Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FEBRUARY 16,
1924
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
Milwaukee Music Merchants Find the
Present Conditions Better Than Expected
Despite Blizzard Conditions, Musical Instrument Sales Are Being Maintained at Fair Standard
—Milwaukee Journal Pays Tribute to the Piano in the Home
A/f ILWAUKEE, WIS., February 13.—Mil-
waukc'e and vicinity lias been buried under
an avalanche of snow for a full week and, need-
less to say, retail trade in all branches has
suffered much inconvenience. The blizzard
early last week was the worst in twenty years,
and to show its intensity it is necessary only
to say that twenty inches of snow fell in less
than twelve hours. Despite these unfavorable
conditions, music merchants say they are doing
a very fair business for this time of the year.
There is nothing particularly notable about
sales, although here and there a house reports
the sale of a high-grade reproducing grand to
a prominent family. As a rule, these sales
should have been credited to 1923, as they were
closed during the holiday season, but deliveries
could not be made owing to the sold-up condi-
tion of the factories and the depletion of deal-
ers' stocks of this class of instrument.
There is a moderate demand for low-priced
player-pianos at present. It reflects the favor-
able situation of the average wage-earner. Em-
ployment conditions are good and wages are
relatively high, or at least remain at the peak
reached in the slow advancement of the average
during the past year.
Business conditions in general, now that Jan-
uary has passed and the middle of February is
at hand, prove themselves to be considerably
better than had been expected. The predictions
made in some quarters that 1924 probably would
be a year of "grief" for retail merchants have
not been fulfilled. Retail business generally is
reaching new high levels, and while it is some-
what early for the music trade to experience
the favorable effect of the well-sustained buying
power, reports are that since January 1 the
sales volume of most music shops is at least
as good and generally at an advance over the
corresponding period of 1923.
The local trade, and the public in general,
has been very much interested in an article pub-
lished in the Milwaukee Journal on Friday, Feb-
ruary 8, by A. D. Welton, the noted economist
of Chicago. He comments as follows:
"A large piano factory is six months behind
its orders. As a matter of fact, the piano is a
necessity. No home is so modest that a piano
is out of place in it; no one so humble that a
piano cannot be brought within his means.
"If the subject was considered fifty years
ago there were, doubtless, economists who fore-
told with certainty the market saturation point
for pianos. Nevertheless, the production of
pianos has been increasing ever since. They
have been marketed with skill and ingenuity.
They have been advertised with confident per-
sistence. Their making and selling enlists the
attention of thousands of workmen and sales-
men and employs millions of capital.
"But after all the years here is a factory that
produced $10,000,000 in pianos last year and is
now six months behind its orders. A piano
costs as much as an automobile. It will last
much longer. It is desired by the poor as well
as the rich. It is sold on all kinds of partial
payment plans. The demand has been stimu-
lated by all kinds of methods, but it is still
unsatisfied.
"The parallel may not be accurate, but the
piano seems to offer opportunities for study in
market saturation that are in point. For the
piano it may be called 'old stuff.' No one is
now bold enough to say that soon there will be
no market for pianos."
Employment Conditions in Buffalo
React Favorably Upon the Music Trade
Employment Reaches Point Higher Than in Several Years With Buffalo Industries—Construc-
tion Begins on Addition to Wurlitzer Plant in North Tonawanda
DUFFALO, N. Y., February 12.—Business of
*-* the music industries continues good through-
out Buffalo and this section of the State, accord-
ing to many dealers and jobbers. The general
improvement in the employment situation, which
is better at present than it has been for several
years in Buffalo, is reacting very favorably on
the music trade and dealers are reaping a har-
vest of sales in higher-priced instruments.
E. H. Williams, manager of the Ampico divi-
sion of Goold Bros., Inc., reports business of
the past two months more than meeting their
expectations. Exhibitions of the Bransen DeCou
Dream Pictures, with the Ampico accompani-
ment, which were shown before more than
twenty-five groups of Buffalo's musically in-
clined people, were a huge success, Mr. Wil-
liams said. There have been many requests for
return engagements. Through this demonstra-
tion of the Ampico's facilities in expressing the
beautiful and artistic, many buyers were brought
to Goold Bros.' store and many inquiries have
been made, proving the interest the demonstra-
tions created here.
F. F. Barber, manager of the J. N. Adam
Co.'s music store, reports a greater demand
for higher-priced instruments.
"The better grade talking machine is in de-
mand just now and most of our sales have been
in higher-priced instruments, both in talking
machines and player-pianos. Earlier in the year
pianos and players were leading all other in-
struments in volume of sales, but the middle
of February shows talking machines in greater
demand," Mr. Barber said. He also said that
collections are satisfactory. "We do not have
so many cash sales," he said, "and I do not
notice that down payments are any larger, but
we have no difficulty in collecting the payments
according to contract."
F. C. Erdman, Victor representative in this
district, was a recent caller at the offices of
C. N. Andrews. Victor jobbers and dealers
throughout the country are still trying to get
the popular-priced models to replenish their
stock, depleted by the holiday trade, he reports.
He assured the local jobbers of new stock
within thirty days.
T. A. Goold is in Nassau, Bahama Islands,
for the Winter.
F. F. Barber, of the J. N. Adam Co., has re-
turned from his Winter buying trip in New
York.
J. H. Rannie, formerly of the Stieff house in
Philadelphia has joined the sales force of the
J. N. Adam Co.
Edward P. Erion and Frederick Erion, Sr.,
of Erion Piano Co., Inc., are spending their
vacation in Miami, Fla.
Edward H. Rogers, one of the most promi-
nent lumber men of the Tonawandas, well
known in the music trade for having furnished
lumber to many manufacturers in the East, died
at his home in Tonawanda on February 2. For
many years he was superintendent of the West-
ern division of the Erie Canal. He was sixty-
five years old.
Construction has started on the largo addition
to the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.'s plant in North
Tonawanda.
What would it mean to you
if you could say to the pros-
pective player p i a n o pur-
chasers of your community:
"Here is the
world's finest
player piano!"
There are in every town and
city many people who want
only the best music. These
people will not buy the
average player piano—but
they DO buy the Lauter-
Humana.
Hence, the dealer who has
the Lauter sales franchise
secures the most profitable
trade in his community be-
cause he has an exclusive
p r o d u c t that competitive
dealers cannot duplicate.
Inquiries are invited from dealers
who are interested in handling the
quality products of an organization
whose experience covers a period of
62 years.
LAUTER CO.
Piano Manufacturers
591 Broad St., Newark, N.J.