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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
The Talking Machine Today—(Continued from page 3)
on his own feet, use his own brains and sell
just as hard in that department as he does in
every other department of the store. Throw
over the last twenty-five years and look at the
talking machine like a new instrument, and see
if that is not the truth.
New Instruments Coming
The talking machine field to-day is agog with
novelty. Announcements from the manufactur-
ers show a rapid technical advance, new meth-
ods of recording, new methods of reproducing,
and a general betterment in artistic excellence.
The advance which is being made is unquestion-
ably great, and every one of these advances is
going to help the retail dealer, providing that
the retail dealer is willing to get down and
help himself a bit.
The Market Before the Dealer
Here is a country of approximately 110,000,000
people. Here is a country which has as large
a proportion of real genuine music lovers as
any other nation on the face of the globe. Here
is a nation in which every means of approach
is used and used constantly to spread the love
and appreciation of music, and a country in
which such campaigns invariably bring success.
Furthermore, here is a nation in which even
to-day a large percentage of the people are un-
able to hear the great artists of whom they read,
the distances are too great and many regions
too inaccessible. If they can hear them, it is
only rarely, just enough to desire to hear more
of them. What instrument is to meet that de-
mand?
Radio and Talking Machine
The radio? In part, yes. But granted the
greatest artists in time will broadcast, granted
an eventual solution will be found for the en-
tire broadcasting problem, the radio, like the
concert, can only become feeder for the talk-
ing machine. For the programs heard over the
radio will always be transitory and the thing of
a night; while the talking machine gives per-
manencies, available when and where wanted.
If this be not true, the American people, are
a non-musical people, and what music merchant,
with his own experience confronting him, can
believe such a statement?
Kill a False Idea
What the music merchant needs is to drop
this idea of competition between the radio and
the talking machine, and resolve to sell each of
these forms of home entertainment on their
own merits. As a matter of fact, the owner of
a talking machine is the best of prospects for a
radio and the owner of a radio the best of pros-
pects for a talking machine. For in a home
where each of them exists there is a desire for
music, and a desire for music, where there is
no ability technically to create music, is always
the basis for the sale of recording, self-playing
musical instruments, or, with the advent of the
radio, music transmitting instruments of this
particular type.
A Selling Problem
The field for the talking machine is as great
perhaps to-day as it has ever been in the past,
when the possible record sales are taken into
consideration. But in the future the selling
problem is going to be more difficult and going
to require more intelligence and merchandising
ability. If the retail merchant has "guts"
enough to perceive this fact, and enough to map
out the proper selling methods, he is going to
have both talking machine and radio to bring
him profit. If, because the talking machine
through so many years has been sold for him
instead of by him, he is going to fail to face and
conquer these new conditions, there are new
merchants coming into the field to do it. No
product which has the selling potentialities of
the talking machine ever lacked men to sell it
and sell it intelligently. There, in a nutshell,
is the situation at the present day which con-
fronts the retail music dealer who carries talk-
ing machines.
Grinnell Bros., Detroit, Feature the
Premier Grand in Fine Window Display
1
PREMIL'M
AUGUST 22, 1925
Maintains Department for
Repair of Piano Gases
Paterson Piano Case Co. Provides an Unusual
Service for Repairmen and Dealers in Special
Case Work
The Paterson Piano Case Co., Paterson, N.
J., of which John W. Looschen is president
has maintained in the plant for a number of
years a repair department where dealers, tuners
and repairmen can have piano cases repaired,
as well as secure various parts which need to
be replaced. The work in this department is
done by expert piano case makers, members
of the Paterson organization, who have become
experts, due to their long experience.
In a recent talk with Mr. Looschen, he said
to a representative of The Review: "We be-
lieve that our repair department is a great help
to dealers, tuners and repairmen all over the
country as we are equipped not only to guaran-
tee high-grade workmanship, but also to do this
work promptly and save the dealer a great deal
of inconvenience and trouble.
"We are very glad to estimate on any and
all repair work pertaining to piano cases and
can also furnish any piano case parts which
are necessary. We have established a reputa-
tion for quality and service throughout the
manufacturing division of the piano business
and dealers will find that we live up to our rep-
utation in serving them."
Foreign Trade Convention
in Washington in October
Business Men Interested in Imports or Exports
Invited to Attend the Sessions to Be Held on
October 1 and 2
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 18.—Foreign trade
organizations throughout the country have
been invited to have representatives in attend-
ance at the foreign trade convention to be held
in Washington, October 1 and 2, under the
auspices of the Department of Commerce. Busi-
ness men interested in imports, as well as those
in the export field, will find topics of impor-
tance to them slated for discussion at the meet-
ing. The general plan of the convention is to
build up the co-operation between the Bureau
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the
business interests which it is endeavoring to
serve.
Methods of co-operation between commercial
organizations and the bureau will be discussed,
as well as foreign trade problems, both import
and export; the best methods of interesting
firms in foreign trade; co-operation of commer-
cial organizations in interesting local firms in
the services of the bureau, and the interchange
of foreign trade and other information.
''.
New Junius Hart Go. Branch
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A W I N D O W display which attracted unusual
attention was the one which appeared re-
cently in the window of Grinnell Bros., De-
troit, Mich. The feature of this display was the
Premier Art Style baby grand, manufactured
Highest
Quality
by the Premier Grand Piano Corp., New York,
attention to which was drawn by an attractive
display bulletin describing the piano. The win-
dow was particularly effective at night, due to
its artistic lighting effects.
NKW ORIKANS, LA., August 17.—The Junius
Hart Piano Co., Southern distributor for W.
W. Kimball & Co., piano and talking ma-
chine manufacturer, opened a branch in Boga-
lusa, La., August 15. The concern will retail
the entire line of Kimball instruments. The
location chosen for the branch is the Wein-
stein Building. A. J. Rogers is manager.
The Hart Co. is one of the leading New Or-
leans music houses with a modern four-story
building, special display rooms and a complete
rebuilding and repair department. Kimball in-
struments and service are enjoying enviable
popularity both in New Orleans and out in the
State, which fact, coupled with the healthy
business conditions, good crops and general
prosperity indicated expansion.
Highest
Quality