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The Jfusic jf/iade
REVIEW
Established 1879
CARLETON CHACE, Editor
Alex H. Kolbe, Publisher
MCMMI Of
V. T. Costello
Associate Editor
NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
OF MUSIC
MERCHANTS
Alexander Hart
Technical Editor
THE POOieST
CHIID IS RICH
Mary Louise Kauffman
Circulation Manager
Published monthly at 510 RKO Building, Radio
City, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y.
Telephones: Circle 7-5842-5843-5844
Vol. 110
APRIL, 1951
Business—As We See
a
No. 4
It
N a recent survey made by Good Housekeeping's
Consumer Panel, some interesting figures are re-
vealed regarding the intentions of people to buy
pianos. Of people who answered the questionnaire, and
specifically the question—"Do you think you'll buy a
piano?" — 1 4 8 out of 1150 who
do not have pianos stated that they
planned to buy one within the next
year or so. In this case, it is inter-
esting to note that this is just about
the same ratio as pianos have been
sold during the last few years in
respect to the population of the
country, which totals a little more
than one tenth of one percent of the
total population of a little more than
150,000,000 people. Of the 1150,
CARLETON CHACE
those who expect to buy within 3
months were 1.3%. Those who were going to wait a
little longer totaled 17.5% and those who stated that
they didn't think they would get one at all totaled 54.9%.
The latter includes those people who have to be con-
10
vinced that a piano would be a good thing for them to
buy. To the question—"If you do not plan to buy a
piano, why not?"—833 of the 1150 responded, and said
that they would either wait longer than a year or two
to buy one, or that they did not think that they would buy
one. The reasons given for the latter were 31.8% be-
cause no one in the family can play the piano; 18.7%
because there was no room, and lack of space; 7.6% too
expensive, can't afford it; 5.9% already sold theirs,
disposed of it; and 3.6% were not interested at all;
2.2% had no use or need for it; 1.9% was going to buy
one when the children are older; 1.6% had no children,
and 1.6% have other instruments instead. In this
category, it is interesting to note that the greatest num-
ber who did not plan to buy a piano were not doing
so because 'no one in the family can play.' Therefore,
with the efforts which are now being promoted, to see
that children are taught lessons in the schools, and the
other means that are being used to interest them in piano
music, perhaps in future years there will be fewer who
will say they are not going to buy a piano because no-
body in the family can play. The results of this survey
remind us of a remark which was made to us recently
by the sales manager of a very well-known piano house,
to the effect that it seems so futile for trick sales of
pianos to be promoted for the simple reason that sales
of pianos year in and year out seem to total approxim-
ately the same in proportion to the population of the
country, and with the few manufacturers now operating,
each one of them should get their share of the business
and on an equitable, profitable basis. He, therefore,
cannot see why it should be necessary to entice the pub-
lic to buy through trick advertising. His thought was
that everyone can do business on a genteel quality and
institutional basis and still get his share.
In the income groups of 1882 respondents, 1862 own
one or more radios, 1182 own one or more phonographs,
363 own one or more television sets and 732 own one
or more pianos.
Amendment 2 Price Regulation 7
\M~W^ HE government has finally found the music in-
J I dustry in respect to price control and has put
pianos and musical instruments under Amend-
ment 2 of the Ceiling Price Regulation 7, a digest of
which appears in this issue on Page 4. On April 6th,
immediately after the Amendment 2 was released, the
National Association of Music Merchants filed a pro-
test with Michael V. DiSalle, Director of Price Stabiliza-
tion, regarding the unreasonableness of the early filing
date for pricing charts, which is presently April 30th.
An extension of 30 days for filing of the price charts
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1951