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62
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MARCH 5, 1921
WHY DONTYOU
THE BIG MELODY HIT FROM AFGAR"
J~U N G
BY
LEO FEIST Inc.
ALICE DELYSIA
PUBLISHED
FEIST BLOG. NEW YORK
tunity to assist in placing the song in the hands
of the public. Organizations that make it a
The Tendency on the Part of Many Sheet Music Dealers to Keep Their Stocks of Popular Music point to carry only songs that have an assured
demand should not expect the publishers to
Down to a Minimum Is a Short-Sighted One and One That Results in Real Losses
place such'goods in their hands at any price
It has too often been the retail merchandising made a study of sales methods of syndicate near the initial offer, because their co-operation
policy in various trades, and particularly in stores and other such channels of distribution in # such instances does not mean much to the
sheet music channels, during the last eight or that any loss of sales on the big day of the publishers. A success will have a certain de-
ttn months to keep all stocks of goods at a week on such music counters (Saturday) mand with little or no co-operation, and whether
minimum. While there may have been occa- through the Inability to supply the demand is the number is wholesaled at 15 or 24 cents will
sions where this was justified, say in particular never gained. As one man has described it: not affect the sales to any large extent. Cer-
localities, it generally can be looked upon as a "Sales lost in this manner are lost forever. They tainly at the latter price it would not decrease
the publisher's profits.
most unwise and unhealthy situation. This is never come back."
The publishers who arc giving the trade the
pointedly true where such policy is carried to
We admit that there have been situations
the extreme of failing to stock, in substantial recently when there was some justification for big hits are justified in demanding a certain
quantities, even the most active sellers. We keeping stock within reasonable proportions. standard of co-operation from the dealers. As
have no doubt that this condition since the first But when it is impossible for salesmen to get the case now stands, they only too often attract
of the year in many cities has been relieved by window displays for the biggest sellers in the customers to the retail stores without getting
renewed sales activity, but there are still some field the policies of the organizations that bring recognition in any form from the dealer.
A case in point is the action of one of
sections where such methods are still in force such a condition about are not based on sound
the smaller syndicates which has leased its
tc the detriment of business.
business judgment.
If a dealer- has stock in quantities he naturally numerous music departments to an individual
A dealer's effort in "sailing close to the wind"
has its good points, but when this policy is car- makes an effort to sell. Therefore, he uses who has on his staff two song writers furnish-
ried to the extent that the public fails to pro- salesmanship tactics, features the number, gives ing him with much mediocre sales material.
cure the big successes when wanted nothing re- it window displays and thus creates sales. It is In this case the music counter carries all the
the carrying on of such campaigns that supple- fast sellers, but makes no effort to handle the
sults but a loss of sales and profits.
If there was a time (and it is doubted in ref- ments the publisher's publicity; that gives him balance of the various publishers' catalogs. In-
erence to fast sellers) that the trade was justi- the co-operation he needs. If the entire trade stead of assisting the publishers in making their
fied in curtailing its stock that time has cer- would stock the active sellers in reasonable second-best numbers active they use such energy
tainly passed. To continue such a policy is quantities and do something to assist the pub- in selling the songs of their paid writers. It
certainly giving the publisher, who is spending lishers in selling the goods there would be an becomes a proposition of the publishers attract-
large sums in the exploitation of his goods, any- immediate increased demand for not only the ing the buyers to counters where they are in-
hits, but the other numbers of the catalogs as duced to purchase the mediocre works of un-
thing but co-operation.
known writers. The publishers furnish the
well.
An instance of such a situation was brought
Only too often it is the case, and particularly magnet without compensation in any degree
to the writer's attention by conditions found in
several stores in the city of Peoria, 111., where has this been true in the past few months, that' which would encourage them to continue the
there were a number of songs having a very the syndicate and other dealers failed to carry relationship.
healthy demand, but which the stores in ques- anything but the songs that gave them a par-
tion were unable to supply at the time when the ticularly good scale.
S. Earnest Philpitt is giving his earnest sup-
demand was most active, not because they did
The publisher in introducing a number whole- port to the plan to give Miami, Fla., better
not stock such sellers, but because they did so sales it at a special price to encourage co-opera- music. Mr. Philpitt recently arranged to have
it', such small quantities that any heavy call for tion, following which, of course, he makes a the Miami Daily Metropolis devote a page to
the numbers in question exhausted the stock.
slight advance on the wholesale rate, owing to a number of artists who will appear in a concert
It seems to be the opinion of those who have the fact that the entire trade has had an oppor- in Miami.
ADEQUATE STOCKS NECESSARY FOR THE RETAIL DEALER
Songs That Sell - Melodies That Are In The Air
/^/^'i" I / \ T 7 A
\ - / t ^ I- -I—^v^J T t '
A positive sensation. It caught on over night.
It's beinp-
being called for
for bv
by the
the public
Dublic wherever music is played.
nlav
(A Melody easy to remember.)
I O -4r\\
-•- ~* d A
C"f"
k j L»
" R Cl CY
I V d ' ^
The best dance record in the Victor February list.
Danced and played everywhere—everybody is talking about it.
(Song and Piano Solo)
Underneath The Dreamy Oriental Moon
The orchestras are all playing this one.
CollCen O'Mine An Irish Ballad—A good seller
t V/|Erf]Otf$
J § ^ l f SONS^M/dSlC CO.
1015 Walnut Street
KANSAS CITY, MO.