Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
(Registered in the U. S. Patent Office)
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.
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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 Reportorial Staff
EDWARD VAN HARLINGEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, LEE ROBINSON, C. R- TIOHK,
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J. NICKLIN
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Vol. LXXV
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 11, 1922
No. 20
SOME PRESENT PROBLEMS
OME time ago it was predicted that piano merchants who had
not placed liberal advance orders with their manufacturers
S would
be faced with a serious shortage of instruments before the
holiday trade reached its peak, due to the inability of the factories
to build up their organizations and get on a capacity production
basis on short notice.
Recent developments have indicated that the advice offered to
the dealers to order generously and early was well founded, for
pianos in a number of established lines are mighty scarce right
now and steadily getting scarcer. On top of this comes the some-
what unexpected transportation tie-up which is serving to cause
much worry to merchants in all lines who are anxiously waiting
the delivery of goods ordered and already shipped.
In some sections of the country the delays in freight trans-
portation are as bad as those experienced during the period of the
war, and even those retailers who placed orders well in advance are
in the unpleasant predicament of having goods held in transit for
several weeks, while retail sales hang in the balance. Facing both
production and transportation problems the retailer who is looking
ahead a bit has something besides selling to worry about.
STANDARDIZATION IN THE TRADE
HE question of standardization in manufacturing practice is
T
constantly becoming more important in the eyes of various
business organizations and Governmental bureaus. In fact the
Federal Government has, through a special department, accom-
plished much to aid in the simplification of manufacturing proc-
esses in a number of industries through the establishment of
standards of form and style calculated to cut down the number of
different models, while at the same time answering all practical
purposes.
In the piano manufacturing trade individual manufacturers
have harkened to the call for standardization in many cases by
eliminating a number of styles and concentrating on those that
NOVEMBER 11,
1922
prove most popular and most easily salable. In this move alone
there has been accomplished in a number of factories a material
saving in production cost per instrument through the elimination
of the necessity of carrying a variety of special parts and of
shifting workers from one style to another at a considerable cost
in time.
The big problem in the piano industry just now is that of
standardizing supply parts, and although something has been ac-
complished along this line it is only a drop in the bucket compared
to what can be done if the matter is gone into earnestly and in-
telligently. Admitting that different scales require different sizes
of cases, different forms of plates and special adjustments of action,
it has been proven on more than one occasion that slight alterations
can be made that will insure the possibility of standardization of
parts without affecting the tone.
An organization of automotive engineers in the automobile in-
dustry has done some very effective work in the standardization
of parts and equipment in automobiles without interfering with the
distinctiveness of the various styles. The result of the work, how-
ever, is seen in the ability of automobile manufacturers to gain
enormous production on a thoroughly economic basis. Perhaps
the piano trade could learn something from the automobile industry
in this connection.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
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under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Player-Piano and
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
REVIEW
THE SMALL GRAND
ilE small grand piano, which has been such an important factor
of the trade for several years past, is again holding its own
this season and reports indicate that a most substantial proportion
of the pianos and players being sold just now or ordered for future
delivery are of the small grand type.
The development of the grand piano demand is interesting
from several angles, for not only has it served to revive interest in
the piano type of instrument, which some believe to have waned,
but has made possible the sale of grands to those who already own
uprights, thus opening up a new field of distribution.
It is not likely that the small grand, either in its present or in
a new form, will ever entirely replace the upright piano, for which
there will always be a more or less substantial field. But as a
welcome addition to the range of instruments that the piano mer-
chant can offer to his prospect it represents a business asset that
has proven itself most emphatically and will continue to prove
itself.
The activities of the manufacturers of small grand pianos dur-
ing the past few months, including the Summer season, offer some
indication of the position that has been won by that instrument.
T
PRACTICAL, PROFITABLE PHILANTHROPY
HE suggestion made to the music merchants of the country
T
by Matt'J. Kennedy, secretary of the National Association of
Music Merchants, that they get together in their respective cities
and follow the lead of the Piano Club of Chicago in planning and
carrying out a concert to provide a Christmas fund for the worthy
poor is well worthy of consideration, for it offers an excellent
means for putting the local music trade in a most favorable light
while carrying out a really charitable work.
Music has for centuries been closely associated with Christmas
festivities and a charity concert featuring music and held under
the auspices of members of the music trade themselves should
prove a powerful influence for good from both a commercial and
sentimental standpoint.
, The music merchants of Cleveland have already taken steps
to carry out the Christmas concert idea and reports indicate that
preliminary steps to the same end have been taken in other cities.
PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAY TRADE
is none too early—in fact, it is somewhat late—to begin to lay
I such T plans
for capturing a proper share of the holiday trade unless
plans can be put into almost instant operation. The coming
holiday season will undoubtedly be a very profitable one for those
piano dealers who have planned their selling campaigns thoroughly
and systematically, and advertising, window display, store decora-
tion and all of the rest of the factors entering into an aggressive
holiday selling campaign should by this time be carefully decided
upon and be in shape for early execution. Waiting until the last
minute is extremely hazardous—especially so this season.