Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
SEPTEMBER 17, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
his friends, regardless of circumstances. By
making a poor sale on long terms he has lost hfs
profit in either case and at the end of the year
wears out pencils trying to figure out just why
he did not get ahead, although he made many
sales. Profitable sales means getting the right
Knowledge of Correct Merchandising Absolutely Essential in These Days of Re- price and the proper terms.
construction in the Business World—Situation Ably Analyzed
"Some merchants have a range of prices on
their merchandise based upon the length of time
^iiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiii^
based on a thirty-month limit for payment; how- the customer requires in which to pay. This has
I
F. N. Goosman, of the Goosman j ever, we believe that no positive duration of its advantages from a banking point of view, but
I Piano Co., Toledo, O., spoke as a prac- j time can be judicially set as the conditions and I question its becoming popular, due to the fact
I tical man of long experience on the j circumstances alter this and it is up to the mer- that one never feels like paying more for an
1 subject of piano prices and terms at 1 chant to know when a proposition is not profit- article than relatives or friends, even though one
I the convention of the Music Mer- § able and be big enough to turn it down. The buys cash and the other takes three years to
1 chants' Association of Ohio, held in | merchant who will allow his sales force to pay. The customer figures 6 per cent interest
I Columbus this week. It is a construe- | make sales that are not on reasonable terms soon should be enough.
"Conditions have changed considerably during
I tive analysis of a timely subject.
j finds himself in a bad fix unless he is financially
able to carry his own paper, as invariably this the past year. Merchants and salesmen must be
liiiiiiiniiimmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiw
class of purchaser will get behind to such an ex- on the alert at all times in order to get their
"There is no subject so inviting or absorbing tent that the book profit is gradually eaten up share of business and not forget in the enthur
as the one to which I have been assigned. The by extra collection expense, or it becomes neces- siasm of getting sales that their very existence
life of our industry is dependent upon it and only sary to repossess the piano, in which latter case depends upon the prices and terms that are taken,
the merchant who knows 'Prices and Terms' the merchant is condemned by the purchaser and as these are the only basis of profitable sales."
can survive. We have been wrestling with it
ever since our credit system was devised and
Co., with his son, Henry H. Wright, treasurer,
M. S. WRIGHT PASSES AWAY
although great improvements have been made
and another son, Clifford L. Wright, clerk.
still there is room for more.
Was Pioneer Manufacturer of Player-pianos—
Shortly after this Clayton M. and E. Stanley
Founder of M. S. Wright Co.—Made Many Wright, sons, became connected with the busi-
"Let us divide this subject and start with
Improvements on Musical Instruments
ness. In the Spring of that year the business
'Price,' because I believe that many piano mer-
was removed to 51 Jackson street, where 28,000
chants do not know just what the cost 'price'
WORCESTER, MASS., September 12.—The passing
square feet of floor space was rented. The
of a piano is. He overlooks the overhead, the
space doubled in a year, with the business
costs of selling, the freight, cartage, etc., all of Morris S. Wright, pioneer manufacturer of
he can see is the amount of the invoice, then, player-pianos and founder and president of the occupying a four-story building. The product
when a close buyer comes along with cash he M. S. Wright Co., manufacturer of player-piano attained a world market. In 1914 the company
figures he can sell from 30 to 40 per cent above actions, automatic pipe-organ actions and vacu- began making metal player-piano actions and
the newly devised automatic pipe-organ actions
the invoice and make a profit, while in reality um cleaners, here last week, following a short
illness, marked the closing of a long and active under Mr. Wright's patents.
he is losing money. This is particularly true of
career in the interests of the piano industry.
the small merchant who sells pianos as a side
He leaves, besides his wife, the following chil-
line or does a small business and is more satisfied
The deceased came to Worcester as a very dren: Henry H., of Worcester; Alice M., wife of
to knock his competitor out of a good sale than young man and found employment with the Car- Dr. E. M. Watson, of Buffalo; Clifford L. Clay-
to make a profit himself.
penter Organ Co. From an apprentice in the ton M. and E. Stanley Wright; Helen M., wife
"Right here I would like to state that the piano action department he rose rapidly to foreman, of Clifford W. Kennedy; Frances E. Wright
manufacturer who will sell pianos to this class going to Foxcroft, Me., and Brattleboro, Vt., and Gertrude L., all of Worcester; two brothers,
with the Carpenter Co. when the concern moved. Charles S. Wright, of Worcester; Frank H.
of dealer is more at fault than the dealer—many
He soon became superintendent and remained
Wright, of London, England, and a sister, Mrs.
ot the wholesale travelers are willing to sell a
in this capacity until 1886, when he returned to Bertha McPartland, of Davenport, la.
man one piano or player to give him a so-called
start in the piano business, perhaps this is the Worcester to take charge of the Vocalion
only one he ever buys, perhaps he buys several Organ Co. When the firm changed hands, in
J. I. BOGART_ TO WED
more during the year, but invariably at the end 1887, he was appointed manager, and nine months
of the year he has had enough—if he had any later, when the company was reorganized as the Secretary of Bogart Piano Co. and Miss Gertrude
money it has been exchanged for long-time Mason & Risch Vocalion Co., he was made
Cullen to Be Married September 20
notes that are in the hands of the manufacturer, superintendent and remained in that capacity
or some bank. During this year he has sold his until the company was absorbed by the Aeolian
John I. Bogart, secretary of the Bogart Piano
Co., of New York, nine years later. He then Co., 9-11 Canal Place, New York, and Mrss
pianos at ridiculous prices and left the impres-
sion in his locality that the legitimate piano mer- assumed charge of the Worcester branch of
Gertrude Cullen, of White Plains, N. Y., will be
the company in a building erected under his united in marriage on September 20 at St. John's
chant is a robber and causing him much extra
work to overcome this prejudice. The manufac- supervision, where he remained for five years. Church, White Plains.
turer, on the other hand, has lost his prestige
Up to this time he had been constantly en-
and must open up a new field for his product. gaged in making improvements on organs and
Had he put his line with a reputable merchant he musical instruments, and had received fourteen FREDERIC! TRAVELING IN NEW YORK
would soon become established and be building patents, with five others pending. Many of his Will Visit Dealers in Empire State for Three
instead of tearing down.
patents are in use by organ manufacturers.
Weeks—Business Getting Better
He was one of the pioneer manufacturers of
"The cost price of a piano should be figured
player-pianos in 1893. In that year he con-
H. C. Frederici, of Henry Kellar & Son and
the same as a manufacturer does his product. He
the Wilfred Piano Co., 156th street and Wil-
figures his overhead, selling cost and carrying structed a player controlled by perforated paper
cost before adding his percentage of profit that sheets. And in about three months he perfected low avenue, New York, left this week for a trip
he should make. If each dealer would, at the his system of pneumatic operation of musical through New York State and will not return
beginning of the year, take his total expenses of instruments, on which he received a number of until October 1.
patents. He contracted for the manufacture of
the previous year and divide by the number of
While speaking to a representative of The Re-
the player-piano with the Farrand Co. of De- view before he left Mr. Frederici was most
pianos sold he would soon discover just what
it costs to sell each piano, which, added to his troit.
optimistic and stated that their business in Au-
invoice, would give him the price he paid. The
The Aeolian Orchestrelle, designed to imi- gust showed considerably more 'life than that, of
price he sells for should be established nationally
tate a full orchestra, was constructed by him the previous month and that September had
by all reputable manufacturers. This gives the
while with the Aeolian Co. In the Spring of started off with greater promise.
merchant an opportunity to work on a fixed rev-
1906 Mr. Wright decided to manufacture on his
enue and expenses can be cut accordingly to
own account, and in a room forty feet square,
TWO CANTONJiOUSES COMBINE
show the desired profit. On the other hand the
at 34 Southbfidge street, he began business. In
manufacturers' name is becoming established on
1906 his plant was destroyed by fire and he then
CANTON, O., September 10.—Announcement was
a good, sound basis and that agency will be located at 49 Hermon street, having 5,000 square made last week of the consolidation of Klein &
sought after by the merchant who is awake to its feet of space. At the oustet his first help was Heffelman and David Zollar & Sons, two of the
possibilities.
only his son, Henry H. Wright, but soon there oldest department stores in this city, which will
were forty employed in the business.
be operated under one roof in the Case Building,
"What are your terms? This is the question
Soon afterward he invented a vacuum cleaner Market avenue North and Fifth street. The for-
asked by 90 per cent of the piano buyers. They
and in the Spring of 1908 he began its manu- mer concern has for many years been agents for
come to buy terms rather than pianos and many
facture. The next year the business was incor- the A. B. Chase pianos and player-pianos, manu-
sales are made on the terms regardless of price
factured by the A. B. Chase Piano Co.
. or quality of the piano. Our carrying charge is porated under the name of the M. S. Wright
Only the Dealer Who Knows Prices
and Terms Can Trade Successfully
THE BEST KNOWN
MUSICAL NAME
IN THE. WORLD.
THE BEST PROFIT
PRODUCER FOR THE
DEALER IN THE TRADE