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News Number
REVIEW
VOL. 86. No. 9 Published Weekly. Federated Business Publications, Inc., 420 Lexington Ave., New York, N. Y., March 3 , 1 9 2 8
Single Copies 10 Cent*
92.00 Per Year
New Policy of American Piano
Is Formally Announced
Complete Line of Company to Be Placed With One Dealer in Ghas. R. Van Scoy Baldwin
Special Representative
a Territory, Including Mason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chick-
Appointed to Co-operate With Dealers in East-
ering, Fischer, Foster-Armstrong and Ampico
ern Territory in Meeting Their Merchandis-
ing Problems and Building Business
HE American Piano Co. this week made an official announcement of a new distributing
and merchandising policy which its board of directors has recently adopted, and which is
now being put in effect throughout the country.
The new plan brings the complete line of the company's instruments under the control of
a single dealer in a territory, who will feature the Mason & Hamlin, the Knabe, and the Chicker-
ing, together with the J. & C. Fischer and pianos of the Foster-Armstrong line completely cov-
ering the whole range of prices and marketable
styles. The franchise, of course, includes the Anton Hospe,/Veteran Music
Ampico.
Arrangements in pursuance of the new plan
Dealer of Omaha, Dies
have already been concluded in several cities,
the first being the appointment of Kohler & Passes Away in Sleep at Age of Seventy-four—
Had Been in Music Business in Omaha for
Chase as sole distributor for San Francisco,
announced last week.
Fifty-four Years
George Urquhart, president of the American
OMAHA, NEB., February 27.—A. Hospe, head of
Piano Co., in discussing the new policy said in
part: "The plan has been decided upon after the A. Hospe Co. of this city and Council
careful consideration and exhaustive examina- Bluffs, and one of the best-known music and
tion of the dealer structure throughout the art dealers in this section of the country, died
country. It has been approached with complete in his sleep at his home last Friday night from
confidence that the measure is one which will angina pectoris. He had put in one of his usual
greatly advance our business, through the larger busy days at his office, and after a pleasant
opportunity it provides for greater and more evening at home had retired early. When Mrs.
profitable sales volume for our dealers. The Hospe went to call him in the morning she
lively enthusiasm for the new project shown found him dead.
Mr. Hospe, who was seventy-four years old,
by representatives from many widely separated
sections of the country, who have been here was born, raised and educated in Cincinnati.
for consultation, increases our own conviction At an early age he became interested in music
that the plan provides for. the most successful and studied the piano and violin. Later he be-
came proficient as a gilder and worked at that
merchandising of our products.
"In almost every instance the dealers chosen trade in Chicago and other cities until 1874
to market our instruments are those who have when he came to Omaha, and with a total
represented us for many years in the larger capital of $65 engaged in the selling of pic-
cities. There are a few, however, for which the tures. Art did not prove highly interesting to
dealer has not yet been determined, and there the people of Omaha in those days, apparently,
are several in the smaller communities yet to and Mr. Hospe added a line of pianos and
other musical instruments. In this venture he
he appointed."
In a public statement issued last week, Mr. mot with great success, and found it necessary
Urquhart announced that the gross sales of the on several occasions to move to larger premises.
The deceased was active in civic, social and
American Piano Co. in January were well above
those for the corresponding month of 1927, fraternal affairs of the city, and particularly in-
and that the February sales were about $250,000 terested in promoting music and musical in-
terest. In addition to his widow he is survived
above those for the same month last year.
by a sister, a brother and two adopted daugh-
Bernard Abeler has opened a new piano store ters.
He was one of the oldest—-dealers in the
on North Main street, Lombard, 111., handling
a comprehensive line of instruments.
trade.
T
For the purpose of offering an additional
service to its dealers in trie Eastern territory,
the Baldwin Piano Co. has just appointed
Charles R. Van Scoy as special representative.
Mr. Van Scoy will work from the company's
New York headquarters at 20 East Fifty-fourth
street and will call on Baldwin dealers through-
out the East to assist them in building up their
business, wherever necessary. It will not be his
purpose to conduct special sales campaigns but
he will offer his services during his visit to
assist the dealer in putting his business on a
sound, fundamental basis and to analyze the
characteristics of the particular territory.
Mr. Van Scoy has had a wide experience in
the field of piano merchandising and with the
exception of a single year has been identified
with the Baldwin Piano Co., as traveling repre-
sentative since 1920. He was identified for about
a year with the sales staff of Leiter Bros., in
Syracuse, N. Y., where he makes his home.
Closes Pittsburgh Branch
PITTSBURGH, PA., February 27.—Chas. M. StiefF
Inc., has made formal announcement of its in-
tention to close the retail branch of the com-
pany at 819 Liberty avenue, of which Guy R.
Smith is manager. The Stieff line will be
handled in the territory through agencies. The
local branch has been in operation for over
twenty-five years.
Knabe Warerooms Move
The retail warerooms of Wm. Knabe & Co.,
together with the executive offices of the
American Piano Co., were moved this week to
the new Ampico Tower Building at Fifth
avenue and 47th street, where permanent head-
quarters will be maintained in the future.
F. R. Gilfoil, who resigned this week as treas-
urer of the American Piano Co. in order to
enter another line of business, has been suc-
ceeded in that post by Paul Quattlander.