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Southeastern Music Merchants Discuss
Timely Subjects at Atlanta, Ga. Meeting
^•^HE Southeastern Regional Confer-
-*• ence of the National Association of
Music Merchants took place in Atlanta,
Georgia at the Hotel Ansley on Febru-
ary 11th and 12th. The Chairman of
the committee was Verne T. Manley,
Manager of the Organ and Piano De-
partment of Rich's, Inc., Atlanta de-
partment store.
the Reynolds Piano Co., Jacksonville,
Fla. on "Buying Motives and Decisions
of Piano Selling". Dr. Ole S. Johnson,
Chairman of the Retail Concentration
Division of the University of Georgia,
talked on "Public Relations for Retail-
ers". The "Buying and Selling of
Phonograph Records" was the topic of
Miss Dinty Moore, buyer of the Record
Dept., Rich's, Inc.
At the afternoon session, Mr. Manley
acted as chairman, and L. P. Bull, Pres-
ident of Story & Clark Piano Co., told
what he knew about "The Piano Pro-
duction Situation"; Ralph L. Thomp-
son, Sales Manager of C. G. Conn, Ltd.,
Elkhart, Ind., talked on "Band Instru-
ment Production" and Verne R. Mar-
ceaux, Director of Education Division
of the N.A.M.M. talked on a subject en-
titled "A Margin of Sales".
The committee handling this confer-
ence included Verne P. Manley, Man-
ager of the Piano and Organ Dept. of
Rich's, Inc., Chairman; 0 . L. Baskette,
President of Baskette Piano Co.; A. E.
Foster, Vice-President and General
Manager of the Cable Piano Co.; T. C.
Lanier, President of the Lanier Piano
Co.; J. S. Rutan, President of the Rutan
Music Co., and Warren Carder. Man-
ager of the Music Dept. of Davis &
Paxon Co.
11 Music Stores Named Finalists
Vie For "Brand Name Retailer of the Year"
RICHARD H. RICH
PRESIDENT OF RICH'S, ATLANTA, GA.,
GUEST SPEAKER AT THE BANQUET.
The address of welcome was made on
the afternoon of February Uth by the
Hon. Wm. R. Hartsfield, Mayor of the
City of Atlanta. He was followed by
William R. Gard, Executive Secretary
of the N.A.M.M. who talked on "Retail
Sales Prospects—Spring, 1952." Emert
S. Rice, President of W. S. Rice & Sons
Music House, Inc., Columbia, S. C,
talked on "Trade Practice Problems"
and Dr. John C. Kendel, Vice-President
of the American Music Conference of
Chicago, 111., talked on "Shareholders
of Promotion".
At 6:30 p.m. on the same day a ban-
quet was held, at which Alvin E. Foster,
Vice-President and General Manager of
the Cable Piano Co., Atlanta, Ga., was
toastmaster. The guest speaker was
Richard H. Rich, President of Rich's,
Inc.
On February 12th at 10 a.m. on the
Rainbow Roof there was a meeting over
which Otis L. Baskette, President of the
Baskette Piano Co., Atlanta, Ga., acted
as chairman. Marvin Korinke of the
Central Commercial Industries, Inc.,
Chicago, 111., talked on "Potentialities
in Organ Sales", and an address was
made by Eddie Reynolds, President of
Eleven stores have been named final-
ists and will compete for the 4th an-
nual "Brand Name Retailer of the
Year" awards in the music field, it was
announced today by Henry E. Abt.
President of Brand Names Foundation,
Incorporated.
The Foundation will present a plaque
to the "Music Store Brand Name Re-
tailer of the Year" and "Certificates of
Distinction" to four other outstanding
music merchants. There will be similar
awards in 19 other retail categories.
The awards will be made at a dinner
on Brand Names Day—1952, April 16.
in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-
Astoria Hotel in New York City, be-
fore an audience of more than 1,500 of
the nation's leading business and re-
tailing executives.
In announcing the names of the final-
ists in the music field, Mr. Abt said,
"This year's more than 6,000 entries
from stores in all categories of retail-
ing tripled the number which were sub-
mitted for the highly successful 1950
awards. It is certain that the tremen-
dous interest in the 'Brand Name Re-
tailer of the Year' awards indicates ever
increasing emphasis on manufacturers'
brands throughout every field of re-
tailing."
The 11 finalists in the music field
represent 11 cities in 10 states. A sur-
vey of all entries shows that merchants
from 48 states, the District of Colum-
bia. Canada, and Hawaii are represent-
ed in this year's competiion. The music
finalists are: Brown Music Co., Jack-
son, Miss.; Ferguson's Record Shop,
Memphis, Tenn.; Hobbie Brothers Co.,
Inc., Roanoke, Va.; Joseph-Lucas,
Portland, Oregon; Kolesnik Music
Shop, Lockport, N. Y.; Maus Piano Co.,
Raleigh, N. C.; Penny Owsley Music
Co., Los Angeles, Cal.; Redewill Music
Co., Phoenix, Ariz.; San Antonio Music
Co., San Antonio, Tex.; Whittle Music
Co., Dallas, Tex.; and Wilking Music
Co., Indianapolis, Ind.
One of the finalists — San Antonio
Music Company, San Antonio — re-
ceived an award in last year's compe-
tition.
Charles Morgan of the Morgan Piano
Co., Miami, 1950 "Music Store Brand
Name Retailer of the Year" and top
award winners in 17 other retail fields
will make up the Judging Commtitee
to select this year's winners. Stores rep-
resented on the Judging Committee are
ineligible to compete for this year's
awards.
In describing the procedure to be fol-
lowed in judging the entries, Mr. Abt
said that the final judging will be held
in two sessions—in New York on March
5 for eastern and southern members of
the Committee, and in Chicago on
March 10 for mid-west and west coast
members of the Committee. The com-
posite of the two scores will determine
the winners. Results will be announced
within a few days of the final judging.
Presentations submitted by the win-
ners will be shown at a special display
on Brand Names Day —1952 at the
Waldorf-Astoria.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1952