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THE
DECEMBER 20, 1919
MUSIC
TRADE
PITTSBURGH DEALERS BUSY AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES
Mellor Co. Attracts Attention With Unique Ad Featuring the Steinway—Frederick Co. Window
Display Receives Much Favorable Comment—"Lightless Night" Order Revoked
PITTSBURGH, PA., December 16.—The local trade
was much interested last week in a good-sized
advertisement published by the C. C. Mellor
Co., Pittsburgh representatives for the Steinway
piano. The advertisement bore the caption,
"Using the Steinway for Bait," and commented
upon the tactics of certain dealers in offering
used Steinway pianos for sale. The fact was
emphasized that the Mellor house has acted as
exclusive distributor for Steinway pianos in this
territory for over a quarter of a century and
had offered in advertisements to purchase all
second-hand Steinways in good condition.
The F. H. Groves Piano Co. has installed in
Syria Mosque a handsome Mathushek upright
piano which was presented to the Shrine by the
Shrine chorus. Mr. Groves is active in Shriners'
affairs. He reports marked activity in the piano
trade and stated that he found^ a disposition on
part of many Liberty bond holders to use the
bonds in full or part payments for pianos or
talking machines. Mr. Groves stated that many
persons in the Pittsburgh district were holders
of a dozen or more Liberty bonds due to the
fact that the high wages paid in the various in-
dustrial plants enabled the workers to partici-
pate very freely in bond buying. While the
war was on they held on to the bonds, now
with peace at hand and the opportunity to make
a fair exchange they are willing to part with
some of the bonds.
The W. F. Frederick Piano Co. had a most
unique holiday display in their large show win-
dows in which the Yuletide spirit of gift giving
was the leading feature. One window was given
over to a piano display in which a Marshall &
Wendell player-piano was placed on a sled
drawn by Christmas elves on the way to some
fortunate person for a Christmas gift. The
scene was typical of winter and the snow de-
sign was quite effective. Player rolls neatly
boxed and tied with holiday ribbons were scat-
tered in the foreground. The scene was a very
pretty one and attracted a great deal of atten-
tion. The other window was utilized for a
Victrola display and depicted Santa Glaus bring-
ing to a crowd of laughing children a big Vic-
trola and a large quantity of Victor records.
Manager E. B. Heyser stated that the Christ-
mas trade outlook was good while G. W. Wat-
kins, piano sales manager, also was very optimis-
tic and said that high-grade lines of pianos, es-
pecially grands, were in demand.
C. F. Colber, representing William Knabe &
Co., of New York, and Charles Cunningham,
of the Foster-Armstrong Co., of Rochester, N.
Y., were among the Pittsburgh business visitors.
W. C. Dierks, general manager of the C. C.
Mellor Co., spent several days in New York
City the past week.
The Schroeder Piano Co. sold a Kurtzmann
player-piano to the Jones & Laughlin Steel Co.
for use in the welfare department of the big
steel company. Another Kurtzmann player-
•THE LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Grands, Uprights
and Players
YORK PIANOS
Uprights and Players
LIVINGSTON PIANOS
Uprights and Player-Pianos
If your competitor does not already have this
line, go after it at once.
Weaver Piano Co., Inc.
FACTORY
Established 1870
YORK, PA.
11
REVIEW
piano, Style T, was sold to the Lockhart Iron
& Steel Co. for the club connected with the
steel plant, which is operated for the benefit of
the workers. With both the instruments there
were also purchased a goodly lot .of player
rolls. George Schroeder, the senior member of
the firm, stated that the Christmas trade was un-
precedented and that the Pittsburgh store was
rushed with business. He stated that reports
from the Schroeder stores at Butler and Char-
leroi also indicated that the Christmas sales
would far exceed those of the last season.
The "lightless night" order, which lasted for
forty-eight hours the past week, was rather un-
expected and came with crushing force on the
piano merchants, many of whom were right in
the midst of their holiday trade. However, the
piano men, with their characteristic loyalty and
patriotism, promptly put the order in force in
their stores and for two nights the lights were
off and then came the order lifting the ban on
lights. It is needless to state that it was very
welcome, as it is estimated that there would
have been a heavy loss to some of the merchants
had the ban been kept in force until after Christ-
mas, as was at first ordered.
Toscha Seidel, the Russian violinist, and Benno
Moiseiwitsch, another Russian, whose piano
playing has created a furore in the short month
he has been in America, appeared before a large
audience at the Carnegie Music Hall to-night.
The Mason & Hamlin piano was used. The S.
Hamilton Co. represent the Mason & Hamlin
in Pittsburgh.
Daniel R. Phillippi, associate organist of St.
Thomas' Church, New York, gave an organ re-
cital Sunday afternoon in Carnegie Music Hall.
He took the place of Charles Heinroth, the reg-
ular organist, who has just left the hospital after
a slight operation.
pilllllllllfllllllllllllllllllllllllllllM
WANTED!
Second-Hand
SEEBURG
Coin-Operated
Pianos and
Orchestrions
For
WIN QUICK SUCCESS IN NORFOLK
J. W. Post & Co. Build Up Strong Trade During
First Year in Business in That City—Fea-
turing Knabe Piano on High-Grade Basis
NORFOLK, VA., December 15.—John W. Post &
Co., who started in the piano business in this
city only last February, have met with most
flattering success and the business has grown to
Delivery Auto of J. W. Post & Co.
a point where it is necessary to operate two
automobile trucks to make the daily piano de-
liveries. J. W. Post, head of the company, is
a firm believer in advertising, and sees to it
that the trucks carry signs plain enough to
advise the general public that they are deliv-
ciing pianos sold by him, as will be seen in
the accompanying illustration.
Post & Co. feature the Knabe piano in a big
way, and during the year have succeeded in
placing instruments of that make in some of the
finest homes in and about Norfolk. The com-
pany has conducted business on a high-grade
basis, sticking close to high ideals, and its suc-
cess proves what can be accomplished by fea-
turing quality consistently.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Cash
All who have Seeburg
instruments and are
interested in the above
announcement are re-
quested to write at
once to
J. P. Seeburg Piano Co.
Leaders in the Automatic Field
Seeburg Building
419 West Erie Street
Chicago