PRESTO
November 25, 1922.
SMITH, BARNES &
STROHBER WAY
Instance of Lively Follow-up Told by Bay
City, Mich., Dealer, Who Scoffs at Long
Distances When Prospects
Call.
Christman
"The
First
Touch
Tells"
(Reg.
U. S. Pat. Off.)
The Smith Barnes & Strohber Co., Chicago, re-
cently received a very interesting example of how
their advertising plan has worked out with one of
their dealers, The Hardy Music Company, of Bay
City, Michigan. -On July 31 the following letter
came to the Chicago manufacturers:
"Will you please give me the prices on the follow-
ing playerpianos, numbers 203, 215, 206, 217. Will
you please state the terms you give on them? Also
would like to know if you take any instrument in
exchange and about what price or per cent you allow
for them?
Yours very truly,
MR. EMIL GOLNICH, Roscommon, Mich."
This was immediately turned over to H. A. Hardy,
of the Hardy Music Company, for his attention, he
That The Artistic Line Of
UPRIGHTS
GRANDS
and PLAYERS
of the CHRISTMAN PIANO
CO. are Different in Tone,
in Touch, in Appearance, and
in all that makes a piano
beautiful.
And the Christman
REPRODUCING GRAND
stands alone in its class,
which is the highest.
The Famous
Studio Grand
FAITH AND A GOOD ROAD.
being' the dealer who handles the Smith & Barnes
instruments in that territory. Mr. Hardy replied as
follows:
"We are very happy to say that we have succeeded
in selling Mr. Emil Golnick a style '215' playerpiano,
and we are returning herewith the letter which this
gentleman wrote your company sometime ago and
which you sent to us. We only enclose this letter to
help you recall the beginning of this sale. Also, we
are sending a few photographs incidental of our trip
and a letter descriptive of same. We usually follow
up all inquiries and almost invariably take an instru-
ment along. Although the party in question lived
160 miles north of here near a little country town
called Roscommon, we decided to take the Style '215'
mahogany player with us.
Used the Trailer.
"In making this trip, I used our trailer, due to the
fact that most of the small northern towns have no
equipment for handling pianos. Early one morning I
coupled the trailer loaded with the playerpiano to our
sedan and prepared for the long drive and started for
my destination. The road leading out of our city is
concrete for twenty miles, then we have gravel for
eighty miles, which bririgs us to what is known as
Only 5 feet Long
Wins Critical Appreciation at once.
Write to-day for
particulars.
Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street
New York
OSBORN PIANO INDUSTRY
WILL CEASE OPERATIONS
Lamented Death of Samuel Osborn of Chicago,
Necessitates Discontinuance of Grand Enterprise.
After a struggle to establish the Osborn low-
priced Grand Piano, the death of Samuel C. Osborn
proves also the end of the piano which bears his
name. Mr. Osborn was a business man of energy
and his death was a distinct loss. He had produced
pianos in which there was merit exceeding the small
price he sold them for. Of late the retail price of
$350 had been increased to $450, but even at that
figure there could be little inducement for the deal-
ers.
It is understood that Will Wade, of the Wade-
Twichell Company, Chicago, is closing out the stock
of Osborn Grands in the factory and, when that is
done, the industry will be discontinued.
NEW YORK'S PRODUCTIVENESS.
A statistical map of the manufacturing industries
of New York City, recently published by the Mer-
chants' Association, shows that the annual produc-
tion of pianos, organs and other musical instru-
ments and materials in the city has a value of $41,-
845,975, and comprises 26.7 per cent of the total pro-
duction for the United States. The government cen-
sus of 1921 gave credit to New York for 41 per cent
of the nat'on's pianos, which, it seems, was too much.
SUNDELIUS AND AMPICO.
"The
First
Touch
Tells"
(Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)
And Now is the Best Time to
Begin to win trade which will
insure Better Business next
year.
hearty meal, and the chores were completed, I pro-
ceeded to effect the sale. Useless for me to tell you
that after considerable effort I successfully closed
the deal, which was largely due to having your player
in the home and the desire of possession being
awakened to the fullest by the musical selection I
rendered on the player.
"As the hour was getting late I retired without
much coaxing, satisfied with the results of my day's
work. Early the next morning I departed home-
ward, traveling the same course uneventfully.
"Trusting that I have not been too lengthy with
the details of this trip, I will bring my letter to a
close, but should you see fit to use this letter with
the photographs to show others of your numerous
dealers that although the road may be long, hard
and rugged, and when the possibilities may not seem
as though they will prove truthful, take a chance on
a Smith and Barnes instrument, as they are as the
tire manufacturer says, 'The best in the long run.'
T H E HARDY MUSIC COMPANY,
H. A. HARDY."
Demand Is Everywhere.
This shows to what extent Smith, Barnes & Stroh-
ber Co.'s advertising campaign is working up pros-
pects ^for the dealers, and it is an incident in the
everyday life of the small town piano dealer that the
city^Salesman can look to and realize that his lot is
not \>y any manner the hardest. Mr. Hardy has
blazed a trail. He took music into the wilderness.
The demand was there, just as much appreciated as
in any thickly populated community. These peo-
ple probably never heard of the Advancement of
Music movement. Their desire for music is just the
same as it is with their city cousins. They are just
as much entitled to it as we who live in the more
densely populated districts.
Mr. Hardy was not afraid to attempt the sale, he
was not nfraid to go there, he was not afraid to
show his goods. He made his choice of the musical
instrument he was sure would give the results and
stand up. He then proceeded to go there and sell it.
The industry'needs more men like Mr. Hardy.
Marie Sundelius, soprano of the Metropolitan
Opera, sang with the Ampico for the first time at a
recent concert in Baltimore, on the same program
with Leo Ornstcin. After this experience she wrote:
"I feel that I never want to sing Cyril Scott's 'Lul-
laby' to any accompaniment but the Ampico. It was
perfect.' 1 This is one of the many accompaniments
recorded for the Ampico by Richard Hageman.
THE PROSPECT AT HOME.
the Roscommon plains, where we leave the laid out
road and follow a trail for sixty miles through sand,
jack pine and scrub oak.
"The plains are about three hundred feet above the
farming land. This elevation is all within one and
one-half miles distance, and with a load weighing
approximately a ton, here was where I experienced
the most trying part of my journey, but I succeeded
in reaching my destination at sunset somewhat
fatigued.
Ate, Then Sold.
"1 was greeted by an elderly gentleman, one of the
family, who after a brief conversation invited me in
to supper, as they called it, which was greatly ap-
preciated as I was hungry. After partaking of this
MOVES IN SAN FRANCISCO.
The general office of Kohler & Chase, San Fran-
cisco, has been moved from 837 Mission street to
the Kohler & Chase building at 26 O'Farrel street.
The wholesale offices and the office of the presi-
dent, George Q. Chase, are on the fourth floor of
the building. William H. H. Davis, the new office
manager, sees great advantages in the move to the
new location.
EASTERN REPRESENTATIVE.
Harry Snyder, eastern representative of the Gul-
bransen-Dickinson Co., Chicago, called at the home
office last week. Mr. Snyder enjoyed a short rest
between trips. After two days he was "off again."
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