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MAY
THE
20, 1922
TRADE NEWS FROMJHE TWIN CITIES
Business Is Improving, Say Local Piano Men—
Starck Co. Holding Sale of Damaged Instru-
ments—Personals and Other Items
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, MINN., May 15.—
"We are pleased to note some encouraging fea-
tures in our daily routine," remarked W. J. Dyer,
head of W. J. Dyer & Bro., in reviewing the
Northwestern situation with reference to the
music trades. "Some people are beginning to
make payments after a prolonged silence and that
helps a little. There is some sale of pianos, but
we are in a waiting period and probably will re-
main in an expectant state until we are able to
determine the crop prospects and the assurance
of continued mining operations."
Manager Augustine, of the P. A. Starck Piano
Co.'s St. Paul store, is unloading a car of dam-
aged pianos at reduced prices. The instruments
must have been in a near wreck to judge from
their appearance on arrival in St. Paul and there
was nothing to do except to close them out at a
discount and collect the difference from the rail-
road company. Colonel Mihm, in charge of the
Minneapolis store, is reported as doing very nice
business. Both managers entertained last week
R. A. Winterburn, of the Chicago headquarters.
The piano department of The Golden Rule
store has its ups and downs, says Manager J. L.
Pofahl. Last week for the first time in weeks
some animation was noticeable in the pianos.
May has been better than April and there is a
feeling that the general trend of business is for
the better.
Manufacturing pianos on anything like an ex-
tensive scale must be deferred for some time, in
the opinion of S. W. Raudenbush, of Raudeu-
bush & Sons. "We are banking all of our hopes
on a big grain crop and good prices therefor,
and then we will have some real activity, for the
recuperative powers of the Northwest are pro-
verbial in the business world. Just now we are
quite content to mark time."
William S. Collins, head of the Cable P.ano
Co., left Saturday for Ashland to look over h's
branch at that place and then took a flying trip
to Chicago. Then he is to make an extended trip
through the West. The Cable stores have had
moderate success this Spring by fighting hard
for it.
"Business is as good as you make it," de-
clares W. J. Hurley, of Hurley-Moren-Frank Co.
"If you are willing to work you can sell pianos
and talking machines. You may have to break
your back to get a customer, but the point is that
you can get him if you make sufficient exertion.
It is true that piano buyers are not floating i:i,
but we are doing business all the time and never
let down."
MUSIC
TRADE
HENRY KELLER & SONS
Pianos and Player-Pianos
: Established 1892
DETROIT PIANO TRADE IN VERY PROSPEROUS CONDITION
Collections Are Exceedingly Good and Excellent Business is Predicted for the Coming Season—
Trade-in Problem a Factor—Grinnell Featuring the Premier Line—Other News
DETROIT, MICH., May 16.—Detroit is still enjoy-
TONE and STYLE make the new line of
Jesse French & Sons
PLAYERS
Instruments of Quality
Famous Since 1875
Factories
The dependable
high grade line for
critical dealers.
156th Street and Whitlock Avenue, New York
ing continued prosperity and this condition is
being reflected in all lines of business. Music
dealers are noticing it, not so much in the new
sales as they are in the collection departments.
Customers are paying up their back bills and it
looks as if Summer will clean most of them up.
This should result in excellent Fall business.
The greatest evil in the piano business at the
present time, according to one of our oldest
piano dealers, is the trade-in; the fact that there
is no standardized allowance and dealers are com-
peting with one another to see which one can
allow the most. The dealer in question ex-
pressed himself as follows: "I have simply taken
the stand that I will not compete with other
dealers on allowances. Twenty-live dollars for
an upright and $100 as the limit on a player is
about all we will allow next year. I have had a
number of people who wanted to buy my par-
ticular instruments but when they asked about
allowances they told me frankly that they could
get considerably more from other dealers. I
replied—go ahead. However, we sold them
just the same. The percentage that piano deal-
ers allow on musical instruments is greater than
is allowed on automobiles. Years ago the motor
car people were in the same boat, but to-day they
have come to their senses and they are not mak-
ing the crazy allowances that they formerly did.
In every big city the dealers should get together
and there should be some standard scale of al-
lowances and it should be low enough so that
when the dealer sells his new piano or player he
is getting the profit to which he is entitled."
C. A. Grinnell, S. E. Clark, A. H. Howes and
probably one or two others will attend the an-
nual convention to be held in New York next
month of the music dealers. It is to be regretted
that more dealers do not take in these conven-
tions. They are wonderful business stimulants
and it is money and time well spent. Dealers
can get more new ideas in a few days by at-
tending such an affair than they could in many
years traveling about the country. Live-wire,
successful piano merchants are in the mood for
talking and they ace glad to give the other fel-
low the benefit of their years of experience.
The "Free Concert" being given this week
LARGER QUARTERS IN ALLIANCE, 0 . by Grinnell Bros, in their Victrola Auditorium
looks like one of the best held this year. In ad-
ALLIANCE, O., May 15.—The Spring Holzwarth dition to four soloists, there will be recreational
Co., operating one of the largest department singing, a talk on "Musical Appreciation" by Miss
stores in this section, is now located in its new Edith Ruebeka and demonstrations on the Duo-
building, which provides the company with twice Art reproducing piano.
the former amount of floor space. The feature
In the windows of Grinnell Bros.' main store
of the new quarters is the music department, this week we notice a very attractive display of
which formally opened last Thursday evening Premier grand pianos. The Premier is being
with a special concert, in which the Schumann pushed very vigorously by Grinnell Bros.
reproducing piano and the Vocalion phonograph
The Detroit News is giving considerable space
and records were featured.
daily to the Music Memory Contest, and all
Jesse French & Sons Style 103
15
REVIEW
Write for catalog and prices
New Castle, Indiana, U. S. A.
the dealers are co-operating to some extent. It
is certain to stimulate a demand for music rolls
and talking machine records, and quite a few
dealers have told the writer that they have al-
ready had sales as a result of the contest.
A word or two about radio. Some dealers are
under the impression that it is going to cut into
their record sales, yet Henry S. Doran, a lead-
ing talking machine dealer downtown, says it
has stimulated his business. "People hear the
records played on the radio and if they happen to
like the selection they go to their nearest or fa-
vorite music store and buy it—at least that is our
experience," he remarked. "In fact, we have had
people tell us that they heard it over the radio."
The building now occupied by the Doran Phono
graph Co. on Michigan avenue, near Shelby
street, is to be torn down August 1 to make
way for an elegant new structure, which means
that the firm will have to move. Mr. Doran is
now on the lookout for another store, but says
downtown locations are hard to find, especially
at a let-live rental.
J. L. Marcius, for seven years with Gimbel
Bros., New York, has been appointed manager
of the piano department at Weil & Co., Michi-
gan and Wayne streets, Detroit. Weil & Co.
handle Fisher, Kohkr & Campbell, Cable &
Sons and other lines.
BOGART PIANO CO. TO MOVE
Will Occupy Three Times Present Space on
June 1—Latest Move Reflects the Continu-
ous Success of This Well-known Concern
Announcement was made by E. B. Bogart,
president of the Bogart Piano Co., New York,
this week that on June 1 they will move into
a new factory at the corner of 135th street and
W'illow avenue. New York, thereby acquiring
three times as much manufacturing space as
they already occupy.
The new plant, which is four stories in height,
contains 45,000 square feet and will afford the
Bogart Co. ample space in which t« increase
their output, which has become necessary owing
to the steady growth of the Bogart clientele,
which includes many of the largest and most
representative dealers throughout the country.
For the last few years this company has been
located at 9-11 Canal place and before that
had its factory on East 137th street. The busi-
ness was originally founded by E. B. Bogart,
who has had nearly forty years' experience in
piano manufacturing, and this moving into larger
quarters reflects in no small measure the con-
tinuous success which this business has en-
joyed. The Bogart pianos and player-pianos
have, since their inception, been manufactured
under the personal supervision of Mr. Bogart.
At the present time his two sons are associated
with him, C. Andrew Bogart, treasurer, and
John I. Bogart, secretary. This younger genera-
tion have been schooled under the instruction
of their father and Bogart pianos are to-day
being manufactured with all the care and pre-
cision that two generations can exert toward the
producing of high-grade instruments.
ANNOUNCE JUBILEE PROGRAM
CANTON, O., May 15.—The Alford & Fryar Piano
Co. announces its tenth anniversary jubilee con-
cert, to be held in the City Auditorium Wednes-
day evening of this week, with Miss Henna
Menth, pianist, as the featured artist.