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Gimbel Bros. Explain Why They
Have Eliminated the Stencil
Spokesman for New York Department Store, in Statement to The Review, Declares Radical Change in
Policy Has Been Dictated by Public Demand Which To-day Is Concentrated on Name
Value Instruments—Some of the Other Factors on Which the New Policy Is Based
A
N official statement as to the conditions
which led Gimbel Bros., New York, to
abandon their policy of merchandising
the stencil piano after pursuing this practice in
the New York store for a period of seven or
eight years, was given to The Review this week
by a spokesman for the company to whom the
interviewer was referred by the office of Louis
Gimbel following a direct request for a state-
ment.
No attempt at a formal statement was made
by the publicity director, who simply elaborated
on the facts already made known in an effort
to inform the trade of the underlying conditions
for such an abrupt change in merchandising tac-
tics. He spoke as follows: "Gimbel Bros, are
offering no apology for having instituted the
sale of the 'stencil' piano in their music depart-
ments some eight years ago. The thing came
about after much time and study had been given
to the question by the executive heads of the
establishment. We were trying to discover the
type of piano the public most desired and was
willing to pay for at that particular time.
"M. Max, buyer and manager for the Gimbel
Bros. New York piano department, was of the
opinion that due to the 'speeding-up' of life in
this country after the war, the oscillating in-
comes of wage-earners during the period of
readjustment and to dozens of related causes
the price of standard 'name' pianos was not
within the purchasing range of the average
, buyer. After a series of conferences with the
executive heads of the Gimbel Bros, house,
many of which I was privileged to attend, it was
decided to find a manufacturer or several manu-
facturers who could produce pianos of lower
price with quality in proportion.
"It was not long before we found a manu-
facturer who could do this by concentrating on
a scale of production more elaborate than any
heretofore attempted by a piano factory. There
was only one stipulation made by the manu-
facturer, and I think his position was logical
and justifiable—that was to require that his
name be left off the product. The manufactur-
ing company felt that, under such an arrange-
ment, the pianos were being made not under
ideal circumstances but to fill a public demand.
The product was not the best piano that could
be made but rather the best piano that the public
could afford to buy under the shifting economic
conditions throughout the country.
Building for Large Turnover
"There is no need of telling piano dealers
what happened. I have no doubt we were as
much discussed and maligned in the trade as
any firm that ever sold pianos. The principal
objection made was that we were advertising
pianos for prices at which we could not possibly
afford to dispose of them. This, of course, was
a rather absurd accusation, for it was originally
and throughout our idea to make money at the
figures advertised by reason of a high rate of
turnover. We have only to refer our critics to
our books. We did sell the pianos at the price
advertised—thousands of them, and our profits,
while the demand lasted, were nothing for any
piano man to be ashamed of.
"Lately we have sensed an important change
of taste on the part of the public, and I believe
this is borne out by the opinion of piano mer-
chants throughout the country. Fewer pianos
are being sold these days, but those that are
purchased are of a higher quality and value.
Piano buyers seem somehow to have learned
more of the value of 'name,' i. e., the authorized
name of the manufacturer on the fallboard, in
assuring them of obtaining a piano with real
musical quality for their homes.
What Radio Did
"Just how much radio contributed to bringing
this about I am unable to say, but there seems
to be no doubt that radio worked both posi-
tively and negatively toward this result. I mean
that when radio first entered the home as a
craze it was the dominant form of amusement.
The piano rested quietly against the wall under
a light film of dust during the greater part of
the evening—I am referring to the average case.
Those buying pianos, young married couples,
for instance, bought their radio first at predom-
inantly higher prices than now, and worked their
piano purchase in as well as they could with a
limited budget. They decided generally on a
cheaper instrument than they might have
bought ten years before, prior to the radio craze.
With price in mind they were forced to buy a
'stencil' piano.
"Now that radio has apparently become a
fixture in the home the situation has gradually
changed. It has undoubtedly stimulated a love
of the better.type of music and a desire to create
music personally, but it no longer seems to be
the obsessing diversion that it was two or three
years ago. Those having musical talent are
restless at having allowed it to remain dormant
for a period and are eagerly renewing their prac-
tice. Parents, having heard more music in their
homes than ever before through the medium
of the loud speaker, have naturally begun to
cherish the hope of developing performers out
of their children and are providing them with
musical instruction.
Change in Public Demand
"All this has made for a gradual change in
the public's demand for pianos. Gimbel Bros,
have felt this acutely and have again deter-
mined to pioneer in the matter of setting the
pace in order to be prepared in the new era of
the immediate future to give the people what
they actually want. It is, therefore, obvious that
the 'stencil' must go, not because of any mer-
chandising ethics but because of a definite eco-
nomic demand. We are glad to see the return-
ing taste of the public for the best and will
endeavor to meet the need.
"The 'stencil' piano is neither good nor bad
in itself from the standpoint of reflecting on
the one handling it. It is simply a 'stencil.' As
some one once remarked the 'stencil' is compa-
rable to a mule; it has no pride of ancestry and
no hope of posterity."
Dixon-Lane, Inc., St. Louis, to Move
to New Warerooms at 812 Pine Street
E. A. Kieselhorst Returns to California After Trip Through the South Seas—Thiebes Music Co.
Holds Formal Opening of Its Enlarged Musical Merchandise Section
H. A. Brown, manager of the 'Scruggs, Van-
C T . LOUIS, MO., April 5.—Ill winds blew
something good into the piano stores last dervoort & Barney piano department, returned
week. While March was going out as a roar- to-day from a trip to New York, where he re-
ing lion and April was coming in like two roar- mained a week
W. B. Richardson, of the A. B. Chase Piano
ing lions, business picked up. There did not
seem to be any doubt about it. The word came Co., Norwalk, O., was visiting the St. Louis
from different stores. Perhaps it was the trade last week.
The Thiebes Music Co. had a formal open-
perverseness of human nature. Or perhaps quite
a number of people decided to get their pianos ing Saturday of its enlarged musical merchan-
early for the after-Lent reaction. Anyway, dise department on the ground floor of its
there it is, and nobody is disposed to complain building at 1103 Olive street. It was also the
about it. And everybody seems optimistic occasion of presenting to the public the Conn
enough to hope that it will continue for a while. line of band and orchestra instruments, for
The Dixon-Lane, Inc., wholesalers and re- which the firm has taken the agency. There was
tailers of musical supplies, will move June 1 from a special display of Conn instruments and
their present store at 808 Pine street and their Bacon banjos, along with the general stock. C.
offices on the fourth floor of the Pineate Build- J. Fairchild, of the C. G. Conn Co., Elkhart,
ing to the building at 812 Pine street, on which Ind., and George H. Way, sales and advertising
a lease has been taken. In the meantime manager of the Leedy Manufacturing Co.,
alterations are to be made and a new front Indianapolis, Ind., were here for the opening. A
built. The company publishes music and has a Conn club was launched for the convenient pur-
wholesale and retail sheet music business. All chasing of instruments. A school of instruction
the departments will be consolidated in the new in band and orchestra instruments is to be con-
building. The company maintains offices in ducted on the fourth floor of the building, under
the direction of Gene Rodemich, composer and
New York, in charge of Harold Dixon,
A. Irving Tallis, Chicago manager of the old orchestra leader. Conn sales and service are
violin department of the Wurlitzer Co., was to be under the direction of C. C. Conrad, first
here three days last week with a collection of trumpeter with Rodemich. The department is
rare old violins, which were shown at the under the management of C. J. Hunt, formerly
Wurlitzer store. The store was open three with the music department of Hellrung &
evenings during the exhibition, which aroused Grimm, St. Louis, Mo.
much interest among musicians.
The music store of F. W. Kieferle, Lewiston,
E. A. Kieselhorst, president of the Kieselhorst
Piano Co., who arrived last week in San Fran- Pa., was seriously damaged in a recent fire of
cisco from a South Sea voyage, will remain a undetermined origin that destroyed part of a
downtown block,
few weeks in California.