Presto

Issue: 1923 1946

PRESTO
ATTRACTIVE NAME
FOR STRAUBE STYLE
New Titles Adopted by Straube Piano Com-
pany, Hammond, Ind., in Conforming With
Progressive Advertising and Merchandis-
ing Policies Announced This Week.
E. R. JACOBSON'S MESSAGE
President of Big Indiana Industry in Interview Points
Out That Urgent Problem of Manufacturer Is
to Help Dealer to Effect Turnover.
November 10, 1923
it as an additional service to the Straube dealer. We
have tested it out to the point where we know that
these sales innovations will assist greatly in overcom-
ing sales resistance; and everything that we can do
to help our dealers is good business for us."
Approximately one hundred new dealers have been
added to the enviable Straube Piano Company since
last spring; and other dealers are being added every
day. As evidence that the Straube principles of
merchandising are appreciated, it might be stated
that the company received seventy-five inquiries from
dealers during a recent week.
W. P. HAINES & COMPANY
ANOTHER MUSIC TRADE
ADVERTISING CONTEST
Three Generations of Piano Makers
All Styles—Ready Sellers
Attractive Prices
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Approves
Plan to Repeat Event Next Year.
At a meeting of the board of directors of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce this week the re-
port of the Special Committee on the 1923 Retail Ad-
vertising Contest, consisting of Thomas H. Fletcher,
chairman, C. E. Byrne, H. E. Lawrence, Philip
Wyman, A. F. Price, B. H. Jefferson, A. L. Walsh,
and Thomas Greene, was submitted. The report rec-
ommended the reproduction of the winning advertis-
ing in portfolio form for distribution to members, and
also recommended a repetition of the contest in 1924
as a means of raising advertising standards for the
trade.
The board of directors gave their formal approval
to the holding of a second contest next year, and
authorized the offering of prizes similar to those
given to the winners of this year's contest. Rules
governing the retail advertising contest and a list of
the prizes to be offered will be issued shortly by the
Chamber's Trade Service Bureau,
In line with its progressive advertising and mer-
chandising policies, the Straube Piano Company,
Hammond, Ind., announces on another page in this
issue of Presto that henceforth all Straube instru-
ments will be sold on a national retail price basis.
The Straube player models have been given fitting
names, and these names, together with the national
price, will be featured in all future Straube advertis-
ing.
In an intensely interesting two-page letter which
went to Straube dealers last week, the reason for
these merchandising innovations are clearly set forth.
It is pointed out in the letter that giving the players
names, instead of designating the various styles by
letter or number, will serve to individualize the in-
struments and give them character.
Value of Good Name.
"A good name," the letter continues, "can be very
instrumental in making a sale. Designating a par-
ticular style by a letter doesn't mean much to your
prospective customer; but a name that your customer
can recall in years to come, can mean a great deal in
closing a sale. Your customers will be proud to re-
late to their friends that they "bought the 'Colonial
Model,' the 'Arcadian Model,' the 'Imperial Model,'
or the 'Puritan Model,' as the case may be. More- R. A. Burke, of Story & Clark Piano Co., Reports
Most Promising Trade Conditions
over, the best prospects in your community, those
with the greatest potential buying power, will have
General traveler R. A. Burke, of the Story & Clark
these names before them all the while, on the pages Piano
Chicago, has returned from a very ex-
of the country's foremost advertising mediums and tensive Co.,
trip
in
the middle west and south. In a talk
in the direct mail literature sent out by the Straube with a Presto representative,
Mr. Burke spoke as fol-
Piano Company."
lows :
A great deal of the letter is devoted to the subject
"Having just returned from a ten day trip through
of national pricing for retail selling and continues:
Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Indiana,
Nationally Advertised Prices.
and I must say that I feel very much encouraged over
"There is nothing that fosters confidence in a prod- the continued improvement throughout these sections,
uct like a nationally-advertised price," the letter as well as the prospects everywhere for a big fall
reads. "The public is satisfied that an advertised business.
price is a fair one; otherwise the manufacturer and
"Our shipments for August, September and Octo-
his merchants would be afraid to advertise it."
ber far exceeded the corresponding months in last
In commenting on these changes in selling policy, year
and, from what orders we have already booked,
E. R. Jacobson, president of the Straube Company we feel
that November and December will
and first vice-president of the National Piano Manu- show up confident
equally as well.
facturers' Association, pointed out to a representa-
were the praises I heard from our dealers
tive of Presto that service to the dealer is the order on "Many
our new player—the Story & Clark Repro-Phraso,
of the day.
which is attracting so much favorable comment
Mr. Jacobson Talks.
among the trade. One dealer said that every one
"Competition in retail selling is becoming keener they had sold had made a lasting friend, and another
all the while," Mr. Jacobson said. "In the first place, told me that they sold one to a man that had been
the volume of retail business done must necessarily considering players for nearly a year but would not
be greater now than formerly. It used to be that buy on account of all 'sounding so mechanical.' He
a man could 'get by' without great volume; rent, selected the Repro-Phraso, however, and later called
selling costs, overhead in general, were much less. in to tell them that he was so well pleased with it
But of late years a new element has entered into re- that he would not take $1,000.00 for the instrument,
tail selling in the piano industry. The man going for which he had paid only $650.00."
into the retail music business is amazed at the fixed
volume of business he is compelled to do in order to
ADDS STULTZ AND BAUER LINE.
break even. While the size of that volume varies,
Fairall's Music House, Fourth and Main streets,
of course, with--circumstances and "conditions, it is
large enough in every case to call for new merchan- Newark, O., has added the line of pianos and players
of Stultz & Bauer, New York. The space for the
dising principles. • . '
- -
,
new lines has been provided by alterations in the floor
Effect on Manufacturer.
"Now what effect has all this had on the manufac- space arrangement. The company now has twice the
turer who disposes of his output at wholesale?" Well, amount of wareroom space it had in the old location
the retailer has come to look for more than "just an at 4 North Fourth street.
instrument" when he is ready to replenish his piano
stock. He knows the problems that are confronting
MASON & HAMLIN IN PORTLAND.
him; he knows that he must have lines that will move
A
Mason & Hamlin piano was furnished through
and stay moved—and he is going to buy from the
manufacturer who will do the most for him in dis- the courtesy of the Wiley B. Allen Co. of Portland,
Ore., for the concert of Miss Dorothea Nash, pianist,
posing of the goods at retail.
"And that is the problem of the manufacturer, as who appeared in recital at the Women's club build-
we see it—helping the dealer to get turnover. Of ing October 26. The Mason & Hamlin is a great
' course, there are various ways to do this. First and favorite with Miss Nash, who is one of Portland's
foremost is the product; a good product, one that has most talented pianists.
individual characteristics. with the ability to please
the most discriminating, is absolutely essential. And
THE FARMER'S CONFIDENCE,
after that comes the manufacturer's service to the
Lou E. Holland, of Kansas City, president of the
dealer, which is individual and depends entirely on
Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, address-
the particular manufacturer.
ing the tenth district convention this week in Cor-
Another Service For Dealer.
sicana, Tex., said truthful advertising is one of the
"If I were to tell you in a sentence why we have best methods of maintaining the confidence of the
decided to name our instruments and give them a farmer, who represents the fundamental industry
national retail price, I would say that we have done of the country.
FOUND TRADE FINE IN
ALL SECTIONS VISITED
THE
PIANOS
THE PIANOS OF QUALITY
GRANDS
REPRODUCING GRANDS
UPRIGHTS and PLAYERS
AVAILABLE TERRITORY OPEN
W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
138th St. and Walton Ave.
New York City
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell readily—Stay sold
Great profit possibilities
Style E (shown below) our latest 4 / 6' /
Order a sample to-day.
Liberal advertising and
cooperative arrangements
Write for catalogue
and price list
Weser Bros., Inc.
Manufacturers
520 to 528 West 43rd St.
New York
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackson - - - Chicago
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO
November 10, 1923
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells''
Piano warerooms where the Christ-
man line of instruments is found, at-
tract the best class of trade. The
Christman line is absolutely complete
and, whether upright, grand, player-
piano or reproducing piano, electrically
operated, there is nothing better.
What the dealer must have to induce
high-class trade is the piano possessing
the very finest characteristics and the
most advanced features.
The Christman
Electrically Operated
Reproducing
Grands and Uprights
Are the most artistic instruments in
the entire field of piano manufacture.
It is the latest development of the
Christman.
There is no other line that surpasses
this one, and none in which high qual-
ity and popular characteristics blend
in a like degree, to the profit of the
dealer in fine instruments.
CHRISTMAN
Studio Grand
Only 5 Feet Long
It was the CHRISTMAN GRAND that
first demonstrated the truth that size has
nothing to do with the depth and resonance
of a Grand Piano's tone.
Built with a careful eye to the exacting
requirements of the space at the command
of city dwellers and owners of small houses,
the CHRISTMAN GRAND combines every
essential that wins for the grand piano first
consideration in the mind of the artist.
(C
The First Touch Tells
t 9
Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
^>
^
IN THE CINCINNATI
TRADE THIS WEEK
Music Business in the Ohio City, in All De-
partments Is Good, and Some of the
Special Activities.
By Madeline M. Schmidt.
In spite of the incessant rain that Cincinnati has
experienced during the past week, the beginning of
November was marked by excellent business in all
of the local music houses. In fact, many of the music
dealers reported a large increase over last year's first-
week-in-November sales. Cincinnati, a music-loving
center, is to have a very interesting winter musical
program. Some of the most famous artists in the
world will give concerts here this year, and the effect
of concerts of this kind is always felt by the music
houses.
Of much interest is the fact that, during the past
week, The Baldwin Co. sold a Baldwin grand piano
to a woman who had attended the Vladimir de Pach-
man concert in New York, and had marvelled at
the tone, the expressiveness and the power of the
instrument that great artist used. She determined to
have one like it. Consequently the sale of the Bald-
win Grand.
Walter P. Abel, of the St. Louis division of the
Baldwin Co., was in Cincinnati this week.
The Otto Grau Co. reports a very healthy business
season, with a special demand for phonographs,
grands, duo-art pianos, and record sales in the small
goods department. Frederick Van Court, secretary
and treasurer of the Otto Grau Company, is in New
York on business.
R. B. Burchard, president of The John Church Co.,
had a very interesting conversation with Sousa when
he was in Cincinnati last week. The Church Com-
pany publishes most of Sousa's works. Miss Nora
Fauchald, who participated in the Sousa program, re-
ceived much praise for her song, "The Lark Now
Leaves His Watery Nest," by Horatio Parker. This
song also is a Church Co. publication.
H. G. Miller, secretary and treasurer of The Vocal-
style Co., is in New York, where he will remain for
a couple of weeks to assist in the opening of a Vocal-
style branch at 163 West 19th street.
A. E. MacElroy, advertising manager of Vocalstyle
Co., was in Indianapolis last week, in connection with
the big direct mail advertising campaign of the com-
pany has inaugurated. The campaign, which is
planned to cover a period of about eight months, has
been in progress for a month, and according to Mr.
MacElroy, it is going over big.
The Chubb-Steinberg Co., on Sixth street, has
placed one of its phonographs on the mezzanine floor
of the Shubert theater, and during intermission, the
song hits from the show are played here. Chubb-
Steinberg Co. also has placed a machine on the stage
of the Keith theater, thus enabling a concert to be
given before each performance.
The Willis Music Co., whose artistic windows are
always worthy of comment, provided, as a window
picture, the last week in October, a perfect Hallow-
e'en setting—an admirable background for the dis-
play of Hallowe'en music. The musical selections
featured by the Willis Music Co. this week are sev-
eral Japanese operettas, including "Japanese Girls,"
"Japanese Lullaby," three Japanese dances and
"Yanke Sen"—consequently a perfect Oriental atmos-
phere is provided.
LEGAL ECHO OF THE OLD
LYRAPHONE CO/FAILURE
Widow of Ohio Senator Must Make Good $14,500
Obligation as Result of Lawsuit.
At attachment for $14,500 was granted in the Su-
preme Court in New York Monday against the prop-
erty of ,Mrs. Carrie P. Dick, of Akron, Ohio, wife of
former United States Senator Charles Dick, in a suit
on a note given by Mrs. Dick for obligations of her
husband in connection with litigation brought by the
Lyraphone Company of America, which was in busi-
ness in Newark, N. J., and went into the hands of re-
ceivers several years ago. The attachment was
granted on the ground that Mrs. Dick is a non-resi-
dent of New York.
The suit upon which the attachment was based
was brought by Marx & Rawolle, Inc., dealers in
shellac, which had four contracts with the Lyra-
phone Company for the sale of shellac to that com-
pany. An affidavit by P. D. Lochridge, Treasurer of
Marx & Rawolle, Inc., stated that on January 29, last,
an agreement was made between his company, for-
mer Senator Dick and Mrs. Dick, as a result of
which the note for $14,500 was executed.
Mr. Lochridge stated that the note was one of two,
the first of which was payable on March 1, last. The
notes were for $16,000 and only $1,500 has been paid.
At the time the note was made two actions were
pending against Senator Dick, brought by the Lyra-
phone Company, one of which was for $12,802
and was filed in New York County. The other was
filed in Kings County and had resulted in a judgment
for $16,639. At the time the agreement and note were
made supplementary proceedings were pending
against Senator Dick, and adjournments of his exam-
ination as to his property had been taken from time
to time.
One of the considerations of the agreement in ques-
tion was that Marx & Rawolle, Inc., would refrain
from petitioning Senator Dick into bankruptcy and
the Lyraphone Company furthermore agreed to re-
duce its claim against him to $16,000 provided Mrs.
Dick made the note to pay the sum due from her
husband.
Mr. Lochridge stated that the litigation resulted
from an agreement previously made by Senator Dick
to be responsible for the payment by the Lyraphone
Company for the four orders of shellac contracted for
from Marx & Rawolle, Inc. Shortly after the agree-
ment was made the Lyraphone Company went into
receivership and asserted that Senator Dick's failure
to perform his obligations to it had brought about the
bankruptcy.
BUSINESS SKIES ARE
STILL BRIGHTENING
Survey Says that Present Outlook Justifies Optimism
: ;
in All Departments of Trade.
Developments this month reflect the irregularity of
the general domestic situation, and divergences be-
tween the trends in different industries are especially
marked, says the current number of the Guaranty
Survey issued by the Guaranty Trust Company of
New York.
The Survey notes that despite this condition, "as
well as the fact that no great increase in the volume
of production and trade is in immediate prospect, pre-
vailing conditions justify a moderately optimistic out-
look for domestic business as a whole." The Survey
continues:
"The present scale of business activity is high as
compared with any but peak standards. A resump-
tion of the abnormal production and rapidly rising
commodity prices, which were the outstanding fea-
tures of the spring boom, is not a prerequisite of con-
tinued prosperity.
"Financial conditions remain highly favorable. The
banks have met the peak of the seasonal credit de-
mand with ease. Any rise in money rates of a mag-
nitude sufficient to constitute a restraining influence
is highly improbable. Failures have been surprisingly
few. The number of insolvencies reported for Sep-
tember was the low r est monthly total in nearly three
years."
IMPORTANT UTAH BRANCH
IS FORMALLY OPENED
Glen Bros.-Roberts Piano Co., Salt Lake City, Holds
Inauguration Celebration in Ogden.
An event of importance in the music trade at Utah
recently was the formal opening by the Glen Bros.-
Roberts Piano Co., Salt Lake City, of its Ogden
branch. The $50,000 building is on Washington ave-
nue, near Twenty-fifth street.
In addition to a large piano and player piano de-
partment the new store has ten phonograph booths
on the main floor, in addition to the display cases for
small goods. In the rear is the shop and varnish de-
partment. . The new store is provided with a large
concert hall capable of seating 500 and also a stage
where talking machine concerts will be given. In the
display window a twelve-foot turntable, large enough
to accommodate grand pianos or the large console
type of phonographs, has been installed. The Ogden
store is under the immediate management of George
Glen, president of the company.
REMODELS CINCINNATI STORE.
George P. Gross, the Cincinnati music dealer, who
recently purchased the building at the corner of
Woodward and Main streets, is remodeling it
throughout. On the ground floor several small stores
are being made into one large wareroom. On the
second floor recital rooms for reproducing piano dem-
onstration are being planned, as well as a complete
music roll department. The talking machine depart-
ment is also being remodeled and redecorated, as are
the general offices in the rear of the main wareroom.
The store is under the management of Carl J. Rest.
A new music store has recently been opened in
Livingston, Tex., by George R. Sutton, formerly in
the music business at Lufkin. The store is well sit-
uated in the Polk County Enterprise office building.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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