Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Attractive Window Displays of Sheet
Music Have Proven Their High Value
A Well-arranged Window Not Only Serves to Attract the Attention of the Public to the New
Publication but Can Be Developed to Encourage Self-service Within the Store
1 N recent years the sheet music industry has
*•_ been fortunate in having a number of win-
dow display contests for retailers. Aside from
the prizes for the winners there is considerable
value in the interest that is aroused in the value
of such displays which demonstrate the im-
portance of the store front.
Publishers and others appropriate funds for
window contests because they realize the value
of such displays. Naturally it is not advisable
to have such contests too often for some of
the interest would thus be dissipated. The win-
dows, however, and all other store-front space
are valuable and important in the weeks when
there are no contests. One of the big features
of the contest is the educational value con-
nected with these special showings.
A demonstration of the value of the window
has been given in recent years by many new
modern designs for retail store fronts. The
trend is to enlarge the window space and ar-
range the whole store front so that not only
does the window attract passers-by through the
space that is flush with the street, but also
through tricky entrances which give much win-
dow space in what would ordinarily be the
foyer.
In the large business centers there is no
question about the value of frontage. There-
fore, to design the front of the store in a man-
ner that gives window space to an elongated
entrance proves that the modern architect and
progressive dealer considers the advertising
value of such entrances in expensive locations
as an investment which furthers the interest
of the shop and lures a greater number of peo-
ple to the counters.
Relative to the manner of arranging store
fronts is the planning of the interior scheme.
The store fronts are valuable in luring pro-
spective purchasers, but the arrangement of
stock and counters certainly is just as impor-
tant. After a prospective customer is lured into
the store, many sales are closed through the
attractive manner in which the goods are
offered.
It is true that all material in the stock of a
sheet music store does not lend itself readily
to display purposes and it is the devising of
methods for showing such goods that marks
the difference between a progressive and a non-
progressive dealer. Popular sheet music does
lend itself for display purposes. So do music
books of all kinds. It is the standard material,
teaching pieces and music issued for particular
groups that are more difficult to show in the
attractive manner.
Some of the more modern stores have avail-
able for the perusal of persons interested in
particular type of offerings a grouping of such
material in binders. Thus the customer is able
to inspect the material in a leisurely manner
and to some extent be a self-salesman.
Any method that can be designed to encour-
age customers to serve themselves adds consid-
erably to the yearly volume of sales. Such
activities do not, of course, dispense with the
need for specialized salesmen. A stock of
standard sheet music particularly covers so many
phases and is produced to meet such varied
tastes that it is hardly possible with such a
voluminous amount of goods to simplify sell-
ing methods. But making as much of the ma-
terial as possible readily available and encour-
aging self-service is advantageous and doubt-
less adds to volume. As a matter of fact, the
simplification of such sales gives the sales staff
so much more time to take care of the more
difficult clientele.
The purchasing public is attracted to stores
which serve them with the greatest ease and in
the least time, so as much material as will lend
itself to direct sales methods should be ar-
ranged accordingly. Probably the most suc-
cessful direct merchandisers of modern times
are the syndicate stores. Here practically every
customer waits upon himself. The sales girl
only wraps up the goods and rings the register.
Everything is displayed on open counters so it
can be picked up, handled and selected by the
customer. All sheet music stocks, of course,
cannot be handled in this manner, but some
of them can, and that portion should be ar-
ranged in a similar manner to aid sales.
SONGS THAT SELL
At Peace With The World (Irving Berlin)
Always (Irving Berlin)
How Many Times? (Irving Berlin)
Remember (Irving Berlin)
When The Bed, Bed Bobin Comes Bob, Bob,
Bobbin' Along:
Trudy
I'd Climb The Highest Mountain (If I knew
I'd Find You)
I Never Knew What the Moonlight Could
Do
I'd Love To Meet That Old Sweetheart of
Mine
L.et's Make Up
But I Do, You Know I Do
Who Wouldn't?
In the Middle of the Night
Blue Bonnet You Make Me Feel Blue
Oh If I Only Had You
Roses Remind Me Of You
To-night's My Night With Baby
Put Your Arms Where They Belong:
Poor Papa
Gimme A Little Kiss, Will "Ya" Huh?
Say It Again
If You Miss Me As I Miss You
Oh Boy How It Was Raining
And Then I Forget
—
—
—
—
—
—
I Found A Round-a-bout Way To Heaven
Pining For You
Up And Down the Eight Mile Road
Trying To Forget
That's Annabelle
Take This Rose
No More Worryln'
Old Fashioned Sal
Pretty Cinderella
Jack Mills Returns
Jack Mills, head of the music publishing firm
bearing his name, of New York, returned re-
cently from a month's sales trip with growing
reports of improved conditions in the music
publishing business. "There is a greater demand
now for popular sheet music than there has been
in years," said Mr. Mills on his return. "I have
found that the public is in the market for bal-
lads of the type of 'I Don't Mind Being All
Alone,' 'If You Can't Tell the World She's
a Good Little Girl,' etc.; novelties such as
'How Could Red Riding Hood,' 'Sevilla,' etc.,
and instrumental oddities such as 'Flapperette,'
'Dizzy Fingers,' etc. Folios are also in great
demand and I believe this will be one of the
most successful seasons in a decade."
With Piquette Go.
Fred Simowski, who was formerly connected
with M. Steinert & Sons, of New Haven, Conn.,
has become associated with the Piquette Piano
Co., of Bridgeport, Conn., which handles sheet
music, books, pianos and the Brunswick line of
talking machines. Mr. Simowski was with the
Steinert organization for over twenty-five years
and is well and favorably known throughout
the trade.
BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 11
Edition Extraordinary—Just Out
X
—
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumlt
Irving Berlin's Song Gems
From the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
Ting-allng the Bell'Il Ring
Why Do You Want to Know Why?
Florida By the Sea
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
We Should Care
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway* New York
Claude Buckpitt, well-known musical instru-
ment dealer of Elmira, N. Y., has recently
opened a branch store at 115 East State street,
Ithaca, with a complete stock of music goods.
Throughout the world MOST POPULAR
sets the standard of MUSIC BOOK quality
Wire for descriptive catalog—order from jobber or direct from publisher
Hinds, Hay den & Eldredge, Inc., Publishers, New York City
50