PRESTO
Presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 407 South Dearborn
Street, Old Colony Building, Chicago, 111.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
. Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
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mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
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Address all communications for the editorial or business
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Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1923.
CHRISTMAS PIANOS
In nearly all branches of retail business the
merchants make a specialty of the "gift cer-
tificates," designed to sell to customers who
want to give presents but do not know just
what to select, or can not safely make the
choice. No business is better adapted to the
gift certificate than piano selling. This ap-
plies, of course, to the intimate circle of the
family, or close connections. No gift is so
prized by the recipient as a beautiful instru-
ment of music.
Often the piano costs too much to permit
of being bought outright, and that often pre-
vents its serving as a Christmas present But
the certificate plan, by which the first pay-
ment is made and the certificate delivered, to
be placed in the stocking, or with the other
treasures on the merry night, makes it one
of the easiest for the donor to .invest in. In
certain cases, even the amount of the first
payment.need not appear on the certificate.
That may be arranged between the merchant
and his customer. In any event the holiday
trade may be stimulated for the piano dealer
just as well as in other lines of business, and
better than in most of them.
It is a fact that the piano has never been
pushed with special vigor as a Christmas pres-
ent. It has been considered too large, finan-
cially and otherwise. It doesn't go into the
stocking well.. But the certificate, with the
picture of the instrument attached, may go
anywhere, and it will give a greater thrill
to the recipient than almost anything else on
earth.
We recently saw a piano Christmas certifi-
cate which was so beautifully printed, and so
filled with the aroma of the merry season,
that it seemed that the salesman who employed
it must "land" all the delinquent and dila-
tory prospects in town. What one piano man
can do others can do as well, if not better.
Don't let the holiday season pass without a
special effort, and perhaps the certificate sug-
gestion may help.
A CHEERFUL STATEMENT
The manager of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce is credited with having
broadcasted the statement that more pianos
were made during October of this year than
ever before in any corresponding period of
time. That was a pretty large statement. It
would be interesting to know how Manager
Smith arrived at his conclusion. For, if it is
true that last month was so fruitful in the
piano industry, then the October output of in-
struments must have approximated something
more than 20,000 instruments.
Ls there any piano manufacturer who be-
lieves that the figure indicated was reached
by October's productiveness? In the busy
years of the piano industry, October has been
one of the best months. And we have had
years in which the annual output was esti-
mated to exceed 300,000. Presto has never be-
lieved that the productiveness in any single
year attained to so large a figure. But it is
certain that we have had many better years,
from the point of output, than this one.
Of course, we do not dispute the accuracy
of Manager Smith's figures. As head of the
activities of the organization whose business
it is to keep tab on the industry, he should
know. But we can not quite believe that
October, 1923, was the best tenth calendar
month in the record of the years. Some of
the one-time giant piano industries have been
almost dormant this year. Some of the old
and famous pianos have been permitted to
move with very tardy steps. And, with one
exception the very active industries, which are
wide awake and pushing, do not report that
October, 1923, will take its place in history as
the most productive of the years.
Nevertheless, it is a pleasing note to sound
forth as this doubtful year draws to a close.
It is the kind of statement the industry needs,
and it will help mightily to have the official
figures. And so we repeat that Manager
Smith of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce, has declared that last month, Octo-
ber, 1923, was the most productive thirty-one
days in the records of the piano industry. It
revives the spirits and should help to start the
new vear with a rush.
ONE DEALER'S WAY OUT
A piano was never sold by sitting in the
store and saying that trade is dull. Of the
several thousands of intelligent piano dealers
who will read this editorial, several hundreds,
at least, will feel that they may be personally
in the writer's mind.
But they are not. The suggestion is taken
from actual piano trade experience. To the
mind's eye comes a good-sized, well-filled
piano wareroom. And trade was dull. Two
salesmen stood around waiting for prospects
to drop in. But they didn't drop.
The expense of running so fine aT store, and
of carrying about $20,000 worth of good
pianos, with a staff of workers, or, as it hap-
pened at the time, waiters—was a little heavy.
Something must be done. It was autumn, and
a few r promissory notes were rapidly ap-
proaching the dates of demand.
A campaign was decided upon. While the
salesmen waited, and the tuner tuned, and
the office boy chased the cat, a plan of action
November 24, 1923
was mapped out in the rear room. The pro-
spect book was inspected, a series of news-
paper advertisements were prepared, a form
letter was written, and the Bowen Loaders
were fitted to the flivvers. Salesmen who had
not made many trips far from the pay-day
desk, were given routes and the merry war
against stagnation was on.
It was not a great city—just a comfortable
third-class one, with good country 'round
about, where rich farmers lived and hoped
sometime to get time to think about buying
pianos. When the selling campaign was on
things began to change. The door-hinges
were exercised. The Loaders, which went
away loaded, came back light. The salesmen
began to talk out loud once more. The stock
in the store was getting smaller, and inter-
views with the bank cashier were more elo-
quent and intimate. The advertising brought
in new prospects which kept the head of the
house so busy he forgot to worry. The re-
sults of the salesmen's efforts added so liber-
ally to their incomes that they were glad of
the change to "outside" men. That year end-
ed well, whereas it had started poorly and had
threatened to close with disappointment in one
hand and discouragement in the other.
How about it with yourself. It's an old
story, but it's a true one, as scores of the
most successful piano merchants throughout
the country will agree, if only they will tell
of their own experiences in the days before
thev were so successful.
COTTON CROP PROSPECTS
GLADDEN HOUSTON TRADE
Good Cash Piano Business to Be Realized When Cot-
ton Money Circulates.
Music dealers in the Texas cities observed Armis-
tice Day on Monday, Nov. 12, by making appropriate
show window displays. In Houston the day was
made a holiday and the music stores as well as others
were closed.
The prospects for a good winter piano business in
Houston are very clear and cheering, according to
W. L. Bush, president of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co.,
Dallas, with a branch in Houston. Mr. Bush said
this week:
"Business at Houston is just beginning to improve
in keeping with the very decided increase in the cot-
ton crop over any previous year in the past ten and
this is putting millions of dollars into the city of
Houston and vicinity. Down at the turning basin one
day there were eight steamships being loaded with
cotton bound for foreign ports and from what T
learned fully as many more at Galveston. When
this cotton money begins to circulate the piano man,
who is alert and seeking good cash business, will
get his share of it."
J. A. PLUMBER, MANAGER.
J. A. •Plumber, who recently was in charge of the
Wellston, Ohio, branch of Summers & Son, Wash-
ington, Jackson and Port Arthur, Ohio, Wellston
manager of the Chillicothe store. He will be assisted
by Miss Lucille McCathrin, who will have charge of
the record department. This firm has been in the
music business for 53 years. It handles well known
grades of pianos, players, reproducing pianos, musical
merchandise, sheet music and supplies. The Bruns-
wick phonograph and phonograph records will in the
future be handled exclusively by Summers & Son.
DISPLAYS THE "ARTRONOME."
Bridgeport Furniture Co., 3224 South Halsted
street, Chicago, is displaying a wonderful line of the
Artronome Playerpianos made by the Straube Piano
Co., of Hammond, Indiana. A fine business is re-
ported by the Bridgeport Company, where the Artro-
nome is a feature of great and increasing interest to
all visitors to, and customers of the house.
NEW ARKANSAS BRANCH.
Harold Woods, who has represented the Arkadel-
phia Music Company in Malvern, Ark., and adjoin-
ing territory for several months, has opened a branch
store there in the Phillips building. He carries a gen-
eral line of music goods.
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