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The Music Trade Review
JANUARY, 1931
The Review Takes Another Forward Step
Starting with the next issue, February, 1931, The
Music Trade Review will appear in the standard size ap-
proved by the Associated Business Papers, Inc., and rec-
ommended by the United States Department of Com-
merce. The type size of the page will be seven inches
wide and ten inches deep, and the all-over size of the
magazine nine inches wide and twelve inches deep. The
move, which is in accord with modern business paper prac-
tice, not only makes possible a more attractive publica-
tion, as well as one which will be more convenient to
handle, but at the same time effects a distinct saving for
advertisers.
With the change in size The Music Trade Review also
announces a new circulation policy under which we will be
able to guarantee a one hundred per cent coverage of
piano merchants and general music stores with a sound
business standing throughout the United States, something
that has never before existed in the music industry. The
lists of dealers are being expertly checked by Walter
Mann & Associates to insure accuracy. Mr. Mann Was
ers are on the lists of the various publishing houses to receive
music on approval. Only the more prominent teachers, however,
are on the majority of the lists and see the bulk of the new music,
and even they have the problem of finding time to go through the
mass. A library properly conducted and supported by the pub-
lishers would make available to teachers practically all teaching
music. It would aid them by giving them a wide range of choice
and should save the publishers thousands of dollars through the
discontinuance of the general practice of sending out music to
individual teachers.
The plan, it is true, is at present only in the form of a sug-
gestion, but the idea is one that might well be considered seriously
by the National music publishers' organization as to its practica-
bility for it seems to hold much promise.
A
Over 13,000000 Radios in Homes
for many years research director of the Association of
National Advertisers. His organization numbers among
its clients many of the largest concerns in the country.
In addition to every general music dealer The Review
will also be sent each month to representative depart-
ment store buyers of musical instruments, radio, and to a
large and selected list of representative concerns special-
izing in the sale of sheet music, musical merchandise, band
instruments and accessories.
Under the new plan, The Review will increase its out-
lay for editorial contents and the physical appearance,
including two-color covers, will establish a new standard
of excellence for music trade journals. The text proper
will go to the greatest possible lengths in supplying in-
formation and data that will help retail merchants build
back their piano and musical instrument business to real
normal sales and profits.
W e predict, with confidence, that The Review for
1931 will attain an editorial peak never before reached
by a business pap«r in the field.
approximately 4,000,000 sets during the year. At an estimated av-
erage price of $125 per set, this means sales of new sets during the
year amounting to some $500,000,000, without taking into considera-
tion the considerable number of replacements of electrically operated
sets in place of battery models, which some authorities claim amount-
ed to close to 1,000,000 sets alone. These figures would seem
to indicate that the troubles of the radio trade in the past year have
not been due to the public's lack of interest, but rather to over-
optimism in the matter of production. Four million radio sets
represent a lot of merchandise, but the demand is not equal to the
six million or more sets that the manufacturers insisted on produc-
ing. When the radio trade learns to view the market as it is
rather than as the manufacturers and dealers would like to see it,
there will be a cutting down in manufactured surplus and also in
distress merchandise.
CCORDING to the Department of Commerce figures,
based on trade reports, there were in the homes of the
United States on July 1 of last year 13,478,600 radio
receiving sets as compared with 9,500,000 on July 1, 1929, a-gain of
Watch for This!!
As The Review goes to press there are
being completed plans for the most exten-
sive promotional effort in the interest of the
piano and its playing that has ever (been
launched in the history of the industry.
The campaign in its various ramifications
will go to the homes of millions of people
throughout the country and will be de-
signed to bring the piano merchant and
music teacher in direct contact with these
millions.
Although the details have been carefully
thought out and practically whipped into
shape, they are not ready for publication
at the moment, but the entire campaign
will be set forth at length in the February
issue of The Review. It is the biggest
single movement ever to be launched in
the industry. Watch for it and be ready
to cooperate.
Year End Luncheon
of New York Piano Trade
The Year End Luncheon of the New York
piano trade which has now become an annual
institution of some eighteen years' standing,
was held on December 30 at the National Re-
publican Club and brought together close to
a half hundred of the veterans of the industry,
several of whom are now engaged in other fields
of activity but nevertheless welcome the op-
portunity of meeting with their piano trade
friends.
Richard W. Lawrence acted as toastmaster
and delivered a very commonsense talk on
conditions as they exist and promise to de-
velop. He declared that though there must
inevitably b-e a change for the better it might
be some time in coming, and that the individual
as well as the business man must regulate his
affairs in keeping with the situation, and where
possible, conserve his resources.
Other speakers included C. Alfred Wagner,
John J. Glynn, Mark P. Campell and Hermann
lrion, all of whom took occasion to express
confidence in the industry and its future, and
to explain that the confidence was based on
sound facts.
The details of the luncheon were, as usual,
handled by Albert Behning, A. Dalrymple and
Ren H. Janssen, although the latter two mem-
bers of the committee were unable to be pres-
ent.
Lester Pianos, Inc., Takes
Over Mallory Piano Co.
The Mallory Piano Co., Inc., Brooklyn and
New York, which operates seven stores in those
cities, has now become officially known as
Lester Pianos, Inc. of New York, with the
following officers: Henry Miller, president;
Jacob Schiller, vice-president; George Miller,
treasurer; and George W. Davis, secretary and
assistant treasurer.
The company handles in addition to the well-
known Lester pianos, such instruments as the
Leonard & Co., Cable & Son, and Schubert.
Under the new direction an intensive merchan-
dising campaign is planned for the coming year.