Music Trade Review

Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 7

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
AUGUST 13, 1921
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ALEX MCDONALD ADDRESSES CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
TWIN CITY DEALERS OPTIMISTIC
Manager of Wholesale Sales of Sohmer & Co. Delivers Splendid Talk Before Music Trades As-
sociation of Southern California—Community Chest Plan Gains Favor
Large Grain Crops and Prices Which Favor
Farmers Will Boost Fall Trade, Predict Deal-
ers—July Heat Seriously Damaged Crops
Los ANGELES, CAL., August 6.—At the last gen- and co-operation towards their friends in the
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, MINN., August 9.—
North.
eral meeting of the Music Trades Association of
Southern California the address made by Alex-
President Geissler also introduced J. P. General trade conditions will not be as poor in
ander McDonald, of Sohmer & Co., New York, Simmonds, of the Kohler & Chase Music Co., the Northwest during the Fall and Winter sea-
who was the principal guest of the evening, Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks, Louisville, Ky., sons as many had been led to believe as a con-
inspired members to such an extent that the who recalled early association days in the music sequence of the unseasonably hot weather in
meeting, which was scheduled to be one of the trade in New Orleans; Harry N. Briggs, new June and July. The grain crops, which appeared
shortest (on account of its being Elks' Conven- manager of the music department in Hamburg- to be of bumper dimensions in May, were se-
tion Week), occupied the entire evening, and er's Department Store; C. Inslee, assistant man- riously damaged, but it now appears that the
when members adjourned on motion many were ager of Hamburger's, and G. A. Shafer, from yield will be greater and the quality much better
than had been forecast. At any rate, the general
surprised to see the lateness of the hour.
Louisville, Ky.
A lively discussion took place later on busi- business atmosphere is more encouraging than it
Mr. McDonald, who is a director and chair-
man of the press committee of the National As- ness and local trade matters, in which frank was a month ago. It also is quite apparent that
sociation of Music Merchants, chose as his theme criticisms were made between members, which, prices will favor the farmers, and this will have
the importance of selling music and the love of as ex-President Marygold remarked, were and the effect of stimulating business.
"Our traveling men report a rosy future," says
music in the homes, "Once teach a person to love would always constitute the life-blood and raison
S. W. Raudenbush, president of Raudenbush &
music and he will come after your musical in- d'etre of the Association.
struments and take them away from you," said
Members of the music trade frequently de- Sons. "In view of the brighter outlook for crops
Mr. McDonald. "The idea that you must adver- plore the multiplicity and seemingly ceaseless an air of cheerfulness has displaced the feeling
tise musical instruments and emphasize their demands for donations toward charities and ot gloom and we are confident that there will
price is out of date and has been proven waste- other institutions which are made on them day be considerable business in the Fall. Just now
ful.
A man does not want a musical instru- after day. It is like the case quoted by the things are somewhat slow. We have been doing
ment as a gift unless he loves music—except a Scotch minister in his sermon advocating "tem- very well with used pianos, but can't say that
limited number of persons, who might want perance." "A dram or two before breakfast, and the demand for new instruments is brisk."
Raudenbush & Sons have been redecorating
it as an ornamental but useless piece of furni- a few drams between meals, and then, of course,
ture." Mr. McDonald declared that this idea social drams in the evening are all right. But their downtown warerooms at 410 St. Peter
even pervaded the National Convention in Chi- this continual dram-dram-ing all the time should street, in the Hanim Building, and now have
cago. At first there was some talk of prices, but and must be abolished." Of course, other trades what is represented to be the most artistic ap-
very soon dealers and manufacturers settled suffer more or less in the same way, and all pearing piano store in the Northwest. W. R.
down to the discussion of quality and advance- complain that the business man, because of his Raudenbush is away at present on a business
ment of music.
accessibility, bears most of the burden. This trip to British Columbia.
Edward M. J oil, formerly in the piano busi-
Another guest at the meeting was E. M. would be partially done away with by a Com-
Coothe, of the Jacob Doll & Sons Piano Co. and munity Chest, which is in operation in many ness for himself in Chicago, is at the head of
Premier Piano Corp. Walter S. Gray, president cities, notably in Cleveland, O., where it has the piano department of the Golden Rule store.
of Walter S. Gray Co., San Francisco, was also been tried and has met with unbounded success. He finds business much better than he had ex-
pected and believes that St. Paul does a better
present, and told the members that in addition
piano business in July and August—in propor-
to being a member of this Association he was
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
tion, of course—than does Chicago. At any rate,
also a member of the Northern California Asso-
Wm. Leive & Son, jewelry and musical instru- he is satisfied with his move and with his re-
ciation. This was the first meeting in the South
turns.
which he had been able to attend and he took ment dealers of Aurora, 111., are going out of
"August started out very nicely," says Harvey
the opportunity of thanking them for their help business.
Whitstruck, of the Metropolitan Music Co. "The
sales are all that anyone could look for at this
time of the year, when almost everyone is away
on a vacation."
Traveling piano men have not been numerous
of late, but we note the appearance in the Twin
Cities of Col. Briggs, of the Ludwig Piano Co.,
and Col. Jewctt, of the Starr Piano Co. Both
lilid the Northwest a profitable field.
There is little to discuss about the piano busi-
ness during July and August, according to W. S.
Collins, head of the Cable Piano Co. The com-
pany's three stores are paying expenses and all
the supernumeraries are eating three times a day,
but it is conceded that the company is not piling
up any great store of profits. And yet times
have been worse.
Elmer A. Brooks, cheerful and debonair as
ever, is scouting about and chipping out some
business here and there. "The Summer has
been not so bad," he says, "and better times are
coming."'
The only way to get a
reputation for good goods
is to make goods good.
We have been doing just
that for a number of years.
MUSIC INFORMATION FOR SPEAKERS
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music
Offers Service to Members of Trade That Is
Much Appreciated—A Recent Instance
Contributing Member
Alutic Industries
Chamber of Commcre*
tattoo
Unionville, Conn.
The service rendered by the National Bureau
for the Advancement of Music, with which the
trade at large should become familiar, is that of
preparing special articles or speeches for the
local use of members of the trade. A number of
music merchants have had occasion to. address
clubs and other organizations and found the in-
formation offered by the National Bureau almost
invaluable. A dealer in Texarkana, Ark., re-
cently advised the Bureau that he was scheduled
to make a fifteen-minute address before the
local Rotary Club on "The Development of
Music." The Bureau supplied a suitable ad-
dress and the retailer in a later letter expressed
much enthusiasm over the success of the talk
and the service rendered by the Bureau.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
10
REVIEW
AUGUST 13, 1921
ST. LOUIS DEALERS MAKING GOOD SALES AT NIGHT
SPECIAL BALDWIN GRAND PIANO
Business Transacted at Homes of Prospects During the Evening Proving Very Profitable—Two
Sales That Required Little Effort—Improvements at Wurlitzer Store
Handsome Instrument in White Mahogany Built
Specially for J. J. McClellan, Organist of
the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City
ST. LOUIS, MO., August 8.—They used to say that
the early bird got the worm. They say now that
it is the late bird that gets the worm in St.
Louis piano circles, meaning that it is the
salesman who stays up late who makes the sales.
It is probable that more night sales are being
made now, in proportion to the total number,
than for years. Night appointments, with a ride
for the family to the store and a pleasant eve-
ning, with selections on the piano and nothing to
distract, have always been favorable for closing
the deals, even when making sales by daylight
was not very difficult. But things are difficult
now and the salesman needs all the advantage
which the quiet evening session gives.
The day of adventitious sales has not departed,
however. Two Steinway grands were sold at
Aeolian Hall last week without night work or
very much of any other kind of work. In one
case a man was walking down Olive street when
he caught sight of a Steinway grand in the
Aeolian window. "That reminds me," he said.
What it reminded him of was that his twentieth
wedding anniversary was only a few days off.
"Dogged if I don't believe I'll get the wife a
grand," he further communed with himself. No
sooner said than done. He dropped in and said
he would like to hear what that good-looking
grand in the window sounded like. S. L. Halli-
nian showed him that it sounded as good as it
looked and inside of twenty minutes it was
bought and paid for and tagged to be sent out
on the wedding anniversary. And that was not
all. A woman came in during the week and said
she would like to send some little thing to her
daughter, who was going to get married down
South. It did not take long to convince her
that a Steinway grand was the identical little
thing that she was looking for. She bought it
and it is on its way South. It is obvious, though,
that these things are mentioned because they are
exceptional. Night-riding is more dependable as
a regular thing
Manager T. B. Moran, of the Wurlitzer Co., has
spent most of the time the past few days stand-
ing out at the curb or across the street admir-
ing that new canopy of copper and brass which
lends the Wurlitzer store a new air of distinc-
tion. It is a handsome canopy, all right, and
Mr. Moran has a right to feel proud of it. His
satisfaction is increased by the fact that it took
time and diplomacy to put it there. When he
first planned it there was opposition on the part
of other piano men who, naturally, dislike any-
thing that obstructs the view of their own stores.
And the Board of Public Improvements told Mr.
Moran he had better not. He waited, and after a
while there was an election and the complexion
of the Board changed somewhat. Mr. Moran
went around when the other piano men were
not looking and got a permit and by quick work
he got the canopy up before anybody had a
chance to object. Now that it is up there is not
much inclination to complain. It admittedly adds
to the architectural splendor of the street.
R. H. Cone, Jr., of the Aeolian Co., says a good
way to spend a vacation is to motor through
Missouri within a radius of ISO miles of St.
Louis. He spent his vacation that way and
liked it.
The Kieselhorst Piano Co. will be represented
at the National Junior Tennis Championships at
Boston, August 21, by Richard Rosebrough, who
won the local elimination.
R. S. Dunn, of the Straube Piano Co., Ham-
mond, Ind., was in St. Louis last week.
W. A. Lippman, secretary and manager of
the Field-Lippman Piano Co., motored to the
State Fair at Sedalia, accompanied by his wife
and son.
M. S. Flegle, of the Field-Lippman Piano Co.,
has sufficiently recovered from an illness to re-
sume his work. Elmer Brady is spending his
vacation at Chicago and the lakes. Andrew Lutz
has returned from the Ozarks.
P. M. Harris, sales manager of Philip Werlein,
Ltd., New Orleans, La., arrived here Saturday
for a week's visit with his brother, G. R. Harris,
sales manager of the Lehman Piano Co. The
next two weeks they will spend together in the
East.
S. E. Secoy, general manager of the Jesse
French Piano Co., New Castle, Ind., was here at
the end of the week, starting on a trip through
the West and South. J. F. Ditzell, manager of
the Famous & Barr Co. music salon, has re-
turned from Chicago, where he spent a week
on business. He will leave September 1 on a
vacation trip.
Valle B. Grossman, of the Famous & Barr Co.
music salon, has returned from a three weeks'
tour to the Pacific Coast.
The
Musician's Small Grand
The Ludwig is not merely a grand piano in appearance, it is also a grand
piano in tone. Not made small enough to fit in a corner, but large enough to
provide for proper string length, and sounding board area, that will produce
real grand piano tone. The
LUDWIG
is 5 feet 3V2 inches long—and we invite its comparison, both as to tona)
quality and appearance—with any other small grand, irrespective of price.
Ludwig & Co.
Willow Avenue and 136th Street
New York
The Ludwig Reproducing Piano
Grands
Uprights
Players
CINCINNATI, O., August 8.—A recent product of
tfye Baldwin Piano Co. factory that aroused
much interest was a specially built Baldwin
Testing the Special Baldwin Grand
grand for J. J. McClellan, organist of the noted
Salt Lake City Tabernacle. The instrument was
cased in white mahogany, in order to blend
with the woodwork in Mr. McClellan's studio
in the School of Music of the Latter Day Saints.
The accompanying illustration shows the final
test of the instrument in the Baldwin factory.
SALES AIDS FOR HARDMAN DEALERS
Hardman, Peck & Co. Issue New Folio of Sales
Letters for Dealers
Hardman, Peck & Co., New York, have pro-
duced another folio of sales stimulants for their
dealers, consisting of a series of five form let-
ters for the dealers' use and a sixth letter from
Hardman, Peck & Co. to the dealers, urging
them to send the form letters over their mail-
ing list. The folio is entitled "How to Increase
Your Piano Sales."
There is no doubt that if the dealer carefully
follows out the instructions accompanying the
letter he will find the results up to the expecta-
tions of Hardman, Peck & Co. The five form
letters are to be used on different classifications.
One is a welcome letter to new people, who have
made their homes in the town of the dealer. The
second is a letter to be used to follow up society
notes and engagement notices in local papers.
The third is a lefter to be sent to young brides,
the prospects to be gleaned from the marriage
notices. The fourth and fifth are general letters
to-send over the general mailing list of the wid-
est latitude, one emphasizing the prestige of the
Hardman instrument, while the other is to be
used as a follow-up to the
first.
:
There is no doubt that such material as this,
which is only an example of the many Hardman
bulletins, will serve to stimulate trade for the
Hardman dealer, if properly used.
I
ANOTHER GERMER MUSIC SHOW
Beardstown, 111., Music Dealer Announces His
Fifth Annual Exhibition
BEARDSTOWN, III., August 8.—Arthur C. Germer,
well-known music dealer, of 118 State street, this
city, has sent out formal invitations to the Fifth
Annual Dealers' Music Show, to be held under
his auspices. The exhibit will be held in Mr.
Germer's store and preparations have been made
to have it of a most elaborate character.
Mr. Germer has already secured trade recog-
nition as the first music dealer to undertake to
hold a regular music show of his own. He
makes a special display of complete lines of
instruments and provides souvenirs for those
who attend. An excellent musical program will
be one of the features of the show, which is.
expected to produce results even more satisfac-
tory than those attained hitherto.
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