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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 3, 1921
CONDITIONS IN BROOKLYN TRADE ARE SATISFACTORY
No Great Increase in Business Reported by Local Dealers, but Sales for the Month of August
Prove Well Up to Expectations, With Good Fall Business in Prospect
BROOKLYN, N. Y., August 30.—Comparatively
little change has been noticed in the trade dur-
ing the past two weeks. This is not a discour-
aging situation, however, because conditions two
weeks ago were fairly good. The rapid fall of
the thermometer during the past three weeks
has done much to put business on a more stable
footing and dealers are now certain that each
month will see an improvement. There is a
feeling prevalent among merchants that while
business will increase in volume from now on
there will be no sudden retuirn to boom days
and that sales will only be made by hard work
and first-class salesmanship. Unemployment and
housing conditions are still affecting the trade
and will continue to do so until a number of
residences and apartment buildings which are in
course of construction are completed and fac-
tories and local industries resume more active
operations.
Now that the vacation season is practically
over merchants are planning to get down to
hard work. Most establishments have their full
personnel of salesmen and canvassers back on
the job, and people who have been away for
the Summer months are beginning to migrate
back to the city from the mountains and sea-
shore. The return of vacationists has not been
great enough to have any noticeable effect on
the piano and musical instrument business.
In a recent study covering the cause of the
falling away of business during the hot Sum-
mer months it was found that the usual exodus
from the average city is about 2 per cent, leav-
ing 98 per cent of the population at home all the
time and, incidentally, causing a reduction in
business of only 2 per cent. Merchants com-
menting on this seem to be of the opinion that,
while it is no doubt true, business falls off more
than the amount mentioned, because most peo-
ple do have a vacation some time during the
Summer and as a general rule they defer the
purchase of musical instruments until they re-
turn and in most cases wait until the cool Fall
days are at hand.
T. E. English, treasurer and sales manager
of the Chandler Piano Co., is one of the mer-
chants who believes that the return to normalcy
will be slow and sales will be consummated only
by hard work. "August was a very encourag-
ing month," said Mr. English. "While the de-
mand during the hot months centered around
the medium-priced player-pianos the demand for
grand pianos has shown considerable increase
during the past few weeks and a fair number
of tuning orders have been coming in lately.
This is an indication that the people with the
money who have been away during the hot
months are beginning to return. While I be-
lieve business is on the upward trend sales will
not be closed with the same ease as of a vear
and a half ago. The prospects with plenty of
money are buying just as carefully as the poorer
people and in many cases it is harder to make
a sale to them."
The Chandler Piano Co. is already preparing
for the year 1922. An artistic calendar is being
American
Piano Wire
"Perfected"
"Crown"
Highest acoustic excellence dating back to the
days of Jonas Chickering. Took prize over whole
world at Paris, 1900. For generations the
standard, and used on the greatest number of
pianos in the world.
Services of our Acoustic Engineer always available — free
Illustrated books—free
American Steel & Wire
ACOUSTIC DEPARTMENT
tOS S. LA SALLE ST.. CHICAGO
prepared for distribution to customers and pros-
pects. A reproduction of a photograph of the
late F. H. Chandler, founder of the company,
who was known throughout Brooklyn as the
dean of the piano trade, will appear on the
calendar. The Chandler Co. handles the Christ-
man and Ivers & Pond instruments.
Frank W. Chandler, president of the company,
who spent his vacation at Prouts Neck, Me., re-
turned on September 1.
Business at the Brooklyn branch of the Aeolian
Co. during August was very good and expecta-
tions are held out that next month will see a
further improvement.
Labor Day will mean the close of the vacation
season for the personnel of this establishment.
By that time C. G. Davis, manager; Mrs. C. R.
Alstatt, of the talking machine department, and
L. J. Kaltenbach, a member of the sales staff,
will have returned.
Hardman, Peck & Co. report that business in
August showed a decided gain over previous
months. A slow and steady improvement in
business has replaced the spotty conditions of
July.
J. C. Franke, manager, who has been spending
his vacation in the Adirondack Mountains, is ex-
pected to return shortly after Labor Day. T. J.
Steinhaus, a member of the sales staff, returned
from his vacation at Springfield, Mass., on Mon-
day, and Miss Anna Winkopp, who is in charge
of the Hardman, Peck talking machine depart-
ment, also returned from her vacation on
Monday.
F. B. Anderson, of Anderson & Co., who is
vacationing at a camp in the Adirondack Moun-
tains, will return on September 15. A. L. Janson,
secretary of the company, is planning an auto-
mobile trip through New York State some time
in September.
OPENS NEW STORE IN TUCSON
R. H. Nielson Music Co. Handles Brunswick
Phonograph, Jesse French Pianos and Com-
plete Line of Musical Goods Generally
R. H. Nielson, for the past fourteen years
affiliated with the Fisher Music Co., Tucson,
Ariz., has organized the R. H. Nielson Music
Co., in that city, and recently held the formal
opening of his new store in the Congress Hotel
Building. The interior of the store is beauti-
fully finished in French gray and ivory, and the
same color scheme is carried out in the furnish-
ings. Mr. Nielson is handling the Brunswick
phonographs and records, together with Jesse
French & Sons pianos, band instruments and
sheet music.
C. A. BROCKBANK VISITS CANADA
Australian Piano Man Who Studied Piano
Manufacturing Conditions in U. S. Is Now
in Canada—Plans New Factory
Charles A. Brockbank, general manager of the
Concord Piano & Player Co., Ltd., Melbourne,
Australia, who recently visited a number of
piano factories in the vicinity of Chicago to
study piano manufacturing and supply condi-
tions, with a view to erecting and operating a
new piano factory in Melbourne, is now in
Canada, where he will make further studies of
methods and conditions in the piano industry
before returning home.
NEW INCORPORATION
The Masonic Temple Song Shop, Inc., 161
North State street, Chicago, 111., has been granted
a charter of incorporation to deal in musical in-
struments, novelties and accessories, with a capi-
tal of $10,000. The incorporators are Moses
Shubinski, Abe Glatt and Sam C. Brin.
"The first touch tells"
The
Christman
Studio Grand
Piano
is recognized the world
over for its
Superior Quality
and
Great Volume
. of Tone
For this reason it has
long been the c h o i c e
of m u s i c i a n s and
pianists of note.
Christman
Makers of
Grands, Uprights
Players and
Reproducing Pianos
of Quality
"The first touch tells"
(Registered U. S. Pat. Off.)
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St., New York