Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
RE™
J1UJ1C TIRADE
VOL. LXXIV. No. 11
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York.
March 18, 1922
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Throw Away Your Blue Glasses!
T
llKRK is evident in many sections of the industry a. growing reaction against the hitherto prevailing,
tendency to emphasize the prevalence of poor husiness, a tendency that has existed for some time and
that has caused a surprising numher of perfectly normal piano men to become, on the surface at least,
confirmed pessimists. It may be that there is no reason for undue optimism regarding the prospects
for the next few months in this or any other line of business, but there certainly is sufficient reason to have
confidence in the stability of American business and to believe that trade in all lines of endeavor will shortly
emerge into a period of fairly normal activity.
In The Review last week John H. Parnham, president of Kohler & Campbell, Inc., delivered an optimistic
message based upon carefully gathered facts and gave reasons for his attitude of confidence, and there are
many others in this and in other lines of endeavor who are realizing that the channels of business are sound,
and are urging that the attitude of the trade be changed from one of worry to one of confidence.
Those who have taken the trouble to make a comparison between the situation in the music trade, par-
ticularly the piano industry, and the condition in many other lines of business are agreeably surprised to find
out how little the trade has really been affected by the period of depression. Industry after industry, even
the big steel companies, whose products are so essential to the development of the nation, report heavy deficits
for 1921, mounting up to millions of dollars, and the reports show that not only has there been no money made,
but tremendous amounts have actually been lost during the past twelve months. Yet, if the average piano
manufacturer and retailer makes an honest survey of the situation, he will be likely to find that his business for
1921 showed a profit, not as much, perhaps, as he would have liked to have had, but nevertheless a balance of
some kind on the right side of the ledger.
The oft-repeated statement to the effect that the production of pianos of various types last year was
far below that of 19T4 has not as much bearing on the situation as trade members would have us believe, for,
if the value of the instruments sold in 1921 be totaled, it is very likely that the sum would equal, or perhaps
be in the excess of, the amount realized on sales in years of big production.
In 1914, for instance, the reproducing piano was in an embryonic stage and sales of instruments ranging
in price from $2,500 up were sufficiently scarce to make them worthy of comment in the trade. During the
past year there have been many individual sales of reproducing grands, for instance, at sums that would serve
to offset the totals realized from a half dozen or more ordinary pianos eight or nine years ago.
The problem for the individual manufacturer and dealer is not that of worrying over the production
and sales totals of the industry, but rather of so arranging and conducting his sales campaign as to keep his
business operating successfully and with a comfortable margin of profit.
Taking everything into consideration, the piano industry stands high among those that have come through
the period of uncertainty with little or no permanent damage and there are so many opportunities offered for
the sale of pianos of various types, within the near future, and so tremendous a field for exploitation, that there
is a genuine reason for optimism regarding the future. There is need in the industry for more men to point
out conditions as they actually exist and promise to develop, for there are enough facts to warrant genuine
confidence.
A prominent executive in another branch of the music industry last week voiced the opinion, which
he based on carefully compiled reports and extended personal study and observation, that there would be a
definite change for the better in business within the next five or six months and that preparations were being
made to realize upon that change.
Having gone through the worst of the period with so few bad results, the piano and music trade gen-
erally is in a position to go ahead without delay and without waiting for a process of reorganization.