quarters, but it is practically a new
home. The change will be a revelation to the
trade. The frame work is all in place but the
painters will be on the job for another week.
Some very good taste was used in arranging for
the ground floor, including two sound-proof
rooms for pianos. The company will also have
better facilities for handling the Victor.
C. W. Armstrong, of The Baldwin Co., has re-
turned from a trip to California.
One of the big surprises of the holiday busi-
ness was the volume handled by the Vocalion
department of The Aeolian Co. The sales were
more than doubled in December and in every
way the anticipations of Manager Byars were
verified. The feature of the business was the
character of the buyers and the high percentage
of cash. The Vocalion appealed to a higher
class of buyers. Certain lines were sold out
early in the week.
Rodney Martin, of J. C. Martin & Co., Rayton,
handling the John Church Co.'s line, was in town
last week. He met J. W. Albertson here and ar-
ranged for a larger territory to the Dayton
house.
N. H. Fairbanks, Springfield, receiver for the
Knabe Bros. Co., last week filed application in
the U. S. District Court to be made a party de-
fendant in the suit of the American Piano Co.
TRADE NEWS FROMTHE TWIN CITIES
Big Business Prevails in the Piano Trade—Ad-
vertising Helps Swell Volume of Holiday
Sales—Rumors of Changes Heard
ST.
PAUL and
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., December
26.—Big business prevailed in St. Paul and
Minneapolis last week. Several managers re-
ported to your correspondent that the house
history failed to record any volume of sales
comparable to the totals of last week. It was
not all piano business, to be sure,' but it all
represented money, which is the ultimate pur-
pose of all mercantile ventures.
"We closed this week the greatest monthly
total in the history of the firm," said Robert S.
Foster, of Foster & Waldo. "The volume of
sales has exceeded our most optimistic expecta-
tions. We have been hard pressed to wait
upon our patrons and last week we called in our
outside men, giving us fifty-two salesmen in
our store. We hope that all our callers were
served, but we can't be sure."
Mr. Foster attributed the congestion at the
Foster & Waldo store to the system of per-
sistent advertising begun last fall and increased
steadily until it reached a climax during the
week preceding Christmas when the daily papers
had four and five solid columns a day.
W. J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul, had a tremend-
ous month and set a mark for the future. Pianos
had their share, but even the veteran head of the
house, W. J. Dyer, was fain to concede that
the talking machine division had made a better
record than any of the others.
Generally speaking the piano trade for the last
week of December hardly kept pace with the
marks for the earlier weeks, although there was
and his request was granted. A $500 bond on
the appeal was filed by Mr. Fairbanks.
• The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. was among the
many Cincinnati firms which granted its em-
ployes a bonus as a Christmas gift.
The Krell Piano Co. has lost in the contest
with the Talge Mahogany Co. over the shipment
to Indiana of $1,039 of veneering. The decision
was by the Court of Appeals of Ohio.
The Piano-Harp Co., Cleveland, with a capi-
talization of $10,000, was incorporated Saturday
by L. H. Hines, C. P. Lofgren, R. S. Koch,
A. K. Rogers and J. R. Oviatt.
The Howard Phonograph Co., Columbus, has
been incorporated for $5,000 by J. W. Rile, M.
G. Rile, L. A. Rile, I. L. Goldberg and others.
fair trade. As a matter of fact the Twin City
dealers do not look for any particular activity
in piano sales during the holiday season.
"\ T ot in several years has there been any
noticeable quickening of the piano business dur-
ing the pre-Christmas period," explained Ed-
ward R. Dyer, president of the Metropolitan
Music Co. "We have not expected any for some
years past as our experience has taught us
that we have had more success in other periods.
Of course, we have some sales, for Christmas
delivery, but the number does not materially
affect the totals."
The Cable stores, both in Minneapolis and St.
Paul, have had several nice sales to their credit,
particularly of Mason & Hamlin and Conover
grands and player-pianos. The number of sales
has fallen short of expectations, but the class
has been high and the returns no doubt will be
satisfactory. The medium grades have not fared
well of late. Manager W. S. Collins, however,
is not willing to concede that the days of the
medium grade and the cheap pianos have passed
or even are passing. "Those who believe that
the cheaper pianos are doomed are poor
prophets, in my opinion," said Mr. Collins.
"There has been something of a slump of late,
but I really believe that this class of instruments
will come again into public favor. At the same
time we are not overlooking any chances to sell
talking machines."
E. A. Marshall, of the Watson, Marshall Piano
Co., left, last week for his orange ranch at Up-
land, Cal., and will remain until March.
Rumors of various changes in the piano world
after the holidays are in circulation in Minne-
apolis, but as yet they are so idle that there is
not a shadow of confirmation.
T H E COMSTOCK, CHENEY & CO., 1V0RYT0N - C0NN -
^MANUFACTURER*
Piano-forte Ivory Keys, Actions and Hammers,
Ivory and Composition Covered Organ Keys
Established 1853
GRUBB & KO8EGARTEN BROS.
Manufacturers ot HIGH GRADE
PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS
NASSAU. R e n s s e l a e r County. N. Y.
THE STANDARD CO.,
TORR1NGTON,
CONN.
SYLVESTER TOWER CO.
T o w e r s Above
All Others
oi Grand and Upright Piano-forte Actions
Keys, Actions. Hammers. Brackets and Nickel Rail Furnished Complete
131 to 147 Broadway
• -
-
-
CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASS.
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
MANUFACTURERS
OF
Manufacturer* of a
Complete Line of Piano Action Hardware
Brass Flanges, Damper Rods, Special Capstan Screws,
Bracket and Ball Bolts. Key Pins, Regulating Brackets
and Specialties.
WHITE, SON COMPANY
Manufacturer*
ORGAN AND PLAYER-PIANO LEATHERS
530-540 ATLANTIC AVENUE
PIANO
ACTIONS
HIGHEST GRADE
ONE GRADE ONLY
OFFICE
457 WEST FORTY-FIFTH ST.
FACTORIES—WEST FORTY-FIFTH ST.
Tenth Ayenue and Weit Forty-Sixth Street
NEW YORK
BOSTON, MASS.
A. C. CHENEY PIANO ACTION CO.
(PNEUMATIC ACTIONS FOR PLAYER-PIANOS
of 1 H i G H-GRADE PIANOFORTE ACTIONS
rtf
CASTLETON, NEW YORK