Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Fheir Makers.
PRESTO
E.tabll.hed 1884.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
tO Cents; $2.00 a Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1924
WHY RADIO LAGS ^
BEHIND PIANOS
President of Big Industry in Latest Industrial
Field Tells His Trade That Greater, Better
Advertisinm Must Be Done to
Create Business.
ADDRESSES ELECTRICAL DEALERS
A Comparison Between the Activities of the Piano
Dealers and Shops That Specialize in
Radio Equipment.
By E. F. McDONALD, Jr.,
President Zenith Radio Corporation.
The electrical dealer has a big lesson to learn from
the music merchant. This is a rather startling state-
ment to make, but nevertheless, it is perfectly true
that unless the electrical dealer wakes up to the need
of advertising, the radio end of his business will slip
out of his hands.
As this goes to press, the Sunday issue of the Chi-
cago Tribune carried: 8,617 lines of music dealer
advertising, 714 lines of radio manufacturers' adver-
tising, 196 lines of electrical dealers' advertising on
washing machines, 434 lines of radio dealers' adver-
tising. Not a line of electrical dealers' advertising of
radio apparatus.
In Talking Machine Days.
Time was when the talking machine was handled
by the hardware dealer, the nickelodeon, the penny
arcade, and the drug store. When the music dealer
saw that this new toy was cutting into his business,
and upon inquiry became convinced he could sell the
talking machine with profit to himself he added it to
his other merchandise and eventually took the busi-
ness away from the others by dint of advertising.
Now radio is cutting into the music business and is
being eyed by the music dealer not with reproach, but
an interest that bodes ill to the electrical dealer. Sure
as shooting, the electrical dealer will lose his hold
o nradio if he doesn't make a determined effort. He
will have to use printer's ink—lots of it.
There were a great many people with a few hun-
dred dollars to spend who read the Chicago Tribune
above referred to, and who were so impressed by the
preponderance of the piano man's arguments in favor
of a new piano that on Monday morning, or some
time during the following week, they purchased a
piano, whereas they might have been more easily per-
suaded to invest their money in a radio set. But the
radio dealer did not shout loud enough. And the
electrical dealer stood by speechless. On this occa-
sion he made no attempt to cajole the dear public
into buying some of his wares, including radio.
Piano Dealer's Window.
When one stops to think of the difference in in-
trinsic interest between a piano and a radio set, the
music merchant is doing and has done a very credit-
able job. He has convinced the American public that
the home is incomplete without a piano—without an
article which only a very few people will use, if at
all. For the most part the piano, just as any piece
of furniture, stands quietly and unobtrusively in the
home. Once in a while it will be pressed into service
when a visitor able and willing to play will call forth
some charms hidden back of the front panel. But the
piano man has said that the piano is necessary in the
home. He has said that so much and so often most
of us have taken him at his word.
On the other hand, the radio set, which really is a
fascination, even to such an extent as to encroach
upon the convention and propriety of "early to bed
and early to rise," is only known as a truly enter-
taining device by comparatively a handful of people.
Of course, it is true that a good many radio sets are
being sold by word-of-mouth recommendation. But
widespread and countless sales really would follow if
the electrical dealer shouted his wares from the house-
tops as does the music merchant his.
Sees Music Dealers' Lead.
The alarming thing for the electrical dealer is that
the music merchant is beginning to realize radio is a
suitable adjunct to the music business. It is sold pre-
cisely like a piano or a talking machine. And al-
ready we hear of phenomenal success here and there
of music houses handling radio. Without doubt, the
TRADE PAPER TALKS
2—Proof of Circulation in Results to
Advertisers.
No intelligent advertiser will believe that im-
mediate orders are the sole purpose of trade
paper advertising. It is very largely for a place
in the procession—for distinction or standard-
ization—that the intelligent piano advertiser
invests in advertising space.
Nevertheless, it is equally true that an ad-
vertiser expects practical returns from his trade
paper investment. If he contracts for space,
and pays his bills for advertising service, he
is right in anticipating that his investment will
increase his factory output by placing his sales
department in communication with new cus-
tomers. The fame to his piano's name will
fellow as a matter of course, not only by rea-
son of the printer's ink, but also by the ship-
ments of the pianos into new towns and new
stores.
Presto would like nothing better than a con-
test by which to prove its "pulling" power as
an actual seller of pianos for its advertisers.
It will donate a full page, or a column, or an
inch of space—as may be preferred—to any
piano industry, large or small, if the other trade
papers will do the same and permit an impar-
tial judgment of the results.
There are Presto proofs indisputable as to
the results to advertisers of the use of its
columns. It is possible to give names of
piano manufacturers who have tried all the
trade papers and then confined their expendi-
ture to only one trade paper, and Presto is that
paper.
No other music trade paper carries half the
number of "classified" or want ads that Presto
does. And no other trade paper has placed
one-half as many capable employees in stores,
factories and "on the road" that Presto has.
Presto is the useful trade paper because it has
a quality circulation as distinguished from a
quantity circulation—and no music trade
paper can have the latter in commonly ac-
cepted meaning of the word. To claim a great
circulation is what the college boys call "the
bunk." Presto has as large a reading as any
trade paper in its line, at least.
Other proofs of Presto circulation and in-
fluence will be presented for several weeks to
come.
largest radio dealer in the city of Chicago is a music
house.
The electrical dealer better beware of the musfc
merchant's compeittion! If he doubts what I say, let
him go through a half dozen music stores and pre-
tend being interested in a piano or a talking machine.
If he holds his eyes wide open he will notice first of
all the attractiveness of the music store; in the next
place, the ready and gracious attention on the part of
the employees; and in the third place, subtle, yet
aggressive salesmanship; rinally, unusual equipment,
such as booths, comfortable chairs, artistic touch of
pictures, and furnishings in general. A comparison
of the music merchant's place of business with his
own might be very helpful. No need of going into
any greater detail, for I simply want to point out the
fact that there is even on the surface quite a differ-
ence to the eye of the casual observer, between the
music merchant's place of business and that of the
electrical dealer.
Difference in Methods.
And there is a corresponding difference between
their methods of doing business, the principal one
being that to which I have already adverted—
advertising.
If it were not for advertising, the music merchant
could never have become the successful business man
that he is. If this observation of mine will excite the
curiosity of the electrical dealer to see himself in
perspective, I shall have accomplished all that I pos-
sibly could hope for. He will see himself in true
proportion by making the visit that I have attempted
to describe and also by occasionally looking through
the newspapers to see the relative bid for business
that is being made as between him and the music
merchant.
GEORGE K. DOWD JOINS
STORY & CLARK FORCES
Manager Schoenewald Adds Another Efficient Mem-
ber to an Invulnerable Selling Staff.
George K. Dowd, who has a wide acquaintance
among piano men in the East, South and Central
West is a new addition to the staff of New York Divi-
sion of the Story & Clark Piano Co., where he has
been appointed assistant to Manager Louis Schoene-
wald. He has had valuable experience in a managerial
capacity, was formerly manager of the Pittsburgh
store of the Story & Clark Piano Co., which was re-
cently sold to the W. F. Frederick Piano Co. and
previous to that was assistant manager under J. H.
Williams in the Knabe Warerooms, Inc., Baltimore.
Manager Schoenewald is wisely building up his
efficient staff by attracting men of proved worth in
the piano business and when the new wareroom is
occupied at 33 West Fifty-second street, possibly next
month, it will be a strong force in addition to the
other facilities already assured.
PIANO MAN LEGION COMMANDER.
W. P. Berry, assistant manager of the Salt Lake
City, Utah, store of the Glen Bros.-Roberts Piano
Co., and formerly a United States army captain, has
been elected commander of the Lieutenant Clarence
E. Allen Post No. 409, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Captain Berry was in the army for nine years. Dur-
ing the World War he served in France, first in the
infantry and later in the aviation corps, being a mem-
ber of the 105th aero squadron.
BUILDS IN EVANSTON, ILL.
The new store of Patterson Bros., piano dealers,
816-818 Davis street, Evanston, 111., will be one of the
finest business houses of that city when the final
plans are completed. It is possible the entire build-
ing plans will be completed by the end of April. Pat-
terson Bros, has been located in Evanston eighteen
MOVES IN MODESTO, CAL.
The Phillip G. Wespecher Co., of Modesto, Cal.,
representing the Wiley B. Allen Company's line of
pianos and the Brunswick phonographs and records
for Stanislaus County, have moved into new and
more spacious quarters at 815 Eleventh street. Last
week the firm opened a small goods and sheet music
department under the management of G. A. MacNeill.
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