Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 17, 1927
The Music Trade Review
"Make This a Musical Christmas" Is
Slogan of the Milwaukee Music Dealers
And the Slogan Is Steadily Being Turned Into the Reality of Sales in the Music
Stores of This City—Page Radio Studios Open New Store
% MILWAUKEE, WIS., December 12.—"Make
1V1 This a Musical Christmas" is the aim of
local music stores which are devoting much
advertising and store promotion to featuring
musical instruments and merchandise as the
most suitable Christmas gift.
"Musical merchants have one of the best op-
portunities to sell instruments for Christmas
gift purposes, over all other merchandise, be-
cause they are something which afford not only
immediate pleasure, but are an assurance of
providing much of the finest kind of enjoyment
for the future," said one prominent local dealer.
"Through the medium of parent-teachers'
associations and other adult groups interested
in education and in the direction of young peo-
ple to proper use of leisure time, and through
the work which has been done in women's
organizations on study of correct toys, etc.,
for young people, the general public is becom-
ing conscious of the need of purchasing gifts
which will actually be of some benefit to the
recipient and at the same time give him pleas-
ure."
"Nothing will do this as much as the musical
instrument, which is going to give the child
active enjoyment during his present years and
during his whole life," this dealer continued.
"The intensive work on music which is being
carried on in the public and private schools
throughout the country has interested practical-
ly every child in music, and it is safe to say
there is hardly one who has not a musical in-
strument who does not wish that he had one.
"With these most important factors in any
demand present in the music trade situation
I see no reason why stores should not get a
good amount of business on this score. Re-
ports from the department stores indicate that
all kinds of toy musical instruments are selling
very well for Christmas. Does this not indi-
cate a genuine and basic demand which it would
be well for every music dealer to work on and
io meet?"
At the Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co. store Henry
M. Steussy, vice-president and general man-
ager, stated that December business is continu-
ing to keep up to the remarkable records set
by November sales, and that pianos and radios
;ire going ahead in a very satisfactory manner.
Mr. Steussy is emphatic on the point that the
music store is the logical place for radios lines,
because without music the radio would not be
the powerful medium which it is. Knowledge
of merchandising radios, and of service and
selling problems, and how to meet them is
best obtained by the smaller dealer in faithfully
attending his trade organizations, he maintains.
At the Flanner-Hafsoos Music House, Inc., it
is stated that piano business is going at a good
rate, and that radios and band instrument
business is exceptional. The Flanner-Hafsoos
Co. is having considerable inquiry on the Kel-
logg line, which it has taken on, and there is
very good activity on the Cascade.
In the band instrument department A. J.
Niemiec stated that while the number of "drop-
ins" is considerably under last year, there is
not so much shopping around and more actual
buying. It is more necessary to go after the
interest of people, but all who do come in buy,
and during November buying of band instru-
ments shattered all records.
Grand business is showing more activity, ac-
cording to A. C. Schroeter, of Gimbel Bros,
piano department, but there is less activity in
reproducing grands, and player business has
fallen off. There is a considerable call for
second-hand uprights, but the players have not
been in demand. Roll business in the upstairs
department of the store has fallen off in con-
sequence, but roll business in the basement
store is holding its own and showing good
gains over last year. The foreign trade of the
city which patronizes the basement store ex-
tensively makes up the majority of buyers in
this department and buys in large amounts of
both regular and sales stocks of rolls, Mr.
Schroeter stated.
A good demand for grands and reproducing
pianos is noted at the Luebtow Music Co. store,
3805 North avenue. The store features Kranich
& Bach, Hazelton Brothers and Schumann
pianos. Radio business in this store has been
exceptionally good, it is stated.
*
The Luebtow Music Co., which is prominent
in the activities of the Wisconsin Association
of Music Merchants and in other trade and
business organizations, is co-operating in the
Christmas plan of the North Avenue Advance-
ment Association with good success. Member
stores of the Association give certificates with
every dollar's worth of merchandise purchased,
and they are deposited in boxes provided in
each store. The certificates are good in cash at
any of the member-merchants' stores.
There is good activity on pianos, radios and
phonographs, according to Hugh M. Holmes,
vice-president and sales manager for the J. B.
Bradford Piano Co. store. The demand for
pianos has been keeping up at a good rate,
while radios in the higher-priced sets have been
going ahead consistently. There is further in-
terest on these items and on phonographs with
the opening up of Christmas business, which has
begun in a satisfactory manner, Mr. Holmes
states.
Local music dealers will participate in the
second semi-annual "All Wisconsin Day in Mil-
waukee," which will be held in Milwaukee on
January 14. While one of the primary objects
of the day is to aid merchants in clearing
stocks before opening on the spring season, a
number of houses will also take opportunity
of showing new lines of merchandise. The day
has been set for Saturday in contrast to the
former event which was held on Monday, July
11. Saturday has been named so that school
children may accompany their parents shopping,
and merchants intend to feature musical instru-
ments and pianos particularly to attract people
to buy on this score.
Merrill J. Page, Inc., Radio Studios, featuring
a complete line of Kellogg, Kolster and Radi-
ola products, has opened up a new radio shop
at 4807 Center street, featuring radios and ac
cessories. The first store of the company is
located at Third and Center streets.
Edmund Gram, of Edmund Gram, Inc., ha-
announced the engagement of his daughter,
Miss Lois Gram, to George Downing, of Mil-
waukee.
Attractive New Catalog
of Krakauer Art Models
Effective Pen-and-ink Sketches of a Half-Dozen
of Krakauer Bros. Period Styles Presented in
Volume Just Issued
Krakauer Bros, have just issued a new catalog
• if art models that is unique in several respects,
and chiefly for the lack of the descriptive mat-
ter that is usually printed with each individual
instrument. In the introduction it is stated that
various models are supplied in different sizes
and in a variety of finishes, and then there are
shown drawn in pen and ink against appro
priate backgrounds the Colonial, Early Ameri-
can, William and Mary, Queen Anne, Louis XV
and Louis XVI Krakauer small grands.
The catalog itself is printed on deckle paper
uncut, which means that four pages are utilized
tor the presentation of a single illustration. The
effect, however, is rich and artistic, and well
in keeping with the products that are illustrated.
Miessner Issues Xmas
Carols Arrangements
President of Miessner Piano Co. and Institute
of Music Issues Arrangements of Six Yule-
tide Compositions
W. Otto Miessner, president of the Miessner
Piano Co. and of the Miessner Institute of
Music, whose Melody Way of piano instruction
is widely known throughout the trade, and is
proving of great cultural benefit to the young
people of the United States as well as of sales
value for the dealer, now appears in a new role.
He has made a special piano arrangement of
six famous and well-liked Christmas carols.
These have been sung by millions of people
and by many generations, because all of them
are of venerable age, but all will unquestionably
be sung and played so long as Christmas is
kept as a feast by the world.
This new arrangement contains some novel
elFects and the pianistic qualities are strikingly
emphasized. Particularly interesting are the
canonic imitations in "Stille Nacht" (Silent
Night), "Good King Wencaslas," and "The
Three Kings."
These could unquestionably be handled to
advantage by the piano merchant at this sea-
son of the year, because whether he uses the
Melody Way or not the new pianistic arrange-
ment of these six Christmas carols will find
many buyers.
Want Retail Merchandising
and Credit Investigated
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 12.—An appro-
priation of $50,000 for a national investigation
of retail merchandising and credit by the Bu-
reau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce was
asked last week by representatives of the Na
tional Retail Credit Association of the House
appropriations sub-committee in charge of the
Department of Commerce money bill for tin-
fiscal year beginning July 1, next.
There is a great need for more definite in-
formation regarding credit conditions through
out the country which cannot be secured
through the usual business channels, the sub
committee was told. Much valuable informa
tion could be secured by the proposed research
work as to credit conditions and merchandising
methods in retail business, as a result of which
steps could be taken toward the elimination of
waste in retailing.
H. W. Wert New Kimball
Manager in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, MO., December 12.—Harry W.
Wert has been appointed manager of the Kan-
sas City store of the W. W. Kimball Piano Co.
Mr. Wert was formerly sales manager for the
Pearson Piano Co., of Indianapolis. He was
with J. W. Jenkins for eleven years, acting as
manager of their branch store in Jopliti for
^even years. Mr. Wert was president of th.-
Indianapolis Music Dealers Association while in
Indianapolis and was also president of the Penn-
sylvania Street Merchants' Association in that
city.
J. D. Mahaffey, former manager, is opening
a piano store in Cameron, Mo., on December 1.
Mr. Mahaffey is staying with the Kimball Co.
and will handle a complete Kimball line.
The E. J. Austin Piano Co., 1121 Dorr street,
Toledo, O., dealing in pianos and other musical
instruments, has filed a petition in bankruptcy.
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