Presto

PRESTO
June 28, 1924.
CHRISTMAN
The First Touch Tells 9 t
C(
WHEN DOES THE
TRADE=IN HURT?
While Resale of Used Pianos Naturally Affects
Sales of New Instruments, Business in
Former May Be Made Profitable
to Dealer.
VETERAN TRAVELER'S VIEWS
While Eager to Sell New Ones, He Gives Safe
Advice to Dealers to Make Sane Appraisals
in All Trade-in Deals.
The Famous
Studio Grand
(only 5 ft. long)
has won the foremost place among the
small pianos of artistic character. Its
remarkable volume and quality of
Tone has added to the fame of
CHRISTMAN
It is recognized as the most salable
Small Grand in the field, and dealers
profit by its sale to discriminating
buyers. In the words of a prominent
music dealer the
CHRISTMAN
Studio Grand
is "exquisite"
No ambitious Piano Merchant can
be sure that he has the best, most
profitable and satisfactory Line until
he has examined the Christman and
compared with whatever competitor
may be winning local trade.
INQUIRIES INVITED
((
The First Touch Tells"
Reg. U S. Pat. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
The disturbances caused by the takeil-in-trade
piano are most keenly felt by the firms that do not
control their salesmen. Where the salesmen are
amenable to well-defined rules about the appraising
of trade-ins, the used piano never arises to the dig-
nity of a problem. The used pianos become sources
of loss when responsible salesmen are permitted to
fix the exchange allowance. Salesmen are human and
the desire to close an exchange sale is often greater
than the care to make the terms profitable.
In several houses, in the management of which I
am familiar, the used piano department shows a
profit. To ensure this of course the salesmen work
with the spirit of the sales department—to make a
profit on every sale. In carrying out the methods,
every piano proposed for a trade is looked over by
an expert repairman who views the piano coldly and
estimates its real exchange value without any opti-
mistic influence on the part of the blithe salesman
negotiating the deal.
The Alluring Thought.
Of course there is pride in the straight sale, but
the trade-in accompaniment to sales never causes a
no-profit feature nor even a poor profit one. Pros-
pects are interested in the new pianos by the allur-
ing thought that their old instruments will serve to
cut down the price of the new ones. The salesmen
are free to use that temptation in opening the deal,
but the responsibility of fixing trade-in value is only
given to the expert.
Where there is a sane law like that for the sales-
men to observe there are no trade-in deals of the
profitless kind nor unbusinesslike elements hurtful to
the business of square and ethical-minded com-
petitors. And it is not necessary to write a treatise
on the logic of it to show the sensible piano man that
what hurts the business of his competitor hurts the
offending piano dealer as well. If irresponsible piano
salesmen, perhaps without conscience, are left free
to set the exchange value on the taken-in-trade
pianos, the reaction will affect the business of other
houses besides the one employing them.
Must Consider Old Ones.
It is not possible to eliminate all consideration of
the old pianos in the hands of the prospective buyers
of new pianos or reproducing pianos. The old in-
struments have a sentimental value and a money
value that the eager salesman cannot ignore. Some-
times the sentimental value expressed in dollars by
the owners is ridiculously high and therein the neces-
sity for the repairman's opinion and the persuasive
reasoning of the salesman who believes every piano
deal should be a profitable one. The salesman with
the easy conscience who sees only a commission in
the trade-in deal is apt to be free in accepting the
estimate of the owner of even an antique calling for
too great an expenditure of materials and time to
profitably make it over for sale.
There are many well conducted music houses
where the trade-in piano is not considered a prob-
lem at all. The house of Wm. C. De Foreest &
Son, Sharon, Pa., is a good example of the kind.
In the ordinary course of selling new instruments
the trade-in deal is frequent. It is unavoidable, but
the Sharon firm is assured of profit on the trade-in
deal and the used pianos and playerpianos acquired
in that way are made sources of profit in themselves.
The made-over used piano when sold is very fre-
quently again taken in a trade for a new instrument.
In the De Foreest house and all its branches every
taken-in-trade piano can be sold quickly and with
profit. Talking on the subject last week, M. V. De
Foreest said his house recently sold two carloads of
used and repaired pianos in two months, every one
sold with a satisfactory profit.
Used Piano Accumulation.
In their accumulation the trade-in pianos would
naturally provide a problem. No matter how justly
and carefully the trade-in figure may have been set,
any accumulation of Used pianos represents tied-up
money. Too many used pianos, many of them ex-
cellent ones and all put into resale shape, naturally
interfere with the sales of the new instruments. For
that reason many prominent houses have segregated
the used instruments, placing them for sale in a
different store from the new instruments. But all
the firms adopting this plan take care that the used
piano prospect is led to the used stock only after
being shown the new instruments. If they are
thriftily set on saving on the price of a piano, they
possibly will select one from the used stock. But
if the thought of saving is secondary to the desire for
musical worth, then it is possible they will ask to be
led back to the new stock.
John J. Glynn's Suggestion.
In an interesting talk on the-trade-in subject at
the recent convention, John J. Glynn, secretary of
the James & Holmstrom Piano Co., Inc., New York,
voiced a suggestion that is feasible. "My thoughts
on the trade may be carrying you twenty-three years
hence," began Mr. Glynn. "My cure for a trade-in
problem would be to incorporate the piano merchants
in every big city; capitalize the organization for
enough to conduct a successful business; sell the
shares to piano dealers in blocks of one to ten shares,
no dealer to have more than ten; locate in a suitable
building; appoint a board of directors from the stock-
holders and an appraisers' committee that will put a
true value on all trade-ins sent to the store by the
dealer members. Then conduct a used piano busi-
ness to which the prospect would naturally turn
when in the market for a used piano, just as he goes
to the dealer for a new one."
M. D. S.
LARGER QUARTERS FOR
LEBANON, IND., FIRM
Akers & Son, Carrying Line of Starr Piano Co.,
Acquires More Wareroom Space.
Akers & Son, Lebanon, Ind., representing the
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., is moving the shop
from South Meridian street to more commodious
quarters on North Lebanon street.
The new location affords the owners the opportu-
nity of enlarging the stock and accommodating cus-
tomers in a more efficient manner. The room has
been partly redecorated and cleaned and a new sound-
proof booth for demonstrating the Starr phonographs
has been built.
The proprietors will increase their stock of Starr
pianos and phonographs and will also carry a com-
plete line of musical instruments and sheet music.
They will continue to carry the Gennett phonograph
records.
NEW CALIFORNIA STORE.
Elliott & Youmans is the name of a new music
business recently opened at Huntington Park, Calif.
As part of the opening program, John Martin, of
the Martin Music Co., Los Angeles, gave several
selections on the Gulbransen Registering piano, for
which the Martin Music Co. is the distributor in
southern California. Both the exterior and interior
of the store are artistic. There is good window dis-
play space. The ground floor is well arranged with
the sheet music department and pianos on the left
and phonographs on the right. The demonstration
rooms toward the back of the floor are effectively
designed to imitate a rose-colored stucco dwelling.
The radio department is reached by an elaborate
staircase and balcony, giving a very impressive finish
to the whole ground floor arrangement.
SAYS OUTLOOK IS GOOD.
Miss Benedict of the Benedict Music Store, Gales-
burg. 111., was in Lyon & Healy's wholesale in Chi-
cago this week and reported that business was fully
equal to a year ago. However, she said there were
not as many customers, but better purchases. Piano
sales have been good and record sales have been
exceptionally good. They were successful in a drive
to sell saxophones. Collections have been very fair.
Miss Benedict thinks the outlook is good for the
fall.
A GULBRANSEN VISITOR.
A recent visitor in Chicago was B. A. Strauch,
who has just taken over the F. M. Leslie music busi-
ness at Urbana, 111. While in Chicago Mr. Strauch
spent considerable time at the Gulbransen factory,
and he is enthusiastic over the musical and sales pos-
sibilities of the instrument. The house is planning a
vigorous campaign for business in Urbana and
Champaign.
MRS. WATKIN BADLY HURT.
Mrs. Robert N. Watkin, wife of Robert N. Wat-
kin, of the Will A. Watkin Music Co., of Dallas,
Texas, recently suffered a broken collar bone and
painful bruises when she was thrown through the
windshield of her car upon colliding with another car
on Lakeside drive, Dallas.
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