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you hold two Conventions, one in the
east and one on the west coast?"
Another interesting comment includ-
ed the following. ''The Convention pro-
gram seemed so drab that other than
the fine fellowship we always have at
the Conventions, it proved not to be
worthwhile. The program should he im-
proved."
Comments by Pleased Dealers
On the other hand, the REVIEW re-
ceived several letters from dealers in
which they stated that they had attended
the Conventions and had found them
very helpful. For instance, one dealer
said. "'I have attended these Conven-
tions when they were held in Chicago
for the past six years and find them
helpful and interesting. This is one way
of keeping up with the latest piano
styles and newest ideas, also meeting
business acquaintances and exchanging
ideas. I am very much in favor of these
Conventions, especially when held in
Chicago, so centrally located."
Another dealer just simply stated: "I
was at the Convention and found it very
interesting."
One dealer said. "I attended the Con-
vention in Chicago this year. Vie do
not go every year nor do we go to New
York at all. t h e Dallas Music Dealers
Association has 14 members. From this
group about 3 or 4 attend the Conven-
tion every year, about the same number
rarely or never go and the others like
myself attend every two or three years.
Poor attendance one year may have no
significance. How did 1953 compare
with 1939, 1940 when conditions were
barely normal? 1947 to 1951 or 1952
when dealers were trying to make con-
nections were unusual I believe.'
Only 1460 Dealers Out of 8448
Registrations
An analysis of the registration list
which has now been released by the
National Association of Music Mer-
chants of those who attended the annual
trade show and convention in July re-
veal some interesting figures. For in-
stance, a number of personnel connect-
ed with the exhibitors, manufacturers,
distributors and publishers numbered
2990. The names registered under music
stores totaled 1419. of which 152 were
studios of music including accordions
and other studios and conservatories of
music. The registration of out-and-out
music stores, showed 1267. The regis-
trations listed as piano stores numbered
221. However, undoubtedly a large
number of those registered as music
stores do handle pianos. Under this
category, however, there were 20 record
shops. 4 radio and television shops and
2 appliance shops. The tuners and tech-
nicians registered numbered 20. So. if
the total registration was 844£, 2990
were running the show and 3996 were
visitors who came to look, leaving a
total of 1460 people who were there to
buy something, which might be pianos,
radios, television, records, musical in-
struments, sheet music, recorders, ac-
cordions, band instruments, organs, or-
gan supplies, phonographs and high
fidelity, phonograph records and acces-
sories, piano supplies and accessories,
radios and radio-phonographs, sound
equipment and accessories, sheet music
and television accessories. There were
2130 registrations from Illinois, prin-
cipally Chicago only 68 of which were
dealers.
Too Many Meetings
In commenting on the Convention, a
well-known dealer who at one time was
quite active in the affairs of the
N.A.M.M. stated that, in his opinion,
"there were too many meetings for peo-
ple lo see the very thing they came to
sec—the merchandise and more personal
visiting. There are too many on the
committees that have never made a suc-
cess of their own business and some that
were the heads of the organization that
were simply hired men. They had more
to do with telling others how to run
their business, and yet they never made
a success of their own."
"Manufacturers s h o u l d advertise
more what they are going to show. Cut
down on these programs that half never
listen to and the other half never be-
lieve. There are good men that share
their experiences with others that are
worthwhile. I cannot help but say of
the music industry, and it seems the
Music Trades is the worst offender. If
they would stop harping on wrong prac-
tices in the piano business and talk
about good things, we would be a lot
farther ahead."
Uses Convention For Promotion
On the other hand, one of the manu-
facturing organizations who read the
comments in the Editorial pages of the
REVIEW in August stated: "Your Aug-
ust Editorial in which you analyze the
1953 N.A.M.M. Trade Show and Con-
vention was read with interest here, al-
though we are past forgetting the orig-
inal purpose and intent behind the for-
mation of the N.A.M.M."
"We. of course, want as many dealers
as possible to visit our Convention dis-
plays and we are not above taking the
dealer's order while he is there, but we
do feel that the many business clinics,
store-studio advertising, trade practices,
AMC, etc. at the Convention are of the
utmost importance. If these clinics are
helping our dealers to become more ag-
gressive musical merchandisers, mak-
ing them better retailers, we, the manu-
facturer, will have a better outlet for
our products and will sell more in the
long run.
"We are happy with the business that
we received at the 1953 Convention.
However, our principle purpose in buy-
ing display space there is not to sell
organs. It seems more important to
acquaint our dealers with new develop-
ments, new advertising and promotional
programs and to discuss with them any
problems they have. It affords us the
opportunity of talking personally to a
large number of our dealer friends in
a short period of time. We learn a lot
and we hope they learn something, too.
If there is room in the program for
more free time to visit manufacturers,
we would be delighted to have the
schedule changed. Hut let's not lose
sight of the real goal."
The great increase in expense was ex-
pressed by several piano manufacturers,
one of which stated that in order to get
for each piano plus $150 waiting time,
which he thought was entirely uncalled
for. "'This."' said the manufacturer,
"was in addition to paying the freight
(»ii the pianos from New York to Chi-
cago, and adding to all this the double
expense of paying for rooms in the
hotel for eight days instead of four,
and the other expenses entailed has
made the Convention almost prohibitive
from a piano manufacturer's stand-
point."'
Expense 70% More than 1951
An official of one of the largest piano
manufacturers in the country wrote the
following to the REVIEW: "I want to
commend you for your Editorial about
the last Convention in the August issue
of the Music Trade REVIEW 7 .
"This year our Convention expense
was 70% more than it was in 1951 when
the last Convention was held in Chi-
cago. It was almost as much as it
amounted to in New York last year,
where our Convention expense is always
much higher than it is in Chicago be-
cause of the freight bills we have to
(Turn to Page 8)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, 1953