Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NEWS
NAMM
W. A. MILLS
Executive Secretary
E. R. McDUFF
President
"89% of that amount if it is be-
low $225.01; 85% or $200.25, which-
ever is greater, if that amount is
between $225.01 and $338.00; 79%
or $287.30, whichever is greater, if
that amount is between $338.01 and
$564.00; 75% or $445.56, whichever
is greater, if that amount is over
$564.00.
New Piano Pricing Order
I INDER date of December 28, to be
^ effective on January 2, 1946, the
Office of Price Administration issued
MPR 188, Amendment 3 to Rev. Order
2525. This amendment authorizes deal-
ers to add a mark-on of 74%, to arrive
at the retail ceiling prices on all pianos
in all wholesale price brackets whose
makers have been or will be author-
ized to increase their wholesale prices
in effect immediately prior to October
7, 1944 by more than 20%. In the case
of manufacturers whose adjustments
are less than 20%, the retail mark-on
remains as in Order 2525.
In an opinion accompanying the or-
der occurs the following: "Most of the
manufacturers have in fact received
adjustments in excess of 20% at the
present time, and applications are
pending from several of those remain-
ing."
Here is the new pricing
quoted from Amendment 3:
formula
"(e) Maximum prices for sales at
retail. (1) The maximum price for
a sale or delivery at retail of a piano
which is shipped by a manufacturer
to a retailer on or after January 2,
1946 (except for retail sales by niail
order or for sales by manfactarers
who sell exclusively through their
own retail outlets) is competed as
follows adjusted upward cr down-
ward to the nearest dollar:
"Step 1: Compare the tfianufactur-
er's highest current maximum price
to retailers, as established or adjus-
ted under paragraphs b, c or d with
. his price to the san>e class of re-
tailer in effect immediately prior to
October 7, 1944, and determine
whether the total percentage increase
in that price is more or less than
20%. If it is 20% or ', *ss, omit step 2;
if it is more than 2t#> omit step 3.
"Step 2: Multiply the manufac-
turer's highest curient maximum
price to retailers by 1 74.
"Step 3: Multiply the highest price
t® a retailer in effect immediately
prior to October 7, 1*44 by 1.13 and
add to that amount the applicable of
the following::
"Step 4: Add to the amount cal-
culated in accordance with step 2 or
3, the amount of the Federal excise
tax payable by the manufacturer and
the freight allowance indicated in pa-
ragraph (e) (2)."
All other conditions (including addi-
tions for excise tax and freight zone)
are those of Order 2525.
Surplr.i* Musical Instruments
The continued large purchase of in-
struments for the armed forces has
been a matter of concern to the As-
sociation which has been afraid that
thousands of them, said to be accumu-
lating
in
government
warehouses,
would be declared surplus.
The sec-
retary has been trying to get the pro-
per agencies to do something about it.
WPB's successor, the Civilian Pro-
duction Board, has advised the secre-
tary that the Quartermaster Corps is
in the process of making a complete
review of their requirements for band
instruments. They say: "We, too, are
vitally interested in the problem of
musical instruments for civilians and
are doing everything possible to allevi-
ate the present shortage."
The surplus Property Board, the Of-
fice of Civilian Requirements, as well
as some personal Washington contacts
are interesting themselves in behalf of
the music merchants.
The Sales Training Manual
Mr. Mills reports that about half
the manuscripts for the Sales Manual
have been received. Most of the others
are being prepared. The work is about
on schedule with but one exception.
The
Committee
(George
Beasley,
Chairman) needs member help in sup-
plying the answers to questions asked
in last month's bulletin, which are re-
peated here:
THE MUSIC TRADE REVI'W, JANUARY, 1944
"1—What are the most frequently
asked customer questions about
— pianos, band
instruments,
sheet music and other musical
merchandise and accessories?
"2—If you were training a new
salesman what 10 things would
you stress most?
"3—Prewar, when musical instru-
ments were hard to sell, what
were the 10 most, frequently
raised objections and how did
you overcome them?
"4—If you plan to hire more sales-
people, where do you expect to
find them?
"Music- While- You-Shop"
"Stores revive interest in Music-
While-You-Shop" was a headline on
a three-column story in "Retailing"
and other Fairchild publications, in
which it is said:
"With stores around the country add-
ing departments, planning enlarge-
ments to their units, and generally get-
ting their houses in order, retailing ex-
ecutives are once again thinking about
a relatively new retailing aid—'Music-
While-You-Shop'—a special service of-
fered by Muzak.—To reintroduce the
benefits of specially programmed music
to stores the Muzak Corp. has designed
a one-month Thanksgiving-to-Christ-
mas subscription — Many store execu-
tives are reported as being in favor of
'Music-While-You-Shop' to combat fa-
tigue and boredom and to keep sales
clerks congenial and courteous—That
music helps bridge the personality gap
between customers and sales clerks is
a well-known fact . . ."
It is a wonder why so few music
stores fail to provide a restful musi-
cal background in their own stores.
It gives them character. Perhaps music
stores will follow the pattern set by
non-music stores.
Fair Trade Pricing
Most of the industry's price chisel-
ing competition would be eliminated
if the manufacturers whose product
prestige is endangered by such prac-
tices would "fair price" their products.
Several suppliers have the matter un-
der consideration. A recent announce-
ITurn to page 25, cof. 31
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