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VOL. LXXVII. No.1. PaMished Every Satarday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 383 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. July 7, 1923
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The Opportunity in Musical Merchandise
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NE of the most pronounced developments with the music merchant during the past two years has
been the establishment of the m.ttsical m. erchandise departme_nt in the retail piano store. Probably no
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section of the music industry has had such a rapid gro\vth ill-demand during this period; nor has the
work which has been done in developit''tg popular taste and appreciation for music had a more con
crete reflection than in ~its effe~tl1pon th~~ple's purchases of what are usually termed small goods.
Reports coming. fr
department, properly l11anag'ed, IS ·~e"' (i)J the mp st profi table parts of the general mUSIC store s bus1l1ess. It IS
a department which includes aH classificat~7is of peopl e within those to whom it is possible to sell; the price
range of its stock goes from the twenty-fr$e-centminiature harrhonica to the old violin, which runs in some
cases well into five figures. 'this unIversal appeal is one of the fundamentals that brings the merchant who
conducts thisdel)artment a.. stead.:.:. turnove r at an adequate profit.
It isa w)se dealer who f Jflows the~rend in popular taste and demand. To take advantage of a market
already created, and that .is what the dealer does who establishes a musical merchandise section in his store, is
the quickest way of developing a new outlet.< . When such conditions exist selling expense is always compara
tively low, general overhead is at a mini,n~,uni and net profits are correspondingly large. Confronted with this·
situation the piano merchant who does not sell musical merchandise to-day is missing an opportunity of great
value and failing to take advantage-:of·one:.which
may not come again in many years .
-'
Is the nillsical merchandise
department
a
difficult one to establish and develop? The experience of those
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piano dealers who have entered this field 'during the past few years sho\>\'s that the correct answer is an
emphatic ":N"o." In the first place, once a manager is secured who has a proper conception of the ramifica
tions of the business and who knows small goods stock and selling methods, the rest remains as comparatively
smooth sailing. This is so largely because of the fact that people have already been sold on instruments of
this type and that the response to the sales appeal is rapid and direct.
If a dealer will analyze the opportunities existing in his own territory, will consider the number of ama
teur . and professional bands and orchestras which are constantly being organized, will investigate the great
juvenile demand which ex.ists for all small musical instrument.s, and will consider the outlet which he finds
exists against the investment necessary to inaugurate the depa rtment, he will need no further facts to convince
himself of the feasibility of its establishment.
When it is considered that at the present time no large school or institution is completewithou't either
its band or orchestra, when practically every industrial plant of any size maintains some such organization,
when practically all civic organizations such as the Rotarians, Lions or Kiwanis, either maintain their own musi
cal organizations or else support the development of them, and when practically all fraternal bodies maintain
bands, a glimmering of the opportunities which exist may be had.
.
One of the best things about the entire demand at the present time for musical merchandise is that it
gives no indications of being a temporary one. Unquestionably, the country is sold on music and just as un
questionably every musical instrument is profiting in greater sales from this attitude on the part of the public.
The music dealer to participate fully in this condition should be prepared to supply every demand, for the sale
of one instrument leads to the sale of another and each department eventually proves a feeder for the other
departments he ·maintains. The more people he brings to his wa~erooms the greater the possible number of
' .c sales he can make, and there is no department which brings a greater number than musical merchandise.
.
If the-merchant does not sell musical merchandise he is missing one of the most valuable opportunities
for him to increase the profit balance on his ledger at the. end of the year, and one of the most direct as well
I' to make his store the musical center of his community.
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