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NOVEMBER 13. 1926
The Music Trade Review
Feeling Growing in Philadelphia Trade
That Local Association Is a Real Need
Florence J. Heppe 111—Two New Models of the Starr Piano Co. Announced—P. J. Cunningham
on Hunting Trip—Spangler Music House, of Harrisburg, Opens New Store
PHILADELPHIA, PA., November 8.—Early
November days brought a lively interest in
the various types of musical merchandise on the
part of the public now anticipating the holidays.
While the piano houses report a fair amount of
orders the other branches of the industry were
more optimistic in their attitude towards the
remainder of the year's •business.
That the local piano industry needs a stim-
ulating influence or concentrated trade atten-
tion in the matter of boosting sales is a fore-
gone conclusion. Sales have been forthcoming
but with much effort on the part of the dealers
and their sales forces. There is lacking that
spontaneous buying which in former years has
prevailed at this season. Dealers are of the
opinion that the trade should get together in
organized effort to bring the piano industry
back to old-time prominence and prosperity and
to stimulate an interest in this class of instru-
ments.
While the majority of large cities have trade
associations for the promotion of the industry,
Philadelphia is not now organized, the former
piano merchants' body having been dissolved
several years ago. There is a strong feeling
in certain quarters that the local trade should
again organize for mutual benefit.
Illness of Florence J. Heppe
The trade learned with deep regret of the
sudden illness with which one of its most pop-
ular members, Florence J. Heppe, head of the
C. J. Heppe & Son Co., was stricken last Thurs-
day. While at his desk in the store in Piano
Row he was suddenly attacked with acute indi-
gestion and taken to the Jefferson Hospital,
where he has since been confined. At the hos-
pital it was reported that Mr. Heppe's condition
was as "favorable as could be expected under
the circumstances."
New Additions to Starr Line
Announcement of the addition to the line of
instruments manufactured by the Starr Piano
Co., 904 Walnut street, was made to the Phila-
delphia and State dealers during the week when
the local wholesale distributor, Ben Witlin, of
the Witlin Musical Instrument Co., introduced
the latest of pianos produced at the Richmond,
Ind., factory of the company. Mr. Witlin has
just returned to headquarters here after making
the rounds of the coal regions and placing the
new models at the disposal of the trade carry-
ing the Starr instruments. The new Starr
models are an electrical reproducer grand,
known as the Starr No. 38A and the Starr No.
39, in art lacquer, high light antique of early
American design and both popularly priced.
The recent additions have been favorably
received by the trade and a well-filled order list
has been sent to the factory. Mr. Witlin is
now on his way to Harrisburg and vicinity,
where the new instruments will be shown to
the trade in that section.
Cunningham Goes A-hunting
Back from a two weeks' hunting trip into
Sullivan County, in New York State, where
ample trophies were garnered, P. J. Cunning-
ham, head of the Cunningham Piano Co., is in-
teresting his trade associates with evidences of
his prowess as a hunter of big game. With the
aid of his family he was able to capture several
deer and bear. To his daughter, Miss Helen
Cunningham, who accompanied her parents, is
credited the bruin, the first she has brought
to earth, although she has for several years
been an annual visitor at this season to the
Cunningham hunting lodge.
. Baldwin Line for Weymann & Son Co.
The latest addition to the line of pianos han-
dled by the H. A. Weymann & Son Co. is the
Baldwin. The Weymann piano department,
under the management of Albert C. Weymann,
down your overhead and get out and get the
business. These have been very important in
the success of the Schmidt-Dauber Piano Co.,
and in spite of setbacks, one of which was the
fire which we had some time ago, we have con-
sistently gone ahead so that our production this
year will even be more than last year. These
results have not been attained, however, with-
out much concentration and hard work on the
part of each member of our organization. We
have found, however, that it has paid to keep
everlastingly at it. Each member of our organi-
zation has a certain amount of productive work
to do. During the last year we have had a
splendid demand for not only the Schmidt-
Dauber upright pianos and player-pianos, but
have disposed of a large number of grands, in-
cluding reproducing grands."
The Schmidt-Dauber house has been making
rapid strides during the last few years. Morris
Dauber has been its active head since it was
started some fifteen years ago. A little over a
year ago it purchased the Newby & Evans Co.,
and is now manufacturing the Newby & Evans
line. In manufacturing these instruments the
quality which was established over forty years
ago has been rigidly maintained. Many repre-
sentative dealers throughout the country arc
handling this line at the present time.
while carrying the complete line of instruments
made by the Baldwin Piano Co., of Cincinnati,
will particularly feature the Baldwin grand. The
firm will be the exclusive Philadelphia repre-
sentatives for the Baldwin.
Weymann Banjos for Holland
The fame of the Weymann banjos has spread
to the Holland markets and within recent days
from the capital of the Dutch kingdom there
has come to the Philadelphia manufacturers a
large order list for a noted Amsterdam im-
porter of musical goods. This Amsterdam im-
porter has become Holland agent for the Wey-
mann banjos and string instruments, made in
the factory here.
Fred. C. Buck, banjoist and arranger for War-
ing's Pennsylvanians for the past five years,
called at the Weymann headquarters during the
week. He is appearing with the Pennsylvanians
now playing at the Stanley Theatre. Fred. C.
Buck is one of the leading banjoists of the
nation and has always used the Weymann banjo,
having recently purchased the No. 6 De Luxt
Orchestra model.
Knabe Grand for Philopatrian Society
AKRON, O., November 8.—A. E. Jones, one of
A handsome model of the Knabe Style B the best-known piano men in this section, has
grand piano has been installed in the recently opened the A. E. Jones Music Co. on East Mar-
completed and very modern new home of the ket street. He formerly conducted a retail
Philopatrian Literary Society, the historical music store in Cuyahoga Falls, and prior to this
Catholic organization of Philadelphia. The new was in charge of the music department at the
Knabe was purchased through the Philadelphia department store of the William R. Zollinger
branch of the Knabe Warerooms, 1020 Walnut Co. at Canton.
street, and was sold by David Jacobs.
Spangler Music House Opening
Philadelphia associates of the Spangler Music
House, Harrisburg, Pa., have been invited to
attend the reopening of the modernized home
of that retail music store at the close of the
current week. Among those who will journey
Stands for the
to Harrisburg to attend the reopening cere-
monies is Ben Witlin, local distributor of the
Starr pianos, who has been requested by the
officers of the Starr Piano Co. to represent the
firm on that occasion. The Spangler Co. is
now to be quartered in one of the most modern
and the
of neighborhood stores in that section of the
State and will occupy a home providing double
the space of the old headquarters. It is owned
by A. E. Spangler and has developed into one
of the best-known music houses in the Harris-
burg section during the many years of its organ-
ization. The firm handles the Starr pianos and
others with a complete line of talking machines
and musical merchandise.
Jones Music Go. in Akron
Deep River
Best in Music
Best in Supplies
Schmidt-Dauber Go.
Reports Larger Output
Keeping Down Overhead and Steady Selling
Factors Which Have Created Firm's In-
creased Production
Keeping down overhead and steady sales
work are the two factors which are most im-
portant in conducting a piano manufacturing
establishment these days, according to Morris
Dauber, president of the Schmidt-Dauber Co.,
New York. To The Review this week Mr.
Dauber said: "The fact that Government statis-
tics in the report which was published in The
Review last week show that over 321,000 pianos
were sold in this country during 1925 makes it
very evident that there is a lot of piano busi-
ness to be done, and these figures should set
piano manufacturers thinking in the right direc-
tion.
"To my way of thinking the two factors in
piano manufacturing and merchandising which
are important to-day are those of overhead and
the merchandising efforts which are put forth
by every individual firm. In other words, keep
Pratt Read
Products
made there for 120 years
KEYS
ACTIONS
PLAYERS
IVORY
PRATT, READ &
Co.
Established in 1806
THE PRATT READ PLAYER
ACTION CO.
Deep River, Conn.