Music Trade Review

Issue: 1928 Vol. 87 N. 12

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
The Music Trade Review
REVIEW
(Registered in the U. S. Patent Office)
Published Every Saturday by
Federated Business Publications, Inc.
at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York
President, Raymond Bill; Vice-Presidents, J. B. Spillane, Randolph Brown; Secre-
tary and Treasurer, Edward Lyman Bill; Assistant Secretary, L. B. McDonald;
Assistant Treasurer, Win. A. Low.

B. BRITTAIN WILSON, Editor
CARLETOrt CHACE, Business Manager
W. H. MCCLEARY, Managing Editor
RAY BILL, Associate Editor
F. L. AVERY, Circulation Manager
E. B. MUNCH, Eastern Representative
WESTERN DIVISION:
FJUUTK W. K I M , Manager
E. J. NIALT
333 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Telephone: State 1266
Telephone:
Vol. 87
I
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone: Main 6950
Lexington 1760-71
Cable:
Elbill New York
No. 12
September 22, 1928
The Possible Piano Shortage
T has not been so many years since it was a common occur-
rence for piano manufacturers and their representatives to
warn the dealer, about this time of the year, to place suffi-
cient orders to cover his requirements beyond the holiday season
on the claim that a shortage of pianos was in prospect, and unless
he took time by the forelock he was likely to lose sales because
sufficient instruments would not be available.
Even in those days the warning was regarded as a joke by
many dealers and they laughed right merrily, only to discover
about the first of December that the manufacturers had not been
simply crying wolf, but that it was really difficult to get pianos
as quickly as they were needed. It was the old story of trying to
force, beyond a certain point, a production that must be curtailed
for a number of months of the year because of seasonal buying.
This year the dealers are laughing again because some manu-
facturers and their travelers are predicting a piano shortage this
Fall. The dealers simply call attention to business conditions and
refuse to be serious about the warning. Yet they must take into
consideration the fact that in a majority of cases warerooms are
sadly understocked and have barely enough pianos to handle even
a poor run of sales, depending for replacements upon telegraphic
.orders.
It must be remembered, too, that many manufacturers have
refused to hold the bag during the past year or so, and have cur-
tailed production facilities right along the line. Even a slight spurt
of business between now and the first of the year is going to
mean that a great many manufacturers will be unable, and per-
haps unwilling, to speed up production to take care of a stimulated
demand that may be only temporary. This will mean that, for
Wisconsin Association
to Convene on October 2
MILWAUKEE, WIS., September 17.—The Wiscon-
sin Association of Music Merchants will hold
its annual meeting at the Milwaukee Athletic
Club on Tuesday, October 2. The meeting
this year will consist of a dinner and business
gathering, and the program of speakers is to
be announced later.
The date of the convention has been made
coincident with the Wisconsin Radio-Music
Exposition and the convention of the Wiscon-
sin Radio Trades Exposition, so that State
dealers belonging to both organizations may
be able to attend both of the conventions dur-
SEPTEMBER 22, 1928
the moment, at least the most popular styles of instruments will
be at a premium.
The ordinary dealer cannot be blamed for not warehousing
instruments on a chance that he may need them within the next
two or three months, but he should recognize the situation as it
exists, and in placing orders figure on a margin of safety that will
enable him to take care of the improved business that appears to be
in the offing. Anyway, an extra supply of pianos will stimulate
his sales organization to work just a little harder to move them.
So the plan has more than a single advantage.
A
Why the Carrying Charge
T the convention of the Music Merchants' Association
of Ohio, in Toledo, last week, Frazier Reams, a banker
of that city, offered a most logical explanation of the
necessity for the music dealer placing a carrying charge, in addi-
tion to interest, on all instalment accounts if he expected to real-
ize his rightful profit on his sales.
In substance Mr. Reams declared that under the instalment
plan the dealer was selling two distinct products, first, musical
instruments, and secondly, credit, and was as much entitled to a
fair profit on one as on the other. The man who buys on time,
he declared, must pay, and expects to pay for the privilege, for he
is spending not money on hand but unearned income, and realizes,
or can be made to realize, the fact that he is being granted credit
on an intangible.
The carrying charge has long been advocated in the music
industry, where, in many cases, it has been adopted with success
equal to that met with in other industries. In his discussion of
retail music store finances before the Ohio Music Merchants,
Mr. Reams presented some thoughts on the carrying charge and
other phases of financing that it would be well for many dealers
to study and digest.
1
^Studying the Problem of Distribution
HE announced intention of the Department of Com-
merce to give much attention to the study of retail
distribution and marketing with a view to gathering
information regarding distribution problems designed to prove of
real benefit to the small merchant is a matter of considerable gen-
eral interest, for what the department has already accomplished
with its surveys of the retail field has been enlightening in many
respects.
It is declared that mass production and the development of
the chain store have combined to bring about radical changes in
distributing conditions, changes that are not always readily under-
stood by the small independent merchant who must perforce learn
how to adopt himself to the new situation by the costly road of
experience. These new distributing problems are to be found in
the music trade just as they are in other industries, and it is to
be hoped that the information secured by the Government may be
of a practical character that can be utilized to good advantage by
those for whom it is intended.
Such matters as credit and delivery, gauging the potential
market, store location and planning, the training of the sales force,
and co-operative advertising, are all highly important in the retail
field. If the work of the Department of Commerce can help the
small retailer to guide his venture by the general experiences of
others, then he will enjoy a real advantage.
ing the one trip. Dealers will also have the
advantage of viewing the extensive displays at
the exposition, and of visiting radio, piano
and band instruments showings which will be
featured during the week.
Brodrib & Blair Buy
Woolley & More Business
MERIDEN, CONN., September
17.—The
ager. The business was established here nine
years ago by Thomas H. Woolley and Mr.
More was admitted to partnership in 1923. New
lines of musical instruments have been added
to the store, and alterations and expansion of
the warerooms are scheduled for the near
future.
Dissolve Partnership
Woolley
& More music house, located at Main and
Colony streets, has been purchased by Brodrib
& Blair, Inc., of Waterbury, New Haven and
New Britain. The store will be operated as
the fourth branch of the chain and Willard H.
More, of the old firm, will be retained as man-
A. W. Silversteen and S- M. Silversteen,
operating a music and jewelry store at 254
South Main street, Akron, O., have dissolved
partnership and have asked the court to appoint
a receiver to sell the business as a going con-
cern.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
SEPTEMBER 22, 1928
The Music Trade Review
Lee S. Roberts Now Member
of Sherman, Clay Staff
Will Work on Duo-Art Sales and Broadcasting — Company Mak-
ing Many Sales to Theatres and Hotels—Heine
Piano Co. Opens New Branch
Victor Dealers See New
Products in Philadelphia
Nearly 1,000 Retailers From Philadelphia Dis-
trict Attend the Display and Demonstration
of New Products in That City Last Week
PHILADELPHIA, PA., September 17.—Several hun-
dred dealers in the Philadelphia territory at-
tended the meeting held at the Bellevue-Strat-
ford Hotel, on Monday, at which the new auto-
matic Victrolas, including Electrolas and Radi-
ola combinations, were displayed and demon-
strated under the auspices of the Victor Co. in
co-operation with its local distributors, the
Philadelphia Victor Distributors, Inc., and H.
A. Weymann & Son, Inc. Luncheon was served
between the morning and afternoon sessions,
and in the evening the dealers were the guests
of the' Victor Co. and the wholesalers at a
banquet.
The sessions were attended by President E.
E. Shumaker, of the Victor Co.; Edward Mar-
ket, Philadelphia representative of the company;
E. L. Richardson, Southeastern district sales
manager, and Lloyd >Egner, all of whom took
a part in the program. The distributors were
represented by Louis Buehn, president; Harry
A. Ellis, vice-president; Frank Reinick, secre-
tary; Raymond Boldt, record manager, and
others of the Philadelphia Victor Distributors,
Inc., together with Herbert Weymann, A. E.
Weymann, Chas. W. Bahl, Walter Macht and
members of the H. A. Weymann & Son's staff.
AN FRANCISCO, CAL., September 13.—Lee S. Roberts is now with Sherman, Clay & Co.'s
piano department, helping with sales of the Duo-Art and also assisting in the firm's broad-
casting activities. Mr. Roberts, who is known throughout the country as a song composer,
has during the past few years devoted much of his time and activity to piano merchandising.
In announcing Mr. Roberts' new connection with Sherman, Clay & Co., Harald Pracht, retail
piano sales manager for the company in San Francisco, mentioned at the same time that Sher-
man, Clay & Co. have just sold two Steinway
grand pianos to the Pantages Theatre. The proprietor of the Union Music Co., said that
Mark Hopkins Hotel, one of the features of demand is good with him, radio being the best
the city's downtown skyline, has just purchased line at present, but the outlook is promising.
its thirteenth Brambach baby grand piano. The L. F. Goelzlin, proprietor of the Pacific Music
Brambachs are installed in the de luxe suites Co., said that he considers the Fall outlook
promising for business. At present there is a
of the hotel.
great deal of interest in the various lines of
Baldwin Co. to Feature Its Tenor
The sixth annual San Francisco grand opera portable phonographs reported by the dealers
season opens on Saturday evening next in the in those lines.
new Dreamland Auditorium. The opening bill is
"Aida" with Edward Johnson singing Rha-
dames. This tenor uses and endorses the Bald- Instrumental Instruction
win piano, and the Baldwin house here is pre-
for Milwaukee Schools
paring to feature Johnson as a Baldwin artist
The Weidelman Music Store, Hancock, Mich.,
in its advertising, and also to give him quite a School Board Arranges for Instruction in Piano,
formerly the McLogan-Pearce Music Store, has
liberal amount of publicity on the programs of
Band and Orchestra Instruments at Ten been entirely remodeled and redecorated.
the grand opera season.
Cents a Lesson
Radio Trade Associations All Helping
National Radio Week, September 17 to 22,
MILWAUKEE, WIS., September 17.—School music,
will have the stars and the entire Eastern pro- both through the organization of bands and
ceedings relayed to the Pacific Coast through the organization of classes, is perhaps the
the Pacific Radio Trade Association, all having greatest factor for the ultimate development of
contributed. Locally the programs will be sales by the music dealers, according to a con-
broadcast from KPO and KGO.
sensus of the trade here.
According to practically all the music dealers,
The piano men, managers of band instrument
interest in radio continues very good, and radio departments and small goods sections in local
sales are quite brisk. Attendance at the Pacific music houses, all have expressed the thought
Radio Show, given in August at the Civic Au- that this season will see more work than ever
ditorium, under the auspices of the Pacific done for the promotion of music business
Radio Trade Association, had a 35 per cent through the schools, and more necessity than
greater attendance than that of last year. Dur- ever for such work. Band instrument depart-
ing the week the show remained open there ment men are noting that with the mechanical
were some 75,000 people in attendance, and it music used in connection with moving pictures
is computed that of these 50,000 were paid ad- and decreasing the number of theatre orches-
missions.
tras the idea of selling orchestral music for
HIGH QUALITY
the_ home is the central thought which will be
Mechanical Expert Makes Long Trip
used.
Fred C. Buell, mechanical expert for the
SKILLED WORKMAN-
Welte Mignon (Licensee) action, has just re-
Strong support and co-operation have been
turned to headquarters of the Western Piano accorded to the plan of the Milwaukee school
SHIP and
Corp., from an 8,000-mile automobile trip board b> which music lessons in piano, violin,
which was one of business and pleasure com- and band and orchestral instruments will be
FINE MATERIALS
bined. Leaving San Francisco, Mr. Buell vis- given in the graded and high schools of the
ited Los Angeles, and then swung northeast, city at a nominal lesson cost.
found in all
traveling via Denver, Col., Montana and the
Musical instruction in these instruments will
Pacific Northwest.
be given at ten cents a lesson, or $2 for a
PRATT READ
semester course of 20 weeks. Instruction in
Heine Piano Co. Opens New Branch
wind
instruments
will
be
given
in
the
Roosevelt
Miss Zona Browne, piano sales manager for
PRODUCTS
the Heine Piano Co., has returned this week Junior High School each Saturday morning;
and
piano
and
violin
lessons
from
3.30
to
5
from Los Angeles, where she acted as manager
for the branch of the Heine Piano Co., at 140 o'clock in the afternoon any day during the
South Broadway, during the regular manager's week, and at any school where enrolment war-
vacation. She was encouraged on her first day rants it. Additional classes will be conducted
there by the sale of three new pianos, all Saturday mornings in the Fourth street school.
Write u* NOW
to people who "dropped in." Miss Browne is
The requirements for the course, in Milwau-
quite enthusiastic for the outlook of a new kee, are that any child must be at least nine
branch which the company opened at 1511 years old before he may enroll. A siaff of
Western avenue, Los Angeles, while she was forty instructors under the direction of Her-
in that city. This branch, which is situated in man F. Smith, director of public school music,
a desirable residence district, is carrying Henry will teach the classes.
PRATT, READ & CO.
F. Miller pianos, Gabler pianos and other Heine
As soon as any child becomes more than
1804
Piano Co. lines. The new branch was opened average in proficiency he will be allowed to
last Monday. ,
play in bands and orchestras which will be
The Pratt Read Player Action Co.
organized in the schools. During the last
Dealers More Optimistic
Several of the well-known music merchants semester more than 2,000 boys and girls were
Deep River, Conn.
of this city take quite an optimistic outlook enrolled in classes and more are expected dur-
regarding the coming season. D. A. Hennessey, ing the term just started.
S
GRAND
KEYS
ACTIONS
PLAYERS

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