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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 11, 1922
JANUARY PROVES GOOD MONTH FOR KANSAS CITY TRADE
Agricultural Conditions Are Not Conducive to Big Business Among Suburbanites, but Sales of
High-grade Instruments Help Swell Monthly Sales Totals—News of the Week
KANSAS
CITY,
MO., February 6.—Kansas City
music merchants are, on the whole, satisfied with
the business of the month of January, and are
hopeful for the year as a whole. There is no
disposition to deceive themselves as to the con-
dition of the farmer, but they are finding op-
portunities to dispose of musical merchandise
where the money will come from other sources.
The extraordinary sales of high-grade instru-
ments to persons of means have encouraged them
to believe that this class of business will con-
t nue through the year, and will make up for the
loss of a great volume of business that will be
lost because of agricultural conditions.
The J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. took ad-
vantage of the visit of John McCormack, who
sang at Convention Hall February 1, to feature
in connection with the announcement of that
fact the Steinway and the Miessner pianos in
their newspaper advertising. The advertisement
stated that Mr. McCormack "always prefers and
uses in his concert work the supreme Steinway;
but for his private car, where space is at a
premium, he has found great comfort and satis-
faction in the use of the 'wonderful' little
Miessner piano." A letter of congratulation to
the manufacturers from Mr. McCormack is added.
The Kimball Co. is displaying in its show
window one of its ivory finished pianos, and it
is attracting a great deal of attention. Other
instruments in the same finish are displayed in
the salesroom, and are being favorably com-
mented upon, although the sale is limited. The
Kimball Co. is continuing its advertising series
which was run before the holidays, the dis-
tinguishing features being the sales argu-
ments for music, with the arguments for the
Kimball instruments as a secondary feature. The
advertisements are smaller than the spreads run
in starting the series, but are made quite attrac-
tive with artistic cuts.
The new Kimball reproducing piano has just
been received at the Kansas City branch, and
the force is very enthusiastic about it and is
predicting that it will be a winner. The sales on
the Phraseonome player-piano have continued
good through January, following up a record sale
in December.
The Wunderlich Co.'s annual January clear-
ance sale has not been as successful as usual,
the sales of medium-priced goods having been
light with this firm since October. On the other
hand, there has been an unusually good business
in higher grade instruments, and the January busi-
ness has included a very satisfactory trade in
such pianos. Among the instruments that have
The Lauter-Humana
A player-piano designed
to meet the needs of the
discriminating buyer.
Is Your Territory Open?
LAUTER-HUMANA CO.
NEWARK, N. J.
led in their sales have been Chickerings, Mason
K: Hamlin grands, and Ampicos.
The J. \V. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. had a vacant
storeroom on Walnut street, between 11th and
12th, which, while leased, would not be occupied
until February 1. Into this the company placed
a stock of musical instruments, and did a very
good business in December and January. The
storeroom was well located, and the~window dis-
play did much to stimulate trade.
The Starr Piano Co. had a business in January
which was far beyond the anticipations of its
managers. Grands and player-pianos have con-
tinued to lead in sales, and in some lines the
sales department is ahead of the factories. There
has been an unusually large sale on Gennett
records, and this has surpassed the expectations
aroused by the good Christmas business in ma-
chines. The Starr Co. has been doing some very
effective advertising during the past few months,
and is reaping the reward now.
C. V. Bissell, district manager, has just re-
turned from a trip through Oklahoma, and re-
ports that stocks are low, and that dealers are
buying only the merchandise necessary to keep
going. The prospects are that the orders will
not increase until after there is another crop
harvested, which will bring the money to pay
for new instruments.
In the J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co.'s store
there has been a fairly good month in January.
In some departments it has been unusually good.
The wholesale sheet music man reports a heavy
month, with a very much better class of music
^eing bought than a year ago. Things look
mighty good to him. The music rolls also were
in large demand in January, due to the good
trade in December in player-pianos, and partly
to the increasing interest in this class of music,
it is thought. Piano sales have not been heavy,
but the month showed a satisfactory total, every-
thing considered. S. E. Beaty is not expecting
any great amount of business until the farmers
get another crop. Mr. Johnson, of the collections
department, reports that collections, while slow,
are good, and that there is a very much improved
feeling all along the line.
A sadder and a wiser traveling man came into
Kansas City last week from out in Kansas. He
had recently come from the East and was all
"fed up" on the talk of the sales manager to the
general effect that there was plenty of business,
and all that was required to get it as in the past
was for the right man to go after it in the right
way. He was telling his story to one of the
Kansas dealers, who heard him through, and
then said that he ought to know better than to
believe it. Then the dealer pointed out to the
traveling man that, where a year ago it took $700
to buy a certain piano and 700 bushels of corn
would produce that amount now, the farmer
would have to haul into town 3,500 bushels of
corn to pay for the same instrument.
S. M. Henley, of the Henley Music Co , is
continuing to gain in health, and is at his store
supervising affairs there. He has received a
number of calls from his friends in the music
trade lately. During the past week these visitors
included Charles Houston, of the A. B. Chase
Piano Co., and J. C. Maunder, of the Sonora
Phonograph Co. Miss Bonnie Fay Flint, who
has been with the Edison Co., is now secretary to
Mr. Henley.
BOARDMAN & GRAY BUILDING SOLD
ALBANY, N. Y., February 6.—The building which
now houses the firm of Boardman & Gray,
piano manufacturers, at Broadway and Stcu-
beii street, has been sold by the present owner,
R. B. Sanford, to a tobacco company, and it
is understood that when the piano company's
lease expires a year from next May it will have
to seek new quarters.
Victrola No. 120, $275
Victrola No. 120, electric, $337.50
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor
Supremacy
The supreme qualities
that make the Victrola
the certain choice of a
discriminating public are
equally important factors
in the success of dealers
in Victor products.
"Victrola" is the Registered Trade
mark of the Victor Talking Machine
Company designating the product! of
this Company only.
Warning: The use of the word
Victrola upon or in the promotion or
sale of any other Tajking Machine or
Phonograph products is misleading and
illegal.
Important Notice. Victor Records
and Victor Machines are scientifically
co-ordinated and synchronized in the
processes of manufacture, and should be
used together to secure a perfect re-
production.
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., u. s. A.