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FEBRUAKV 7,
1925
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
How T. J. Edwards, of the Capitol Co.,
Seattle, Wash., Advertises Sheet Music
Shop Talk, a Regular Publication of This Dealer, One of the Real Advertising Methods That
Bring Trade—A Discussion of the Price Situation From This Publication
' T H E retail music business is not a hobby.
It is a serious activity. To achieve success
the retailer must be constantly upon the job.
To make his place an important institution
in his community requires thought, energy and
probably, most of all, patience. It is not a
business where sales can be speeded up as is
possible with other lines of merchandise. Gains
can be made but these are recorded after due
preparation and thorough business tactics. For
these reasons the dealer who does not guard
against it will find a note of pessimism falling
into his every move, with the result that the
energy that might be diverted to healthy chan-
nels is lost. Then the wasted effort and the
mental strain act as definite obstacles which are
reflected in the business and in the establish-
ment itself, leaving an atmosphere that without
much scanning and scrutinizing can be dis-
cerned in not a few establishments throughout
the country.
To have then in this trade men of position,
of unusual business intelligence and men who
are constantly ringing a clear and distinct note
of optimism should be appreciated and in the
territory where such a figure appears his lead-
ership is a healthy factor.
Such a broad-gauged business man is T. J.
Edwards, of the Capitol Music Co., Arcade
Building, Seattle, Wash., who operates a most
successful wholesale sheet music business on
the Pacific Coast. Occasionally he gets out a
bulletin in which a column is devoted to Shop
Talk and therein is often found a message that
is to be commended by every one in the trade
and which undoubtedly is a source of inspira-
tion, encouragement and constructive ideas. Re-
cently in Shop Talk, on reviewing the price
changes in the popular field, he said:
"The price of sheet music has been tending
upward all during 1924, and on the first of
the new year more price advances have been
made, some of them quite drastic. The job-
ber can do nothing but pass the advanced
prices on to the dealer, and if the new prices
are not reflected in the retail selling prices
the dealers are poorer business men and women
than we think they are.
"Heretofore, in Seattle, the dealers have
charged 40 cents per copy for sheet music which
we list at 23 cents, and so on upward. The cost
of doing business in this part of the country
is such that the dealer requires a margin of
40 per cent of the selling price in order to have
a reasonable net profit left. And we do not
believe that any of us should worry about the
retail price being too high, for the national pub-
lishers are in a position to know more about the
situation than any of us, and if they feel cer-
tain that the public will stand for the advance
—you should worry. In any event, there is 110
reason why you should do business on less than
a normal margin.
" 'Three o'Clock in the Morning,' 'Song of
Love,' 'What'll I Do,' 'All Alone' and many
other 40-cent numbers have sold better than
most of the 35-cent music, so it is not unreason-
able to give the publishers credit for know-
ing what they are doing.
"We all think of our own problems first,
but it is well to remember that the life of
a music publisher is not all milk and honey.
The record royalties, upon which most pub-
lishers mainly relied for their net profits, are
probably not over half of what they used to be.
Furthermore, the record companies have vio-
lated every dictate of good business by mak-
ing releases of new records every other min-
ute. This at a time when the volume of sales is
smaller than heretofore, which, according to all
the rules of good merchandising, should have
resulted in fewer releases.
"In addition to that, the record companies
have not co-operated with the publishers to
any marked degree during the past year. Many
releases have been made of numbers not then
published, some of which never have been pub-
lished. We believe this has resulted in a les-
sened sale of both records and sheet music.
Sales of the two naturally go hand in hand.
It is to be hoped that the past year has taught
its lesson, and that the new year will see
better co-operation between the national pub-
lishers and the recording companies.
"With expenses greater than ever, sales
smaller, and mechanical royalties cut in two, the
publishers felt absolutely compelled to raise
their prices.
"An industry cannot prosper unless every por-
tion of it has at least a fighting chance of mak-
ing a reasonable profit. We sincerely hope that
the new year will be a prosperous one for all."
New Songs in the
Enoch & Sons Catalog
Among the new issues of Enoch & Sons are
"All in a Lily-White Gown," taken from the
song cycle for four voices "The Philosopher
and the Lady," and "When You Come to Me,"
taken from the album, "Songs of a Gypsy Trail,"
the words of which are by Helen Taylor and
Music by Easthope Martin. Gordon Johnstone
has contributed the lyrics and H. O. Osgood
the music for "The Bells of San' Clair." "The
47
Lord Is My Rock," taken from Psalm 18 is by
Alfred Wooler, "A Kentucky Melody," words by
Fred G. Bowles and music by Robert Coverley;
"If I Such Wondrous Music Knew," lyrics by
John H. Richardson and music by Manlio Di-
Veroli, and "Journey's End," poem by John Hall
Wheelock and music by Sydney King Russell,
are also included.
Quigley & Benson, Inc., to
Publish Music in Chicago
Members of New Concern in Garrick Theatre
Building—Already Well Known in the Trade
—Purchase Several Popular Numbers
CHICAGO, III., January 24.—The latest addition
to the sheet music trade of this city is the in-
corporation of Quigley & Benson, Inc., music
publishers, who opened executive and profes-
sional offices the first of this month on the
fourth floor of the Garrick Theatre Building.
Thomas J. Quigley is president and general
manager of the new company, and Edgar A.
Benson, vice-president. Both of these gentle-
men are well known through their long and im-
portant connections with the trade. Mr. Quig-
ley was for twelve years manager of the Chi-
cago office of M. Witmark & Sons, and is one
of the best-posted men in the sheet music trade,
while Mr. Benson, who has been head of Benson,
Inc., furnishers of music and entertainment for
a number of years, holds the same position with
the professional trade. The Benson organiza-
tion controls such orchestras as Isham Jones,
Don Bestor, Jack Chapman, Ralph Williams'
Rainbo Gardens Orchestra, Charlie Straight's
Rendezvous Orchestra, Henry Sclinger, Drake
Hotel Orchestra, Irving Margraff Blackstone
Hotel Orchestra, Fred Hamm's Terrace Garden
Orchestra and many other prominent orches-
tras in and around Chicago.
In this connection Quigley & Benson will be
enabled to give the very best service and full
co-operation to the trade. The company has
already published a number of popular selec-
tions which are being featured by these orches-
tras, as well as others, including "Flag That
Train," "You Know I Know," "Broken
Dreams," "Bobbed Head," "In a Wonderful
World of Our Own," "Forget Me Not."
These numbers are being extensively pro-
moted through the sales department under the
direction of Billy Thompson, safes manager,
and also Ralph Foote, manager of the band and
orchestra department.
Sings "Waiting for You"
CHICAGO, IIX., February 2.—Dorothy Jardon, the
concert star now appearing in vaudeville, is
singing the Will Rossiter hit "Waiting for You."
This waltz song, she said, was selected as one
of the features of her program on account of
"its beautiful rhythm and wonderful melody."