Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade 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, Wm. A. Low.
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, Editor
CARLETOII CHACE, Business Manager
W. H. MCCLEARY, Managing Editor
RAY BIIA, Associate Editor
F. L. AVERY, Circulation Manager
E. B. MUNCH, Eastern Representative
WESTERN DIVISION:
FRANK W. KIRK, Manager
E. J. NEALY
333 No. Michigan Avc, Chicago
Telephone: State 1266
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone: Main 6950
Cable: Elbill New York
Telephone: Lexington 1760-71
Vol. 87
August 25, 1928
Q
He Did His Job
AUGUST 25, 1928
The remarkable thing has been that this man, through lack of
familiarity with the piano trade, believed that player-pianos were
quite as salable as any other type Nobody told him differently,
so he proceeded to buy a couple of hundred players at an attrac-
tive price to be sure, and actually sold well over a hundred of
them within three months at prices representing close to $500 per
unit. He bought grands of quality in quantities that gave him a
good price and proceeded to sell them profitably. He held his
allowances to figures that did not endanger the profits made
through good buying. The result has been that he has been dis-
counting his bills and thus keeping in the good graces of the main
office where the ability to discount is held to be one of the funda-
mentals of good departmental management.
All this may not mean much to the piano merchant who follows
so closely along the beaten path that he finds his feet all too often
in a rut. Perhaps under other circumstances, too, this particular
merchandising man, with the cold idea that he could sell pianos
just as he could sell any other merchandise from draperies to
kitchen stoves, might have met with failure. But the fact remains,
however, that he was given old stock to dispose of to make way for
new and he did it. He was told to change the department from a
liability to an asset and he did that. He did not use any hocus-
pocus ; he knew nothing of precedent and accepted trade practices.
He simply got a job of merchandising to do and did it. Others in
the trade who have taken the same general view of piano selling
have found that the results justified their efforts.
No. 8
^ ^ ^ ^ O M E months ago a general merchandising man of wide
k
W experience, but not in particularly close contact with the
piano business, was called upon rather suddenly to take
charge of the piano department of a Western store and to make
an effort to put the department on a profitable basis. He could
not be said to be in the least familiar with the so-called intricacies
or with the traditions of the retail piano business, but despite that
handicap and through the application of sound merchandising prin-
ciples, he has managed to take his department out of the red into
the black, and is apparently going to keep it there.
When this man took charge he found that the inventory con-
sisted chiefly of used pianos on which exceedingly liberal allow-
ances had been made. He had been tra-ined in the school which
teaches that space occupied by slow-moving stock is wasted space,
and that it is sound business to move such stock at any price in
order to make room for merchandise that will show a turnover at
a profit. The result of this policy was that a trade-in stock of
nearly 300 pianos was cut to less than forty in a few months, even
though it means disposing of the instruments at prices represent-
ing a half, or even a third, or less, of the allowances made upon
them.
I
Group Instruction in Chicago
HE Chicago Piano & Organ Association is to be heart-
ily congratulated upon the success of its efforts in
persuading the authorities of the Chicago schools to
arrange for the adoption of group piano instruction beginning this
Fall. On previous occasions, members of the piano trade have de-
voted successful effort to bringing about the establishment of group
instruction in local schools, but the accomplishment of the Chicago
Association is outstanding in its importance.
It is a recognized fact that the larger the community the more
difficulties are experienced in persuading the authorities to take
definite action on concrete programs. In the case of group piano
instruction, for instance, it is one thing to establish such courses
experimentally in a half dozen schools, and quite another to carry
on the same work in a hundred schools, and to provide the means
of instruction for some half a million children. The Chicago
Association, through the medium of the competent committee ap-
pointed by President Roger O'Connor, has done a good job. It
not only means much for the cause of music and the piano in the
Western metropolis itself, but it should have a tremendous influ-
ence in aiding the cause of group piano instruction in many other
of the country's cities.
Canton Radio Show to
Open on October 6
Bauer pianos, Victor and Brunswick phono-
graphs, band instruments, musical merchandise
and sheet music
CANTON, O., August 18.—The Canton Radio
Dealers' Association will sponsor a fourth an-
nual radio show this year beginning October
6. This was decided at a meeting of members
of the association held here this week.
Officers for the coming year were elected as
follows: George C. Wille, president O. F. Deal
vice-president; H. B. Fisher, secretary and
treasurer. Howard Dine, Ben Allen, C. M.
Alford and Harold Moock, directors.
An exhibition and membership committee is
made up of Harold Moock, chairman; A. C.
Lister and George Strickmaker.
New Store in Chester
Buys Euclid Music Co.
CLEVELAND, O., August 17.—J. L. Goodman, who
has been engaged in the music business in
Cleveland for the past 10 years, has taken over
the Euclid Music Co., at 10,526 St. Clair avenue,
this city.
Edward Boon, proprietor of the Blue Bird
Music Shop, 6020 Lansdowne avenue, Philadel-
phia, Pa., has opened a new store at 119 South
Bjghth street, Chester, Pa., for handling radio.
The main store features musical merchandise
and phonographs in addition to radio.
Emmet W. Miller Chartered
Emmet W. Miller has been incorporated in
Plymouth, Wis., to deal in radios, musical mer-
chandise and autos. Capitalization is $25,000.
Incorporators include: F.mmet W. Miller, Fred
Goelzer and E. L. Alley.
H. L. deRemer, formerly connected with the
Dodge Music Co., Anacortes, Wash., which
closed out its business recently, has opened a
music store of his own in the same location.
Walker
New Store in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 20.—An additional
store is now being conducted by Mayer Walker,
at 2123 Germantown avenue, which extends the
business that has been established for some time
in the store at 2840 Germantown avenue. The
older house controlled by the Walker interest is
known as the Universal Music Store and is
directly under the management of the pro-
prietor. The newer house is being supervised
by B. Goldberg and carries a complete line of
rolls, sheet music and small goods, talking
machines and supplies.
To Close One Store
Jacob Goodman, who operates two stores in
Philadelphia, one at 4 North Eleventh street,
and the other at 4314 Lancaster avenue, is clos-
ing out the former store and after September 1
will confine his business to the Lancaster avenue
address.