Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 23, 1918
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
"The wise dealer will buy as many pianos as
he can at the present prices, and hold those in-
J. H. Parnham, President of the Milton Piano Co., Shows That Where Other Commodities Have struments for a price which will net him a
comfortable margin of profit. There is no use
More Than Doubled in Price, the Increase in Piano Prices Has Been Only 25 Per Cent.
being in business unless at least a legitimate
"Since last fall we have been compelled to profit can be made, and the sooner the piano
J. 1 f. r.-iniliain, president of the Milton Piano
Co., New York, summed up the situation in raise prices several times, and I see no reason dealers realize it the better it will be for all
which the piano industry finds itself to-day in a why a piano merchant should feel that the price parties concerned.
"Manufacturers during the past two years
very few words when he said this week to a is going down or is going to stay where it is.
representative of The Review: "It's a condi-
"A piano represents better value to-day than have had almost unsu.rmountab.le problems to
tion and not a theory. It has become neces- it ever has before. A dollar invested by a contend with, but those who have not taken
dealer or a customer in a piano or player buys the bull by the horns and put the prices of
more real value than can be obtained in any their instruments where they belong arc to-day
other article. Other articles of commerce, es- suffering the consequences. The piano trade has
sentials and so-called luxuries alike, have in- the greatest opportunity it has ever had of put-
creased in price from 100 to 300 per cent., while ting its business on a substantial and proper
pianos and players can be purchased to-day at credit basis, and I sincerely hope that the mem-
not more than an increase of 25 per cent, over bers of the trade, both wholesale and retail, will
former prices.
take advantage of it."
PIANOS REPRESENT BETTER VALUE THAN EVER BEFORE
L. M. PIERCE CO. OPENS IN HOLYOKE
FOR TWO PRICE MARKS ON GOODS
Prominent Massachusetts House Opens on
Maple Street—Arthur Berwick in Charge
Bill in New York Legislature Provides That
Both Cash and Instalment Prices Must Appear
on All Articles Sold on Credit
Hor.YoKK, MASS., March 18.—The L. M. Tierce
Co., whose main office is in Springfield, have
The attention of the trade of New York State
made arrangements to open a new branch at 291 has just been called to a new bill introduced
Maple street, this city, on April 1. This store in the Legislature by Assemblyman Karl A.
completes a chain of four stores, namely, Smith, of New York, which provides that all
Springlield, Holyoke, Northampton and Green- retail merchants in the State selling goods other
field, taking in the entire Connecticut Valley in than for cash shall attach to the article in plain
this State, which are controlled by the Pierce figures both the cash price and the instalment
Co.
price, for the information of the prospective pur-
The management of the new Holyoke branch chaser. George W. Pound states that he will
John H. Parnham
has been given to Arthur Berwick, who has for investigate the measure and probably oppose it
sary for piano manufacturers to increase the the past two years managed the local store of in view of the fact that it will set a precedent
prices of their instruments, not because they Forbes & Wallace, and who has resigned to be- along that line and possibly prove an entering
wish to get more money for them, but because come the resident manager for the Pierce Co. wedge for legislation that may prove inimical
they must get more money for them. Dealers Mr. Berwick has been associated with the piano to the interests of the trade at large.
should realize this and should also appreciate business all his life, being acquainted with the
the fact that the piano industry, like every business from factory construction up. He was
other business in this great country, is going associated with such leading houses as Win. ATTENDED IMPORTANT CONFERENCES
through the greatest period of readjustment that Knabe & Co., Baltimore, and F. G. Smith, of Arnold Somlyo, Eastern Manager for the Bald-
will be seen by this generation. At the present Bradbury fame in Brooklyn, and some Western
win Co., Returns From Cincinnati Visit
time we are working to full capacity, and yet concerns. The line of instruments carried in
we are many orders behind.
these four stores consists of the Chickering,
Arnold Somlyo, Eastern manager for the Bald-
"The transportation facilities have cleared a llaines Bros, and Marshall & Wendell pianos, win Piano Co., returned to New York .Saturday
little, but they are not what they should be, player-pianos and Ampico reproducing pianos.
morning, after a visit to the piano factories at
and I can't say 1 feel that they will be for
The Pierce concern is the oldest hereabouts Cincinnati. While at the executive offices Mr.
some time to come. Dealers should, therefore, and is over sixty years old and had previously Somlyo attended a number of important confer-
bear this in mind and place their orders for in- maintained a store in High street, Holyoke, ences, and was gratified to find that all of the
struments far enough in advance so that when before the death of the founder of the house, company's wholesale divisions reported an ex-
there is a little let-up and an opportunity to the late L. M. Pierce. The business is now con- cellent business for the first two months of 19f8.
ship, the orders will have been placed, the pianos ducted by Fred A. Hoschke, who is president Baldwin products are gaining in popularity day
manufactured and ready to ship at that time. of the company.
by day, and in every section of the country the
Not only is there going to be a good market
Baldwin piano is maintaining its position in the
for pianos, but there is at the present time—in
trade
as one of the first-line quality instruments.
ATTENDS HEARING ON CARY BILL
fact, I consider that it is better now than it
has been since the first of the year, as the money Geo. W. Pound Appears in Opposition to Meas-
S. GUTMANN IS GABLER DIRECTOR
which the Government is spending is commenc-
ure Introduced in Cabinet
ing to circulate through the country, and it is
His Success as Head of Manufacturing Depart-
certain that the piano dealers will get a fair
George W. Pound, counsel for the Music In-
ment Is Rewarded at Stockholders' Meeting
share of the benefits from it.
dustries Chamber of Commerce, went to Wash-
"Dealers and salesmen must devote their sales ington this week to appear in opposition to
At a recent meeting of the stockholders of E.
energy to playing up the fact that music is a the Cary bill, now before the House, and which Gabler & Bros., Inc., 347 Rider avenue, New
necessity, and a greater need in the time of war provides for a license fee of $200 per annum for York, S. Gutmann was elected a director of
than in times of peace. By impressing the pur- all merchants selling goods on instalments and the corporation.
chasing public with this fact, there will be im- includes a number of decidedly objectionable
Mr. Gutmann has for several years been in
plied that if music is a necessity, pianos are ab- features, as set forth in The Review last week. charge of the manufacturing end of the business,
solutely essential. A piano or player adds to The bill was introduced by Congressman Cary and is thoroughly conversant with the high
the material wealth of the owner, and there- of Wisconsin, and applies only to the District standards of the Gabler policy, as well as what
fore of the country. The money is not spent of Colombia, but is being opposed on the theory i^ required in the manufacturing of artistic
without obtaining a more tangible asset. And, that it might fix a precedent that would be fol- pianos and player-pianos.
too, dealers must not sell terms. A piano to- lowed by legislators of the various States, to
day is worth all the money that is asked for it, the detriment of the trade at large.
J. H. CHASE NOW IN CHARGE
and in comparison with other commodities—
much more. Those dealers who are under the
Joseph Hall Chase, recently appointed man-
G. E. MANSFIELD VISITS BOSTON
impression that they should wait because they
ager of the retail warerooms of the Pease Piano
feel that the price of pianos wilf go down .within
Among the New York piano men who attended Co. at 128 West Forty-second street, is now in
six months or a year, will find that by that the banquet of the Boston Music Trade Asso- full charge and is applying his years of expe-
time they will be paying considerably more than ciation, held last week, was Geo. E. Mansfield, rience to the successful retailing of the Pease
they will if they order now.
vice-president of the R. S. Howard Co.
piano.
WINTER & CO.
RUDOLF
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
22O SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK