Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1919 Vol. 69 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
12
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ST. LOUIS DEALERS DISCUSS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Shortage of New Instruments Emphasizes Trade-in and Service Problems—Slight Falling Off in
Demand—Raising Fund for Music Advertising—Tuning Prices Are Increased
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 1.—November's end-
ing was not in keeping with the business record
made by the month as a whole. There was an
easing up in the piano sales last week that
could not be mistaken. Whether it was merely
a temporary setback, due to the week being
bioken up by the Thanksgiving holiday, or the
beginning of a reaction is not certain. There
has been an expectation that sooner or later
there would occur a mild revolt against the
increasing prices of pianos and players, but the
opinion has been that this would not manifest
itself until after Christmas. However, there is a
suspicion in some quarters that such a reaction
has already begun. This view is strengthened
somewhat by the fact that there has been no
corresponding weakening of the demand for
talking machines and records.
With stocks of pianos and players steadily
dwindling the Music Merchants' Association is
wrestling with the growing problem of prices
to be paid for trade-ins. Trade-ins were given
top line space on the program at the last meet-
ing of the association Mbnday night at the
American Annex. A committee composed of
P. E. Conroy, E. A. Kieselhorst and John D.
Barthel had been appointed at a previous meet-
ing to struggle with the question and submit
recommendations. The committee struggled,
but it did not recommend. The reason was
that it was found that considerable more strug-
gling would be necessary before anything could
be recommended. Correspondence with East-
ern dealers who have been trying to solve the
problem helped some, but not enough. There
was a general discussion and the committee was
given more time. The plan which meets with
most favor is that employed by the typewriter
people, who make a fixed allowance for trade-
ins based on the make and number without re-
Nearly Half a Century of Growth
After nearly half a century of growth, this
company represents probably the largest com-
plete organization in the country devoted to
the production, manufacture and distribution of
Mahogany Lumber and Veneers
Growth is the natural result of service, and
now that we have co-ordinated all branches of
the industry under one organization we are
in a position to offer even more complete
service than in the past.
DECEMBER 6, 1919
gard to condition. The difficulty of adapting
the method to pianos is presented by the stencil
instruments. The committee hopes to be able
to make recommendations at the next meeting.
The committee is also working on a uniform
guarantee which is expected to eliminate the
causes of controversies between dealers and
customers. It is intended to cover the condi-
tions under which the sale is made and make it
plain that there are to be no free tunings and
that the dealer is not responsible for checking
of the varnish. It will set forth the interest to
be paid on deferred payments and it is intended
to have the purchaser sign it, so that there will
be no ground for dispute later on.
The music merchants are not going to let
the music teachers get the best of them when it
comes to advertising music. It was decided to
raise among the members of the association an
amount equal to that raised by the teachers,
to be used in a local advertising campaign.
The need of a constitution and by-laws is
felt and W. P. Chrisler, J. F. Ditzell and P. A.
Lehman were appointed a committee to draw
up and submit one at the next meeting.
Prices for tuning were increased as follows:
Pianos, from $2.50 to $3.00; players, from $3
to $3.50; grands, from $3.50 to $4. Most of the
dealers have been charging these prices, but
there has been lack of uniformity.
O. A. Field, president of the Field-Lippman
Piano Co., has returned from a trip to the Texas
branches of the firm.
Edward Mahoney, of Kranich & Bach, was
in St. Louis during the week. From here he
went to Cincinnati.
The Ampico will share honors with Leo Orn-
stein when he appears at the Odeon Wednesday
evening. Three of his numbers, En Batau, Noc-
turne Op. 15, No. 2 F Sharp, and Liebestraum
No. 3 will be reproduced on the Ampico imme-
diately after he has played them. The dicker-
ing Ampico used in the demonstration will be
furnished by Manager J. F. Ditzell, of the
Famous & Barr Co. piano department.
The Mengel Music Co., Fortieth and Olive
streets, has been admitted to membership in
the Music Merchants' Association.
C. P. Tyler, president of the Tuners, Polish-
ers and Repairmen's Union, has filed suit in the
Circuit Court against the Lehman Piano Co.
for $15,000 damages on account of injuries re-
ceived in a fall down the elevator shaft at the
store.
The recital given Friday evening at the Stat-
ler Hotel by Magdeleine Brard, pianiste, and
Maurice Dambois, cellist, under the auspices of
the Aeolian Co., was a complete success artis-
tically and in point of attendance. The Duo-
Art piano, for which Miss Brard records exclu-
sively, was, of course, featured, and its per-
formance aroused unbounded enthusiasm.
A NEW MUSIC SECTION IN DALLAS
Evening Journal Devotes Entire Section of
Eight Pages to Music and Things Musical
Astoria Mahogany Company, Inc.
347 Madison Avenue, New York
Successors to
Huddleston-Marsh Mahogany Co.
Astoria Veneer Mill and Dock Co.
Mills and Yards, Long Island City, New York
44 North Market Avenue
Grand Rapids, Mich.
2256 Lumber Street
Chicago, 111,
Music sections in the local papers are becom-
ing a habit in Dallas, where music appears to
have become a dominating feature. Last week,
for the second time recently, the Dallas Evening
Journal ran a special section of eight pages de-
voted entirely to music, with most of the space
given over to articles on what local schools and
colleges were doing to train children along
musical lines. There was also an excellent ar-
ticle on the activities of the music industry of
Dallas, and considerable news about musicians
and musical affairs generally. The local piano,
talking machine and music houses supported the
section with some liberal advertising, Sanger
Bros, taking an entire page to tell why they
feature the Victrola exclusively.
NEW INCORPORATION
The Bernard-Scheib Music Co. has been
formed in Rochester, N. Y., with a capital of
$100,000. The incorporators are R. H. Wilkin-
son, G. H. Putnam and C. J. Scheib.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 6, 1919
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
BOSTON, MASS., December 2.—November is
everywhere reported to have been an unusual
month and the situation that to-day faces the
piano trade—perhaps one should say more par-
ticularly the purchasing public—is something
unusual, for there are practically no pianos for
sale. Such a condition is unprecedented in the
industry. Go into any of the piano warerooms
and one finds scarcely a single piano and this
has been the case for several weeks. Truly, in-
deed, may the local trade—and this is probably
as true of conditions in every large city in the
country—honestly convey the season's greetings
to its patrons of "A Merry Christmas," for it
has itself already tasted the joys of it in unusual
business. From all one hears there are to be
rather elaborate Christmas decorations in the
warerooms as adequately expressing the sea-
son's spirit.
Outside of actual business conditions there is
not much to discuss this week. The trade is s6
busy that there is little time to impart matters
of news interest, but when the end of the sea-
son is approaching there will not only be a
period of retrospection, but of speculation, as to
the future, for there then will be time to ask
what about the months to come, meaning spe-
cifically next year.
Great Activity at Vose Factory
« At the Vose & Sons Piano Co.'s factory it is
a case of working early and late. Nightly one
sees the windows lighted and the casual passer-
by marvels that the piano industry can be so
busy, but this has been the case with this house
for some time. D. D. Luxton, of the company,
is over in New York just now on a business
trip.
It's likewise a case of busy, busy and then
some more busy at the Emerson Piano Co. One
of the valuable men of this house, Ben Howard,
who is the head bookkeeper, has just celebrated
his twenty-five years' connection with the Emer-
son Co., and he well may be proud of the record,
for he has proved himself in all these years a
most valuable man for the company.
R. E. Briggs in Phonograph Field
Raymond E. Briggs, of the Hallet & Davis
Co., has for the time retired from the piano end
of the business and will give his attention to
exploiting the Pathe line of talking machines.
R. O. Ainslie Attends Pathe Convention
Manager R. O. Ainslie, of the Pathe line for
this same company, is home from Chicago,
where he went to attend the convention of Pathe
distributors.
W. P. Dockendorf Makes Change
W. P. Dockendorf, who was with the Victor
department of Chickering & Sons, has associated
himself with Kraft, Bates & Spencer as a sales-
man in the Brunswick department.
Remarkable Year for Mason & Hamlin
A. M. Wright, of the Mason & Hamlin Co.,
started over for New York this afternoon to at-
tend to some business for the house. The Mason
& Hamlin has had a remarkable year and it will
be some time before it catches up with its or-
ders, some of which have been on its books
for many months.
13
DEPARTMENT FOR FOREIGN TRADE
Urged That the Government Establish a Spe-
cial Division Under the State Department to
Handle Foreign Trade Properly
In this country Secretary Lansing has sug-
gested the creation of a special branch of the
State Department to handle foreign trade, but
this has not been acted on by Congress. It is
said that the commercial attaches sent abroad
by the Department of Commerce have had to
rely on the hospitality of the diplomatic repre-
sentatives of this country for such semblance of
official status as they possess. This is because
those representatives have certain ex-territorial
rights and privileges which are conceded to no
others. As the writer of the letter referred to
says:
Without the "protection" of the State De-
partment a commercial attache has no more
standing than the most abject of us foreign
traders. If one of this humble class invokes his
aid to deal with a foreign department the attache
can only render effective service in the shadowy
diplomatic disguise tolerated by good-natured
usage.
In case of difficulty the writer urges diplo-
matic intervention alone will avail. Then, too,
it is said that the attaches themselves would
rather be joined to the State Department than
the Department of Commerce, as "under pres-
ent conditions they are not giving the degree
of service to foreign traders" of which they are
capable. To many it would appear as though
the withdrawal of authority over foreign trade
KEEP THE HALO AROUND THE PIANO
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE FOR 1920
would leave little for the Commerce Depart-
The Presto Buyers' Guide to player-pianos ment to do and might pave the way for con-
Traveler Warns Against Tearing the Piano
From Its Pedestal and Advises Piano Men to and pianos for the year 1920 has just been is- solidating it again with the Department of
sued by the Presto Publishing Co., Chicago, and Labor.
Elevate Their Instrument Still Higher
is, as usual, a comprehensive and interesting
"It is the poorest kind of poor business to run volume. The new Guide follows along the same
The Kennedy Music Co., Dixon, 111., which
down the goods of a rival," declared the traveler, lines as Presto Guides of previous years in
who was not a piano man, but had some very the classification of information regarding piano has greatly increased its business during the
definite ideas on how piano men ought to look names and their origin. It is of convenient size past two years, has moved into new quarters,
which are adjacent to the present store.
after their business. "Retailers and manufac- for desk or pocket use.
turers should not allow any selling plan or talk
that tends to dissipate the halo with which the
piano is surrounded in the minds of many peo-
ple," he continued.
"That the piano in the home is a sacred ob-
ject is only the natural result of influence and
training. Children growing up have been morally
and physically impressed with the serious con-
sequences following any abuse of the piano.
In the piano business, as in other fields, the successful manufac-
They are taught that they must not touch it,
turer seeks the successful dealer, just as the successful dealer seeks
and altogether the piano- is coddled like a sick
the successful manufacturer. Like wants to deal with like.
child, though it may be less intelligently with
respect to atmospheric conditions. The result
is the boy or girl grows up with a supreme re-
The growth and success of the National is only the growth and
spect for the piano. Any other piece of furniture
success of its dealers. The MERRILL, the BRIGGS and the
may pass through various stages of abuse and
NORRIS & HYDE are tremendous assets to many progressive
usefulness until it ends in the attic or the gar-
bage heap, but the respect for the piano in-
dealers—an asset of such size and power that we have had to give
creases with the passing years.
these lines the largest and best equipped piano factory in America.
"With the piano exalted in the minds of the
This fact stabilizes these assets. It insures a steady flow of in-
prospective buyers a favorable atmosphere has
struments to dealers and a uniformity of quality and character
been created for the manufacturer or retailer,
of product. Ask any dealer you wish if it is not an invaluable
though it is doubtful if he appreciates the fact
feature, to thus have your sales and profits virtually underwritten
to the full. Any selling campaign that would
have a tendency to disillusionize the public
and insured.
would be a misfortune not only to the dealer
responsible, but to all other firms.
"It is policy for everyone connected with the
trade not only to keep the piano up on its
pedestal of sanctity, but to elevate it still higher.
It is an art creation, not a mere utility article,
FACTORY, NEPONSET, MASS.
therefore must be marketed as such."
Here is an opinion from an outsider which
is well worth considering.
Success Seeks Success
National Piano Mfg. Co., 146 Boylston St., Boston
mttricvl/iame
intm'World.
PIANOS
ORGANS
E5TEY PIAND COMPANY NEW YOnK CITY
/
pni
proctocerfQr.the
dealerJnthe7Jrade.

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