Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JULY 2, 1921
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
JUNE PROVES EXCELLENT MONTH IN ST. LOUIS TRADE
Sales Totals Exceeding Those of Same Period Last Year—L. R. Tippin Has a Car for Sale—
Harry Kieselhorst a Proud Father—O. A. Field Leaves for Southwest
ST. LOUIS, MO., June 27.—When business takes
a slump the music merchant is inclined to think
the end of the world has come, until he begins
to make comparisons, and then he generally
finds that it is not as bad as he thought it was.
It is that way with this June. The month started
off pretty well, but about the middle of the month
the bottom dropped out and business has been
pretty flat ever since. But as the month draws
to a close dealers are making comparisons with
June a year ago and they are discovering to
their surprise and gratification that this June is
better than last June, and last June was not a
bad month at that. Several of the dealers, when
The Review correspondent was making the
rounds this week, while bemoaning the present
flatness, extracted comfort from the announce-
ment that they were ahead of last June. The
present dullness is undeniable and extends to
talking machines as well as pianos, with rec-
ords and rolls also dragging, but confidence is
felt that there will be a rebound.
Manager Elam, of the Scruggs, Vandcrvoort &
Barney piano department, was poring over his
card index of prospects when the correspondent
called and he explained that all of them who have
old uprights in their homes are going to get in
the next few days a circular advising them that
the very best thing to do with an old upright
is to have it converted into a modern eighty-
eight-note player-piano at a very moderate cost.
There are pictures showing what the old upright
looks like and what it will look like with a player
action installed.
They think at Vandervoort's that everything
comes back if you wait long enough. L. R. Tip-
pin's missing Cole is back and A. H. J. Dick-
haus is back. The Cole does not look like it did
when Tippin parked it that night at Eleventh
and Olive streets. About the only thing about
it that looks the same is the engine number. The
thieves stripped it of everything else and dumped
if into a lake near Granite City. Tippin thinks
he would rather have the insurance than what
is left of his Cole. With Dickhaus it is different.
He is back from his honeymoon and looks the
same as usual, except that married life has put
more joy-shine into his face. The honeymooning
was at Kansas City and Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Speaking of joy-shine, Harry Kieselhorst, vice-
president of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., has so
much of that it is hard to tell whether the most
illumination comes from Vandervoort's or Kie-
selhorst's. There's a baby girl at the vice-presi-
dent's house. Came on the second wedding an-
niversary. Rather a convenient arrangement.
O. J. Shillig, sales manager of the Kiesel-
The Lauter-Humana
A player-piano designed
to meet the needs of the
discriminating buyer.
Is Your Territory Open?
LAUTER-HUMANA CO.
NEWARK, N. J.
horst Piano Co., is spending his vacation at
Chicago and Waukegan, 111. Theodore Maetten,
manager of the talking machine department, has
returned from a week at Milwaukee, Wis.
O. A. Field, president of the Field-Lippman
Piano Co., left Friday night for Dallas and San
Antonio, Tex., to wind up the affairs of the
branch stores in those cities which the firm re-
cently discontinued.
W. A. Lippman, secretary of the Field-Lipp-
man Piano Co., has incorporated the Lippman
Kamprite Trailer Co., with a capital stock of
$10,000, to manufacture the auto trailer which
Mr. Lippman invented.
J. E. Dockstader, manager of the Stix, Baer
& Fuller piano department, has returned from
St. Clair, Mo., where he established his family
for the Sumfrner. He will spend the week-ends
with them. He was also in Chicago last week on
business.
H. E. Hewitt, of the M. Schulz Piano Co.,
Chicago, and G. E. Mansfield, of C. Kurtz-
mann & Co., Buffalo, N. Y., were in St. Louis
last week.
Victrola No. 80, $100
Mahogany, oak or walnut
TRADE NEWS FROM INDIANAPOLIS
Other styles $25 to $1500
Pearson Co. Holding Successful Summer Sale
—E. L. Lennox Expected Back From Europe
—Fuller & Ryde Featuring Small Goods
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., June 27.—R. S. Kinnaird,
formerly with the Aeolian Co., has been em-
ployed as retail sales manager for the Starr
Piano Co. He succeeds Ernest L. Arthur, who
becomes a city salesman.
To-day ends the first week of the Pearson
Piano Co.'s special Summer sale, in which they
are making special reduced price offers on all
lines, both pianos and talking machines. E. W.
Stockdale, manager, says he has been await-
ing the results of the first week as a guide in
planning for the remainder of the sale. So
satisfactory have been the results, he says, that
he probably will continue the special effort at
least three more weeks and will extend it to
the eight branch stores in the State.
Results of the special advertising have shown
up largely in sales of players, says Mr. Stock-
dale, although interest has appreciably been
aroused in all instruments, including the higher
grade ones. Next week the advertising will be
directed particularly to talking machines.
John Pearson,- secretary-treasurer of the com-
pany, has left with his family to spend the
Summer at their Summer home in Petowsky,
Mich.
E. L. Lennox, of the E. L. Lennox Piano Co.,
is expected back soon from Europe, where he
has been visiting several months. William
Christena, manager of the Lennox store, re-
ceived a letter from Mr. Lennox the other day
in which Mr. Lennox said he had cut short a
visit in London because conditions are in such
bad shape in that city. As for conditions in
Indianapolis, Mr. Christena says he has been
highly gratified by rather steady business that
is keeping his monthly totals up to where they
compare favorably with last year.
Small goods and musical merchandise busi-
ness is not feeling the general slump so much
as are other lines of the music trade, according
to reports from Fuller & Ryde and the Carlin
Music Co. Fuller & Ryde featured a window
display of Chinese instruments this week and
the tom-toms, mussettes and crash cymbals at-
tracted much attention.
There has been little change in the general
industrial situation in Indianapolis, although
the general view of retail merchants is that
normal business is a bit farther away than
it seemed to be a few weeks ago. Many large
factories are still operating far below normal
capacity. Inclement weather, together with an
extremely hot spell, has gone far toward slow-
ing up retail trade.
IP
Victor
Supremacy
is self-evident
It is the supremacy of
achievement—of g r e a t
t h i n g s actually accom-
plished.
And it brings success
to Victor retailers every-
where.
"Victrola" is the Registered Trade-
mark of the _ Victor Talking Machine
Company designating the products of
this Company only.
Warning: The use of the word
Victrola upon or in the promotion or
sale of any other Talking Machine or
Phonograph products is misleading and
illegal.
Important Notice. Victor Records
and Victor Machines are scientifically
co-ordinated and synchronized in the
processes of manufacture, and should be
used together to secure » perfect re-
production.
Victor Talking
Machine Co*
Camden, N. J., u. s. A.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
INTERESTING VOLUME FROM PARIS
"LET'S GO" SLOGAN PROVES A HIT
Auguste Bosc's Music Trade Directory for 1921 Fortune Gallo Among Those Who Praise Pro-
Most Authoritatively Compiled
gressive Policy of Milton Piano Co.
From Auguste Bosc, the prominent publisher
of Paris, France, we have just received his ad-
mirably edited Music Trade Directory for 1921,
which covers every branch of the music industry
in France, the French colonies, Belgium and
Luxemburg. In this volume of 500 pages are to
be found the names and addresses of practically
every manufacturer, jobber and dealer making
or handling any kind of musical instrument, in-
cluding talking machines, in every city, town
and hamlet throughout France and the surround-
ing colonies.
The volume is very cleverly arranged, is well
edited and, from cover to cover, is a splendid
example of modern typography. This publica-
tion as a whole gives a very comprehensive idea
of the extent of the music trade industry in
France. We extend our congratulations to M.
Bosc on the production of this handsome and
useful volume, which is issued from 15 Rue de
Madrid, Paris.
The Milton Piano Co., New York, recently
sent to all its dealers an interesting circular urg-
ing optimism and outlining the present business
spirit in America. "Let's Go" was the caption
of the circular, and many dealers took occasion
to commend George W. Allen, president of the
Milton company, for the clarity of the message.
The effects of the circular, in fact, were felt out-
side of the trade proper, for there was received
from Fortune Gallo, the noted musical authority
and impresario, a letter in which he said:
"Thanks for sending me the circular 'Le.t's
Go.' I agree with you that is the spirit that
should prevail throughout the nation today. I
am passing the thought on to others."
This answer from Mr. Gallo came at an oppor-
tune time when New York newspapers generally
were quoting his new and progressive policy of
putting the opera on a more popular basis by
making it possible for the public to see the well-
known operas at popular prices.
The Cheney Factories
Our cabinet factory and
metal parts plant are com-
plete—geared to the pro-
duction of the finest in
phonographs.
CHENEY TALKING MACHINE COMPANY,
Chicago
The ^Master Instrument
With the ^Violin c F(esonator and Orchestral Chambers
JULY 2, 1921
NO CHANGE IN BROOKLYN TRADE
Housing Situation and Unemployment Blamed
for Slow Business—Grands and Player-pianos
in Popular Demand, Say Dealers
Little change is recorded in the Brooklyn
piano business during the past few weeks.
Dealers, in general, report business as good as
could be expected under existing conditions.
The grands and player-pianos are in popular
demand and recent sales point to more discrimi-
nation in the selection of instruments.
The seriousness of the housing situation, high
rents and unemployment are blamed, in part,
for the slackness in the business by Manager
Fry, of the Sterling Piano Co. "The money
that could be spent for pianos is paid to the
landlord each month," said Mr. Fry. "An-
other thing that affects the trade is the fact
that many families and newly married couples
are living in two or three rooms. They are
not doing this from choice, but simply because
they either can't get larger apartments or the
rents of more pretentious places are prohibitive.
Only a few weeks ago a woman came in to look
at some pianos. She was enthusiastic over a
grand and as she handed me the initial pay-
ment she exclaimed that she didn't know where
in the world she would find room for the in-
strument. I talked to her for a while and found
out that if she purchased the piano she would
have to put it in the bedroom. Now, that is
just a concrete illustration of hundreds of
similar cases and it is my opinion that when the
housing situation is remedied the piano trade
will show a material increase."
The retail piano department of Frederick
Loeser & Co. reports that conditions have not
changed for the past several weeks. While
there is nothing startling in the amount of busi-
ness done, enough pianos are sold to indicate
that the bottom has finally been reached and
that the trade is taking an upward trend which
will probably be subjected to greater accelera-
tion in the late Fall and early Winter.
W. H. Bishop, of the talking machine and
record department, states that just at present
the demand for talking machines centers around
the small portable machines and records con-
taining dance music. This demand can be
traced to vacationists who take the instruments
with them to the camp, seashore and-picnics.
Despite the fact that the demand for dance rec-
ords predominates at this time Mr. Bishop is
making every effort to push the Red Seal rec-
ords. He also states that while business would
be extremely dull in this line if they waited
for it to come to the store this is overcome
to a certain extent by keeping a complete force
of canvassers and follow-up men on the job.
The Pease Piano Co. is experiencing a big
demand for grands and player-pianos at present.
To date the month of June has shown a larger
percentage of business than was experienced
during May. The Wissner Piano Co. and
Hardman, Peck & Co. also report a fair de-
mand for pianos. These three latter compa-
nies are also doing a fair business in the talking
machine line.
F. T. PHILLIPS PASSES AWAY
Veteran Piano Dealer of Decatur, 111., Dies in
His Sixty-fifth Year
Fletcher T. Phillips, veteran piano dealer and
for thirty years a resident of Decatur, 111., died
in his home, 1076 West Main street, late last
week. He was sixty-five years of age at the
time of his demise and had been in poor health
for several years.
He was engaged in the musical instrument
business in Decatur and vicinity, but was perhaps
better known to the older residents as the owner
of "Dr. Kelley," a black pacing horse which was
at one time a familiar figure on all Central tracks.
The deceased leaves a widow and two chil-
dren, Mrs. H. A. McClure, of Decatur, and Mrs.
John DeLamater, of Washington, D. C, and
one brother, J. Robert Phillips, of Springfield.

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