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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, I n c .
President, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane,
373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, J. Raymond Bill, 373 Fourth Ave.,
New York; Secretary and Treasurer, August J. Timpe, 373 Fourth Ave., New York.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
J. RAYMOND BILL, Associate Editor
AUGUST J. TIMPE
Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, CARLETON CHACE, L. M. ROBINSON, WILSON D. BUSH, V. D. WALSH,
WM. BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, A. J. NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 824 Washington St.
Telephone, Main 8950.
CHICAGO
OFFICES
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Consumers* Building,
280 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 5774.
HENRY S. KINGWILL, Associate.
LONDON, ENGLAND) 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED W E E K L Y BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
REVIEW
pany's advertising in my local papers for the sake of putting
my name at the bottom?" That dealer wasn't bright enough to
understand that if he ran his prepared ad a dozen times without
his name appearing in it at all, the quick results would be appar-
ent as soon as he called on his prospects and announced the line
he was selling.
Piano dealers sell pianos and not their own names. It is
better for local prospects to learn that the "X" is a great piano,
and later that the "X" piano may be purchased at Brown's than
simply to know that Brown sells pianos. With the facilities at
his command the average dealer who to-day uses poor copy in
his local advertising is simply neglecting an opportunity, and
that fact in most cases reflects directly on his business judgment
Advertising space is not the whole thing. The story told in the
space, and the manner in which it is told is the secret of adver-
tising success.
The manufacturer in giving his advertising service to the
dealer is giving him material that he, as an individual, could
not begin to afford to have prepared for himself and it is free.
D I A N O merchants throughout the country should make note
A_ of the fact that the Treasury Department in a statement
issued this week pointed out that the per capita money in cir-
culation on January 1 was $43, the highest on record, and com-
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
paring with $38.48 a year ago, and $4173 a month ago. Exclu-
ADVERTISEMENTS, $4.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $130.
sive of holdings in the Treasury, the money in circulation in the
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
United States at the opening of the new year totaled $4,440,932,-
834.
Departments
conducted
by
an
expert
wherein
all
ques-
Piillin HltA
t i o n s o { a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
1 MUV auu
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
. This is an increase of about $532,000,000 over January 1,
d e a U w i t h j w i l l b e f o u n d ; n another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
1916; and an increase of $137,000,000 compared with the figures
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
for December 1, 1916. The record for per capita circulation is
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
based on an estimated population of 103,287,000.
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
These figures are certainly impressive enough to make piano
Diploma.... Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
men optimistic over the possibilities of getting their share of
&OKQ SXSTAKOZ TEMPHOMTBS—2TT7MBERS 6982—5983 MADISON SQ.
this increased volume of money in circulation.
Connecting' all Department*
Cable aadreui "Slblll, New York."
The great problem that confronts the trade is how to make
NEW YORK, J A N U A R Y 1 3 , 1 9 1 7
the best "appeal" that will transform this money into pianos,
player-pianos, or other musical instruments. Will advertising
of the right kind, or personal solicitation win the greatest
number of customers? This, of course, will be decided by the
EDITORIAL
concerns alive to the situation as set forth in this interesting
statement of the Treasury Department.
HE number of piano manufacturing concerns which maintain
It is clear that the New Year has opened with the highest
advertising departments for the service of the dealer is in- aggregate payroll ever known in the United States, a condition
creasing steadily, and yet a perusal of the smaller newspapers
which has served to enhance the purchasing power in many
throughout the country indicate that the dealers themselves are
directions. Consumption of necessities is *being sustained and
not showing a proportionate increase of interest in such prepared
the post-holiday pause incidental to inventories and preparation
advertising.
of annual reports is much less marked than in preceding years.
There may be some excuse for a dealer not preparing his
Piano merchants everywhere make encouraging reports re-
own copy for advertising. He may be too busy, he may lack a
garding the outlook for the year just opened, and if they only
thorough knowledge of the subject, or may feel that he is not back this up by placing orders for stock early with manufac-
qualified in other ways for undertaking that work, which means
turers so that they can get sufficient leeway in their construc-
that he leaves it to the solicitor to put in copy that simply fills tive departments, all will be well. But the time to act is now.
the space without giving full value.
With the assistance of the manufacturers, however, a great
IANO manufacturers generally have for some time past
many dealers find available more or less elaborate advertising
shown a decided inclination to take more than a casual in-
copy devoted to the particular lines they handle, and of a char-
terest in the welfare of their employes. Some concerns have
acter that it would be hard for a dealer to obtain in his own town.
gone so far as to introduce a profit sharing, or bonus system.
Moreover, the illustrations and text matter come in the form of
Others have provided their employes with free insurance policies.
electrotypes of practically any size the dealer desires, and all Still others have interested their employes in studying the prob-
that it is necessary for the local paper to do is to insert the
lems of the business and in making suggestions looking toward
dealer's name and address in the mortise provided for that pur- its improvement. On the surface this seems to be a display
pose. With these facilities at his command it would hardly
of a thoroughly generous spirit. In part it is, but even then
seem necessary that the dealer must be reminded of the value
there is a practical side.
of local advertising, and, yet, there are a surprising number who
As a prominent insurance man pointed out recently, the
must be reminded and then when reminded fail to act.
piano trade in most respects is in a class by itself, and it de-
Space in the average small town paper is comparatively
pends almost entirely for the production of its goods upon the
cheap, and the dealer in figuring out just how much space he
handicraft of the artisan. There are certain parts of the piano
can afford can arrange to get a prepared advertisement to fit that can be turned out by machinery, but the essentials, the
that space without a cent of expense to himself. The expense
details that make for 'quality in tone and appearance, still de-
to him is simply the actual cost of insertion.
pend upon the handiwork of the individual—the man who has
An Eastern dealer was asked recently why he did not use been thoroughly trained in the trade, has something beyond a
mere wage interest in the product and how it is turned out—in
the prepared advertising of a prominent house whose line he
other words, a man with ideals. Such men are not found every
represented instead of running the carelessly worded, non-im-
day, and when their services are once secured it is a matter
pressive and ineffective copy as was his practice. The dealer's
answer was: "Why should I pay $20 or $25 for using that com- of business policy to make the inducements for them to remain
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
T
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