Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
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VOL. LXIX. No. 6
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York. Aug. 9, 1919
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*&&°fc B & S
Providing for Future Requirements Now
I
N the years before the war, and just about at this season, it was an ordinary thing for manufacturers of
pianos to start their campaigns urging retailers to order as soon and as liberally as possible in anticipation
of fall and winter requirements, with the view of providing the factory officials with some basis upon which
to gauge their possible production demands. To start a similar campaign this year, with the demand for
several types of instruments, particularly players, considerably in excess of factory output, would not seem
logical, were it not for the fact that under the existing situation it will be the dealer who gets his orders in first
who will profit thereby and get the most goods, providing, of course, that his credit can stand proper scrutiny.
It is well enough for the retailer to say that he has already placed substantial orders on the books of the
various manufacturers, but those orders are for instruments that he needs to take care of his demands right now
or in the immediate future, and there are comparatively few retailers who can safely say that they have com-
pletely anticipated their wants so far as their fall and winter requirements go.
Factories have been working as fast as possible during the ordinarily dull season with a view to catching up.
They may not get ahead of the game, but certain it is that when the fall demands really come the factories under
ordinary circumstances will be in a condition to meet them on a satisfactory basis. If they have orders on their
books now covering the fall and winter period, it will act as a spur to increase the effort to build up production,
and will provide definite encouragement for that move.
While not seeking to trail with a pessimist, it seems only fair to believe that there may be some changes
attending the industrial situation of which the trade is not yet cognizant. The reconstruction period in itself is
a period of uncertainty, though not necessarily of peril. We know what conditions are now, and the piano man
who gauges his requirements and places his orders with a full knowledge of the existing situation is forearmed,
so far as he can be, with regard to taking care of his future business demands. If things go ahead without a
hitch, then he will find he will have his pianos and players in goodly quantity, and will be stimulated to exert
himself and sell any possible overplus of stock. If there perchance comes a break in the situation, then his
share of whatever reduced output may result will be just that much more satisfactory.
Judging by present indications, however, the average piano merchant will find a speedy sale for every
instrument which he can place on the floor of his store during the coming season. Reports from all sections
of the country show that the month of July, usually one of the dullest months in the year, so far as piano
sales are concerned, brought the retail music merchants a volume of business little short of astonishing. If
this situation prevailed during the month just closed, what will the demand be when business resumes its real
activity in the fall? It takes no prophet to predict that the coming season will be one of the best the piano
merchant has ever witnessed, and it behooves him to prepare for the heavy demand that is certain to come by
placing his orders immediately, anticipating his wants as accurately as possible, in order to give the manu-
facturers as much time as is possible in which to fill his order.
For some two years past a number of prominent retailers have invaded the New York market during the
summer in order to look over the situation, at the same time placing orders and seeing that they get as many
instruments as possible just as soon as possible. The consensus of opinion seems to be that in. many cases the
slight trouble and expense incurred in storing a possible overplus of stock until it is needed is more than offset
by the feeling of security that comes with having that stock on hand. It is not necessary to picture the condi-
tion that arises in the average piano wareroom when stock is short, Too many of the trade have had that experi-
ence themselves. It seems the course of wisdom to forestall any similar experience in the future.
A conservative business is usually a sound and successful one, but the piano dealer who this year is too
conservative in the matter of placing advance orders is going to regret his short-sightedness before the year is
over.