Music Trade Review

Issue: 1941 Vol. 100 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 1941
Ask yourself a few of these questions
W
TRAD
siasm at their accomplishments during 1940, there must be
no thought in any minds that they can sit back on their
laurels and coast along. If anything, now is the time for
greater sales effort, more forceful advertising and a greater
effort to see to it that the younger generations are educated
to the importance of the piano. To build a great future for
the piano means a constant educational program of the
generations which are growing up. Keep the young folks
playing the piano with their hands and the steady growth
of the industry is assured.
HAT about those New-
Year's resolutions?
Have
you looked at yourself in the
mirror and said to yourself: "Well,
old boy what are you going to do in
1941 to improve yourself and your
business? Not only how to keep the
wheels running smoothly but also
how to make a legitimate profit is
your worry. So ask yourself a few
Be Glad You're
questions like these:
Would change of location bring in the U.S.A.
ORD has come from England that the govern-
me more business, or does my pres-
ment
proposes to limit the production of musical
ent store need remodeling and re-
instruments
during the next 6 months to 25% of
decorating?
the
value
of
the
output
from December 1st, 1939 to May
Cdrlelon Chace
Does my prospect list need a
31st,
1940,
an
output
which
could be produced by one
thorough checking over?
single
factory,
so
far
as
pianos
are concerned. Let us hope
Am I doing enough and the right kind of advertising?
that
this
country
will
never
become
involved to the extent
Am I entering the musical activities of the community
of
affecting
the
American
piano
industry.
But, such possi-
enough?
bilities
are
reasons
for
a
strong
National
Association of
Am I creating a following among the younger genera-
Music
Merchants.
tion?
Am I building prestige and creating a name value for
my business?
Thanks for
Am I cooperating enough with my salestaff and keeping the Greetings
them satisfied with their lot?
E wish to acknowledge with thanks the sincere
Am I giving enough thought to the work of the National
holiday greetings which we received this year from
Association of Music Merchants?
George W. Allen, W. S. Bond, C. D. Bond, Walter
Am I cooperating enough with the general movement L. Bond, Earl O. Fay, Ray Erlandson, P. R. Bowers, W. H.
throughout the country to promote pianos and musical in- Bowles, A. R. Farmer, W. G. Heller, C. Albert Jacob, Jr.,
struments?
Charles H. Jacob, John H. Gettell, Harry S. Holmes, Ivers
Am I keeping on my toes myself or am I relying too & Pond Piano Co., Gulbransen Co., Harold S. Morse, George
much on George?
W. Lawrence, National Piano Travelers Association, Wil-
You can never go wrong on a general check up and now liam A. Mennie, National Piano Corp., Webster E. Janssen,
is the time to do it. Along these lines also we might sug- Klein Piano Co., Lester Piano Mfg. Co., Poole Piano Co.,
gest that you go over your stock carefully and then figure Kohler & Campbell Inc., Lawrence H. Selz Organization;
out what your requirements will be for at least the next Gordon Laughead, Chas. Pfriemer Inc., Starr Piano Co.,
four months. Then tell your manufacturer so that he too Otto A. Gressing, Stuart H. Perry, Roman de Majewski,
can keep his wheels moving smoothly and take care of Gene Redewill, A. A. Wensley, Joseph L. Seltzer, D. D.
your requirements at the proper time. Piano manufacturers Luxton, C. E. Jackson, Louis O. Rogers, S. E. Zack , E. P.
have innumerable problems just at this time of year in try- Williams, Wickham Piano Plate Co., Fred O. Tangeman,
ing to plan on a production which will keep everyone of Al S. Zeisler, and others.
their dealers satisfied so the further in advance you can
place your orders the happier the whole situation will be.
*
* *
No Time to
Coast on Selling
E were about 2% out of the way on our predic-
diction of the annual production for 1940 which
finally wound up at approximately 137,000 units.
Only discouraging feature of the whole show was that
grand production stood still. In fact it has done this for
three years now and it doesn't seem that whatever has
Hotel Jefferson
been said regarding more stress on grand sales has had February 10 St. Louis
February13
Fort Worth
Hotel Texas
much affect. Grands are now being sold at the same ratio
February 18 Los Angeles
Biltmore Hotel
as they were in 1932 the ebb year of piano production. Of
February 21 San Francisco
Hotel St. Francis
course we will all look on 1940 as a prosperous piano year
February 24 Portland, O
Hotel Multnomah
March 3
Washington
Willard Hotel
in comparison with what it has been for many years as
March 7
Chicago
Stevens Hotel
production got up to within a few thousand of what it was
March 17
Cincinnati...
Netherland Plaza Hotel
in 1923. We believe that had the manufacturers been able
March 20
Atlanta
Henry Grady Hotel
to ship more in December it would Iiave hit 140,000 which
March 24
New York
Hotel New Yorker
we predicted. However, it must be remembered that, al-
March 31
Boston
Parker House
though dealers all over the country must be full of enthu-
"-
'{•
il'
W
W
1941 Piano Sales Clinics
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 19!>1
the names of members of the trade who
had passed away during the past year
following -which the guests rose for a silent
moment. These names included those of
C. A. Ericsson, R. K. Paynter, B. Meyer, C.
Albert
Jacob, William F. Keeley and Carl
James L. Ellenwood Guest Speaker
Peck. Letters were read from Paul H.
at 30th Get-to-gether
Schmidt, G. Harry Shale and Edward
H. Droop in which each expressed their
regret at not being about to be present.
The 30th Year End Luncheon of the New
York piano industry was held on Decem-
Mr. Lawrence then called on Carl C.
ber 30th at the National Republican Club, Conway who in the course of his remarks
New York. Over 100 were present and pointed out his early training in the piano
there was a sincere spirit of confidence business had stood him in good stead in
due to the successful year which the en- many of his later business problems. He
tire industry has experienced and also for also spoke of the importance of business
the future.
in the present crisis which we are now
Richard B. Alldcroft was expected as passing through and gave some inter-
toastmaster but due to the fact he had esting personal experiences which have
not returned from Florida he sent his re- been his lot in the many important enter-
grets and Richard W. Lawrence did the prises in which he has been a factor.
honors. At the speakers table sat Wil-
The guest speaker of the day James L.
liam R. Steinway, general European Man- Ellenwood then made one of the most
ager of Steinway & Sons, New York, Carl amusing yet most practical addresses the
C. Conway, chairman of the board of piano men have yet had an opportunity
directors of the Continental Can Co., C. to listen to, at the termination the guests
Alfred Wagner, Paul B. Klugh, Theodore rose and applauded roundly. William R.
Cassebeer, Albert Behning, C. D. Bond, Steinway gave a brief sketch of his recent
Weaver Piano Co., York, Pa., W. A. Men- trip throughout the country during which
nie, secretary of the National Piano Manu- he was traveling continuously for 61 days,
facturers Association and James L. Ellen- 18 of which he spent on sleepers, made
wood, Executive Secretary of the New radio addresses, went to many teas and
York State Young Men's Christian Asso- received 820 inches of publicity in news-
ciation, guest speaker.
papers. He explained that he did not con-
At the opening of the luncheon Mr. sider his trip as a Steinway promotion
Lawrence called on Mr. Behning to read alone but one that would benefit the en-
Big attendance at
N.Y. Year End Lunch
tire industry. He also said that he had
suggested that the slogan he used on his
trip "The Piano is the Standard Instrument
of Polyphonic Musical Expression" could
be used to good advantage by the entire
industry.
Chauncey D. Bond followed Mr. Stein-
way with a few well chosen words wish-
ing all present a most prosperous New
Year. Many more new faces were seen
at this Year End gathering then for many
years. Among those present -were Charles
Brockington, Henry Heller, Henry Heller,
Jr., J. L. Seltzer, Samuel D. Metz, Harry S.
Holmes, Jerome C. Ackerly, W. H. Bowles,
Archibald Johnston, A. A. Wensley, T. M.
Griffith, Jr., A. J. Canfield, J. C. Hughes.
Harry W. Griffith. Paul Griffith. Albert
Stuerke, Roman De Majewski, R. B. Orcutt,
Henry Wickham, Otto Heinzmann, M. B.
Colwin, Ashley Cone, Harold Hegemeyer,
Byron H. Collins. C. M. Tremaine, F. E.
Edgar, Gustave Behning, Henry Behning,
A. S. Zeisler, Carl Wahlburg, W. H. Perl-
man, Clarence M. Pettit, Edward Vidaud,
G. Herzberg, J. B. Schlosser, Helmuth
Kranich, Harold S. Morse, Charles J.
Pfriemer, Charles J. Pfriemer. Jr., Herman
Roemer, George Schofield, Ben Witlin,
Percy Temlin, David Eisen, E. B. Bogart,
J. B. Bannigan, Fred Baumer, H. Doch-
termann. Frank Cohen, A. L. Fitzgerald,
Benjamin Greenstein, A. Barton, David
Davis, Edward Vale, Adolph Stephan,
Charles Tuchen, C. E. Jackson, Paul B.
Klugh, Carl C. Conway, W. J. Dougherty.
Carleton Chace and others.
Dear Trade:-
We thank you heartily for your 1940 business and for
your patience during the Holiday Rush.
Here is hoping that 1941 will be even better, both as
to quantity and quality and that your collections will all
come in to you without effort.
But, we should have learned our lesson — so this
year order early, get your stock in before the rush and
do not lose sales for lack of pianos.
The best of good wishes to all.
Yours very truly,
JESSE FRENCH CORPORATION
JESSE FRENCH & SONS PIANOS
NEW CASTLE, INDIANA

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