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Pricing Suggestions
(Continued from Psise 1)
television, phonographs, needles, etc.
They range all the way from a low of
25 per cent to a high of 81 per cent
on the musical instruments other than
pianos, organs, and on tape and wire
for magnetic recordings.
Appendix E Explained
Section 39 of Ceiling Price Regulation
7 of February 27th explains Appendix
E, which controls the percentage mark-
up on any merchandise which a dealer
may not have handled previously. If.
therefore, a dealer adds pianos and
organs to his line which he has never
had before, he establishes a retail price
by adding 58 per cent of the cost to the
wholesale price. In the case of other
musical instruments 81 percent.
Filing Date Now May 30th
When the original ceiling price Regu-
lation 7 was issued, dealers were given
until April 30th to file their charts. This,
however, was extended to May 30th.
Pricing Chart
The REVIEW has been advised that
a pricing chart may be made out on any
form of plain paper in five perpendicular
columns. Column 1 will be the category
number and the names of the particular
instruments, either pianos, electric or-
gans, electric attachments for pianos or
organs, etc., and then the number 861
under that for other musical instruments.
In the second column a dealer writes
the net cost per unit and in the third
column he puts the offering price per
unit, and in the fourth column the per-
centage mark-up on cost, and in the fifth
column he records the supporting in-
voices for each instrument so that when
the OPS investigates the dealer has them
to show.
File OPS Form No. 3 Also
A dealer also has to file OPS Public
Form No. 3 entitled—"Base Period Ini-
tial Percentage Mark-up or Gross Mar-
gin Report Pursuant to Ceiling Price
Regulation 7, Section 53." In the first
column is the name of the department
and the initial percentage mark-up on
gross margin in the quarter beginning
nearest to July 1st, 1949, October 1st.
1949, January 1st, 1950, April 1st. 1950,
and the year 1949. At the bottom there
is a notice drawing attention to Chap-
ter 47. Section 1001 of the United States
Criminal Code, which makes it a crim-
inal offense punishable by a maximum
of 5 years imprisonment, $10,000 fine,
or both, for making a false statement
or representation to any department or
agency of the United States. Then there
is a place for the signature of the officer
Chimes Can Be Manufactured But —
Material Supplies are Limited
C
ONSIDERABLE confusion has
existed in the industry during the
last two months concerning the
availability of brass tubular Cathedral
Chimes. Because of this confusion which
has brought numerous letters to all the
chime manufacturers this article has
been written with all the known facts
presented by Chimes Manufacturers to
advise the music merchant as to the
immediate future of Cathedral Chimes.
Last December 31, 1950 the National
Production Authority (NPA) issued a
copper order known as M-12 which pro-
hibited the use of copper (Chimes are
70% copper) in the manufacture of
Chimes and Bells. This order was effec-
tive March 1, 1951 and meant tl»e end
of the Cathedral Chime business.
Immediately following the issuance of
this restrictive order the three chime
manufacturers and their representatives,
Jack Deagan of J. C. Deagan, Inc., Louis
Maas of Maas Organ Co., and Ronald
Beach of Beach Instrument Corp., con-
ferred by telephone and discussed vari-
ous plans of appeal. It was decided to
visit the N.P.A. officials in Washington
and make a direct appeal for the re-
moval of Cathedral Chimes from the
general Chime and Bell listing.
On February 20, Ronald Beach went
to Washington and called on the local
Music Merchants for assistance in con-
tacting the proper NPA personnel. He
was greatly assisted by Jerry Caradette,
southern representative of the Rudolph
Wurlizter Co., organ division by Robert
Isbell manager, Jordan Piano Co., and
Joe Farren of Kit Music Co. Advantage
was taken of the fact that the band in-
strument manufacturers had been in
Washington the previous week and had
advised contact.
In relating his experiences, Mr. Beach
Stated: "G. I. Bailey of the Durable
Goods section of the NPA was the first
man contacted. Mr. Bailey was very
receptive and thought that chimes used
as a religious musical instrument should
be removed from the prohibited list.
He pointed out that other religious
goods had been excluded from the list
and considered musical chimes in the
same general category." Mr. Beach also
advised him that the treasury depart-
of the firm making the report, his title
and the date. Attached to this form is
the "acknowledgment of filing of list
date pricing chart" which is to be re-
turned to the dealer by the Office of Price
Stabilization. Until the dealer receives
this acknowledgment he may not sell
any of his merchandise. The REVIEW
has been advised by the OPS New York
office that this last form is important as
no dealer can sell his merchandise until
he receives the acknowledgment.
Reproduced herewith is a form which
with fictitious names is copied from one
which was prepared by a retail piano
store and corrected by an OPS office.
In designating the type of store at top
do it as follows: "Independent Store—
Pianos." Be sure and folio each page
as "Sheet 1," "Sheet 2," etc.
Also if two pianos are bought for the
same price but one is sold at retail for
more than the other the percentage of
mark-up on the one nearest the average
percentage of mark-up should be circled
with a red pencil.
Average Mark-up
Remember—An average mark-up per-
centage must be written in the first col-
umn below the category number, deter-
mined by adding all percentages of
mark-up and then dividing by the num-
ber of items so added.
ment had approved chimes as a musical
instrument for Excise Tax exemption.
Mr. Bailey made an appointment with
section heads of the metals and min-
erals section of the NPA and I was pres-
ent at a conference with these people.
This included Nat Salant and also Mr.
Bonner and the immediate reaction of
this department was negative. Mr.
Bonner pointed out that the copper
situation was very bad and that the
country needed every pound for de-
fense work. Mr. Bonner, however, sug-
gested sending an appeal letter to
the department and direct it to the
department head, F. H. Hayes, director
of the Copper Division.
This information was telephoned to
both Jack Deagan and Louis Maas and
we all prepared appeals. Also in March
Mr. Maas went to Washington and ap-
pealed on the basis of Chimes being the
only musical instrument specifically
stated as an instrument. The thought
was that the word Chime as used by the
NPA was intended as door chimes and
not a musical chime.
Not a Normal Business Yet
"Finally in April word came from the
National Production Authority that a
(Turn to Page 12, Col. 2)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MAY, 1951