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36
The Music Trade Review
OCTOBER 23, 1926
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Holidays Present Big Opportunity
for Sales to the Sheet Music Dealers
Wide Variety of Music Publications Available to the Music Dealer by Which to Develop Christ-
mas Gift Trade—Special Displays Bring the Volume of Sales
O EPORTS from standard music houses and
from jobbers seem to indicate that there is
more than usual attention being given by
dealers to the possibilities of adding consider-
ably to music sales during the holidays. The
Christmas period, particularly being a season
of cheer, lends itself admirably to music fea-
tures. In fact, without music no small part of
the Christmas spirit would doubtless be lacking.
Besides the wealth of material from various
catalogs written particularly for Christmas and
other holiday occasions, there is much other
material in music form which makes most ap-
propriate gifts. The octavo, songs, anthems
and cantatas and all works published for holi-
day occasions naturally fall into the hands of
the interested persons, groups and associations.
A large number of books, folios and special-
ized music, when presented as a gift proposi-
tion, will run the sales totals for the season up
considerably and make the retail establishment
additional profits.
Due to the fact that in recent years the small
instrument business has developed beyond
bounds heretofore thought possible and is
steadily growing, works to the advantage of
many additional sales in music publications as
Christmas gifts. Hundreds of thousands of
saxophones, ukuleles, and other small instru-
ments are in the hands of consumers, most of
whom are music lovers, and when publications
that can be used appropriately with these instru-
ments are prominently displayed sales will
naturally be the result.
The dealer who wants to bring the Christmas
gift money into his store can for one thing do
so through the inclusion of circular matter on
these items to his customers through the mail.
In the store he can arrange special counter
space for these offerings and make Christmas
literature, books and music a conspicuous fea-
ture of the establishment. During the entire
month of December a window showing of small
goods with the appropriate music publications
is in order, and to get the best results in active
communities it would be well to change this
window presentation each week.
By properly presenting musical products
available for Christmas gifts, hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars will easily be brought into the
coffers of the music industry. A little enter-
prise on the part of the merchant will easily
do the trick when carried out on a national
scale. There is hardly any music establishment
but which has sufficient room somewhere in a
prominent part of the store for a special table
upon which can be placed books, folios and
other appropriate offerings. It will be found
that the mere display of such goods with an
Great ""Mother*Ballad
appropriate placard will result in many sales
and most of the customers will have selected
the purchases without extra aid from the
counter salesman.
A special table for such goods is important
if the arrangement of the store will readily
lend itself to the use of the space. This is one
of the secrets widely accepted of modern mer-
chandising. Authorities who have made a study
of the use of display space say that hundreds
of thousands of dollars' worth of sales are
made through attractive displays. In depart-
ment stores, which ajre always considered expe-
rienced merchandisers, goods on counters are
arranged to attract attention, and this the de-
partment store managers will say is an impor-
tant factor in creating sales. A man goes into
a store for a pair of gloves and his eye is met
by a display of ties, mufflers, attractively ar-
ranged handkerchiefs, and other appropriate
material which are not only reminders of his
needs but often are a lure, through their ap-
peal, for a "right now" sale.
In the syndicate stores all goods are displayed
on counters and handled by the customer.
These syndicates do hundreds of dollars' worth
of business during the year just because the
passer-by can see everything in the shop and
can make the selection. So an interior display
is of great value and there is no better time
to try out the great possibilities in enlarging
sales totals through this method than during
the holidays. The holidays are particularly ad-
vantageous for this type of sales creator because
there are ever so many people who are in a
quandary of just what to buy for some partic-
ular person. It is an annual puzzle with pur-
chasers of gifts, and the dealer in arranging
special Christmas offerings is helping to solve
this puzzle and at the same time adding con-
siderably to his sales totals.
Music to-day is an important factor in the
life of everyone and in some form or manner
there is none it does not touch with a sufficient
influence to create a sale of some music offer-
ing. It is a necessity in the life of everyone,
although most of us do not realize it, and for
that reason it is necessary for these products
to be brought to our attention.
The total of Christmas gift money runs into
many millions of dollars and there is no reason
in the world why a greater share of this money
should not accrue to the music establishment.
A music gift means so much in sentiment, in
appropriateness and for its value over a long
period. A development of a greater number of
sales for music each year is in a measure an
educational program which will show increasing
effects from season to season.
Fred K. Steele, Inc.,
Enters Publishing Field
New Firm Consists of F. K. Steele and Billy
Heagney—"Every Little While," First Num-
ber, Is a Hit
The latest addition to the music publishing
field is the newly formed firm of Fred K. Steele,
Inc. Mr. Steele is well known in the music
industry, having over fifteen years' experience
with the larger publishers. He started with
Jos. W. Stern, Inc., in its professional depart-
ment and rapidly advanced to the position of
professional manager. He severed his connec-
tion with the Stern company to take over the
general managership of the Broadway Music
Corp., and left that firm about a year ago to
go with Irving Berlin, Inc. About two months
ago Billy Heagney, a songsmith, played a tune
for Mr. Steele and it resulted in his resigning
from the Berlin staff to publish the number.
Mr. Steele wrote a lyric to the melody, naming
it "Every Little While." Messrs. Heagney and
Steele formed a partnership and in less than six
weeks' time they have received remarkable
action on the song. Their confidence that the
number was a potential hit was justified and
orders are now being received from all parts
of the country.
Joseph White, the silver-masked tenor, fea-
tured the number with the Silvertown Cord
Orchestra over the WEAF station chain, and
the "Yacht Club Boys" put it on in the "Zieg-
feld Follies," as well as making a Brunswick
record. The number has been made by all the
leading mechanical companies and is slated for
an early release.
The dance arrangement, made by Frank Skin-
ner, is being featured nightly by leading orches-
tras, including Harold Leonard at the Waldorf,
Ernie Golden and Hotel McAlpin Orchestra,
Frank Farrell and Greenwich Village Inn
Orchestra, Gene Goldkette and His Victor Rec-
ord Orchestra, Paul Specht at the Twin Oaks,
Duke Yellen and many others.
The new firm is also working on a novelty
comedy number written as a contest song for a
commercial radio account. It was called the
nameless song until the winner of the contest
named it "The Monkey Song," "Oo-Gle Oo-Gle,
Eee." The number became an immediate over-
night radio request favorite and although it was
not published orders came in for copies. Among
the headline acts and orchestras now featuring
the number are George Olson at the Pennsyl-
vania Hotel, B. A. Rolfe at the Palais d'Or, who
also recorded it for the Edison record, Fred
Rich and Astor Hotel Orchestra, Macy and
Smallee, the Davis Saxophone Sextet and Al
Lentz and His Orchestra.
A new song just accepted for publication is
"Will You Think of Me," a waltz ballad, by
Chic Endor and Eddie Ward. An old-estab-
lished publisher offered a large advance to the
writers of this exceptional melody waltz, but