PRESTO
ABOUT THE SWEETEST
PIANO STORY EVER TOLD
Lee Livezey, Jesse French Retail Representa-
tive in New Castle, Ind., Effects Unique
Piano Deal.
Every piano man of the old school has heard of,
and assisted in, taking in worthless squares at a valu-
ation, parlor organs ditto, with even an occasional
cow, calf or what-not, when the need arose, but it
remains for Lee Livezey, the local Jesse French &
Sons Piano Co. representative at New Castle, Ind., to
put across a deal most unique in the annals of the
piano trade.
Some two weeks ago E. F. Rankin, a farmer living
three miles southeast of Brownstown, was in New
Castle soliciting orders for comb honey, and in the
course of his soliciting he dropped into the Livezey
piano store and put forth a long and most earnest
plea as to the exceptional quality of honey, which
was his specialty, and produced samples to prove his
assertions. In the course of his sales talk he men-
tioned he had had an unusual supply of high-grade
honey this year; in fact, he had so much that he ex-
pected to be around town several days trying to dis-
pose of it.
Also, during his talk, it developed that later on in
the summer he and his wife had given some thought
to a piano, as they had two little girls coming on who
would shortly be in need of a really first-class in-
strument.
Mr. Livezey. being a wide-awake piano man, told
Mr. Rankin that he didn't see why he should spend
a long time in the city selling out the honey in small
lots, from house to house, when he would take the
entire quantity, 2,750 pounds, and give him a high-
grade piano for same, and sell the honey himself.
His sales argument was that Farmer Rankin would
save all his hotel expenses, likewise all the trouble of
making sales, and, lastly, he could anticipate his
piano purchase by several months and make no cash
outlay whatsoever.
The idea, while a most novel one to Mr. Rankin,
made an immediate appeal and he straightway looked
March 10, 1923
over the stock, picked out a piano that met with his
approval and said to "send it out." No time was
wasted in getting back to the farm and the entire lot
of honey was forwarded immediately and placed on
sale at the music store.
Mr. Livezey was somewhat dubious as to how long
it would take him to dispose of this large consign-
ment of sweetening, but, strange to relate, no sooner
was a placard put in the store window than cus-
tomers began to arrive from all directions, and by
March 2nd he had just exactly one five-pound pail
still on hand, thus bringing to a satisfactory conclu-
sion one of the most unusual piano trades ever made
anywhere so far as the records go.
BUSY OHIO BRANCH.
A lively pursuit of sales distinguishes the activities
of the new branch of the Winter Piano Co., Erie,
Pa., which was recently opened at ISO Main street,
Ashtabula, O. The piano line includes the makes
handled in the main store of the company: Ampico,
Knabe, J & C. Fischer, Marshall & Wendell, Bacon,
Foster & Co., and C. Kurtzmann. At the present
time only pianos are carried in the Ashtabula branch,
but the purpose is to add talking machines and
records later.
IT PROTECTS THE MARKING.
By putting a coating of shellac over stencil marks,
says Commerce Reports, one of the largest exporters
of American goods has been enabled to protect the
shipping directions on its packing cases from rub-
bing, blotting or chafing. Costly delays, due to the
inability of steamship and custom officials to read
partially obliterated marks, have been done away
with by this practice.
NEW OHIO STORE.
Lucien E. Hockett, Bellefontaine, O., and Will
Hockett, of Columbus, brothers, will open a piano
store in Bellefontaine about the last of April. Lucien
E. Hockett and wife left Saturday for Los Angeles,
Cal., and upon their return business plans will go for-
ward.
TO SELL WILCOX & WHITE CO.
AT AUCTION IN BROOKLYN
Final Scene in Long Career of Famous Industry at
Meriden, Conn., Is Announced.
The following official announcement will interest
every member of the trade. It is probably the last
chapter in the history of one of the oldest and most
celebrated musical instrument industries:
United States District Court, Southern District of
New York, Notice of Sale.
In the matter of Wilcox & White Company, Bank-
rupt.
Charles Shongood. United States auctioneer for the
Southern District of New York, sells at public auc-
tion, Wednesday, March 14, 1923, by order of the
court, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, at No. 744-782
Fulton street. Borough of Brooklyn, City of New
York, upon the premises of F. G. Smith, Inc., bank-
rupt, the assets of the above named bankrupt, consist-
ing of pianos, piano leases, outstanding accounts of
the bankrupt, notes, music rolls, etc.
Dated, New York, March 2, 1923.
HORACE W. DAVIS, Trustee.
LEO OPPENHEIMER, Attorney for Trustee, 60
Wall street, New York.
TO MOVE APRIL 1.
The Ellas Marx Music Company, Sacramento, Cal.,
will have 15,000 square feet of floor space when it
occupies its new quarters in the Native Sons' build-
ing, which will be completed about April 1. The new
structure, which is of steel and concrete, is admirably
located at 1027 to 1031 J street. A lively pre-removal
sale is now being carried on by the Ellas Marx
Music Company.
MANY REPAIR JOBS NOW.
The Piano Repair Shop, 425 South Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, presents a scene of activity now, and a con-
siderable number of instruments are being handled.
The San Antonio, Tex., Woman's Club recently The piano repair business is made better because of
purchased a C. Kurtzmann grand piano from the San the difficulty in getting a new piano in a hurry, ac-
cording to Manager Batholomee.
Antonio Music Co.
BAUER PIANOS
The
JULIUS BAUER
^Reproducing Medium
TRADB MARK
Office and W&rerooma
Old Number. 244 Wabaah AM
New Number. 305 S. Wabash A*
Factory
!»33 Altgeld Street. CHICAGO
in the
A. B, Chase
Established 1875
Emerson
Lindeman & Sons
Established 1849
Established 1836
The Celco Reproducing Medium in these
nationally known pianos offers a complete line,
characterized by distinction and controlled
exclusively by you- Write for open territory.
United Piano Corporation
20 West 45th Street
New York City
KROEGER
(Established 15*2)
">
KROEGER P3ANO CO.
NEW YORK. N. Y.
Quick Sales and
Satisfied Customers
.
The name alone is enough to suggest to dealers the Best
Artistic and Commercial Values.
The New Style Players Are Rfriest Yet. if you can
get the Agency you ought to Lave it.
Mid
STAMFORD. CONK.
BRINKERHOFF
Player-Pianos and Pianos
That's what you want and that's what you ffet when you sell Straube-
made players and pianos.
The constant and growing; demand for Straube-made instruments is
due to their high quality which is indicated by the kind of people
who buy them. You can see that they are being selected by those
who choose most carefully.
As a dealer you know the advantage of selling a line of instruments
with a standing of this sort. Let u» toll you about our interesting
dealer proposition.
STRAUBE PIANO CO., Hammond, Ind.
Die Line That Sells Easily and Satisfies Always
BRINKERHOfF PIANO CO. M B S ! , I & I U S ' CHICAGO
For QUALITY, SATISFACTION and PROFIT
NEWMAN BROTHERS PIANOS
NEWMAN BROS. CO.
Established 1870
Kindler & Collins
Pianos
MO-9S4 « . 4SNi S
maw VORK
Try a Presto Want Ad and Get It
Factories, 816 DIX ST., Chicago, IJ
]£• Leins Piano Company
Makers of Pianos That Are Leaders
in Any Reliable Store
NEW FACTORY. 304 W. 42nd St.. NEW YORK
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