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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Secretary, Edward Lyman Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York;
Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAY BILL, B. B. WILSON, BRAID WHITE, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
L. E. BOWERS, Circulation Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Staff
EDWARD VAN -HARLINGEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, LEE ROBINSON, C. R. TIGHE,
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J. NICKLIN.
WESTERN DIVISION:
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NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
collar" man—the professional man and office worker—-did not fare so
well, and as costs rose his buying ability, except in matters necessary
to the maintenance of life, became negligible.
With the readjustment of wages that has occurred, and will
occur, the "white collar" man is resuming his normal position in the
social and business spheres. While he did not enjoy his full share of
war-time prosperity, at the same time he has had no inflated income
to be amputated. He stood still when things went up and now finds
himself set solidly when things begin to come down.
In the majority of instances piano men report their chief diffi-
culty in endeavoring to collect from those workers who undertook
obligations on a war wage basis and now find themselves in bad
straits with their incomes reduced. The "white collar" man, who
during the past couple of years showed rare courage if he obligated
himself to buy a really good musical instrument, has not suffered from
the downward movement and is meeting his payments.
During and immediately after the war there was much talk of the
development of a new buying class composed of the enriched hand
worker, or mechanic. Under the new conditions this latest class has
in turn disappeared—or at least is disappearing, while the time is
again at hand for looking to the salaried man—the individual who is
more or less sure of permanent employment and a fixed income—for
retail buying.
Entered as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York, N. Y.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $6.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $150.
REMITTANCES, >n other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Plav4>I> Pi an A anil
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
ricljvl rloIlU dllU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
I W h n f r f l l IW>nartmpnte regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
I C l U l l l l a l UKyai. UIIClllS are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Diploma.....
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal
Charleston Exposition, 1902
Pan-American Exposition, 1901" Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5988—6983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable Address: "Elbill, New York"
Vol. LXX1II
NEW YORK, AUGUST 6, 1921
No. 6
RETAIL SELLING AND THE MANUFACTURER
GREAT many .manufacturers have come to a realization of the
fact that under existing business conditions their work is not
finished when they have produced the goods for the retailer to sell,
but that it rests with them to go into the retailer's store, as it were,
and demonstrate to him how more goods can be sold.
A large number of manufacturers have developed definite selling
plans for their lines, which they are offering to dealers as a means
for developing sales and at the same time bringing about a greater
demand for the products of those particular manufacturers. The
number of manufacturers who have taken this course, however, is
comparatively small, and there is room for considerable development
along the line of sales education.
It is pointed out by authorities that the manufacturer and, for
that matter, the wholesaler, with country-wide connections, is in an
ideal position to study and gather successful sales plans that actually
produce results and which, when adopted by retailers, make it un-
necessary to revert to the odious fire and bankrupt sale and other
sensational and perhaps fake methods of moving stock.
The music industry is fortunate in having among its manufac-
turers several who have shown the way for increasing wholesale
business through the development of the market for the product.
One piano wire concern particularly has achieved wonderful results
through direct propaganda and education in developing a demand
for its particular product. The idea is so good that it is unfortunate
that its adoption has not been more widespread in the trade.
A
THE RETURN OF THE SALARIED MAN
S
EVERAL discerning business men have called attention recently
to the fact that the "white collar'' man is again looming up as a
prospect well worth cultivating by the retail merchant, particularly the
piano man. With the coming of the war those who worked with
their hands, the laborer and the skilled mechanic, found their earn-
ings increased from one hundred to even two hundred per cent above
normal and in keeping with the increased living costs, but the "white
AUGUST 6, 1921
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINDOW DISPLAYS
H E modern merchant has as a rule a proper idea of the value and
•I importance of good advertising and gives real thought to his
publicity and the preparation of the copy designed to present his
products to the public. As a general thing, too, the merchant appre-
ciates the value of his display windows and gives considerable thought
to their arrangement.
An excellent point was made by a prominent advertising man
recently when he classified window displays as a direct factor in the
advertising campaign, and not a thing apart. As the character of
newspaper advertising is improved and kept up to standard, so should
the window displays be equally improved, for they both fit in together.
There is nothing more incongruous, declares this expert, than to see
elaborate and high-class advertising and upon visiting the store of the
advertiser find window displays that are in every sense most ordinary.
In short, the window display advertising and newspaper adver-
tising should be on the same level, with as much thought given to one
as to the other. The development of this harmony in idea and ar-
rangement adds to the attractiveness of both forms of publicity and
means more business dollars.
$6,000 WORTH AN H O U R !
M
USIC merchants in various cities of the country who follow
the practice of using business totals of last year as the goal for
the current year's business find it rather exciting work at times to
keep the business averages each month in 1921 equal to, or in
excess of, the averages for the corresponding months of 1920. Tn
the big industrial centers, especially where there has been more or
less unemployment, this task of matching past performances is
rather a difficult one.
The New York music merchants, however, are confronted with
figures that are calculated to cause worry. According to the Gov-
ernment tax reports, which may be considered more or less accu-
rate, musical instruments to the value of $14,560,000 were sold in
Greater New York in 1920, the sales averaging $47,000 for each
working day. Figuring still further, the hourly rate was about
$6,000 worth of musical instruments disposed of in each sixty min-
utes of the working day. It makes a high mark to shoot at this year.
PIANO ADVERTISING
A
CCORDING to figures recently compiled musical instrument
advertising in the five leading New York morning papers during
the month of June this year amounted to 48,728 lines, a total volume
of advertising that would seem to refute certain statements to the
effect that the members of the music industry are not showing the
proper spirit in advertising for new business. It is estimated that
this advertising costs approximately $25,000, and that at least
$20,000 worth in addition appeared in the various evening news-
papers; $1,500 spent for advertising each day of the month of June,
just prior to the so-called Summer season, is a distinctly substantial
amount even in the metropolis of the country.