PRESTO
TO SALESMEN FROM A
PROPHET OF PROSPERITY
Something for the Despondent or Doubtful in
the Trade to Read and Inwardly
Digest.
Petersburg, Va., August 13, 1924.
Editor Presto: The American Music Trade Week-
ly is certainly a welcome visitor. It is not only
interesting, but instructive. I find benefit in reading
carefully the writings of those men of long experience
and judgment. It is not surprising that men like
Mr. Gulbransen have met with marked success when
we read the wonderful system he recently described
in the columns of Presto of recent date.
However, it is not the object of this communication
to comment on manufacturers, but to express my
views as a salesman to my fellow salesmen.
Fellows, you are all fully cognizant of the fact that
this is presidential election year; also this is the
season of the year when sales are far and few, caus-
ing many a salesman's very soul to droop into the
slough of despondency.
But, listen! Immediately you begin to look over
your life for the things that have disheartened you,
and made you fight the hard fight, you have a
depressed feeling. But, as you consider further the
situations that have arisen, and how you have met
them, there comes the glow of the generous ardor
and you feel like rising, to go out and fight over again
the battles you have had, glorying in the victories
won and assured that, could you try again, defeat
would be turned to victory in those you have lost.
The Salesman's Life.
A salesman's life is always mercurial. That is, it is
'way up or 'way down. There is no temperate zone
in true salesmanship. The main trouble is to find a
flame of enthusiasm that will burn brightly and
fiercely under water—under the cold dousing of ad-
verse criticisms or the slack direction of General
Apathy.
This last seems to be the commanding officer of
America's business regiments today. And of all hard
tacticians to beat in a sales game that old general
is the toughest.
One thing can beat him, and that is well-directed,
well considered, well balanced enthusiasm for the
country, for conditions in general, and for the particu-
lar product that you sell. There is no necessity to
dwell on the product that I sell. It is a fact well
known in America that the Weaver piano occupies a
prominent position on any salesroom floor.
But there are with some salesmen serious causes
for present discouragement. Some say "tight
money." Some say general conditions. Some say the
Federal Reserve Bank is sitting on our neck. And
so some say one thing, some another. But here is
my guess: I believe the American people, as a whole,
think that when times are good they are never going
to be worse, and when they get as they are today
they think times are never going to get any better.
That is mob psychology. But mob psychology is
usually based upon the wrong premises, and usually
proceeds from the wrong hypothesis.
Mutations of Trade.
Business conditions are never stationary. They are
always in a state of flux. Sometimes conditions are
more stable than at other times, but this only proves
the general rule of the constantly changing business
conditions.
Today the American mind has reached the lowest
ebb, with regard to general business conditions, that
is consistent with sound thinking. Further depres-
sion of the national consciousness could mean but
one thing—national bankruptcy, anarchy and ultimate
dissolution. Therefore the pendulum is bound to
swing upward.
America's resources are so vast, and its recupera-
tive powers so immense, that prosperity is only
gathering its resistless momentum to sweep up back
again on the high tide of national confidence, and
rational, conservative good times. We have all been
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooma
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
bears on the commodity market long enough. Let's
be bulls for a while. The reason for my belief is
based largely on everyday, commonplace indications
together with the implicit faith that I have in the
common sense and courage of the great American
people.
My "Spizzeroinktum."
As to our own lives, there is one thing that will
help us to be an integral part in this great change,
which stands even now on the threshold of fulfill-
ment. That one thing is "Spizzeroinktum." Now
spizzeroinktum means stick-to-it-iveness—the ability
to persevere, and if a fellow puts a little grain of
spizzeroinktum in his brain, and some enthusiasm
for the things he sells, and a little bit of old fashioned
honest-to-goodness courage in his heart, everything is
going to be all right.
The new day is coming. It must come. The
witching hour of midnight is long past. The solemn
hush of morning twilight has been with us for some
time. So let's send out the word and have the watch-
ers up to witness the glory of the dawn! As Whit-
comb Riley sang it—
"Let us fold away our fears,
And put by our foolish tears
And thru all the coming years
Just be glad."
J. J. DANCY.
August 23, 1924.
ADMIRE MERITS OF
STRAUCH BROS. ACTIONS
Tuners Assembled at the Annual Convention
of National Association Admire the Merits
of the Fine Old Product.
Highly complimentary things were said about the
pneumatic actions of Strauch Bros., Inc., New York,
during the convention in Milwaukee last week of the
National Association of Piano Tuners. The Strauch
Bros, piano actions and pneumatic actions were
prominent exhibits at the Hotel Wisconsin. Old
tuners and younger ones whose experiences do not
extend back so far were alike enthusiastic in praising
the products of Strauch Bros., Inc.
The Strauch piano action has been an important
part of good pianos since 1867 and the veteran tuners
have recognized it as the mark of high piano quality
throughout their experiences. The younger tuners
who at the beginning of their tuning career accepted
Strauch action quality as a proven fact, have become
more impressed with the merits of the actions ac-
cepted as the best for over sixty years.
Now young and old know that a pneumatic action
BUTLER MUSIC CO. WINS
bearing the name Strauch Bros, is the guide to unfail-
quality. The general estimate of the assembled
PRIZE FOR WINDOW DISPLAY ing
tuners about Strauch Bros, pneumatic action merits
was particularly noteworthy coming from men
Marion, Ind., House Awarded First Honors in Conn acknowledged as experts in the functions of player-
piano parts. The accomplished tuner is above all a
Window Contest Just Concluded.
judge of materials and that fine materials are char-
The Butler Music Co., Marion, Ind., was declared acteristics of Strauch Bros, actions was a fact
the winner of the first prize in the Conn Better freely admitted by the men assembled in the Milwau-
Dressed Window Display Contest recently conducted kee hotel. But the most admirable fact about the
by C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind. The competi- pneumatic actions of Strauch Bros., Inc. and that
tion, which was open to all Conn representatives most warmly commented upon, was the simplicity of
evoked considerable interest in the music trade and construction which goes with undoubted depend-
the number of photographs submitted made the task ability.
of judging a difficult one for Walter L. Neuman, of
Zeisel Bros, store, in Elkhart.
Construction of a three-story store, hall and office
The second prize in the contest was awarded to
Kaufman's Big Store, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the Pack- building for the Musicians' Union on Jones street,
ard Piano Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., was winner of the near Turk, San Francisco, has begun.
third. Honorable mention was made of displays by
Ludwig & Co., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and the Consoli-
dated Music Co., Salt Lake City, Utah.
The instruments shown in the display by the Butler
Music Co. were valued at over $2,000 and the growth
of the band instrument business of the company re-
flects the .interest in band and orchestra music in
that section.
Jill Ondu ring*
RETIRES AFTER FIFTY-TWO
YEARS WITH THE STEINWAY
Fellow Employes of Veteran Piano Worker Gave
Him a Hearty Send-off.
"We're all sorry to see you go, Joe, and wish
you joy, prosperity and a long life," was the senti-
ment of the farewell salutation given by hundreds of
employes of Steinway & Sons piano factory, Ditmars
avenue, Astoria, on August 9, to Joseph Heissner, 72
years old, of 54 Payntar avenue, Long Island City.
For more than half a century, fifty-two years, to
be exact, Heissner had worked in the piano factory.
During all that time he seldom missed a day. He
was popular with all of his fellow employes.
The veteran piano maker, who served in nearly
every department of the factory, is going to live
in retirement at his home where he has lived for
forty years in the Dutch Kilis section of Long Island
City.
™' ^Hardman
The &/ardman J^ine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally worthy instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found thatin-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
OPEN DOORS IN NEW
PIANO SELLING VENTURES
Opportunity Seen and Grasped by Vigorous Onef
in the Piano Selling Field.
Charles M. Stieff, Inc., is now located at its new
store, 414 East Grace street, Richmond, Va., where
the complete line of Stieff instruments is on view.
The Glen Bros.-Roberts Co., of Salt Lake City, re-
cently completed alterations to its store, having re-
duced it slightly in size, and leased part of the front.
J. C. Wilson will soon open a music store at 832
Massachusetts avenue, Indianapolis, Ind.
Clark Wise & Co., San Francisco, is prominently
featuring its new radio department and expresses
satisfaction with the sales results so far.
The Columbia Graphonola Shop, 1108 Grand ave-
nue, Kansas City, Mo., owned and managed by Otto
D. Standke, has moved to the third floor of the same
building temporarily due to changes which are to be
made in the renting of the building.
c
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