Presto

PRESTO
September 25, 1920.
DIXIE ANSWERS
CONBOY DEFI
Challenge to Piano Salesmen to Beat Sales
Record of Sterling, 111., Piano Man Is Met
by Bigger Claims from North
Carolina.
The Bowen Piano Co., Winston-Salem, N. C ,
noticed the "Challenge to Piano Salesmen" printed
in Presto September 11, signed by T. A. Conboy,
Sterling, 111,, and the South Carolina firm writes
to enter a "call" for the Sterling man. The defi of
Mr. Conboy was conveyed in a letter to the Packard
Piano Co., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Mr. Conboy, who represents Packard pianos in
the Illinois city named, gave the names and ad-
dresses of eighteen people to whom he had sold a
piano or player in the thirty days ending July IS.
Eight of these live in Sterling, five in Rock Falls
and five are scattered through the territory of which
Sterling is a center. The sales were not the result
of any inducements other than personal appeal and
No
49026
Title
Composer
31Y ROSE OF YESTERDAY (Ballad) . .Murphy
Played by Nan Foster.
49126 PLAY ME A DIXIE MELODY (Fox-Trot)
Played by Victor Lane
Elwood
49226 BY YOUR SIDE (Fox-trot)
Spencer
Played by J. M. Delcamp.
40336 THE GHOST OF THE ROBERT E. LEE
(Fox-Trot)
Delcamp & Sandefur
Played by J. M. Delcamp.
49426—WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMAN'S
WIFE (Fox-Trot)
Fairman
Played by Victor Lane.
49G36 I TOLD YOU SO (Fox-Trot)
Brown
Played by Adrian Rollini.
49726 THAT ORIENTAL GIRL OF MINE Von Tilzer
(Fox-Trot). Played by J. M. Delcamp.
49826 SWEETHEART WALTZ (Novelty Waltz) Terry
Played by Nan Foster and Victor Lane.
49926 JUNE SAIS PA PA (Jennie Say Pa Pa)
(Novelty Fox-Trot)
Coleman
Played by Cal Adams.
i><>!>26 SWEETEST LADY (Ballad)
Caddigan
Played by Irene D'Giovanni, Asstd. by R. H.
50126 'TIS A ROCKY ROAD TO AN IRISH
HEART (Ballad)
Amy Ashmore Clarke
Played by the Composer.
49526 I.IKE WE USED TO BE (Waltz Sons)
Plaved by Nan Foster and Cal Adams. .Robinson
5C223 AVALON (Fox-Trot)
Al Jolson
Played by J. M. Delcamp.
51>"26 THE PEACOCK WALK (Fox-Trot)
Conrad
Played by J. M. Delcamp & Adrian Rollini.
50126 VENETIAN MELODY (Waltz Sons) . . .Conrad
Plaved by Adam Carroll.
50*26 WAIT'N FOR ME (Fox-Trot)
Pincard
Plaved by Adrian Follini.
50026 PRETTY KITTY KELLY (Waltz Sone) Harris
Plaved by Adam Carroll & Adrir.n Rollini.
50726 THAT CAT STEP (Novelty Walt?^
Brean
Played by Adam Carroll & Victor Lane.
INSTRUMENTAL
50208 A YOUNG MAN'S FANCY (What's in a
Name) (Fox-Trot)
Tierney
Pl^'Pd by J. M. Delcamp.
5090S—TRIPOLI (Waltz)
Henry
Played bv Adrian Rollini, Asstd. by C. A.
INSTRUMENTAL NOVELETTES
51008 SPARKLETS {Novelette)
Miles
P'aved by J. M. Delcamp.
5110S CARNATIONS (Novelette)
Albers
Played by Irene D'Giovanni.
51208 LACES AND GRACES (Novelette)
Bratton
Played by Irene D'Giovanni.
31308 PEARLS (Novelette)
Moret
Played bv Nan Foster.
51408 VMS'? PKTITE (Novelette . ,
Benkardt
P'ayed by J. M. Delcamp.
REPUBLIC PLAYER ROLL CORP.
PAUL B. KLUGH, Pres.
75th St., at Broadway, New York City
REP
PLAYER
HAND
ROLLS
PLAYED
each sale was either cash or bankable note for less
than one year and -drawing legal interest, "Taking
the above into consideration and under equal con-
ditions I challenge any piano salesman in the world
to duplicate." was Mr. Conboy's defi.
Talks Up the Ginger.
And now from Dixie comes a reply which the
writer, R. J. Bowen of the Bowen Piano Co., thinks
"will give Mr. Conboy something on which to
meditate." This is the letter of the Bowen Piano
Co., dated September 16:
Editor Presto:—In your issue of September 11th
we notice Mr. Conboy's "Challenge to Piano Sales-
men." We wish to submit the following letter from
Mr. A. M. Lansford of Goldsboro, N. C, under date
of January 24, 1920. Mr. Lansford says:
"In the month of September, 1919, my first
month out with one of your Loaders, I sold thirty
pianos, one a day with no allowance for Sundays,
although I kept the Sabbath holy. Twenty-eight
of these pianos were sold on first demonstration.
Twenty of them were sold to absolute strangers,
whom I had not previously worked in any way.
Average first payments during the month were
$180.00. Amount of business was nearly $12,000
with nearly $6,000 cash as first payments."
We believe Mr. Lansford has Mr. Conboy beaten
by a good deal. Of course, he had the advantage of
the One-Man Piano Loader and Carrier.
In our piano business here, it is not unusual for
a salesman to sell five or six pianos per week. The
week ending April 20, 1918, Mr. R. W. Craft, one
of our salesmen, sold six pianos and again in the|
week ending September 28, 1918, he sold five player-
pianos and one straight piano.
In the month of February, 1920, which is really
a bad month for our work which is largely in the
country, Mr. John L. Hampton, a blind salesman,
sold twelve Gulbransen playerpianos, one straight
piano and two organs. His volume of business for
that month was $7,645.00 with $2,365.00 cash as first
payments.
We, like Mr. Conboy, did not offer any special
inducements or bargains. We adhere strictly to one
price, with interest on deferred payments, and we
do not give long terms.
Who's Next?
The performances of Mr. Lansford are certainly
worthy of emulation and even with the undoubted
aid to fast work of the Bowen One-Man Piano
Loader and Carrier, resulted in an amazing total of
sales for the thirty days. Mr. Hampton, too, is a
competitor who should be reckoned with by other
aspirants to the big sales honors, notwithstanding
his physical disadvantages.
There must be other salesmen who are not de-
terred by precedents concerning summer sales;
other ambitious and energetic salesmen who can
present a record of achievement as great or greater
than those already printed. Presto would be glad
to print more stimulating instances like those of
Mr. Conboy and those related by Mr. Bowen.
BALTIMORE ASSOCIATION
MAY COVER THE STATE
If New Plans Are Carried Out, Trade Organization
Will Acquire Great Influence.
Ambitious plans to extend the membership and
purposes of the Baltimore Music Dealers' Associa-
tion to cover the entire state will be discussed at
the first of the fall meetings scheduled for this
week. To realize this purpose is the earnest aim
of the active secretary of the organization, C. J.
Roberts.
"We have other plans for the enlargement and
betterment of the trade association," said Mr. Rob-
erts this week, "but the scheme to give state-wide
dimensions to the local association is one of great
attractiveness. Nearly all the interests of the trade
of Baltimore and the other cities and towns are
identical. So why should we not discuss them in
common. A problem in Baltimore has its counter-
part, in even the smallest place. Anyway the fall
and winter program of the Baltimore Music Dealers'
Association promises to be most interesting.
A QUALITY SALE.
John W. Post & Co., Norfolk, Va., (Knabe Ware-
rooms) is holding a "Pre-Season Sale" and offers:
"Free tuning, free fire insurance and exchange
privilege. You can make your own terms within
reason." The house makes this announcement:
"When we say 'quality' we mean quality of material,
cf construction, of finish and above all of tone."
ANOTHER LADY MANAGER.
Mrs. I. M. Grove, formerly manager of the music
roll department of the Winnipeg Piano Company,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, has accepted a position as
manager of the retail music roll department of
W. J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul, Minn.
ANOTHER GOOD AGENCY
FOR THE A. B. CHASE LINE
Stewart H. Perry, Traveler, Negotiates Successfully
with Jamestown Firm.
The A. B. Chase Piano Co., Inc., New York, has
established a new agency at Jamestown, N. Y.
The line of pianos and players of the company is
now on sale in the Danielson Music House there.
This was negotiated through Stuart H. Perry,
traveling representative of the A. B. Chase Piano
Co., Inc., who is on a trip through upper New York.
Flanigan & Flanigan, the A. B. Chase piano Co.'s
dealer in Athens, Ga., reported last week the sale of
an A. B. Chase grand to Mrs. Chas. Jacobson, the
soloist, famous both in Boston and New York. The
feature of this sale is that Mrs. Jacobson bought the
A. B. Chase after a careful study of the best makes,
solely on its merits.
NEW YORK LOSES ONE BIG
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY
C. E. Byrne Piano Co. Dropped Out and Trade Is
Minus Reliable Source of Supplies.
Making no sign, and with creating but a little
ripple on the surface of New York's piano industry,
the C. E. Byrne Piano Co., Inc., ceased to exist and
its head, after many years of successful effort, with-
drew from the business. The C. E. Byrne Piano
Co., whose factory was at 229 to 235 East 41st
street, New York, has had a familiar place in the
industry for a great many years. It was the scene
of much activity, and the list of names which shone
on the instruments that issued from its doors, were
almost legion. They included all of the following,
and more: C. E. Byrne, Wheeler, Mozart, Wagner
and Schumann & Sons. All of the instruments named
were produced in the Byrne factory, and were mar-
keted by subsidiary companies controlled by C. E.
Byrne & Son Piano Co.
The New York house was composed of C. E.
Byrne and his son, Arthur C. Byrne. It was highly
successful financially and, until recently, it was
believed that the junior member would continue the
business. But he had predilections in another direc-
tion, and so the old house has retired from the field.
No one in the piano trade will be glad that C. E.
Byrne is out of it. He is a gentleman of sterling
character who gave large values for comparatively
small prices. Dealers in popular grades of instru-
ments are the losers by his retirement.
INCREASING DETROIT
INTEREST IN APOLLOPHONE
The Music Store of the J. L. Hudson Co. Emphasizes
the Merits and Advantages of the Instrument.
The Music Store of the J. L. Hudson Co., Detroit,
Mich., has the estimable purpose of emphasizing the
merits of the Apollophone until everybody in that
section is familiar with every artistic and construc-
tive phase of its manufacture. The big Detroit
company made the Apoleophone the "anniversary
offering" recently at a celebration at the store. This
week the Detroit music store again features the
Apollophone in demonstration and newspaper pub-
licity. This is one of the expressive descriptions
in an advertisement this week:
"Imagine an instrument that may be played manu-
ally, like the usual piano; that may be used as a
player-piano, with your own expression; that may
be enjoyed as a player-piano, giving the expression
of the artist who made the roll; that may be used
as a phonograph, playing all disc records, or that
may be used at the same time as player-piano and
phonograph—the piano accompanying the voice or
instrument the phonograph is reproducing.
"Imagine all that and you have the Apollophone.
It is not a new instrument. It has been on the mar-
ket for some time. It has now undergone the test
of real usage and it is ready for the public. Would
you like to hear it? It will be a revelation to you."
A RELIABLE OHIO DEALER.
Alex Shoninger, of the Shoninger Piano Co., is
on a western trip. He called on his old time friend
and dealer, D. W. Lerch, of Canton, Ohio, the one-
price merchant, who has a system as well as a
record with his store, his salesmen, and his cus-
tomers. Mr. Lerch can prove the one-price system
and is a winner.
The L. S. Parsons Music House, Waterloo, la.,
has been in that city for 45 years. The handsome
store at 818-820 Sycamore street is one of the in-
stitutions of which the city is proud.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/