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DECEMBER 17, 1927
Philadelphia Merchants to Consider
Establishing Permanent Melody Way Work
Base Piano Co. to Handle Line of the Straube Piano Co.—Estey Opens Temporary
Offices—Milton Tom Thumb Pianos Prove Popular Sellers
PHILADELPHIA, PA., December 13.—
Owing to the demands on the time of the
dealers there will be no December meeting of
the Philadelphia Piano Dealers' Association un-
til after holiday business is disposed of. It is
expected that the question of a permanent
Melody Way Studio will be taken up after the
Christmas season is past. The Association is
active in promoting a permanent studio in a
central city location where the Melody Way
method can be continued indefinitely in order
to stimulate an interest in pianos. Action on
this problem was taken at the November meet-
ing when President G. C. Ramsdell appointed
a committee to take the question up with the
various dealers and report their view? on the
establishment of such a studio at the post-
holiday session of the organization.
To Handle Straube Pianos
With the new year the Base Piano Co., Inc.,
1115-1117 Girard avenue, will make effective its
present plans to develop the business by the
extension of its lines of pianos and the en-
largement and modernizing of its home. It is
the intention of the head of the firm, Jacob
Rosenfelt, to add the instruments made by the
Straube Piano Co. of Hammond, Ind. The
fiont of the store will be converted into at-
tractive display windows while the interior will
be extended to the rear.
Temporary Offices for Estey
With the closing of the Philadelphia store
of the Estey Piano Co., at Seventeenth and
Walnut streets, the firm has acquired tem-
porary offices in the Jefferson Building, pending
the clearing of its local business. The main
portion of pianos were shipped to the New
York headquarters for disposition under the
receivership, while the local auctioneers,
Samuel Freeman & Sons, disposed of by
auction several used instruments during the
past week. The offices in the Jefferson Build-
ing, under the former manager of the local
store, E. M. Davis, will be continued until De-
cember 15. The Estey Organ Co., which is
not connected with the Estey Piano Co., but
which formerly occupied office space in the
Estey Building, at Seventeenth and Walnut
streets, will continue the sale of the Estey
organs in the Packard Building, under C W.
Bowers, the local manager.
New Bay Grand Shown
Quaker City piano dealers have been highly
pleased with the new baby grand pianos which
;he H. C. Bay Piano Co. has been introducing
to the dealers within recent days. Julian
Meyer, who represents the Bay Co., made the
rounds of the local dealers last week showing
the new baby grand.
Tom Thumb Pianos Popular
A popular holiday piano for the juvenile gift
has been the Tom Thumb pianos made by the
Milton Piano Co. and >old by G. C. Ramsdell
& Sons, 127 South Twelfth street. The Rams-
dell Co. has been featuring these for the holi-
days and many were disposed of to students
who were formerly enrolled in the Melody
Way classes in that store as Christmas gifts.
Another very popular piano is the Laffargue
apartment-size instrument.
The Philadelphia trade welcomed in the past
week C. Albert Jacob, Jr., of Jacob Bros., piano
manufacturers, New York, whose pianos now
are featured by several of the local dealers.
Lew Rogers, who represents the Brambach
I'iano Co., of New York, called on the local
dealers and particularly G. Herzberg & Son,
2042 Chestnut street, local retailer of the Bram-
bach pianos.
A trip to the metropolis and a visit to Stein-
way Hall was made by President August von
11
The Music Trade Review
Bernuth, of N. Stetson & Co., Philadelphia,
distributors of the Steinway pianos, during the
latter part of the week. The Stetson Co. has
been featuring in its window display the new-
est of Steinway grands in the Queen Anne
style and listed as Style M.
A. D. McClenaghan, sales manager for the
F. A. North Co., with its chain stores in vari-
ous sections of Pennsylvania and with head-
quarters here, was a visitor at the new store
of the company recently opened in Altoona, Pa.,
at 1200 Eleventh street.
I resident Florence J. Heppe, of C. J. Heppe
& Son, who has been confined to his home
for the past few weeks, is again able to be at
his desk, having returned to business last week.
Rnabe Grand for Shrine
Auditorium in Los Angeles
Instrument Occupies Prominent Position in Im-
mense New Theatre Opened Recently in That
City at Cost of $2,500,000
Los ANGELES, CM.., December 8.—In the Shrine
Civic Auditorium, this city, which is said to be
thorough canvassing of each section in which
he works, winning the confidence of the pros-
pect, coupled with the representation of a line
of pianos which gives complete satisfaction.
To The Review this week Mr. Rosen said,
"About one out of every twenty people whom
I sell pianos wants to see the instrument before
it is delivered to his home. First, it is im-
portant that a salesman win the confidence of
the prospect, and secondly that he represent a
line which in every way will give satisfaction
when the pianos are placed in the home. I
have always made it a habit to go right out
on the firing-line and canvass a territory
thoroughly. After all there is no better system
than the old-fashioned door-to-door canvass.
By being persistent in this respect, a man is
bound to discover real live prospects which
can be turned into purchasers.
"Another important factor in selling pianos
is not to forget the customer after he is sold.
Strengthen his confidence in you by keeping in
touch with him after the piano is in the home
and make it a point to see that he is absolutely
satisfied in every respect. In this way you will
not only build good will, but invariably find
that this satisfied purchaser will some day lead
you to another sale."
The fact that Mr. Rosen won the prize offered
by the Standard Pneumatic Action Co. was
used in newspaper and circular display adver-
tising in connection with the Glen Cove, L. I.,
store, in which a photograph of the.check re-
ceived from the Standard Pneumatic Action Co.
and that of Rosen, together with illustrations
of Janssen pianos and the Janssen factory,
were used. The local newspaper also devoted
considerable space to Mr. Rosen's success and
he received liberal comment also in the columns
of the Bronx Home News, New York.
GRAND
KEYS
ACTIONS
PLAYERS
of tk«
Shrine Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles
the largest fully equipped theatre in the world,
a new Knabe grand furnished by the Fitzgerald
Music Co. occupies a prominent position in the
orchestra pit.
The auditorium stage, which is.72 x 192 feet,
is four times larger than any other stage in Los
Angeles, and can accommodate any stage pro-
duction thus far attempted. Its great size per-
mits of the seating of 1,200 people on the stage
in addition to those in the orchestra and bal-
cony. The total cost of the structure, including
land, building and equipment, was approximately
$2,500,000.
Dinner Tendered to
Standard Pneumatic Winner
HIGH QUALITY
SKILLED WORKMAN-
SHIP and
FINE MATERIALS
found in all
PRATT READ
PRODUCTS
Write us NOW
First Prize Winner in Player-Piano Selling
Contest of That Firm Tells Secret of His
Success
A dinner was recently tendered J. T. Rosen
of the Janssen Piano Co. who won the first
prize of $1,000 in the Standard Pneumatic Ac-
tion Co.'s player-piano selling contest. Mr.
Rosen, who is now connected with the Glen
Cove, L. I. store of the Janssen Piano Co., at-
tribute^ his success as a salesman to the
PRATT, READ & CO.
Established 1806
The Pratt Read Player Action Co.
Deep River, Conn.