Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 28,
1925
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
The Fight for the Instalment Dollar
in Selling the Player-Piano
Growth of This Method of Merchandising Has Effectually Killed the Sales Argument Based on Terms or
the Partial Payment Plan—Vogue of Instalment Selling in All Lines of Merchandise Means That
15 the Player-Piano Must Necessarily Be Sold for Exactly What It Will Give
I
T is always the part of wisdom to take stock direction. It is evident that the modern wage
or salary earner is in danger of having his
periodically of one's position, and to find
whole income always mortgaged in advance and
out, so far as may be possible, just where
himself constantly a slave to the contracts he
one's business stands in the great national
himself has made.
market. Commerce after all consists in compe-
tition, and if not in competition among the
Now, the question whether this tendency is
various makers of one article, then among the
good or bad, cannot be settled by any dogmatic
multitude of articles which arc offered for the
statement, and it is enough to point out that it
inspection and the approval of the buying pub- is one of those things which are good enough so
lic. It must be obvious that the buying public long as they are not overdone. That it can be
at the best can be no larger in numbers than
overdone is unquestionable and piano men may
the adult population of the country; and in
well ask whether the tendency to extend it
practice it is probably safe to say that the into what may be called not only the non-essen-
number of persons contained altogether in that tial but the trivial, is not altogether too strong.
definition does not exceed a number equal to On the other hand, when we confine ourselves
the number of families. However we may put
to the simplest facts and avoid all moralizing
it, the fact remains that the term "buying we are still compelled to confess that the posi-
public" is not indefinitely elastic, but does cor- tion of the piano as the prime and special
respond to a quantity large but limited.
instalment merchandise is forever gone, and
that henceforth piano merchandising must be
In precisely the same way we must consider
carried on with this fact in mind.
that the term "buying public" has to be classi-
fied under many divisions, according to pur-
The point is that to-day the purchase of a
chasing power. The income tax returns, for piano, or player-piano still more, has to be made
instance, give us a very fair idea of the dis- by the man or woman who already is buying,
tribution of income in the United States, and or certainly is being solicited to buy, a motor
more detailed studies have been made, as by the car or a fur coat, or a house and lot, or some
National Bureau for Economic Research in its bonds, or a gold watch, on similar terms. When
volumes entitled "Income in the United States." to this fact we add the other obvious fact that
Through sources of information like these it - is all this emphasis on the pure luxury and show
possible to attain to something like a fair idea of life, as evidenced by the incredibly wealthy
of the numbers of persons financially able to appearance of the street crowds in any city, not
purchase any given commodity, from fancy
to mention the temptation to spend all spare
groceries to strings of real pearls, and from time out of doors in a showy looking car, bears
fishing poles to steam yachts.
hard against the sales of an expensive musical
instrument, we have to admit that our merchan-
] imits of Statistical Guides
Of course, exact calculation should never be dising problem has become decidedly compli-
cated.
attempted from any basis of statistics regarding
income, for 'figures are inelastic and often mis-
Terms No Longer Compelling
leading. On the other hand, it is perfectly
Suppose that we think for a moment specifi-
proper to use figures relating to income and
cally about the relation of these disclosed facts
purchasing power, in order to check by them to the sale of the player-piano and reproducing
our other information as to the state of the piano. Speaking broadly, it must be evident
market.
that the mere offer of prices and terms cannot
And whtn we do attempt to combine all possibly keep the market in healthy condition,
sources of available information we find some for precisely the same process is going on
very interesting facts emerging. In the first among the other offerings, many of which ap-
peal more immediately to the vulgar mind. It
place it becomes evident that during the last
twenty years there has steadily been going on is evident, therefore, that player-piano merchan-
dising, to take this one branch of the piano
a movement which now threatens to destroy
industry by itself, simply must be rebuilt upon
itself, and which is having a remarkable effect
upon the sale of all types of piano. Twenty .a different plan and from a new foundation, see-
ing that it can no longer be founded mainly
years ago virtually only two lines of business
went in for instalment selling. These were re- upon the fact of its being purchasable on time.
spectively the furniture and the piano lines. The "Terms" no longer, of themselves, furnish com-
instalment dollar, or that fraction of an average pelling arguments. When a man has the choice
income which could be mortgaged, had to re- of buying a motor car, a player-piano, or a fur
spond only to two appeals. When it was a case coat for his wife, all on the instalment plan, and
when he can get the first and third of these
indeed of buying either a piano or a flat full of
furniture, the deal usually represented the only together (as he can if he will take a low-priced
out and out instalment contract carried in that car) for little more than the price of a fine
family, and in most cases no new contract would reproducing piano, which will he choose?
be made until the first one had been carried Terms, let us repeat, are no longer of them-
selves a compelling argument. "Terms," which
out successfully.
once were the almost exclusive property of the
Chasing the Instalment Dollar
piano merchant, are to-day almost common
As things stand to-day, however, we find that
there has grown up a competition for the cap- property of the whole retail business.
ture of the instalment dollar which is simply
We are thus driven back upon a principle of
appalling in its sharpness and assiduity. To-day selling less meretricious but vastly sounder.
a father of a family finds that automobiles, Hereafter the player-piano must be sold by
clothing, houses., land, stocks and bonds, jew- demonstration of its ability to produce for its
elry and books are freely offered by the most owner, and its owner's family, interesting enter-
reputable makers upon the instalment plan. tainment in the form of music. Elementary as
Probably nine automobiles out of every ten are this sounds, it is needful to emphasize it. And,
thus sold, and in the other lines mentioned the
of course, if this is to be done, the trade will
proportions are constantly veering in the same
have to make up its mind to take a definite
part in "Making America Musical." If that fine
phrase means anything at all, it means teaching
the people, beginning with the children, to listen
to music and to want to make it. The player-
piano of the straight pedal type is a perfect
maker of music for the amateur music lover.
No instrument ever made even approaches it
fo,- efficiency and ability to impart amusement,
instruction and refined pleasure. But when not
one present owner in a hundred knows how to
play the instrument decently how can one ex-
pert to build up a big sales volume?
Old Stuff, But—
This is "old stuff," of course, old-fashioned
stuff far below the minds of our bright trade
manipulators; but it happens to be founded on
fact and truth. Not until this, its foundation,
is recognized and accepted by the trade will
prosperity perch upon our banners. We have
simply got to sell the American people again
on playing the player-piano if we want to keep
the player-piano alive. And if we wish to keep
the reproducing piano going on in prosperity
wo have to sell the American people again on
the pleasure of listening to fine music . .
in the home.
It is a real problem, but it will never be con-
quered until it has been faced; and the first
result of facing it fairly will be to disclose the
truth that the old position of the piano trade in
relation to sales power, based upon its instal-
ment feature no longer remains undisputed.
Hahne & Go. Music
Department Enlarged
Entire Space Has Been Altered—Manager A.
G. Love Adds New Members to Selling Staff
The piano department of Hahnc & Co., New-
ark, N. J., situated on the second floor of that
large department store, is being enlarged this
week and the quarters are being thoroughly ren-
ovated. The row of demonstration booths ex-
tending perpendicularly from the Halsey street
end of the store has been converted for the dis-
play of player-pianos and reproducers, having
previously bron used by the talking machine
and record department. The latter will be
placed in the open space near the Halsey street
wall and the radio department will be moved
into an enclosed space.
A. G. Love, who succeeded W. O. Black as
manager of the piano department of the store a
few months ago, reports an excellent condition
of trade this Fall. In addition to appointing W.
T. Hahneman as assistant manager of the de-
partment, Mr. Love has added F. Wagner, for-
merly with the Lautcr Co., and C. Acker, pre-
viously with Jacob Doll & Sons, to the staff.
Knabe for Ohio Armory
YOCNGSTOWN, O., November 24.—The beautiful
now State Armory at Youngstown, dedicated
w'th music, pomp and ceremony this week, se-
lected a Knabe grand piano, which was sold to
directors of the local company by the Yahrling-
Rayner Co., this city.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertsements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.