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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
T. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Win. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff
V. D. WALSH, WM. BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, A. J. NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
anil
allll
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
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p
a r e d e a i t w j t n > w iij be found in another section of
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Vol. LXIX
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 13, 1919
No. 24
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The Music Trade Review extends to the entire
industry its hearty greetings, with the sincere wish
that every member thereof may enjoy in fullest
measure the happiness of a most Merry Christmas.
SOME FACTS REGARDING "THROW-INS"
this issue of The Review there are presented some interesting
I ing N facts
and figures in reference to the "throw-in" question regard-
which so much has been said during the past few years, though,
apparently, with inconsequential effect. There have been members
of the trade who have declared, and in their own hearts believed,
that the "throw-in" practice was on the decline—that the piano mer-
chants who insisted on giving away accessories free with their in-
struments were numbered in the minority, but such, evidently, is
not the case.
In order to find out the actual conditions, The Review took
occasion to interview a goodly number of dealers, and the findings,
as presented on another page of this issue, are the result of these
inquiries, based on the policy at present followed by a group of
seventy dealers selected at random.
It is quite evident that the bugbear in the case of the "throw-
in" is competition. By far the great majority of retailers admit
that the practice is detrimental to the trade and that they would
like to see it abolished. But they are afraid to take the initial step
in their own localities for fear of losing desirable business to com-
petitors who are inclined to be free-handed with accessories. When
there is an over-production of pianos and players, and the sale of
them becomes a real problem, then it is well enough to mention
"throw-ins" and competition in the same breath. Under present
conditions, however, with production totally inadequate to take care
of existing demands, the average retailer need not be so fearful of
losing possible trade through competitors as he should be of not
REVIEW
DECEMBER 13, 1919
being able to take care of that trade which comes to his store. The
public wants pianos and players, and in some cases finds it hard to
secure desired styles. Under such conditions a scarf, a few rolls,
or even a bench, is not likely to stand in the way of a sale.
If a piano house in New York, where competition is of the
strongest kind, can afford to take the initiative—cut out all free
rolls, benches and scarfs-—and still hold every sale, there is no rea-
son why retailers in other districts cannot do the same. The time to
settle the "throw-in" question once and for all is now. A year
from now will probably be too late. Associations and individuals
have taken up the question, but action rather than discussion is what
will bring about the desired results.
QUESTIONABLE ADVERTISING AGAIN EVIDENT
the past four months there has been increasing evidence of
F OR
the tendency of a great many piano dealers to indulge in ques-
tionable advertising. In some instances this advertising is more
than questionable; it is absolutely misleading—misleading at least
as far as the impression it leaves on the public mind about the
present cost of piano making.
From ten different States The Review has received a number
of advertisements taken from local papers in which a species of
"was-now" advertising is used. Some of the advertisements take
the form of special sales, others fire sales, and others tell of pianos
"secured from manufacturers who had obtained raw materials be-
fore the war," and in all. of which pianos are announced at ridicu-
lously low prices—from $110 to $280 for upright pianos, and from
$288 to $400 for player-pianos.
In many of these advertisements the text matter conveys the
idea by innuendo, if not direct, that these pianos are sold at "fair
prices" while other manufacturers are "over-charging," which, of
course, is a lie.
There are few piano merchants in the trade to-day who have
not a correct idea of the increasing cost of production in the piano
field covering labor, wood, felts, wire, metals, in fact everything that
enters into the creation of a piano. And anyone who ignores these
facts and prepares an advertisement which conveys the idea that
these conditions do not exist is guilty of an attempt deliberately to
undermine the confidence of the public in the piano industry, leaving
the impression in the reader's mind that every dealer, other than
the one who advertises low priced, bargain pianos, is cheating the
public.
This development is anything but pleasing in view of the
wonderfully satisfactory condition which prevailed in the adver-
tising field during the war. It should be the duty of every local
association, as well as every piano merchant who believes in up-
holding the high standard of the industry, to keep track of dealers
indulging in such questionable advertising, and to bring their an-
nouncements and their methods to the attention of the Better
Business Bureau, which is conducted under the auspices of the
National Association of Music Merchants. In this way an analysis
may be made of the motives and accuracy of this publicity. It is
only by such co-operative efforts on the part of wide-awake dealers
that the industry can be cleansed and questionable practices exposed.
PROHIBITION AND T H E MUSIC INDUSTRY
HILE visiting members of the trade in the West recently we
W were
greatly impressed with the sentiment for prohibition
which prevails in certain sections where a year or two ago the feel-
ing was absolutely the other way. Several piano and talking ma-
chine dealers stated that they ascribed a great increase in their
business to the suppression of the liquor business.
To the trade in New York State, which is now facing a very
extended "dry" period as far as the liquor traffic is concerned, the
remarks of one of these Western piano men will be found inter-
esting. He said:
"Nearly half a billion dollars a year was collected by the
Federal Government alone in revenues, licenses, and import duties
on fermented and distilled liquors. States and municipalities also
collected vast sums, the amount for the State of New York alone
being about twenty million a year. Now these figures indicated a
drink bill for the country of several billions of dollars a year paid
by consumers. This sum is now no longer going into the hands of the
liquor people and the question is where will it go—into the savings
banks and thrift funds?