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Musical Instruments, Pianos, Organs
Price Controlled by Amend. 2, Reg. 7
USICAL instruments of all types,
including pianos, organs, elec-
tronic attachments, r a d i o s ,
phonographs, recorders, television and
a host of other consumer durable goods
were placed under the "frozen mark-up"
regulation of price control, when
Amendment 2 to Ceiling Price Regu-
lation No. 7 was issued by the Office
of Price Stabilization April 5th, to be-
come effective on April 10th. This re-
moves these items from the general
ceiling price regulation and places them
under specific control, as follows:
Each retailer must make up a chart
that lists all items he sells, showing the
cost, the selling price and the per-
centage mark-up which existed on
March 31, 1951, the "list date" for
these commodities. After the dealer
has filed his chart, he must figure his
ceiling prices by using the chart mark-
ups for every item, whether he received
it before or after March 31, 1951. He
may begin to price under the chart,
just as soon as the chart is filed.
This chart must be filed with the
Office of Price Stabilization by April
30, 1951, and none of the items may
be sold after May 30th, unless the dealer
has received acknowledgment of the
filing of his chart from the OPS dis-
trict office.
The new amendment allows the dealer
to raise his prices and pass on to con-
sumers certain increases in costs of
goods he buys. OPS pointed out that
some regulations allow manufacturers
and wholesalers to raise costs to re-
tailers, which may then be passed on
as above, on the percentage mark-up
basis.
Under the original order issued in
February, retailers were required to
absorb the increases. Now they can
add the costs after figuring ceiling
prices on their basic or original cost
of items.
Amendment 2 names musical instru-
ments in the following categories:
Category 860—Pianos, Electric Organs
and Electronic Attachments for Pianos
or Organs. Category 861—Other Musi-
cal Instruments, which include all
musical instruments other than above,
such as (but not limited to) : Stringed
Instruments, Wood-winds. Brasses, Per-
cussion and Miscellaneous. (It is inter-
esting to note that no mention was made
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of musical accessories.)
Other categories mentioned in Amend-
ment 2 include radios of all kinds,
phonographs and recorders of all kinds,
records, television, housewares, notions,
luggage, sporting goods, silverware,
china ware, glassware, jewelry, watches
and clocks.
Commodities affected by the original
order included men's and women's ap-
parel, shoes, furniture, floor coverings,
etc. Amendment 2, therefore, broadens
extensively the list of consumer goods
now covered by percentage mark-up
regulations.
For the benefit of retailers the OPS
New York office issued a series of ques-
tions and answers as follows:
1.—Q. I have had 3 invoices since
January 1, 1951, all containing exactly
the same cost. I have not changed my
offering price since January 1. May I
list the last invoice showing a different
cost (one which I received in December,
1950) when I list my net cost under Sec-
tion 16-A?
A. Yes. "Next to last invoice" means
an invoice showing a net cost different
from that on the "last invoice you had
received." It must be the latest invoice
showing a different cost received prior
to the last invoice, where you have re-
ceived a series of shipments at the same
net cost shown on the last invoice you
had received you should consider collec-
tively as the "last invoice" all the in-
voices showing the same net cost as the
last invoice, and list on your chart the
last invoice received which show a dif-
ferent net cost, as being the next to
last invoice.
2.—Q. Under Section 17C how far
back must I go to determine whether
I had re-marked an article?
A. The re-marking referred to in sec-
tion 17-C refers to the marking of the
article on the invoice listed on your chart
and the subsequent re-matking of the
article covered by that invoice.
3—Q. If I have preserved the chart
I prepared under OPAS MPR 580 and
have operated generally at the same
markups since, may I use that chart?
A. No. You must prepare a new
chart according to the instructions in
CPR 7.
4—Q. Must I wait to receive acknowl-
edgment of the filing of my chart before
I begin to price under the regulation?
A. No. You may begin to use your
pricing chart and the pricing rules of
CPR 7 as soon as you file your chart.
Note these two things. First, you must
begin to use the pricing rules not later
than April 30, and second, after May 30,
you may not sell articles covered by the
regulation unless you have received an
acknowledgment of the filing of your
chart.
5—Q. We have leased a department in
our store to X. Are we responsible for
preparing the chart and pricing under
the chart of X's department?
A. No. X is a separate seller. The
entire responsibility for preparing fil-
ing and pricing is his.
6—Q. Are individually or specially de-
signed Spencer Supports for back, breast,
or abdomen made after order by a
particular customer, where the dealer
carries no stock, covered by CPR 7?
A. Individually or specially designed
supports for surgical or medical use in
connection with physical abnormalities
and disabilities are not covered by any
of the categories in CPR 7. The refer-
ence to "supports" in category 204 and
the reference to "abdominal, athletic,
ankle and similar supporters" in cate-
gory 351 are not meant to include such
specially designed articles.
7—Q. I own and operate one store and
wish to open another. May I proceed
under SR 1 CPR 7 and price uniformly
in both stores?
A. No, one store does not constitute a
chain. This does not preclude the opera-
tor of one store from opening anther
unit and pricing uniformly if Table E
Markups are the same or greater than
the markups in his own chart or if he
can qualify under Section 39 of the
regulation and applies for and receives
an order which permits him so to price.
8—Q. Must a department store wait
until all of its departments have pre-
pared their charts before filing?
A. No. A department in a depart-
mentalized establishment which is a
separate seller under CPR 7, may file
its chart separately.
A. G. Langenus Presser Vice-Pres.
The Theodore Presser Co., Philadel-
phia, Pa., announces the appointment
of Alan G. Langenus as Vice-President
in Charge of Sales, Promotion and Edu-
cational Activities. He assumed his duties
on March 19, 1951.
Mr. Langenus was formerly associated
with Boosey & Hawkes, and previously
with Carl Fischer, Inc.
Sperrys on Mediterranean Cruise
Ralph Sperry, technical expert of the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., DeKalb. 111., ac-
companied by Mrs. Sperry, is now on a
Mediterranean cruise for two months,
which started on February 6th. They
sailed on the S. S. Atlantic.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1951