Presto

PRESTO
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Published Every Saturday at 407 South Dearborn
Street, Old Colony Building, Chicago, 111.
is only pastime for the advertising solicitor,
for a music trade paper, to magnify the im-
portance of the circulation he represents, by
libeling a competitor. It is true that the piano
trade has grown better, but in some of its
phases the respectable and entirely necessary
corollary "trade journalism," has grown
worse. But who cares?
June 23, 1923
pianos known in the trade and spreading that
fame among the men whose business it is to
sell pianos?
BETTER BUSINESS
We do not believe that the "better business"
bureaus have had much to do with it, but cer-
Telephones. Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
tainly the piano trade has greatly improved
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
in its methods during the past five years. It
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29. 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1S79.
would
today almost startle an experienced
MR. BYRNE'S ADDRESS
member of the trade to find some of the least
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
There were some almost startlingly bright
possessions. Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
of the former-day fake advertisements in the
application.
addresses delivered at the recent music trades
daily newspapers. And it would cause a ques-
convention. And perhaps none of them has
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
tion of veracity in the minds of new-comers
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen made better "copy" for the newspapers than
in the business to tell of the old-time custom
the talk on the ever-absorbing topic of "Ad-
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
of trailing prospects from rival stores to their
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
vertising," by Mr. C. E. Byrne, of the Steger
homes, or any of the rank tricks which once
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat- & Sons Piano Mfg. Co. Always entertaining
marred
and mussed up the "piano game."
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
when he writes, Mr. Byrne touched an old
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Today the business is almost universally
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
theme in a way so new that what he said at
clean, liven some of the verv houses which
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
the Drake in Chicago has been repeated to
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
at one time were aggressive in their chal-
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
literally millions of readers since June 6. Some
lenge of ethical methods are now beyond re-
Wednesday noon.
of the foremost of the world's daily newspap-
proach in their advertising and systems of
Address all communications for the editorial or business
d e p a r t m e n t s t o PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 407 S o . ers have repeated the following, as represent-
selling. The very men who once would have
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
ing an interesting example of the way the
paid liberally for any scheme by which medi-
uppermost thought of today may be vivified
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1923.
ocrity in pianos might have been made to de-
by a glance at the historic past:
feat merit, in business competition, are now
Eve was the first salesman and took her lirst order
doing
the cleanest kind of advertising and
WHO CARES
when she sold Adam the apple in Eden. The first de-
exacting
equally good work by their sales-
partment store was conducted by Noah during the
"What's your circulation?" "Oh, about ten
Hood.
Sonic
go
so
far
as
to
say
that
it
was
the
men.
thousand," or "Oh, about six thousand," or
original Piggly Wiggly.
And what has brought the change? The
"Oh, less 'n a million !" And the innocent ad-
Air. Byrne named King Tut, Cleopatra, Barnum, law has placed some restrictions upon what
vertiser, or advertising; "expert," looks wise
Billy Sunday, Volstead, Bryan, Ruth, Ford and Poca-
might have seemed bare-faced fraud, but in
hontas as the greatest advertisers who ever lived.
and says it's very good. And to make his case
the multiplicity of laws there are few that
The particular extract just presented is
stronger, while the "contract" is being filled
could regulate the selling of pianos. There
from the Hearst newspapers' report of the
in, the salesman tells of the circulation of
have been organizations designed to censor
some other publication of which, of course, he third day of the convention, but the same
selling systems, but they have more often
points from Mr. Byrne's address have been
can know nothing.
proved
ineffectual interferences than influ-
repeated
in
other
equally
widely
read
publica-
This may be an "irregular" editorial. It may
ences
of
correction. And there have been
tions
all
over
the
world.
And
so
the
Steger
also seem that the descendants of Ananias are
changes
in
the character of the instruments
official's
part
in
spreading
the
influence
of
the
still active and that trade advertising has a
sold
by
the
piano
trade.
piano
industry
and
trade
is
past
the
possibility
few of them at work. And the wonder is
But
no
other
force
or agency has done s©
of
computation.
that men of accredited acumen and judgment
much
for
the
betterment
of piano trade meth-
If
what
Mr.
Byrne
said
proves
anything,
can be fooled by them.
ods
as
the
steady
advancement
on the part
beyond
the
facts
as
he
put
them,
it
is
that
the
From the beginning, nearly forty years ago,
of
the
public
in
the
knowledge
of what a
old
things,
and
the
out-worn
ideas
of
the
Presto, the American Music Trade Weekly,
piano
really
is.
Education
has
been
the in-
early
days,
still
exert
their
influences
and
has made it a rule to forbid exaggeration on
fluence
that
has
worked
the
effect.
And
that
help to shape modern progress. They at least
the part of its workers when the subject of
largely
because,
as
the
people
have
learned,
supply the fund of thought and serve the wit
circulation comes up. Trade paper circulation
and humor by which to savor and spice the the manufacturers have tried the harder to
is not a question of quantity anyway. It is
serious progress of today. And that is a improve their products and to justify the bet-
quality and influence that count here. The
ter demand which has come by reason of the
great deal.
music trade paper with an honest circulation
improved understanding.
Advertising has become the most vital force
of a few thousand, and an influence measured
Today, aside from the rather hysterical
in modern business. It was this that made
by its character and endurance, has an in-
publicity
of the special sales, the piano ad-
Mr. Byrne's theme so prominent in the reports
direct selling force greater than the average
vertising
is
as high-class as that of any other
of the convention. And in the piano business
publication of which a half-million may be
line
of
trade.
And usually the special sales
it is now realized that no manufacturer or
printed. This is understood by business men
are
perfectly
right
and clean, so that even
who are engaged in manufacturing for the industry can hope for even moderate success
there
the
betterment
of the piano trade is
without the influence of advertising. One
wholesale trade.
equally
in
evidence.
The
day of suspicion
From the first, Presto has invested more incident at the recent meeting of piano mer-
which
was
formerly
cast
upon
piano selling
chants may suffice.
effort in its subscription department than in
is
past
and,
we
hope,
"gone
forever."
The representative of an eastern piano
its advertising-getting. This paper has re-
which, while once, famous, has of late years
fused more display advertising than some of
fallen behind, had tried to interest a western
STRAUBE TREASURER ON TOUR.
its contemporaries have carried. No other
dealer in his line. After a rather extended
trade paper in this line of work has devoted
A. T. Schuldes. treasurer of The Straube Piano
Company, Hammond,. Indiana, accompanied by Mrs.
argument, the dealer asked :
as much time and money to the work of
Schuldes and their young son Thomas, is motoring
"Why should you expect me to buy your through the East on a vacation tour. Mr. Schuldes,
securing subscribers, and no other, we believe,
can show so large a proportion of actual paid pianos? I don't owe your pianos anything. who is well known in the trade, believes in combin-
You don't advertise, or if you do, it's only in ing business and pleasure, as is evidenced by the fact
subscriptions.
that he is sending in substantial orders from points
spasms ! You are not doing anything for the along his way. Mr. Schuldes' views on collecting in
It is a source of pride to Presto that in its
dealers. Your pianos are no better than some rural districts occasioned a great deal of discussion
lists of subscribers are many who have been
readers of this paper for a quarter-century. others that do advertise largely in the trade when thev were given in the trade publications last
fall.
papers. I want some reason for changing, or
Some of them have received the paper from
for adding to my line!"
the very first issue in 1884.
FIRM NAME CHANGED.
...Isn't there an argument there? Why should
We hope that the day may come when for a
The name of the Warren Music House, Pendleton,
the dealer buy any pianos to sell again unless Ore., has been changed to the Pendleton Music House
trade paper—or any other advertising medium
—to falsify its circulation statement will be a the manufacturer does something to make his and extensive remodeling plans on the store on Main
street have been announced. A. B. Robertson, E. J.
crime subject to life imprisonment. There product easier to sell, and shows a fair dis- Scellers and J. Mulligan are interested in the com-
seems to be no remedy at this time. And it position to help his trade, by making his pany.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
-
-
Editors
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