Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FEBRUARY 19, 1927
The Music Trade Review
$2,000 in Prizes Offered by Standard
Pneumatic Co. in Player Sales Contest
Forty-fifth street, formerly occupied by the
company, was damaged by fire recently, al-
though the stock and fixtures of the piano con-
cern fortunately escaped serious damage.
Event, Which Is Open to All Retail Dealers and Salesmen, Opens February 24 and
Closes September 24—$1,000 Is Offered as First Prize
Q R S Music Go. to Make
The Vocalstyle Rolls
/ " \ N F of the most constructive plans for stini-
^"^ ulating interest in player-piano sales at the
present time is being launched by the Standard
Pneumatic Action Co., New York, officials of
which have just announced an elaborate player-
piano sales contest open to all piano dealers and
salesmen. The contest opens on February 24
at 8 a. in. and closes on September 24 at mid-
night. Prizes totaling $2,000 will be awarded to
the ten salesmen establishing the ten largest
totals of sales points, which will be given for
making sales of new player-pianos equipped
with the Standard player action.
The schedule of prizes is as follows: $1,000
as first prize, $500 as second prize, $200 as
third prize, $100 as fourth prize, fifth and sixth
prizes of $50 and four prizes of $25. Every
$10 of the retail sales price of a new player-
piano equipped with the Standard player action
constitutes one point; a fraction of $10 w'ill
earn a proportionate fraction of one point. For
example, if a player-piano were sold at a retail
price of $573 the salesman making the sale
would be credited with 57.5 points. (Selling
points in every case are based on the retail sell-
ing price of a player-piano and not on the cash
down payment made by the purchaser.)
The Standard Pneumatic Action • Co, has
arranged to furnish contestants with a special
printed form to assist them in tabulating their
record of sales. The following information will
be required on the form: The name of the
player-piano sold, the number of the Standard
player action, name and address of purchaser,
date of sale and the amount of the purchase
price.
The judges of the contest are Haskins & Sells,
certified public accountants, New York.
In announcing the salts competition to the
trade the advertising department of the Stand-
ard Pneumatic Action Co. has issued a large
portfolio giving complete details of the condi-
tions of the contest, as well as describing many
of the exclusive features of construction em-
bodied in the Standard player action. Seven
thousand copies of this advance literature have
been mailed to the piano trade throughout the
country and enthusiastic responses are already
coming in by the dozens from dealers, signify-
ing their interest and desire to co-operate with
the plan.
The portfolio contains facsimiles of many of
the layouts to be used in the company's na-
tional advertising during 1927 for the purpose
of familiarizing contestants with the nature .of
the appeal being made to the public through
this medium. In each of the contemplated ad-
vertisements the player-piano is pictured as the
center of the family group with the mother
or father seated at the instruments and sur-
rounded by interested children.
As explained in the literature, the Standard
Pneumatic 1927 advertising campaign will fea-
ture the new "artist-record action," which plays
all types of classical and popular music roll-;.
Such slogans as "The Standard Artist Record
Action Makes You the Artist" abound in the
publicity material. The patented features, such
as the tracking device, transposing device,
metal tubing, flexible striking fingers, embodied
in the improved Standard player action, are
explained at length for the benefit of the con-
testants. There are included also special book-
lets of Standard Pneumatic literature pasted in
the portfolio.
Suggestion is made to the dealer to make
demonstrations of the player-piano the keystone
of his promotion program for 1927, irrespective
of the entrance of his salesmen in the sales
contest. Demonstrations in theatres, churches,
homes and in the store arc outlined as being
the most constructive way to make sales and
get new prospects. This carries with it the
training of salesmen in the warerooms.
Exports During 1926
Show Good Increase
Shipments of phonograph records showed an
increase of nearly 1,500,000 over 1925, totaling
5,537,765, valued at $2,222,890, against 4,091,556,
valued at $1,720,623.
The miscellaneous musical instrument exports
included 17,813 band instruments, valued at
$637,570, against 13,654, valued at $508,001, in
1925; 105,929 string instruments,'valued at $443,-
176, against 78,053, valued at $319,145; 1,416
organs, valued at $221,295, against 2,004, valued
at $275,943; and 413,175 perforated music rolls,
valued at $211,692, against 558,510, valued at
$282,555.
We also exported player-piano actions and
parts valued at $455,254, as compared with
$500,413 in 1925; other piano actions and parts
valued at $174,291, against $225,595; and other
musical instruments, parts and accessories
valued at $2,046,900, against $1,562,040.
Our imports of musical instruments during
the year were less than a third of our exports,
the figures show, totaling $5,197,394, against
$4,225,881 in 1925. No figures as to quantities
are available, but the values of imports during
the year included $304,817 for pianos and organs,
against $289,190 in 1925; $640,915 for phono-
graphs, against $393,645; $572,996 for band in-
struments and violins, against $587,618; and
$3,678,666 for other musical instruments, parts
and accessories, against $2,955,428.
Pianos Most Important Item, Totaling 23,029,
Valued at $6,284,696—Australia Country's Best
Market
WASIHNCTOM, D. C, February 14.—A jump of
$2,500,000 in our exports of musical instruments
in 1926 is indicated by figures just compiled by
the Department of Commerce, which place our
total foreign trade in these commodities at
$15,978,396, as compared with $13,382,811 in 1925.
Pianos formed the most important item of
our export trade, shipments during the year
totaling 23,029, valued at $5,284,696, against
20,587, valued at $5,717,859, in 1925. Of these,
17,976, valued at $5,156,326, were players, against
15,114, valued at $4,470,293, in 1925. Our
exports of other pianos dropped from 5,473,
valued at $1,247,566, in 1925, to 5,053, valued at
$1,128,370, last year. Our most important mar-
ket for pianos was Australia, where our sales
totaled 11,540, valued at $3,018,816, Mexico being
the second market, with 2,549, valued at $723,-
044. Kxports to Australia increased materially,
having totaled 8,811, valued at $2,359,314, in
1925, but the Mexican market showed a decline,
1925 exports being 3,222, valued at $901,261.
Exports of phonographs totaled 103,759,
valued at $3,280,632, against 81,079, valued at.
$2,270,637, in 1925. Mexico led in this branch
of the business, with imports totaling 12,695,
valued at $419,94°, against "8,470, valued a ; t
$206,452, in the preceding year; Australia being
second, with 9,615, valued .at .$329,74.8,...against.
$8,070, valued at $337,760,
Occupy New Quarters
The Associated Piano Manufacturers' I'm
poration is now located in the Hush Terminal
Sales Building, 130 West Forty-second street,
New York, where quarters have been secured,
on the eleventh floor. The building at 15 West
Purchases Masters and Will Operate Cincinnati
Factory Until Raw Materials Are Used Up
and Then Make Rolls Under Q R S Label
CHICAGO, 111., February 11. The Q R S Music
Co. sent out to-day to its dealers a circular
letter stating that following the discontin-
uance of the manufacture of music rolls by the
Vocalstyle Music Co. the Q R S Music Co. had
purchased the Vocalstyle masters and would
continue the production of those rolls at the
Vocalstyle factory in Cincinnati until such time
as the raw materials there were used up, fol-
lowing which the Vocalstyle roll will be pro-
duced under the Q R S label.
The announcement is particularly interesting
in that the Vocalstyle Co. produced a number
nf types of rolls unobtainable from other
sources, and particular attention is called to the
Minstrel rolls, the Negro Spirituals, the hymns,
etc.
Staylor Opens New Store
The W. W. Slaylor Music Store has opened
new warerooms on Division street, near Shirley
Mreet, Mount Union, Pa., with Harry W.
Stricklcr a^- manager.
A complete stock of
musical instruments is beiim handled.
Pratt Read
Products
P i a n o Ivory
Piano Keys
Piano Actions
Player Actions
Established in
1806
at Deep River, Conn.
Still There
Standard Service and Highest
Quality
Special Repair Department*
Maintained for Convenience
of Dealer*
PRATT, READ & CO.
THE PRATT READ
PLAYER ACTION CO.
Oldest and Best