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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
UTILIZING THE USED PIANO DEPRECIATION SCHEDULE
Henry Dreher Points Out How the Dealer Can Use It to Keep His Allowances on Trade-in
Pianos on Reasonable Basis—Many Bands Visit Cleveland With the Grotto
CLEVELAND, O., June 18.—What may mark the
beginning of a move in this section by piano
merchants toward reduction, if not elimination,
of the trade-in evil is offered by Henry Dreher,
head of the Dreher Piano Co., in information he
gathered on this subject at the recent national
convention in Chicago. Mr. Dreher offered his
viewpoint on this much-mooted subject at the
June meeting of the Cleveland Music Trade As-
sociation this week.
The outstanding feature of the convention, in
the opinion of Mr. Dreher, was the schedule on
used pianos, compiled by C. Alfred Wagner,
general manager of the American Piano Co.,
wherein the merchants, by following this
thought, may make money, or at least not lose
it, when considering the trade-in instrument in
a new piano sale. It is Mr. Dreher's belief that,
if the merchants will adopt such a principle,
they may not necessarily adhere to the schedule
itself, but can use it as a talking point to keep
their allowances down and their profits up. Mr.
Dreher cited his experience in trading in an
old car that cost him $6,000 and for which the
schedule of the automobile dealers allowed him
a few hundred dollars. He asserted he pro-
tested against this, but the dealer was obdurate,
though the latter finally increased the allowance
about $50.
In dealing with this problem Mr. Dreher cited
the experience of his own house for the benefit
of the members. He told of a recent sale in
which a score or more old pianos were disposed
of in one day for an average price of $50 each.
This, he pointed out, may have seemed too small
a price to get, but, on the other hand, there are
too many old pianos and, therefore, getting rid
of them quickly at a low figure is making and
saving money, rather than losing it, in his opin-
ion. In this connection Mr. Dreher asserted
that his firm, hereafter, will not allow more
than $50 on any old upright piano, as it is his
belief that the present upright will, five years
hence, be in the same relation to the grand that
the square was to the upright a quarter of a
century ago.
Praise for the trade press in covering the con-
vention so thoroughly was offered by Mr.
Dreher in commenting on the convention itself.
He urged all who did not attend the convention
to read the stories of the convention and the
speeches made by experts on the subjects the
latter discussed at the meetings. Although he
has spent nearly half a century in the piano
business Mr. Dreher admitted that he learned a
great deal about the business, the care of pi-
anos and what others are doing to make for
more and better business for those in it.
Preparing for the Ohio Convention
Enthusiasm for the State convention of the
Music Merchants' Association of. Ohio was in-
dicated at this meeting of the local organiza-
tion in the preparation now being made by
President A. B. Smith, Akron, and Secretary
Rexford C. Hyre, Cleveland. The big State af-
fair will hold forth at Hotel Gibson, Cincinnati,
September 11-12. The innovation introduced at
Toledo last year will be followed this year in a
broader sense. Short speeches by authorities
on the subjects will be made and the greater
part of the time will be given to members them-
selves who may wish to discuss angles brought
out by the speakers.
Tentative program will call for these subjects:
Modern piano selling, trade-ins, dealers selling
paper or not selling it, radio and its relation to
the music business, collections, repossessions,
interest on talking machines, legal side of the
music business and similar pertinent issues.
One of the features of the State convention
will be the presence of the Fostoria Boys' Band,
which won over twenty-six other bands at the
recent national convention contest. A fund cam-
paign is being started by Secretary Hyre to de-
fray the expenses of taking the band to Cincin-
nati.
Veiled Prophets Bring Many Bands
One of the biggest things for music locally
that has yet developed was the presence in
Cleveland this week of more than fifty bands
of the Grotto, a Masonic body, which accom-
panied something like 60,000 visitors to the con-
vention of the Prophets. Business for three
days had little chance while every one of these
bands played in parades and serenades. There
were three events in which the bands took part
—a massed band concert at Public Hall, with
1,200 pieces playing under the direction of
Fred A. Dixon, leader of Al Sirat, the local
Grotto; a radio concert, which was broadcasted
as far as California, and a contest for the in-
dividual bands, in which eighteen took part.
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This last event was for prizes of gold and
silver musical instruments given by the C. G.
Conn, Ltd., the Euclid Music Co. and the H.
N. White Co. Judges in this contest were
Bohimur Kryl and Captain E. Santleman, na-
tionally known bandmasters, and Russel Mor-
gan, supervisor of music in the Cleveland,
schools. Cities that won in the first division,
which was for bands more than a year old, were
Pittsburgh, Zanesville, Syracuse and Chicago.
Prizes in the second division, for bands less
than a year old, went to Canton, Detroit and
Dubuque. The first division played the Grand
Festival Overture and the second the "Three
Guardsmen." The prizes went to the leaders
of the winning bands, to do with as they choose.
One of the novelties was the serenading of
the Conn-Cleveland Co. by practically every
band in town, which also paid its respects to
R. R. Story, district manager, following a cus-
tom of long standing. The contest itself was
arranged by E. W. Forster, for Al Sirat Grotto.
Close to 5,000 persons attended the contest in
Public Hall.
To Give Organs to Institutions
Two unusual efforts to bring music before
the people in a conservative way have been
used lately by the Dreher Piano Co. First of
the new Estey organs for chapel use, an instru-
ment with a heavy combination of stops that
makes for pipe organ effect, arrived this week.
A well-known Cleveland philanthropist was
made interested in the instrument and immedi-
ately purchased one to give to the Rosemary
Home for Crippled Children. Other public-
spirited citizens have indicated a desire to do
the same for other institutions, according to
Robert Jones, publicity director, of the Dreher
firm.
Thomas J. Dunnigan, of the Dreher Co., has
achieved no little prominence for himself and
his firm in his work in connection with the con-
secration of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, an
unusual event in church circles. Mr. Dunnigan
was in charge of the musical program, since he
is organist and choirmaster for the church.
Catholic dignitaries from distant points attend-
ed the affair. More than 100 singers took part
in the musical program, which required weeks
of preparation. Mr. Dunnigan was compliment-
ed for his work by both church officials and
members of the congregation and this work is
expected to reflect in added business for the
house of Dreher later.
Condemns Incompetent Repair Men
In connection with the coming State conven-
tion of the Music Merchants' Association of
Ohio the matter of questionable practices among
a certain class of piano tuners may come up,
if indeed it is not acted upon before that time.
William V. Crowe, treasurer of the State Asso-
ciation and prominent Columbus dealer, cites in
emphatic terms the practices of near-tuners and
repair men, who, it is alleged, ruin instruments
and indirectly help to ruin business for the mer-
chants. Persons who have been victimized by
this class, in the opinion of Mr. Crowe, have
spread the thought among new prospects that
to own a piano or player instrument is a most
costly undertaking and that, when the latter
hear of the excessive charges that repairs and
tuning cost they hesitate to buy for themselves.
Steps toward the elimination of the unscrupu-
lous and the assistance of the legitimate tuner
and repair man are urged by Mr. Crowe.
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ANN ARBOR, MICH., June 20.—The music estab-
lishment known to University of Michigan stu-
dents as Mrs. Root's Music Store, at Maynard
and William streets, has just been purchased by
William Wade Hinshaw, of New York City,
who has attained fame as an opera director.
The store will in the future be called the Uni-
versity Music House and will be managed by
Hinshaw's son, Thomas, who was graduated
last year from the University. Mrs. M. M. Root,
who is retiring from the business, started the
store at the above address nine years ago.