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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JUNE 2, 1923
9
HIGH GRADES PREDOMINATE IN TOLEDO TRADE'S SALES
Shaw and Child With Duo-Art Score Success in Concert Under Grinnell Auspices—Frazelle to
Handle the Kranich & Bach Piano—Cash Payments Running, to Good Percentages in Sales
TOLEDO, O., May 28.—Icy winds from the North
Lake regions are retarding warm weather, but,
in spite of this, music merchants are closing
many fine contracts. Recently Player Week
and Better Homes Week were observed with
fitting store and window decorations and with
newspaper publicity setting forth the purpose
of the special observations. Both contributed
prospects and sales, thus in a substantial man-
ner justifying the efforts.
Further, the early part of the month saw a
good number of Steinways, Knabes, Mason &
Hamlins, Kranich & Bachs, Starrs, and other
fine pianos installed in beautiful homes, and this
showing speaks volumes for the buying power
of patrons. It indicates that dividends are being
received again by stockholders and that profits
are growing. Moreover, the industrial worker,
too, is buying many instruments this Spring.
He is fully employed and, therefore, the excuse
that the family is unable to buy is seldom given
to the salesman.
Further, the Spring building boom will prob-
ably reach the sum of ten or fifteen millions.
The school board plans to spend five million,
the new Hotel Wallick will cost three million
and the Edward Ford Plate Glass Co. enlarge-
ment plans will cost two million. Music dealers
will certainly share in the benefits to workers
coming from these several activities.
Farmers, too, are again taking heart and are
visiting the music stores for merchandise. They
are confident of a profitable year and are going
ahead in a manner which shows much optimism.
The Whitney-Blaine-Wildermuth Co. has
conducted a Spring clearance sale of used pi-
anos and old instruments for the past two
weeks. The sale was a pronounced success and
every sale piano on the floor was sold. The
advertising employed in this drive was of the
heavy black-face type class and was directed
mainly at the man who regards buying a piano
as an event in his life and usually keeps an in-
strument for many years.
The J. W. Greene Co. is now the Ampico
agent for Toledo. In the new store, which
is rapidly approaching a state of completion,
rooms for the exhibition and demonstration of
the Ampico have been especially designed. In
the fine concert hall, which is a new feature of
the store, provisions are made to take care of
musical events and reproducing concerts. The
hall has a seating capacity of 500. Patrons of
the house, teachers and artists will be privileged
to use the hall on occasion. Mason & Hamlin,
Chickcring, Ludwig, Vose and Johnson instru-
N instrument in which quality
is never sacrificed in any de-
'tail to meet low price compe-
tition, and yet well within the
bounds of fair value, is the Florey
small grand piano.
A
The workmanship and finish, the
tone quality and range of expres-
sion are surprises in store for
those who have never seen nor
tried the instrument.
Jflorep
, N. if.
ments will, likewise, have special rooms for dis-
play. Preston P. Brown, sales manager, re-
ports business as usual, although the handicap
of remodeling has made greater efforts neces-
sary.
At Grinnell Bros, the Duo-Art reproducing
concert held at Scott-Hi Auditorium drew a
large enthusiastic audience. Miss Eleanor Shaw
and Mr. Child .made a wonderful impression
with the Duo-Art in a Steinway. Large news-
paper display ads appeared following the con-
cert and coupled the event with the store and
the instrument. It is believed the good-will
created will result in much benefit for the house
and the Duo-Art.
Frank H. Frazelle, Adams street upstairs pi-
ano dealer, has been appointed exclusive repre-
sentative in Toledo for the Kranich & Bach
line of pianos and players. He will feature the
instruments in an early advertising drive to ac-
quaint patrons with the change in local repre-
sentation. The Janssen, Kurtzmann, Hardman,
Apollo and Schiller are other well-known makes
featured here. An illustrated piano booklet, en-
titled "Soul Music" and dealing with the hopes
and ambitions as well as the desire for owner-
ship of the music-loving person, is a worthy
addition to the literature going to prospects.
At the Goosman Piano Co. records indicate
that about twelve out of every fifteen pianos
sold are players. A goodly number of grands,
too, are demanded. The original upright type
is scarcely holding its own; in fact, customers
are looking for more value for their money and,
therefore, are turning their attention to the
player.
The Cable Piano Co., according to A. F. Maag,
is securing an unusually large number of volun-
tary large cash payments on instruments and
full cash deals are not rare. Collections, too,
are satisfactory. Seldom have old accounts
shown a healthier financial state among the
working class.
DU0=ART IN BROOKLYN CONCERT
Reproducing Piano Takes Leading Part in Con-
cert for Benefit of Samaritan Hospital
The Duo-Art piano was featured as part of
the popular program held in the Brooklyn
Academy of Music a few nights ago for the
benefit of Samaritan Hospital, Brooklyn. Many
well-known artists took part in the concert, in-
cluding Julian Eltinge, female impersonator;
Dolly Connolly and Percy Wenrich, composer
of "Moonlight Bay" and a score of other hits.
Selections by a 100-piece band, from Headquar-
ters of U. S. A. C. C, were rendered between
the vocal numbers. Special interest was cen-
tered on the performance of Robert Armbrus-
ter, an Aeolian Co. artist, with the Duo-Art
piano in a Sternberg concert waltz, which was
played part of the time by the artist and partly
by the instrument alone through the use of a
special roll. The reproducing piano held the
stage again during the rendering of the "Valse
Bluette," Drigo, by Madaleine MacGuigan, vio-
linist, this time serving as the accompanying
instrument, which was equally well received by
the audience. The use of the Duo-Art piano
was arranged through the courtesy of C. J. Da-
vis, manager of the Brooklyn branch of the
Aeolian Co.
CABLE COMPANY IN WOODSTOCK, ILL.
May 30.—A retail piano sales-
room has been opened in the former Adams
Motor Co. Building on Benton street, by the
Cable Piano Company, of Elgin, 111. The store
is being managed by H. R. Biederman, of Elgin.
A large stock of pianos and Victrolas has al-
ready been installed, and business is already
in progress.
WOODSTOCK, III.,
Victrola No. 105
$180
':•
M
Mahogany or walnut^., S3
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor supremacy
is the supremacy
of performance
The satisfaction, pres-
tige, and profit which
are part of the business
of every dealer in Victor
products, reflect it.
'HIS MASTER'S VOICE"
Victrola
REG. U.S. PAT OFF
Look under the lid and on the labels
for these Victor trade -marks
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden,N.J.
k