PRESTO
August 25, 1923
CHRISTMAN
Grand
FOREIGN MARKET
AWAITS PIANOS
Values of Imports of Pianos to Hongkong,
with Details of the Kinds of Instruments
Which Are Salable There and
Their Prices.
MAKES TEAKWOOD CASES
Portuguese Africa Is Also a Market for the Cheaper
Grades of Pianos as Well as Small
Musical Instruments.
when embodied with
These Famous Instruments
Challenge Comparison in
Everything that Commands
the Admiration of Critical
Buyers. Musical Prospects
Rave Over Them.
DEALERS WHO SELL
FINE PIANOS
Never fail to Commend these
Pianos and Players after they
have Tried their Selling Power
and Permanent Strength.
CHRISTMAN
Studio Grand
A WONDERFUL SMALL GRAND
only five feet long which embodies all
the advantages of the larger grands
and possessing a tone volume and
range of expression surprisingly broad.
Musicians quickly recognize the
characteristic tone qualities of the
CHRISTMAN GRAND
SEEING IS BELIEVING
"The First Touch Tells''
Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
Christ man Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
The value of imports of pianos into Hongkong is
estimated at $50,000 a year, reports Consul Leroy
Webber. About 85 per cent is re-exported to the
nearby markets of South China, lndo-China and
Siam.
One prominent manufacturer located at Shanghai,
China, supplies fully 90 per cent of these imports, the
remainder being chiefly of American and English
manufacture. There is, however, a small local
Chinese firm which manufactures about three pianos
a month, but they are of an inferior type.
The Moutrie pianos, which are manufactured by
the Shanghai firm, have solid teakwood cases, pol-
ished in either light or dark mahogany and ebonized,
which are sold with a seven-year guaranty against
any climate.
In Hongkong Dollars.
These are sold locally at the following prices, stated
in Hongkong dollars, the Hongkong dollar being
worth about $0.50:
Upright, compass 7 octaves, height 4 feet, length 4
feet 8 inches, depth 2 feet, price 600 dollars; upright,
grand, 7 l /i octaves, height 4 feet, length 4 feet 8
inches, depth 2 feet, price 825 dollars; player, fitted
with automatic melody, 88 notes, grand, compass 7 ^
octaves, height 4 feet 4?4 inches, length 4 feet 10
inches, depth 2 feet and 4 inches, price 1,600 dollars;
baby grand, height 3 feet 3% inches,'length 5 feet A l A
inches, depth 4 feet 7 l /> inches, price 1,500 dollars.
A discount of 15 per cent is allowed for cash with
order.
The ordinary commercial stencil pianos from the
United States, England, Germany, and other foreign
countries have veneer cases and are not considered
suitable to the climate of Shanghai.
The present prices quoted on ordinary American
and other foreign pianos are considered too high to
admit of competition with the North China pianos.
Importations are made on a consignment basis,
terms and payments being a matter of arrangement.
Market in Portuguese East Africa.
The market for musical instruments in Portuguese
East Africa is restricted, so far as the majority of in-
struments is concerned, by the small size of the
European population, but in proportion to the num-
ber of people, the volume of the demand is very good.
Consul Cecil M. P. Cross, Lourenco Marques, has
submitted the following information concerning this
market.
The extent of the distribution of pianos among the
residents of the Province is surprising, when the un-
developed nature of the country and the difficulties
of transportation are considered, to say nothing of
the limited purchasing power of the bulk of the
European population. As a rule, however, very few
instruments are bought locally, although there are
several agencies in Lourenco Marques.
German pianos are apparently the most popular,
largely because of their low price, but there is a very
general feeling that the exactions of the local dealers
are exorbitant, and there has been a notable tendency
to purchase directly, as a rule, either from firms or
through friends in Portugal, or, in some cases,
directly from German manufacturers and dealers, who
have been industriously circularizing this Province.
The comparatively high cost of pianos makes this
practice appeal particularly as being worth while, for
it is said that the saving effected amounts to 50 per
cent in many cases.
As in the case of phonographs, a considerable num-
ber of pianos are brought into the country by in-
dividuals when they come to the Province, or when
they return from furlough in Europe.
Other Instruments.
Mandolins, 1 violins, guitars, and band or orchestra
instruments are almost invariably brought by their
owners with them from Europe.
Accordions of
German manufacture recently appeared on the mar-
ket at prices which it is doubtful if any other coun-
try could compete with.
Present indication's are,
however, that this cannot continue.
Harmonicas are very popular among the native
population and are one of the staple items in the
"Kaffir" trade. The demand for these has been very
greatly curtailed recently, however, by the failure of
the crops, which last year produced famine conditions
in large areas—a condition which was aggravated by
the curtailing of emigration to the Transvaal mines
because of the disturbances there. The harmonicas
have in the past been almost entirely German, al-
though, as a result of the war, some of British manu-
facture are on the market.
PIANO MEN VACATIONING
SOUTHEASTERN OREGON
Frank Case Runs Across President Ericsson, of
Ludwig & Co., and They Go Fishing.
Frank M. Case, manager of the Wiley B. Allen
store at Portland, Ore., returned last week from a
1,300-mile motor trip through southeastern and
southern Oregon, calling on the Wiley B. Allen
agencies of those sections.
While in Klamath county Mr. Case met George
R. Hughes, of the Wiley B. Allen San Francisco
office, who, with C. A. Ericsson, president of
Ludwig & Company, of New York, was on a fishing
trip up the Williams River. Mr. Case spent several
days with them and took Mr. Ericsson to see the
wonders of Crater Lake.
Mr. Case says that he found the dealers all very
optimistic and placing large orders for their fall and
winter business. And Mr. Ericsson, while not dis-
posed to discuss business during fishing hours, ex-
pressed optimism in the matter of the fall and winter
trade with his big industry. The Ludwig president
has worked so hard and continuously that he owes
to himself all the vacation he can assimilate. How-
ever, he has been calling on many piano dealers also.
THE FIRST ESSENTIAL
FOR PIANO SELLING
It Is Get Prospect Where He Can See Instrument
And Hear Its Tones.
The aim of the piano salesman is to bring the
piano and the prospect face to face. In the last
analysis all scherhes amount to just that. The pos-
sibilities of selling the piano "sight unseen'' are as
poor as those of disposing of the proverbial pig
in a poke. Then it follows that the quickest way
to open and close sales is to bring the piano and the
prospect together.
If the prospect cannot be brought to see the piano,
hear its melodious tones and admire its beauties of
case, the next best, or just as good, proceeding is
to take the piano where the prospect can do the
admiring. And the easiest and pleasantest way to
effect that is to use a One-Man Piano Loader, made
by the Bowen Piano Loader Co., Winston-Salem,
N. C.
The simplicity and effectiveness of the Bewen de-
vice is acknowledged by a great number of pleased
dealers. No prohibitive price prevents its adoption
by dealers of even the smallest business.
The
opening of communications with the makers of the
Bowen Loader always results in a sale and one
more pleased user is added to the list of Bowen
enthusiasts.
HALLET & DAVIS WORKERS.
The Portland, Ore., music trade was visited last
week by James A. Stitt, coast representative of the
Mallet & Davis Piano Co. Mr. Stitt was accom-
panied on his northwestern trip by John Gressing,
mechanical expert of the Hallet & Davis factory in
Boston. After completing their northwest tour the
two will go east together to the factory.
A CALLER FROM MEXICO.
A guest of the Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. Monday
and Tuesday of last week was Mr. Konrad Mieren-
dorff, of A. Wagner & Levien, Sues., Mexico City.
Mr. Mierendorff was en route to Europe. From Chi-
cago he went to New York City to visit trade con-
nections before leaving for Europe.
NEW GREENCASTLE STORE.
A new music store on the south side of the square
in Greencastle, Ind., will open soon according to John
Cartright, the proprietor. Greencastle is a live town
and the center of a rich farming country, and Mr.
Cartright, being a good salesman, should do a good
business.
"Charlie" Grundy, representing the Premier Grand
Piano Corp., of New York, has been in the far South
taking orders. Hot weather doesn't matter. Mr.
Grundy finds the Premier goes anywhere and every-
where, at any time and all times.
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