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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
RMEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
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J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Aye., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
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NEW YORK, AUGUST 14, 1920
T
HE manner in which the executives of large and successful
houses in the music trade regard the requirements and possi-
bilities of the near future, so far as they affect the demand for and
sales of musical instruments, is indicated most strongly in the organi-
zation work now being carried on by a number of these con-
cerns. There is evident a constant.desire to perfect the sales organ-
izations—to strengthen them through the injection of new blood
and through acquiring the services of men of established reputation
in the fields they are selected to cover. All of which should cause
the average music merchant to think a while and then start working
actively to put his own house in order, to build up on his own
account a sales organization that will be on its toes and competent
and ready to get out and sell the goods when real salesmanship again
becomes a matter of necessity.
The Review has constantly urged the point that the time for
actually selling musical instruments is not far off, and that the
time for building up a sales organization to meet the forthcoming
situation is not in the future, but right now. The merchant who is
ready to go ahead energetically when the time comes will have an
undisputed and vital advantage over the retailer who waits until the
emergency arises before giving earnest thought to his selling force.
GREATER RECOGNITION FOR MUSIC
No. 7
GOOD CROPS AND PROSPERITY
A
BOUT this time of the year we find manufacturers and dealers
in manufactured products giving thought to the crop situation
with a view to gauging to some degree Fall trade possibilities. It
is recognized that only a proportion of music dealers, for instance,
do business directly with the agricultural element and depend upon
the success of the individual farmer to keep up sales averages, but
the fact remains that the prosperity of the agriculturist means the
putting into circulation of billions of dollars each year. Of these
billions music dealers in the cities expect, and rightly, to get a proper
share.
Reports from the various sections of the country indicate that
crops this year will not only be large—in many cases larger than for
some years past—but that they will bring record-breaking prices at
the farms. The amount of money that will be released to general
circulation through the marketing of these crops during the Fall and
Winter will be tremendous and this factor alone should serve to
maintain the financial balance of the country in no uncertain manner.
We find industries affected more or less by the fact that it is a
"Presidential year." The term itself seems to prove a bugbear. But
the fact that it is Presidential year does not affect the activities of
Nature in the growing of the crops, Nature having no political axes
to grind. Good crops, therefore, at high prices, should do much
to preserve the country's business stability.
THE STATUS OF THE MUSIC PUBLISHERS
W
come pretty close to equaling that figure. Musical instrument manu-
facturers generally should have consideration for the interests of the
music publisher, just as he in turn should be interested in the welfare
of other divisions of the trade. Without music to play from the
instruments would be practically useless, and without the instru-
ments most of the music would be useless. It is the combination
of the two that makes the maintenance and building up of the indus-
try possible.
Each division of the trade has some rights and privileges that
must b'e respected, but there is a middle course that will enable the
various divisions to secure that to which they feel they are entitled
and yet give the other fellow his due. A little attention to finding
that middle course should prove worth while.
BUILDING UP SELLING ORGANIZATIONS
V. D. WALSH, W M . BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), £ . B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
Vol. LXXI
AUGUST 14, 1920
HAT would seem to be most desirable and in fact most neces-
sary just now is careful consideration of the relationship be-
tween the music publishers and the various other factors of the
industry, and a proper understanding of that relationship in order
tha. some plan may be devised whereby the several elements of the
tra
There are quite a number of piano and player men who look
uj. an music publishing as something of a side line, and in many
respects a comparatively small proposition. Yet ona publisher alone
issues approximately 40,000,000 sheets of music a year, and others
T
HAT the daily press of the country is displaying a keener and
more friendly appreciation of music, arid of the interest held by
the majority of readers in matters musical when presented under-
standingly, is constantly becoming more evident. Not only have
several scores of newspapers adopted the policy of conducting regular
"Music in the Home" pages for the purpose of treating musical
matters in a popular vein, but many newspapers have found it worth
while to devote sections of their editorial pages at intervals to a
discussion of music, and particularly of a new phase of music and
its relation to industrial efficiency and the welfare of the public as
a whole.
This new attitude of the press is particularly significant as it
is to be accepted as reflecting a new appreciation of music on the
part of the general public. If there was no public interest in music
newspapers would quickly cease to feature the art. Much of this
new interest in music is to be credited to the Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music and the organizations with which the Bureau is
co-operating. Under such circumstances the money and effort put
into the work have been well worth while.
PROSPECTS FOR INCREASING BUSINESS
WELL-KNOWN piano traveler who has recently returned
from an extended tour of the Middle West declared himself
to be most optimistic regarding prospects for a Fall trade in pianos
that will reach unusual proportions. This traveler bases his calcu-
lations upon the fact that in a month or so the effects of the price-
cutting campaigns featured by department stores and others this
Spring will have worn off and the buying public will come to realize
that there is in sight no immediate downward readjustment of com-
modity prices. The result will be that prospective purchasers of
musical instruments, as well as of housefurnishings and clothing,
who may perhaps have held back for a price drop, will get tired
of waiting and resume their buying under normal conditions.
This same traveler looks for a big increase in sales for the
reason that more stock is available this year than for several years
past, and that merchants finding instruments piling up on their floors
are organizing strong sales campaigns to keep that stock moving.
A