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OCTOBER 1,
THE
1921
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
TWIN CITY MUSIC DEALERS REPORT INCREASING TRADE
EFFECTIVE STATE FAIR DISPLAY
General Improvement in Conditions Shown by Better Business, and Local Dealers Anticipate
a Steady Upward Trend During the Coming Season—R. K. Paynter a Visitor—Other News
W. J. Dyer & Bro. Have Elaborate Exhibit of
Automatic Instruments, Pianos, Victrolas,
Small Goods, etc., at Minnesota State Fair
ST. PAUL and MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., September
26.—Northwestern merchants generally agree
that trade conditions have improved, but to
what extent is not disclosed, and the duration
of the improvement is not yet apparent. In-
dustrial and 'mercantile leaders have allowed
themselves to be quoted very extensively to the
effect that "business has turned the corner" and
from now on a steady and certain progress may
be expected.
The dean of the music merchants of the North-
west, W. J. Dyer, is of this opinion. "The gen-
eral situation really is improving," said Mr.
Dyer last Saturday. "The business perspective
is much clearer and brighter than it was a month
ago, and as a consequence merchants are in
much better spirits and view the future with con-
siderable confidence."
W. J. Dyer & Bro. have recently installed
Fotoplayers as follows: A $7,000 instrument in
the State Theatre, Zumbrota, Minn.; a $4,000
instrument in Trag's Theatre, Xeillsville, Wis ,
and a $5,(XX) instrument in the State Theatre,
Detroit, Mich.
Manager Mihm, of the Minneapolis branch
store of the P. A. Starck Piano Co.'s string, has
been burning up newspaper space of late and is
reputed to be obtaining results.
Excellent business is reported by the Cable
Piano Co., both in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
A continuance of last week's results will be
highly gratifying, according to W. S. Collins,
the chief. The company contributed its finest
Mason & Hamlin concert grand to the dedica-
tion concert of the Skinner pipe organ in the
St. Paul Auditorium September 29. Naturally
the Cable establishment is pleased over the
honor.
Kaiulcnbush & Sons report that they re-
cently delivered a Steinert grand piano to the
Radisson Hotel, Minneapolis' leading hostelry.
The house also reports nice player-piano busi-
ness, but finds that the general line of instru-
ments is not moving with much activity.
"Business is fluttering" is the neat synopsis
of Northwestern conditions given by Robert O.
Foster, of Foster & Waldo. A good day is
likely to be followed by a bad one, and a good'
week may be counteracted by a bad. He does
not expect much life in the piano line, but
states that talking machines have come to life
and predicts good business for the dealers until
the holidays. After New Year the outlook is
problematic.
R. K. Paynter. vice-president of Wm. Knabe
& Co., whose present mission is to boost the
Knabe piano with the Ampico, paid a flying
visit to the Twin Cities last week on his way
to the Coast. His opinion is that while condi-
tions are somewhat spotted merchants generally
feel that the worst is over.
J. L. MITCHELL IN NEW YORK
J. L. Mitchell, manager and buyer of the
music division of Montgomery, Ward & Co.,
Chicago, 111., visited New York on Friday and
Saturday of last week. He was accompanied by
J E. Nelligan, buyer of small musical instru-
ments.
Ray D. Hosack, who has conducted a music
business in La Grange, Ind., for the past several
years, is closing his local business and plans to
move to Angola, where he is interested in a
similar enterprise.
ST. PAUL, MINX., September 26.—One of the in-
teresting displays at the Minnesota State Fair,
held recently, was that of W. J. Dyer & Bro.,
the old-established music house of this city, who
State Fair Exhibit of Dyer & Bro.
had three booths at the fair devoted to exhibits
of various lines handled by the house, either as
distributor or retailer.
One booth was devoted to the display of
orchestrions and pianos of the automatic type,
including a Kcproduco, made by the Operators
Piano Co., Chicago, and a large automatic
orchestrion made by the same concern, as well
as an electric piano manufactured by the Link
Co. This booth attracted considerable atten-
tion and brought in some real business.
The general house display occupied the two
other booths, and included pianos, musical mer-
chandise, Victrolas and Melodee music rolls,
Dyer & Bro. being distributors for the two last
named products. The musical merchandise was
most effectively displayed in handsome wall-
cases, electrically lighted, with the various in-
struments mounted on a background of white
silk, and the result was most striking. Many
bandsmen attended the fair and stopped to in-
spect the display of band instruments. The
accompanying illustration gives some idea of
the arrangement of the booths.
TIME PROVES WEAVER ORGAN WORTH
Instruments Taken in Exchange After Thirty
Years of Use Found to Be in Good Condition
HAZELTON BROTHERS
GRAND PIANOS
S3
The acknowledged superiority of Hazel-
ton tone and the quality that the name
Hazelton Brothers immediately assures,
have been combined in several styles of
grand pianos which will be featured as
leaders of the well-known Hazelton line.
HAZELTON BROTHERS, INC.
Wm. M, Plainted, President
544 West 40th St.
NEW YORK
YORK, PA., September 21.—In the business con-
ducted by the retail warerooms of the Weaver
Piano Co., Inc., this city, organs are occa-
sionally received in trade. It is the custom to
send these organs to the factory of the Weaver
Piano Co., also located in this city, to be re-
paired for re-sale at wholesale to dealers in the
rural district. The Weaver Piano Co., Inc., re-
ports that recently six of these organs were
inspected to be shipped. Two of them were
condemned as unfit to sell, two were sent back
for further repairs and the last two were found
to be Weaver organs, made about thirty years
ago and in practically first-class condition. Upon
this superiority of manufacture has been built
the success of the Weaver organization.
In reciting this instance the Weaver Piano
Co., Inc., stated: "The Weaver pianos and
player-pianos are even better made than the
Weaver organs ever were and we expect our
successors to reap even richer heritage in the
reputation we leave to them than that we are
reaping from our predecessors."
MOTORPHONE, INC., CHARTERED
Motorphone, Inc., of Union Hill, N. J., has
been incorporated at Trenton with $125,000 capi-
tal stock, to deal in phonographs. The incorpo-
rators are- Frances E. Harmon, Marcus O. Saro-
kin, Weehawken, N. J., and May J. Hurvutz.