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NOVEMBER 19, 1927
The Music Trade Review
Biddle Brunswick Shop Opened in the
Cincinnati Branch of Starr Piano Co.
Richard Peavey Placed in Charge of This Department—Baldwin Piano Co. Reports
Heavy Demand at Factory—Drop-in Trade Is Steadily Growing
C
T I ,
O., November 12.—Heads of
piano houses report that drop-in trade has
become an important factor at this time. This,
it is explained, is due to the fact that prospec-
tive purchasers of pianos to be used as
Christmas gifts are looking around, with a view
to making selections and placing orders for
future delivery. A growing demand for all
classes is reported. Another gratifying feature
is that an increased number of purchasers are
choosing the more expensive instruments, and
thus the average sale is larger.
Dealers in talking machines report that holi-
day business is coming in increased volume
each day. The average sale is growing larger,
it is stated, due to the fact that an increased
number of purchasers is ordering the more
expensive instruments. Records are moving
very rapidly, dealers state, and the demand is
.steadily increasing. Radio sales have picked
up rapidly, especially in the case of the more
expensive models. Small goods dealers report
an excellent demand and expect to exceed last
year's figures this year.
The Cincinnati Art Center, located in the
store of the Starr Piano Co., was formally
opened to the public on November 12, with an
exhibition and sale of fine arts and crafts
articles. A feature of the Center that is of
special interest to members of the music trade
as well as to musicians rests in the fact that
it has established a booking bureau for musical
artists and also for professional dancers. The
Art Center is sponsored by prominent ladies
of the city, Mrs. John Hoffmann being chair-
man of the music committee. Miss Mabelle
I'hares is manager and E. B. Hill is secretary-
treasurer.
Another department just established in the
Starr store has been officially named the Bid-
die Brunswick. Shop. Richard Peavey, who
lias been placed in charge of this section, has
had much experience as a Brunswick man and
is well known to the trade. He is a former
announcer of WFBE and because of this he
lias a large following among radio fans.
Charles J. Meinberg, local manager for the
Starr Piano Co., and G. E. Hunt, manager of
retail sales, recently went to headquarters in
Richmond, Ind., where there also were company
representatives from Indianapolis, Dayton and
other cities. A feature of the visit was a
demonstration of the Glissando keyboard in
the Washington Theatre. There were also
experiments by Professor Foley, of the
Department of Acoustics of the Indiana State
University, located in Bloomington, who is con-
sulting acoustic engineer for the company,
which showed the scientific principles which
apply to the Starr Isosonic talking machine.
In speaking of the series of Duo-Art radio
recitals which are being" broadcast each
Wednesday evening from WSAI, a local sta-
tion, Otto Grau, head of the piano company
which bears his name, stated that the large
number of letters coming in show plainly that
the public is very much interested. At the
Grau stores, one of which is in Norwood, it
was stated that holiday business is developing
rapidly, with an increasing preference for
straight grands and small grands, as well as
for the more expensive talking machines and
combinations.
"Grands and small grands are the feature
at this time and the demand for these is in-
creasing," said William Graul, of the W. R.
Graul Piano Co. "We are having an unusual
amount of drop-in trade at this time and the
indications are that a fine holidav trade i«
developing," he continued. "Undoubtedly, peo-
ple are turning to the straight piano more and
more and it is fast becoming the 'style' to have
one, preferably a grand or a small grand. And,
incidentally, when a thing becomes the 'style'
with the women, they are going to buy it. But
willingness to purchase and ability to pay are
two different matters, and these are things the
trade must watch with great care."
At the executive offices of the Baldwin Piano
Co. it was stated that an increasing demand
is causing the factories to become more and
more rushed. In the retail department it was
reported that pianos are moving well and a
line holiday trade is developing. A fine demand
was also reported in the talking machine de-
partment.
At the store of the W. G. Woodmansee Piano
Co. it was reported that business is reviving
in a satisfactory way. "As I was out of busi-
ness for a long time, due to the fact that I
had to vacate my old store because the building
was tu be torn down, it is natural that I have
had to do much rebuilding of my own busi-
ness," explained Mr. Woodmansee. "But 1 am
gradually re-establishing myself and the out-
look is very encouraging. The prospects for
a fine holiday demand seem particularly bright."
"We are having an excellent trade at pres-
ent and as the holidays approach the demand
should be increased a great deal," was the
forecast of E. M. Abbott, head of the E. M.
Abbott Piano Co. "There is an unusual amount
of drop-in trade at this time, which, of course,
is a very gratifying state of affairs."
The Canfield Piano Co., of which Walter
Canfield is the head, has just received a carload
of Davenport & Treacy pianos, two of which,
a handsome grand and a diminutive Pixie, oc-
cupy the place of honor in the show window.
"The unusually hot weather of October did
much ti> keep down sales, but now that cold
weather is here our business has livened in
a fine way," stated Mr. Canfield. "Due to the
fact that purchasers are showing an increased
preference for the higher-priced instruments,
the amount of our average sale has shown a
gratifying increase."
At the store of the George P. Gross Co.
it was reported that all lines of music mer-
chandise, from pianos to small goods, are
moving in a satisfactory way. An increase over
the sales of the holidays of last year is con-
fidently expected by Mr. Gross and his
preparations have been made accordingly.
There is a gratifying increase in the demand
for the straight piano, especially in grands and
small grands, it was stated.
"Our piano sales are on the increase and
we are making good headway in that depart-
ment, although it is comparatively new," said
Louis H. Ahaus, proprietor of the Brunswick
Shop. "The talking machine market is livening
up in a fine way and records are selling like
the proverbial hot cakes. There is also a good
demand for radio, especially in the more ex-
pensive models."
Sudden Death of Fred
Brodeur in KanaS Citv
been at the store continuously up to the time of
his death.
Mr. Brodeur had been with the Wurlitzer
Co. for seven years, managing its store on
McGee street before coming into the new store
at 1015 Grand, the former Wunderlich Music
Co. store, a year ago last April. Previous to
his association with Wurlitzer's, Mr. Brodeur
had been with the Starck Piano Co., in Gary,
Jnd. He had been in the piano business for
a number of years.
Mr. Brodeur's home was formerly in Hart-
ford, Conn., where his mother, Mrs. A. Knee-
land, lives and also his daughter, Mrs. A. J.
Paquette, and his son, Norman Brodeur. His
brother, Henry Brodeur, also lives in Hartford.
Services for the employes of the store and
friends in Kansas City were held on Friday
afternoon, November 11, and the body was
taken to Hartford for burial.
Harry Metzel, attorney for the Rudolph Wur-
litzer Co., came from the home office to take
charge of the store until definite arrangements
can be made.
Neil A. Gray Writes
of Music in the Home
Neil A. Gray, of Boardman & Gray, the well-
known piano manufacturers and retailers of
Albany, N. Y., recently contributed a highly in-
teresting article on music in the home as a
modern necessity, which was published over his
signature in the Albany Times-Union. Mr. Gray
in his article showed the particular value of
musical instruments of various types as a part
of home equipment, the article being published
in the home section of the paper.
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Manager of Wurlitzer Co. Store in That City
a Victim of Heart Disease Long in Music
Trade
KANSAS CITY, MO.,
November 14.— Fred
Brodeur, manager of the Kansas City store of
the Wurlitzer Co., died suddenly of heart
disease on November 10. Mr. Brodeur was in
his office at the lime of his death and appar-
ently had no warning that the end was near.
He had complained of not feeling well, but had
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