Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
REVIEW
(Registered in the U. S. Patent Office)
Published on the First of the Month by
Federated Business Publications, Inc.
at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York
Publishers of Antiquarian, Automotive Electricity, India Rubber World, Materials
Handling & Distribution, Music Trade Review, Novelty News, Rug Profits, Sales Man-
agement, Soda Fountain, Radio Music-Merchant, Tires; and operates in association with
Building Investment, Draperies and Tire Rate-Book.
President, Raymond Bill; Vice-Presidents, J. B. SpilLane, Randolph Brown; Secretary
and Treasurer, Edward Lyman Bill; Comptroller, T. J. Kelly; Assistant Treasurer,
Wm. A. Low.
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, Editor
CAKLETON CHACE, Business Manager
F. L. AVERY, Circulation Manager
RAY BILL, Associate Editor
E. B. MUNCH, Eastern Representative
WESTERN DIVISION: FRANK W. KIRK, Manager
333 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Telephone: State 1266
Telephone: Lexington 1760-71
Cable: Elbill New York
DECEMBER, 1930
this representing a general decrease of forty-one per rent. The re-
port shows that there were 130,012 pianos produced in 1929 as
compared with 218,140 in 1927 and 306,584 in 1925. The esti-
mated value of the pianos produced during the three years were in
1929, $38,079,827; 1927, $67,210,775, and 1925. $93,676,977. Here
are some figures for the trade to consider.
Those who have ascribed the troubles of the piano trade to the
fall of the player piano from public favor, and they are in the
majority, will find substantiation in their claims in the census report
which shows that for 1925 143,831 upright players were made, the
number dropping to 76,447 in 1927 and to 19,022 in 1929. In this
item alone is represented a loss in production of approximately
125,000 instruments. This is particularly significant in view of the
fact that reproducing grands between 1925 and 1929 showed only
a comparatively small falling off in output.
The rise of the talking picture with its accompanying recorded
music is credited with causing the decline of pipe organs demand
which fell off to the extent of over $5,000,000 or over a third be-
tween 1927 and 1929, although reed organs held their own over the
period.
The production of orchestral instruments in 1929 was approxi-
mately one-third less than in 1927 and the production of string in-
struments fell off twenty-five per cent, although peculiarly enough,
percussion instruments showed a loss of only about ten per cent as
will be seen from the complete census report published elsewhere
in the Review.
•
In order to insure proper attention all communications should
be addressed to the publication and not to individuals.
Vol. 89
I
DECEMBER, 1930
12
Music Merchants or Junk Dealers
T is about lime some of the music dealers in this countrv
made up their minds whether they are going to be classed
as merchants or junk dealers; whether they are going to
devote their efforts to the placing of new instruments in homes, or
are content with selling and reselling used instruments that never
produce a profit but often kill the sale of new goods. Not only is
this devotion to the cause of clearing the floors of old pianos costly
to the dealer who engages in the practice, but it certainly is not cal-
culated to impress the public with the desirability and importance
of buying the best new instrument's within their means.
For example, a glance at the daily newspapers in any average
city or town will bring to light in the display advertising and in the
classified columns offers of pianos and player pianos "in perfect
condition" at prices ranging from $25 to $100. Members of the
trade and a large part of the public know that a perfect piano' can-
not be bought or sold for a few dollars, but what is happening to
the sale of new instruments as a result of such advertising? Those
in the trade who advocate that all used pianos that cannot be prop-
erly valued at over $100 for resale should be destroyed have the
right idea. The figure is low enough to protect the dealer in his
trade-in activities, and is certainly low enough for the public. A
piano that is not worth $100 certainly lends no dignity to the home.
This second-hand business is one of the real problems of the
industry today, and dealers who are following it as a line of least
resistance are fooling only themselves. It is about time to look for
a way out and to turn to the selling of new instruments which will
tend to recreate respect for the piano and more business.
1
i
What the Census Figures Show
HK Department of Commerce in co-operation with the
Bureau of Census has just issued a preliminary report
regarding the production of musical instruments in
1929 based on information gathered during the recent biennial
census of manufactures. Although the indicated dropping off of
production will come as no surprise to the trade, the figures should
be interesting as a basis of study, particularly as the industry itself
has no organized method for compiling such statistics.
The census figures indicate that there were musical instruments
of a total value of $60,901,137 (F.O.B. factory prices) delivered
in 1929 as compared to shipments valued at $99,689,293 in 1927,
The New Aeolian Co. President
HE election of William H. Alfring to the presidency
of the Aeolian Co. places at the head of that great in-
dustry a man who has lived with that particular busi-
ness for some three decades and has at his command a broad knowl-
edge of both selling and manufacturing problems. Mr. Alfring's
promotion represents proper recognition of long and faithful
service.
I
Peddlers of Pessimism
F travelers representing musical instrument houses should
receive any definite instructions before starting on their
trips, those instructions should include the admonition to talk-
optimistically or keep quiet, for. certainly the salesman who visits
the dealer's store and insists upon commenting on the dismal aspect
of business is not only talking himself out of an order, but is put-
ting the retailer in a bad frame of mind to the detriment of the
industry as a whole.
It is not to be expected that the traveler must wear a perpetual
grin and declare that everything is booming, but there are a suf-
ficient number of bright spots in the trade today to provide suitable
subjects for conversation if he will only take the trouble to look for
them and emphasize them. Let him talk about the houses that are
doing business, not simply the ones that are not.
Recently the writer had occasion to visit a dealer shortly after
he had received an invoice for several new pianos ordered from a
Western .factory. He had just been visited by a traveler from a
competing house who, failing to get an order, complained about
how badly he had found business everywhere, even naming concerns
that were not doing so well. The consequence was that the dealer
sat with the invoice in his hand, debating whether or not he should
endeavor to cancel the order, yet up to the time of the pessimist's
visit he had every reason to believe that he could find a ready mar-
ket in his own territory for the instruments. As a matter of fact,
he had been going, and is going, along making enough sales to give
him a very nice profit, and left alone or encouraged he will continue
to sell pianos without worrying about the other fellows. There
are many dealers like this one who are trying to sell rather than
complain, but they shouldn't have to listen to tales of woe from
other localities. The psychological effect is bad.