Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1924 1990

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
EstablUhed 1884. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 Cent.; t2.00 a Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1924
CENSUS FIGURES IN
PIANO INDUSTRY
Department of Commerce Publishes Results
of Analysis in 1923 Compared with That
of 1921, the Year of the Previous
Industrial Census.
FEWER FACTORIES NOW
But More People Are Employed in Plants, More
Wages Paid and More Instruments Made
Than in 1921.
The Department of Commerce announces that,
according to data collected at the biennial census of
manufacturers, 1923, the establishments engaged pri-
marily in the manufacture of pianos reported for
that year a total output of 328,185 pianos, valued at
$103,586,738, together with player attachments valued
at $590,015 and other products to the value of $7,448,-
055, making a total of $111,624,808, an increase of
51.6 per cent as compared with the corresponding
total for 1921, the last preceding census year.
Plants Are Fewer.
Of the 157 establishments reporting for 1923, 69
were located in New York, 32 in Illinois, 9 in Massa-
chusetts, 7 each in Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin,
6 each in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and
the remaining 8 in Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky and
Minnesota.
In 1921 the industry was represented by 185 estab-
lishments, the decrease to 157 in 1923 being the net
result of the omission of 34 establishments which
had been included for 1921 and the inclusion of 6
establishments which had not been classified in this
industry for 1921. Of the 34 establishments omitted,
26 had gone out of business prior to the beginning of
1923, 6 were engaged in the manufacture of piano
parts instead of complete pianos and were therefore
assigned to a separate industry classification, and 2
were idle during the entire year.
The statistics for 1923 and 1921 are summarized in
a statement published. The figures for 1923 are pre-
liminary and subject to such corrections as may be
found necessary upon further examination of the
returns.
More People Employed.
The average number per month of wage earners
not including salaried employes and members of the
firm, for 1923 was 22,096 compared to 15,836 in 1921,
an increase of 39.5 per cent.
The wages paid in 1923 amounted to $28,755,173
compared to $18,887,126 in 1921. In 1923 $48,947 was
paid for contract • work compared with $113,703 in
1921.
The cost of materials, including fuel and contain-
ers for 1923. $51,144,212. In 1921 the cost of same
was $38,651,996.
Total value of products, 1923, $111,664,808; 1921,
$73,639,912.
The Upright Production.
In 1923 104,073 upright pianos at a value of $21,-
437,335 were produced. In 1921 the number pro-
duced was 88,665 at a value of $17,557,337. The per-
centage of increase in number over 1921 was 17.4.
The percentage increase in value, 22.4. ,
Upright players, 1923, the number made was 16,630
at a value of $50,559,241. In 1921, 106,843 valued at
$32,687,610. Percentage of increase: Number, 55.4;
value, 54.7.
Grands Big Growth.
In grands, 1923, the number was 44,296 at a value of
$20,744,196. The number in 1921 was 18,276, val-
ued at $9,438,633. Percentage of increase: Number,
142.4; value, 119.8.
In 1923 the number of grand players made was
9,403 at a value of $8,439,640. The figures for 1921
were: Number, 4,062; value, 4,391,332. Percentage
of increase in numbers 131.5; in value, 92.2.
Increase in Automatics.
Automatic and electric pianos to the number of
4,383, and value of $2,356,326 were produced in 1923.
The number in 1921 was 3,374 at a value of $2,192,839.
The percentage of increase in numbers was 29.9;
value, 7.5.
MAJ. A. Q. FORBES OF
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., DIES
Prominent
Citizen Was Vice-President of Stan-
Piano Co., in That City.
Maj. A. G. Forbes, vice-president of the Starr
Piano Co., Birmingham, Ala., died last week in Col-
umbia, S. C, following a short illness.
Major Forbes was one of Birmingham's most
prominent citizens. Besides being vice-president of
the Starr Piano company, he also was president of
the Forbes Auto Tire company, both of Birmingham.
Prior to his removal to Birmingham, Major Forbes
was engaged in the piano business in- Montgomery,
where he resided for a number of years and where
he was prominently identified with that city's civic
affairs. He served a term as president of the Mont-
gomery Chamber of Commerce.
Major Forbes was buried in Montgomery. He is
survived by his widow, a daughter, Mrs. Owens of
South Carolina; two sons, B. M. Forbes and J. B.
Forbes of Birmingham.
OHIO CONVENTION
ANOTHER TRIUMPH
Vitality and Ambition of State Organization
of Music Merchants Again Proved in
Meeting at Hotel Statler in Cleve-
land This Week.
MEMBERSHIP INCREASED
Keen Interest in Association Evinced by Dealers
Who Attended From Every Corner of the
State.
The Music Merchants' Association of Ohio opened
its fifteenth annual convention on Tuesday of this
week at the Hotel Statler, Cleveland. The events
of the annual gathering were continued on Wednes-
day. The fifth annual golf tournament held in
connection with the annual convention at the West-
wood Country Club on Monday, was a delightful pre-
lude to events.
The call for the convention included friends in
the wholesale branch of the music business and deal-
ers from other states and from the earliest hour
on Tuesday, opening day, it was clear the invitation
was taken in the good faith in which it was given.
While the association members formally registered
their presence with the secretary, the visitors from
outside the state informally registered their pleasure
at the opportunity to meet the Ohioans.
Convention Features.
Takes Place October 23, Preceded by Golf Tourna-
There were many features in the program of the
ment in Which Piano Men Will Participate.
convention to account for the big attendance and the
high degree of enthusiasm in evidence. It had been
It is expected that the golden anniversary of A. expressed by President Chas. H. Yahrling that too
Hospe, president of the A. Hospe Co., Omaha, Neb., many Ohio music merchants were indifferent to the
to which reference appeared in Presto two weeks welfare of the trade at large and regrettably disin-
ago, will be celebrated October 23. It is expected
clined to mingle with their fellows in a state organ-
that it will be the occasion for a large gathering and
ization. The efforts of the president and his asso-
a general good time. Among the out-of-town guests
ciates had been directed for the past few months
will be Matt J. Kennedy, of Chicago, secretary of towards inducing the indifferent ones to attend the
the National Music Merchants' Association:, who annual meeting in Cleveland. It was a matter of
will officially represent that organization in joining keen delight to Mr. Yahrling to note much good ma-
the hosts of friends both in and out of the music
terial for membership around headquarters.
trades and industries in congratulating Mr. Hospe
President Yahrling had widely advertised the fea-
upon fifty years in the piano business. Mr. Hospe
tures of the convention that might prove most attrac-
has been an active member of the Music Merchants'
tive to the music merchant interested in his business
Association for many years.
even though he was slow to see the advantages of
A special car conveying friends from Chicago and
membership in the state association. The results
vicinity, will arrive in Omaha Wednesday morning,
were found to be satisfactory when the association
October 22, on which day a golf tournament has been
met on Tuesday, and the anticipations for a big
arranged for the out-of-town visitors.
addition to the membership list gladdened the mem-
bership committee.
Formal Events.
E. A. KIESELHORST RETURNS.
President
Yahrling
presided at the opening session
From word received from E. A. Kieselhorst, presi-
dent of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., St. Louis, who has at 11:30 a. m. Tuesday, and in his cheerful report
been traveling in Europe for the past two months, commented on the growth and enthusiastic spirit of
and who was last reported in Switzerland, the piano the organization. The reports of treasurer and sec-
man will sail for home this week. He has toured retary bore out his statements of the conditions in the
through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, organization and its power to continue in usefulness.
The luncheons at noon each day of the conven-
from where he will sail. He is expected back in St.
tion was made an occasion of business interest and
Louis about the 25th.
social enjoyment. At a noon luncheon on Tuesday,
Mayor Clayton C. Townes and former Gov. Harry
REMODELS DALLAS BUILDING.
L. Davis extended welcome to Cleveland.
George Ott was chairman and the entertainment
The Brooks Mays Piano Co., 1005 Elm street,
Dallas, Tex., has prepared plans for the remodeling included the Glenville High School Girls Band of
of the three-story brick building at 1002 Pacific ave- Cleveland, Griffith J. Jones, director, a wonderful
nue. The plans include the erectoin of an additional aggregation of over 50 pieces; Edna Webber, soprano,
story and will have the quarters fitted up in a high- and Merle W. Kahn, pianist.
In the afternoon the delegates went to Alber's
class manner. The Brooks Mays Piano Co. will
Villa, North Ridgeville, for games, dinner and danc-
occupy part of the quarters later.
ing.
Some Discussions.
NEW MANAGER APPOINTED.
"Radio and Its Relation to the General Music
( Warren C. Hurlock recently appointed manager
Business" was a topic assigned to T. M. Pletcher,
of the Sanders & Stayman Music Co., Salisbury, Md., president of the Q R S Music Co., Chicago, which
is widely known in that city and throughout the state was anticipated with keen interest by dealers attend-
of Maryland. Mr. Hurlock previously conducted a
music business of his own in Cambridge, which he ing the convention. It was the first item on the
program after the reading of the reports by the
closed out last month.
HOSPE SEMICENTENNIAL
WILL BE A BIG EVENT
(Continued on page 6.)
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
the piano, but must also show why the piano is good,
better or best. It is a fact that all pianos look alike
to the average customer who is a unit of the well-
known public.
Mr. and Mrs. Average Customer go into the piano
store to buy an upright because that is the model
they've seen most frequently in the houses of their
Thus Vital Importance of an Efficient Force of neighbors and friends. An automaton salesman leads
the pair where they can observe the front elevation
Salesmen Is Obvious Thing Ambitious
of what he calls a "good" piano. It looks like a
Dealer Observes When Start-
piano all right and it might be a good one at that.
But the customers don't know. All pianos look alike
ing Business.
to them; same finish, seemingly same height and
length and depth; keyboards like all others, glistening
with ivory or what looks like it. "This is our style
H20," wearily announces the automaton. "The price
is four-fifty."
Effort Is Easy and Results Effective to Man Who
She Wants to Know.
Knows the Merits of the Instrument
Mrs. Average Customer is a veteran frequenter of
He Sells.
the dry goods, stores and it is against her principles
to buy the first thing shown. She has an interested
The main purpose of the man who opens a music eye on a piano to the left.
"That is our Style 7-11 and a better piano than
store is to sell the goods. He is directly interested
in the store, its capacity, location and appearance be- this one," says the salesman, noting the direction of
cause all these things are important considerations the lady's glance. "The price is seven-seventy-five."
"What's the difference between them?" asks the
upon which depend the success and future growth of
the business. He is directly interested in advertis- provoking woman.
"Why, this is a better piano," he testily informs
ing because publicity is a means to the end—sales.
her, as he claws a handful of chords from the seven-
He is interested in the fitness of the sales force, for
on its ability the important incidents of selling seventy-five.
"What's the matter with this?" asks the persistent
depends.
Mrs. A. C, waving her parasol towards the four-
Ability in a piano salesman, for instance, is the
power to cause an effect in the prospective custom- fifty.
"Oh, nothing; but this is a better piano."
er's mind. And the extent of his ability is in the
"Why is it a better piano?"
degree of ease with which he changes the guarded
' Well, for one thing it costs more."
and argumentative attitude of mind in the customer
for the acquisitive one.
Incites Inquiry.
The Vital Question.
Of course this situation may seem somewhat ex-
"What are my salesmen doing to educate those aggerated, but it is up to the piano dealer, jealous of
who visit the store or those they come in contact his sales service, to find out how far from the truth
with on the outside, to see the value of my pianos, it is, when he examines the state of efficiency of his
playerpianos and reproducing pianos?" It is a ques- own force. Real salesmanship is the ability to sell
tion which any dealer may put to himself with profit without humbuggery. The power of the salesman's
in the answer. If he is satisfied that the salesmen logic persuades and enables him to frame his argu-
are masters of their jobs the thought is assuring and ments into simple statements. Piano salesmanship
pleasant. If, on the other hand, the question arouses is the ability to reason well and demonstrate well.
doubt as to the ability of the salesmen or recalls When the salesman declares a piano is good, better
events that make it plain that those most important or best he has only used an introductory statement
functionaries or some of them are lacking in the to his sales talk. He must then justify his use of
sa!es power, then also the result may lead to a de- the terms by logical argument and demonstration.
That is the only way to get the attention of the
sirable pleasant assurance.
customer which will deepen to interest as the demon-
The Why of It.
stration proceeds. Interest is followed by desire and
The bald statement that a piano is good, better or
finally desire finds a satisfaction in buying.
best does not carry conviction to the mind of the
Two Kinds.
customer. The salesman must not stop at showing
There are piano customers to whom all pianos are
not alike and to whom piano names mean something;
guarantees of excellence in construction and tone
quality. This kind is familiar with the names in the
piano industry which stand for the best. Salesmen
may have their difficulties in getting this kind to
buy, but the occasions are not ones for harangues of
the educational kind.
Graceful lines, rugged construc-
It is Mr. and Mrs. Average Buyer, buying the
piano of any kind, who require the logic and elo-
tion, moderately priced. It's the
quence of the salesman to show them that all pianos
very best commercial piano from
are not alike, even though they have a certain
similarity of appearance. It is the task of the sales-
every standpoint.
man to point out the distinctive features of a piano
which give it a strong individuality. They may be
features of great artistic value not found in other
pianos. It is possible to explain the acoustic prin-
ciples applying to a piano without befogging Mr. and
Mrs. Average Customer with technicalities and it is
not difficult to explain why the tone of one piano is
full and resonant and that of another flat and un-
satisfactory.
Master of His Job.
The piano salesman who knows the merits and ad-
mirable quality of the pianos he sells has no difficul-
ties in answering the hows and whys of the custom-
ers. He is surer of himself in talking to customers
if he is observant of the results of the skill and
patient attention to details in the making of the
pianos. The effective points of his arguments are in
Style 32—4 ft. 4 in.
the details of construction in the pianos, the action,
sounding board, the patented devices, all of which
conduce to the excellence of the tone. The salesman
who . properly understands the construction and
meritorious qualities of the pianos he sells is never
flustered by the "why-is-it" of Mrs. Average
Customer.
PURPOSE OF DEALER
IS SELLING PIANOS
MAKING SALES TALK
The Best Yet
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell Readily—Stay Sold
Gend to-day for catalogue, prices and
details of our liberal financing plan
Weser Bros., Inc.
520 to 528 W. 43rd St., New York
INTEREST IN STRAUBE CONTEST.
George A. Heath, Swanton, O., is stimulating in-
terest in a prize contest by every available publicity
means. Mr. Heath is representative in that city for
the Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind., which is
offering a player piano as a prize to the person who
suggests the best name for a new model Straube
player, just now being put on the market. One of
these instruments is on display at the local music
store, and regular contest blanks are furnished to
those who wish to submit a name.
September 13, 1924.
STANWOOD MILLER SEES
TRADE IMPROVEMENT
Reports Business Much Better in New Eng-
land After Visit to Headquarters of
Continental Piano Co.
Stanwood Miller, vice-president of the Continental
Piano Co., 395 Boylston street, Boston, Mass., re-
cently returned to his Chicago office at the Smith,
Barnes & Strohber Co., 1872 Clybourn avenue, a
division of the Boston company.
Mr. Miller, when seen in Chicago this week, was
in a cheerful mood and spoke optimistically of fu-
ture conditions of the piano trade in which he noted
considerable improvement since he left Chicago over
a month ago, for the company's headquarters at
Boston.
Mr. Miller reports that the trend of the piano
trade in the New England states is on the upward
grade, but has not yet hit its normal stride. The re-
tail business in and around Boston is fairly good, but
the increase in the volume of business is not com-
parable to that in the wholesale establishments. The
retailers of the Boston sector have no reason to
worry, however, as indications strongly point to a
fine trade in the early fall months.
"The branch stores of the Continental Piano Com-
pany, located in Kansas City, Mo., Milwaukee, Wis.,
St. Louis, Mo., and Detroit, Mich., have all reported
an excellent pick-up in the piano trade, the Detroit
store being particularly active, a condition which re-
sulted from the fine showing of the automobile in-
dustry in that city," said Mr. Miller this week.
"The most notable increase in the piano trade,
however, is in the Southwest, where fine crop condi-
tions have helped the trade materially and dealers
have an incentive to push sales with the prosperous
farmers."
Mr. Miller, while in the East, did not overlook the
enjoyment of the great out-of-doors. With his family
he took leave of Boston to spend two weeks in the
woods of Maine, where a complete rest was had and
all the sports of that great recreational center were
enjoyed. Mr. Miller announces that he will be at
the Chicago office-throughout the fall and winter,
except for a few 7 short trips, one being to Pittsburgh,
Pa., early in October.
JSk ondunnff b
•
cr
WML
lotte^^
™* SHardman
- -
TM
The 3hfardman £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 that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
^jiardmanfpeck &Co.
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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