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JULY 18, 1925
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Radio Manufacturers See
Improvement in Buffalo Retail Trade
Necessity of Organization
Held to Indicate an Excellent Fall
Higher Grades of Grands as Well as Player-Pianos Selling Well in That City, According to
;
Dealers—Evans & Eiss Purchase McElroy Music Shop—Recent Trade Visitors
BUFFALO, N. Y, July 14.—Buffalo, like
other cities of its type, is looking forward
to a brisk music business this Fall, but this
city, unlike other cities, has already given indi-
cation of an early Fall business that is going to
eclipse expectations of the most optimistic
dealers. There is an increasing tendency toward
higher grade pianos. Grands are selling in great
volume in many of the downtown stores, but
dealers who are directing their energies toward
the laboring class, are finding a good outlet
for used instruments and less expensive players.
One dealer said he is getting a surprising vol-
ume of trade in the medium grade player.
"We have had an excellent business in pianos,
particularly players," said Charles Hoffman, of
the Hoffman Piano Co. "The past two weeks
have brought us a surprising volume of trade
in the Schultz player and in the Milton. I say
it is a surprising volume because we did not
look for July to run our figures up so high
as they have already gone, and I think that by
the end of this month, if the trend continues,
we are going to close one of the best Summer
months we have ever had. It looks like a good
Fall business is in store and this whole organ-
ization feels quite optimistic as to the remaining
six months of this year."
Floyd F. Barber said he is getting a good
business in higher grade pianos since opening
his new warerooms in Delaware avenue, Ken-
more. A great portion of this trade comes
from small towns in the surrounding territory.
Likewise, the Erion Piano Co. is keeping up
a good record in Summer piano sales, the Cable-
Nelson leading in volume here, although this
volume is not startling, remarked A. W. Erion.
After a tour through northeastern Pennsyl-
vania, particularly through the mining section,
M. C. Grinnell, of the Buffalo Talking Machine
Co., returned this week to Buffalo with a feeling
of greater optimism than could have been possi-
ble, he said, had he not made the trip. "We
thought this was going to be a pretty dead
section because of mining controversies and
pending strikes, but dealers do not seem to
take it at all seriously, and we have secured
some good orders from that section. It also
looks like there is going to be some fine radio
business there this Fall and Winter."
The Radio Trades Association, Inc., of West-
ern New York is financing Sunday afternoon
radio concerts, which are being broadcast from
station WEBR. The concerts last from 4 to 7
p. m. Orchestra music will feature the concerts.
These are expected to have a great bearing on
increased radio sales this Fall.
C. Tyler, of the Milton Piano Co., recently
visited the Hoffman Piano Co., Buffalo, return-
ing to New York with a good order for imme-
diate shipment.
Henry Apfelgreen, formerly of Erie, Pa., is
a new member of the sales force of the Hoffman
Piano Co., and is proving himself a first-class
business-getter, according to Mr. Hoffman.
Evans & Eiss, Hertle avenue dealers, have
purchased the entire stock of the McElroy
Music Shop, in Hertle avenue. The McElroy
store is closed.
M. Masiroff, of Erie, Pa., will soon open a
new and larger store at Fourteenth and State
streets, it has been announced.
Portables on Arctic Trip
Mrs. Josef Wolf Opens
Music Store in New York
The equipment of the North Pole expedition
headed by Donald MacMillan, which sailed from
Boston recently on two ships, the Bowdoin and
the Peary, includes two Artone portable talking
machines, each with a substantial library of rec-
ords for entertainment purposes during the
weary hours of the voyage to the North and
the months spent in efforts to reach the Pole.
A record of "The Star Spangled Banner" ac-
companied each talking machine.
New Carnegie Hall Manager
After twenty-five years' connection with Car-
negie Hall, for fifteen of which he acted as
manager of that world-famous institution in
New York, Clarence C. Smith resigned on July
1, with a view to taking a long vacation start-
ing with a tour of Europe. Mr. Smith, who
enjoys a wide acquaintance among artists and
trade members, has been succeeded as manager
of Carnegie Hall by M. Murray Weisman, who
is well and favorably known.
Fire Damages Music Store
HARTFORD, CONN., July 13.—A fire starting in a
stock of phonograph records in the basement of
the "Music Box," at Pearl and Main streets, re-
cently, threatened several buildings in the immedi-
ate neighborhood and was extinguished with much
difficulty. The flames were confined to the base-
ment of the music store, but the smoke issuing
forth was so thick that two firemen were overcome
before the blaze was stopped. The amount of the
damage is not known.
Damage estimated at $5,000 was done by a re-
cent fire in the music store of Mathew D. Gins-
berg, located at 12 Belleville avenue, Newark,
Full Line of Weil-Known Band and String In-
struments and Musical Merchandise to Be
Handled
An attractive, small music store has been
opened recently at 271 Lenox avenue, New
York, by Mrs. Josef Wolf, who is operating
the business as Wolf's Music Store. The con-
cern is located in a ground floor space of the
building occupied by Josef. Wolf's Conservatory
of Music. A full line of small goods, including
Buescher band instruments, Vega and Wey-
mann banjos, Mueller & Kaplan strings, violins,
ukuleles and radio accessories is handled.
The store is situated near the busy corner of
125th street and Lenox avenue, and derives a
steady drop-in trade as well as a dependable
clientele from students in the Wolf Conserva-
tory above it. So successful has the business
been to date that Mrs. Wolf is contemplatnig
putting in a line of pianos and radios in the
Fall. Mrs. Wolf is a twin sister of Stephen
Czukor, artist-manager of Hardman, Peck &
Co., Fifth avenue piano warerooms.
Fred. Werner Buys Building
COLVILLE, WASH., July 10.—Fred Werner, man-
ager of the Colville Music Store, has purchased
the Douglas Building, on Main street, from the
Colville Loan. & Trust Co., for the use of the store.
Mr. Werner took .possession about a week ago,
and is now afforded an excellent showroom for
his music stock.
Truax Piano Go. Opens
A new music store, called the Truax Piano Co.,
has been opened in East Rochester, N. Y., by
Crawford- and : Ella; Pursley, qi that city..
At Annual Convention at Atlantic City Last
Week Outstanding Problems of the Industry
Were Discussed—To Classify Products
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., July 11.—Plans for more
perfect organization of the radio manufacturing
and selling industry were discussed here this week
by the first annual convention of the Radio Manu-
facturers' Association in the Ambassador Hotel.
Although the industry was acknowledged to fee
in its infancy, despite widespread use of radio
equipment, it was asserted that the point has been
reached when there must be complete organization
of the business.
"In my opinion," said H. H. Frost, of Chicago,
president, "we should classify radio apparatus into
three groups—sets, parts and accessories. The
future merchandising plans on complete sets will be
along different lines from those of parts or acces-
sories. Factory problems, problems of raw mate-
rial, manufacturing methods, standards and other
important matters must be dealt with by us."
W. H. Lynas, of London, a radio manufacturer,
told the convention that in England selling to the
public of a patented article at less than list price
is an infringement of the patent, and legal action
may be taken against both buyer and seller. The
listeners felt that it was too bad such a law
did not exist here.
New Quarters in Kalamazoo
New quarters on Main street have been taken
by the Meyer Music Store, of Kalamazoo, Mich.,
which handles Gulbransen pianos, Victrolas and
small goods.
Pratt Read
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