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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
How Two Live Merchants Are Attracting
Public Attention to Their Products
W. B. Stoddard Tells How Manager of "Talker" Department of Burgess-Nash Co. Uses Mails to
Re-create Interest in Better Music—Sasso Store Has 'Em Guessing in Clever Window Display
TJ L. OBERT, manager of the phonograph
1 -I • department of the Burgess-Nash Co.,
Omaha, Neb., feeling that the public was begin-
ning to lose interest in the phonographs because
so much jazz music was heard, and of which
pieces they tired after hearing them a few times,
determined recently to arouse interest in better
music. With this end in view he got out the
following letter which was sent to all customers
of the department:
Dear Mr. Blank: This is a personal letter from the
writer to you. Its purpose is to convey a message and
to extend a personal invitation. Each month, as you
know, a list of records is issued, which comprises the
really beautiful music, sung and played by the world's
greatest artists.
Statistics, however, show that less than 10 per cent
of those who purchase phonograph records ever hear more
than six records, of which five are dance numbers and
popular songs. This means that approximately 90 per cent
of the people never hear the world's most wonderful music.
And this leads to the purpose of this letter, mentioned in
the first paragraph.
We who comprise the personnel of this department of
the Burgess-Nash store—Miss Ferrin, Mr. Capron and the
writer—extend to you a personal invitation to visit us and
hear that portion of the list of new records which repre-
sents really worth-while music.
Do not come as a customer, but rather as an acquaint-
ance. Ask for any one of us, mention that you received
this letter, introduce yourself and feel as you do when
visiting at the home of a friend.
Above all, feel absolutely free from any obligations to
buy. We want you to hear this wonderful music every
month.
We have the most beautiful phonograph shop in Omaha.
The booths are spacious, cool and equipped for your com-
fort and enjoyment. You are away from the hustle and
bustle of the street—away from the heat, noise and con-
gestion associated with the average phonograph shop.
May we not anticipate your acceptance of this invitation,
and look forward to adding your name to the list of those
who now enjoy this treat regularly?
This letter had immediate and far-reaching
results. "An average of ten new customers a
day was added to our list," said Mr. Obert,
"many who received the letter bringing friends
who had not, and our best music was given wide
publicity and greatly increased selling prop-
erties."
Name the Record This Represents
The Sasso Department Store, Hazleton, Pa.,
during the so-called dull season, boosted its
phonograph record sales by a clever rebus that
appeared in one of its windows. Here were
objects representing a score or more of new
and standard selections. In the midst was set
a phonograph cabinet with a record upon the
turntable and six records were offered to the
person who told the name of the selection. "It
is not a popular, or a patriotic selection, but one
that is nevertheless used every day." Of the
6,000 who offered their opinion, not one was
correct—the selection being a requiem such as
is sung in the Catholic churches every day.
No prize was offered for the solution of the
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rebus in the window, yet people flocked to the
display and many spent an hour or more trying
to puzzle out the meanings. "It is the same
idea as the illustrated rebus in a newspaper,"
explained Rudolph Collonna, advertising man-
ager, "it looks so easy, and is so tantalizingly
difficult that people don't like to own they can't
decipher it. It was a splendid advertising stunt,
too, as it acquainted people with many of our
records, and got them to thinking about our
store in connection with machines and records."
Among the objects were a bunch of cotton
("Cotton Pickers"); an alarm clock set at three
(Three o'Clock in the Morning); a stuffed dove
("La Paloma"); a heart pieced together
("Broken-hearted)"; a dish of applesauce
("Applesauce"); cup and saucer ("Porcelain
Maid"); several numbers ("1-2-3-4"); a blue-
bird on black ground ("Bluebird); teddy bear
in blue overalls ("Teddy Bear Blues"); a Japa-
nese doll ("Madam Butterfly"); silver stars on
black ground ("Stars in Velvety Sky"); a score
of wooden soldiers ("Parade of the Wooden
Soldiers"), and a shaving outfit ("Barber of
Seville.") Any enterprising dealer in phono-
graph supplies could think up a score equally
or more clever. The main thing is to have
some of the objects so simple that anyone can
guess them, and others so subtle that only the
clever can puzzle them out, as in the case of
the printed rebus. The entire collection should
not be too easy, as the person who stands long-
est in front of the display is, as a rule, the one
who remembers it best and talks about it most.
New Lumber Terminal
Planned for New York
Proposed Plan Would Reduce Handling of
Lumber Shipments Considerably and Make
Economies Possible
A scheme, now under study by railroad and
lumber interests, which directly concerns the
supply of lumber to piano and phonograph man-
ufacturers in the New York district, is the pro-
posed lumber terminal to be located in either
Newark, N. J., or on Long Island. The idea is
to reduce the handling of lumber by three or
four agencies to one or two. By means of a
central main lumber yard, accessible to all rail
roads of the New York section, lumber con-
signments could be delivered to the consumer in
one haul. Under the general practice at present,
coast to coast lumber cargoes come all the way
from the Pacific, Vancouver and other points
and arc delivered to docks in South Brooklyn,
where they are transferred to lighters, then de-
livered to the railroads, and the railroads then
deliver them to the consignees.
One of the present suggestions is that cargoes
should be delivered to the railroad to which the
bulk of the cargo is to be delivered and the
railroad should give lighterage accommodation
on the other side of the vessel loading to the
dock. Under this plan the necessity of loading
would be saved, besides the necessity of going
through two or three handlings, if a special port
for lumber hauling were located somewhere in
the harbor where all railroads could come and
be able to transfer whatever portion of the cargo
is theirs.
It is suggested that money could be saved
in handling lumber cargoes if they could be
discharged at the pier of the trunk line railroad
to which the larger portion of the cargo is to
go, provided that facilities should be given at
each such pier for lighters to receive the por-
tions of the cargo intended for other railroads.
This is suggested instead of sending the ship to
AUGUST 9, 1924
some neutral point from which the entire cargo
is to be lightered to the various railroads. The
suggestion was made by representatives of the
railroads at a conference held under the auspices
of the New York Board of Trade and Trans-
portation's committee on terminal facilities, and
it is finding favor among those chiefly interested,
it was said recently.
The proposition now being considered by the
railroads is to be definitely reported on by them
in the early Fall.
Chamber Gets Action
From Revenue Department
Treasury Department Instructs Revenue Col-
lectors Regarding Exemption of Musical
Instruments From Jewelry Tax
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
recently called the attention of the Commis-
sioner of Internal Revenue to the fact that col-
lectors in different parts of the country were
attempting to apply the "jewelry tax" to musical
instruments, in spite of the express exemption
secured by the Chamber for such instruments
in the Internal Revenue Act of 1924. In reply,
the following letter has just been received from
the Treasury Department:
"Reference is made to your letter under date
of July 22, with respect to the apparent mis-
understanding of local deputy collectors con-
cerning the exemption of musical instruments
and of the provisions of section 604 of the
Revenue Act of 1924.
"This office appreciates your co-operation in
this matter, and you are advised that proper
steps will be taken to see that all collectors
of internal revenue are furnished with correct
information with respect to the exemption pro-
visions of the Revenue Act of 1924 in the case
of musical instruments."
If further demand is made by revenue col-
lectors for the payment of the "jewelry tax" on
musical instruments by members of the indus-
try, they are requested to communicate with
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
45 West Forty-fifth street, New York City.
Improving Store
EAST LIVERPOOL, O., August 4.—Extensive im-
provements are in progress at the store of
the Smith & Phillips Music Co., Washington
street, this city. The Smith & Phillips con-
cern, one of the oldest music houses in the
LTpper Ohio Valley, in addition to installing a
modern front, is also altering the store interior
to make more room for the talking machine
and sheet music sections of the big store. It is
expected to complete the improvements not
later than September 1.
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