Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
CHICAGO AND THE MIDDLE WEST
Frank W. Kirk, Manager, 333 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago
M. J. Kennedy Named Sales
Manager for Radio Jobber
Well-Known Member of Music Trade Takes
Important Post With Chicago Wholesale
House
CHICAGO, III., December 10.—Matt J. Kennedy
has been appointed sales manager of C. S. Tay,
Inc., 17 South Des Plaines street, Chicago, dis-
tributors of the Bosch radio, DeForest and
Cunningham radio tubes, Jensen Dynamic
speaker and Carryola portable talking machines.
In joining C. S. Tay, Inc., Mr. Kennedy re-
enters the wholesale trade and brings to the
company wide experience in wholesale as well
as retail merchandising.
Mr. Kennedy has been connected with the
music trade for the past twenty-five years and
was for many years local wholesale piano repre-
sentative with headquarters in the Republic
Building, Chicago. He is also familiar with
retail radio merchandising, for previously to
joining C. S. Tay, Inc., Mr. Kennedy conducted
a retail music business. He was secretary and
prominently identified with the National Asso-
ciation of Piano Merchants for several years
and has taken an active interest in local as
well as national trade movements.
C. S. Tay, Inc., was formerly known as the
Tay Sales Co., and is one of the oldest radio
distributors in the city. The company has en-
joyed a steady growth and do-es a large busi-
ness with the music trade.
Radio Technicians Needed
MILWAUKEE, WIS., December 11.—The Wiscon-
sin Radio Trade Association has announced that
there is need for many radio service men to
fill various positions throughout the State, and
that those seeking these positions will be given
an examination each Tuesday morning at 421
Twenty-seventh street. Advance notice must
be given to the Wisconsin Radio Trade Asso-
ciation offices in the Kessclman Building at
Broadway and Mason streets.
Eschenbaum Buys Store
Wm. Eschenbaum, of LaSalle, 111., has pur-
chased the stock and business of Grove's Music
store, 633 Second street, that city, and plans to
open a conservatory in connection with the
store. Arthur Groves, from whom he bought
the business, has become manager of the music
department of McFarland & Co., Burlington, la.
Buys Sohmer Grand
C. L. Sleininger, advertising manager of
Bremer-Tully Manufacturing Co., has pur-
chased a Sohmer grand from the Bissell-
Weiscrt Co., Chicago.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
L
U
D
A. G. Gulbransen Discusses Prosperity in
Country and Piano Trade Conditions
Industrial Leader Points Out Much Constructive Work Must Be Done to Build Up
the Instrument in Public Eye
By A. G. GULBRANSEN, President Gulbransen Company, Chicago
HpHE President of the United States, in his more prices and terms. The piano merchant
final annual message to the people of this has set for himself a mark to shoot at that is
country, refers to the unprecedented prosperity far, far away. Ordinarily that would be a very
that the country is enjoying at the present time. commendable thing. But in this case he first
He points out in detail the economic factors shot at the mark of two-year terms, but that
that are responsible for the well-being of our didn't satisfy him. So lie shot at a new mark
people in this day.
and that was the one of three years. Still not
But, picking up a metropolitan daily news- satisfied, he drew his arrow back a little farther
paper and glancing over its piano advertising, and hit the four-year mark, and now some of
one gains the impression that the people of them are advertising that they have hit the five-
this nation are poverty-stricken.
year mark. Down payments have been mis-
Apparently their purses are so slim that they handled in the same way.
cannot be expected to place more than a very
On the one hand, the President of the United
few dollars down on the purchase of a piano. States comments on the outstanding prosperity
Terms, furthermore, must apparently run of the people. On the other hand, the piano
from two and one-half to five years. Yes, there merchant advertises year after year to a people
is no question but that the people are in a who are apparently poverty-stricken. Who is
very bad way!
correct?
There is inconsistency somewhere, and I think
I know where it is. Low down payment and
long terms have come to be a habit with the
piano dealer. You may turn over the pages of
a daily newspaper any day of the week, any
week of the year, one year to another, and you Finds Good Demand for Grands and Uprights
will find the same piano advertising staring you
With Smaller Size Instruments Predomi-
in the face. You will find the same headlines,
nating
the same offers told in the same old way.
Many of the piano dealers and manufacturers
NEWCASTLE, IND., December 10.—H. Edgar
seem not only to have the idea that the people French, president of the Jesse French &
of this nation are poverty-stricken, but that Sons Piano Co., of Newcastle, Ind., recently
they will respond to a hackneyed appeal.
returned from an extensive automobile tour
Merchants in other lines are constantly offer- accompanied by Mrs. French, Mrs. Jesse
ing the public something new in the way of a French, Jr., and Mrs. Jesse French, Sr. The
product in the way of utility. They apparently party drove across Kentucky to Abingdon, Va.,
go on the basis that the public has intelligence. to visit Mr. French's daughter, who is attend-
Not so, however, with many of the piano ing the Martha Washington College. A beauti-
houses. If the public has an impression that ful trip was taken across the Cumberland Gap
pianos have little value, that they can be bought section, stops were made at Elizabethton,
for practically nothing, there is no one to blame Kingsport, Tenn.; Bristol, Tenn.; Athens, Tenn.,
for that impression except the piano trade it- and Atlanta.
self. Apparently everything is being done to
From Atlanta the party went to Montgomery,
tear down values. Very little is being done to Ala., where Mr. French went on South by train
build up the thoughts that the piano is the to Mobile and returned via Memphis and Nash-
basic musical instrument for the home, that ville, while the ladies drove home.
piano study helps children, that there are new
In speaking of his observation of the piano
styles, new colors, new types of instruments business Mr. French said: "I found practically
for the modern home, that a new era of beauty all dealers reporting that sales of grand and
in pianos is here now.
upright pianos were fair with the smaller size
The advertising man who sits down to write instruments predominating. Upon my return I
copy finds a greater number of points about found a corresponding condition in our own
which to write concerning the piano than of shipping department except that our Italian
probably 90 per cent of the other commodities and Hepplewhitc models are selling better than
on the market. There are many different angles they are in the Southern cities."
of approach—sound, constructive thoughts that
appeal to the emotions and logic of people.
Any product that has the ability to touch
the emotional side of people has a very distinct
advantage.
Practically none of this is made use of in
are far more than
retail advertising. The cry is price, terms and
merely good plates.
H. E. French Visits Piano
Merchants in Southland
Badger Brand Plates
W
I G
They are built cor-
rectly of the best
material and finish,
and are specified by builders of quality
pianos.
Grands—Uprights—Player Pianos—Reproducing Pianos
American Piano Plate Co.
of the Highest Quality in Straight and Period Models
Manufacturers BADGER BRAND Grand and
Upright Piano Plates
Ludwig & Co*, 136th St, and Willow Ave-, New York
Racine, Wisconsin
11