PRESTO
May 19, 1923
HONORING COLUMBUS DEALER
A Dealer
In
New Jersey
Writes:
The caption of this
picture might be "Saying
It with Flowers." It is
the interior of a branch
store of C. C. Baker, the
Columbus, O., big dealer
in rolls and records, and
the photograph showed
what his friends said in
delightful floral elo-
quence. Few facts for
copy making came with
the cut, but you might
detect a Q R S accent
in the floral language if
you were assured that
T h o m a s M. Pletcher,
president of the Q R S
Music Co., and Earl Hol-
land, sales manager of
the c o m p a n y , were
amongst those present at
the formal grand opening
functions at 123 High
street recently. Mr. Baker
a p p r e c i a t e d the nice
things said with flowers.
He himself has a pleasant
habit of expressing his
opinions of good condi-
tions in the music roll
business with orders.
"A style H Orchestrion
I sold for $2,800 as
easily as an ordinary HARDWARE DEALERS
IN THE MUSIC TRADE
$600 home player be- All 'Round Music Merchant Protests Against
with "Side Lines" in Stores
cause I showed the Competition
Not Equipped to Give Special Service.
buyer that his custo-
mers' nickles paid the
bill."
Write Us Today
J. P. SEEBURG PIANO CO.
Leaders in the Automatic Field
1510-1516 Dayton Street
CHICAGO
DISPLAY IN C. C. BAKER'S STORE.
Fort Madison, la., May 11, 1923.
Editor Presto: I have read the article on page 22
of your isue of May 5th, under the heading of
''Music in Hardware Stores."
I am wondering how the hardware, drug, jeweler
and other stores would take it if we, who are offering
to the public a general stock of exclusive musical
merchandise, together with the service that goes with
it, should put in a side line of hardware, drugs, jew-
elry, etc., and, because it adds nothing to our over-
head, sell at a price that the regular merchants in
these lines could not meet. We, to keep up our repu-
tation of having "Everything in Music," must carry
in stock hundreds of accessories which are but seldom
called for, but which we must keep on hand if we
desire to give service as well as to sell goods. Would
the clerks in other stores be qualified to make little
adjustments that we are called upon to make almost
every day in the week?
We make very little on this class of work, yet it
goes with the business.
Our larger income comes from the sale of the
larger instruments, such as playerpianos, pianos,
phonographs and the larger band and orchestral in-
struments. What value is the advice given by a drug
or hardware clerk worth? Who among them are able
to demonstrate a violin or other instrument?
Their thought is only to pick up a few easy dollars
without offering any real service.
Is it not reasonable to assume that these stores
should confine their efforts to the promotion and
selling of such merchandise as would naturally come
under the head of their established business, and that
wholesalers and jobbers protect their regular estab-
lished dealers by refusing to sell to catalog and side-
line dealers?
About eight years ago there was not in this city a
place where one could buy a small musical instru-
ment, a violin string or a sheet of music. We saw
the need of such a store and opened a "Music Shop,"
and have succeeded very well. But as soon as our
success was noted, no less than eight more put in
phonographs and some other small goods. All but
two have gone out of business, and threw their stocks
on the market at about cost. And you know this is
not good for a regular dealer.
It is my opinion that the wholesalers and jobbers
are making a mistake in urging these stores to install
a line of musical goods, unless they are equipped to
handle a full line and furnish the service one should
expect from a dealer.
There are a number of other sides to this question,
but I'll not enter into the discussion of them.
I would really like to have an opinion from you
concerning my position. Am I all wrong in my con-
tention? 1 think not.
I am, very truly yours,
C. W. WEEKS.
Editor's Note: You certainly are not "all wrong."
We quite agree with your point of view, and have
often advanced similar ideas in these columns. The
stability of the music trade depends very largely upon
the character of the dealers, and the interlopers,
whose business is to sell other merchandise, are often
as detrimental to the manufacturers' interest as they
are to the local music dealers themselves.
Tn the piano business, the exclusive representation
of certain instruments has been the custom from the
first, and most manufacturers are loyal to their rep-
resentatives and dealers. If they are not, they can
not expect to hold them long.
This paper is not largely read by hardware mer-
chants, or any others save music men, except in some
of the South American countries where about the
only music dealers are the hardware men. In our
own United States the music dealers must do the
music business, for the reasons explained by our
correspondent.
The article to which reference is made was not
designed to advise jobbers and manufacturers to take
on hardware dealers, but was merely an item of news.
BUSH COMPOSITION CALLED
"MARCH OF THE VICTORIOUS"
Arranged for 32-Piece Band, March Will Be Heard
at Forthcoming Convention.
The new military march written by W. L. Bush,
president of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Dallas,
Texas, has been given a name. The invitation to his
friends to provide a name for the stirring march
composed for the convention in 1923 was printed in
Presto recently, and Mr. Bush received a great many
suggestions for a title. In a letter this week he says:
"After reading the article in Presto I thought best
to mail you a copy of the 'March of the Victorious,'
this name having been used as a result of a contest
that was put on here in Dallas where the first per-
formance of this militant march was given by the
Elks Band at the State Fair Park last Sunday night.
"All of our Progressive Club entered into the spirit
of this contest and we had suggestions from a num-
ber of musicians and organizations, but the winner
of the contest and prize was one of our own em-
ployes, Mr. Pryor in our band instrument department.
I am sending under separate cover complimentary
copy of the march, which is arranged for 32-piece
band."
BUYS IN AKRON, O.
The music store of the Van Scoyoc Co., 53 Ex-
change street, Akron, O., has been purchased by
Harry R. Beardsley and C. R. Crossland. Mr. Van
Scoyoc, who has been a familiar figure in the Akron
music trade for many years, has not declared his
future plans. In addition to pianos and players the
store handles a line of talking machines. It is said
the new owners will make some changes in the lines
of pianos and players carried by Mr, Scoyoc.
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