Presto

Issue: 1924 1993

16
October 4, 1924.
PRESTO
DEALER CONFESSES TO
MISTAKES IN SELLING
Al Barton, by Fortuitous Incident at Last
Discovered He Was Wrong in His
Methods.
Tonk Topics for September-October has an inter-
esting story that preaches a good piano sermon pleas-
antly and effectively. It is an analysis of the motive
behind the piano salesman. The article follows:
"When I first started in the music business years
ago," Al Barton, a successful middle-western mer-
chant, recently confessed, "I made the mistake of
trying to sell pianos.
"I knew pianos thoroughly. And I just couldn't
resist the temptation to air my knowledge. When-
ever and wherever I could get a prospect cornered,
I would launch into a technical description of the
piano—reciting all of the details of tone, finish, work-
manship, etc. The result was that I succeeded in
boring most of my prospects, and made mighty few
sales.
"Then, suddenly, one day I came to my senses
and saw that I was making a big mistake. I reasoned
that, after all, comparatively few people were inter-
ested in the technical features of a piano. 'Folks
don't buy pianos,' I said to myself, 'they buy music!'
And so I decided to sell music instead of pianos.
"I distinctly recall the first prospect who came into
the place after I made this decision. The man was
Bart Hollingsworth, foreman of the chair factory,
over on Cedar street, and he had his sixteen-year-old
daughter, Katie, with him. Bart had no intention
whatever of buying a piano. To tell the truth, he
and his daughter simply dropped in to side-step a
sudden shower. But I decided to try out my new
sales plan anyway. Carefully avoiding anything ap-
DECKER
mJ
EST. 1856
SL SON
Grand, Upright
and
Welte-Mignon
(Licensee)
Reproducing
{Electric)
Pianos and Players
of Recognized
Artistic Character
Made by a Decker Since 1856
699-703 East 135th Street
New York
For a
Bigger and Better
Business
proaching a sales talk, I suggested that Katie play a
few selections to while the time away.
"As Katie played, I placed Bart where he could
watch his daughter's eager face, and read the look
of longing in her eyes. Then I began to talk to him,
not of tone or finish, but of music. I painted a pic-
ture of the Hollingsworth family circle, gathered in
the parlor after supper, with Katie playing old, famil-
iar songs, and now and then a lively jazz selection.
I pictured her entertaining Sunday afternoon callers
with musical offerings. Then I changed the scene,
spoke of rolling back the Brussels carpet, taking out
the furniture and staging a friendly neighborhood
dance. Katie and one of her girl friends taking turns
at the piano, and even old Bart himself 'shaking a
leg' with the youngest of them.
"And as I talked Bart listened—as he would never
in the world have listened to a technical description
of the piano. I had him sold, and I knew it! I didn't
close the deal right then and there. Hardly expected
to, in fact. But a few weeks before Katie's next
birthday, Bart stepped into my office and announced
that he had come to buy a piano. I said nothing, but
I knew better. As a matter of fact, Bart didn't
buy a piano at all. He bought pleasure and recrea-
tion for the family plus a musical education for
Katie. In short, he bought music. But he paid the
price of a piano, so I'm not complaining!"
Cable Piano Co., of Chicago, Fit Instructive Facts
to Attractive Mason & Hamlin Publicity.
Now and then an advertisement appears in which
the character of the piano promoted seems to be sug-
gested by the phraseology of the publicity man. Fol-
lowing is a good specimen. It is from a well dis-
played advertisement of the Cable Piano Co., of
Chicago, in last Sunday morning's newspapers. It
bore the heading, "Beethoven's Dream Realized":
Beethoven dreamed of an instrument adequate to
express his musical conceptions. If he could but
know it, his dream is at last realized in the Mason
& Hamlin, musically the most beautiful piano the
world has even known.
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, beloved of all the
world, was written for the harpsichord—an awkward
instrument with two keyboards and strings exces-
sively long, the tone of which was "harsh and raw."
Each lovely sonata, each mighty concerto was a
challenge to the manufacturers of his day to create
an instrument upon which they could fittingly be
played.
The Mason & Hamlin piano is such an instrument.
Not even a Beethoven—or the most ultra-modern
of our own day—can tax the resources of the Mason
& Hamlin.
Mechanically it has attained a perfection beyond
anything even thought of a few years ago. The
rich, mellow tone fulfills all the requirements of
artistic beauty. Responsive to every mood, it is the
supreme source of inspiration to the musician of
today.
OUTHERN BRANCH: 730 Gandler BIdg., ATLANTA, GA
FROM THE BIGGEST
ORCHESTRION
"Built on Family Pride"
Represent the Artistic
in Piano and Player Piano
Construction
711 Milwaukee Avenue
CHICAGO
Style C-2
NEW INDIANA FIRM.
M. SCHULZ CO.
M. SCHULZ CO.
RESTAURANTS, CAFES and
A M U S E M E N T CENTERS
Glen Crum has opened the Starr Musical Shop, at
corner 10th and Main streets, Fountain City, Ind.
Last week Mr. Crum, who is assisted in the store
by his son Glen, made this announcement in the
newspapers: "We hereby announce to the public
that we have opened a brand new music store and
have a complete stock of instruments and music.
Now is the time to think of your Xmas presents.
We'll be glad to hold them for you. Our stock is
brand new. Anything in music, call us."
Doll & Sons
You will never do anything better
than when you get in touch with
FOR
GRACEFUL LITERATURE IN
FINE PIANO ADVERTISING
There is nothing to compare
with the complete line of
The Players are RIGHT in
everything t h a t means
money to the dealers and
satisfaction to the public
COINOLAS
JACOB DOLL & SONS
STODART
WELLSMORE
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc.
Southern Boulevard, E. 133rd St.
E. 134th St. and Cypress Ave.
NEW YORK
Tiny Coinola
THE SMALLEST
KEYLESS
Manufactured by
The Operators Piano Co.
715-721 N. Kedzie Ave.
CHICAGO
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/
October 4, 1924.
17
PRESTO
LATE PATENTS OF INTEREST
1,440,763, Automatic musical instruments, Heinrich
Bockisch, Pbughkeepsie, N. Y.
1,440,667, Metal sounding board for pianos, Fridolf
Frankel, Stockholm, Sweden.
1,441,155, Piano bench and dot combination, Oscar
S. Johnson, New Britain, Conn.
1,440,746, Musical instrument operated by air, under
control of perforated tune sheets, Reginald Reynolds,
Barnes, London, England.
1,441,824, Music roll supporting clamp, F. S. Bil-
lings, Milwaukee, Wis.
1,442,010, Music rolls for automatic music-playing
instruments, Noel R. Stiles, London, England.
1,442,442, Piano guard, John J. Schlumbrecht, Chi-
cago, 111.
1,442,507, Pumping device for playerpianos, August
Young, New York, N. Y.
1,443,768, Automatic tracking device, Joseph M.
Chase, New York, N. Y.
1,443,665, Mounting for operating parts of player-
pianos, Edwin S. Werolin, New York, N. Y.
1,444,722, Musical instrument, William Bartholo-
mae, New York, N. Y.
1,444,651, Crate for piano benches and the like,
Henry G. Behrens, Chicago, 111.
1,443,961, Musical instrument. Joseph Matyas, As-
toria, N. Y.
There's Money
for the Dealer in
Automatic Pianos
Fine Electric Self-Players of eye-
catching design and perfect perform-
ance. Also
COIN OPERATED
for places of entertainment, Theatres,
Movies, Ice Cream Parlors, Etc., Etc.
The best line including the famous
"PIAN-O-GRAND"
"BANJ-O-GRAND"
and "HARP-O-GRAND"
Wide-awake Piano D e a l e r s find
them easy sellers in every community.
Send for illustrated
descriptive circulars.
Nelson - Wiggen Piano Co.
1731 Belmont Ave.,
CHICAGO
ESTABLISHED 1854
THE
BRADBURY PIANO
FOR ITS
ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
FOR ITS
INESTIMABLE AGENCY VALUE
THE CHOICE OF
Representative Dealers the World Over
Now Produced in Several
New Models
WRITE FOR TERRITORY
Factory
Leominster,
Matt.
Executive Offices
138th St. and Walton Ave.
New York
Division W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
1,444,364, Automatic music roll carrier and center-
ing device for pneumatic musical instruments, W. G.
Betz, Hammond, Ind.
1,444,832, Automatic musical instrument, Joseph M.
Dickinson, Larchmont, N. Y.
1,445,426, Carton for music reels, John J. M. Wie-
gand, Bellevue, Ky.
1,446,116, Expression device for self-playing pianos,
Oscar A. Ericson, Chicago, 111.
1,445,807, Piano-playing pneumatic action, Herschel
E. Tower, Cincinnati, Ohio.
1,445,983, Motor for player pianos, Walter W. Wei-
ser, Chicago, and G. A. Forsberg, Cicero, 111.
1,446,911, Mounting for diaphragms for acoustical
instruments, Austin C. Lescarboura, New York, N. Y.,
and A. R. Bond, Plainfield, N. J.
REPRO=PHRASO EXHIBIT
FOR SPRINGFIELD MEET
R. A. Burke and Stil Harcourt to Personally Repre-
sent the Story & Clark Co. There.
A fine display of the Repro-Phraso instrument by
the Story & Clark Co., 315 South Wabash avenue,
Chicago, will be awaiting merchants who attend
the Illinois Music Merchants' convention at Hotel
Leland, Springfield, on Monday and Tuesday of next
week. The display to be put on by the company
will be elaborate and well arranged and the invitation
is extended by the Story & Clark Co. to all dealers
to visit the showroom and inspect the instrument
which has been a sensation in the trade.
The action of the Repro-Phraso will be shown to
the visiting music men by Stil Harcourt, the creator
of the instrument, and a prominent figure at conven-
tions.
R. A. Burke, widely known traveler of the Story &
Clark Piano Co., will also be on hand at convention
headquarters and will be pleased to meet the attend-
ing music merchants and give information of the
prominent line of Story & Clark instruments.
EDWARD A. JOLL, VETERAN
TUNER ON RETIRED LIST
"Grand Old Man" Leaves Lyon & Healy After Forty-
Six Years of Service.
Forty-six years ago, Edward A. Joll started to
work for Lyon & Healy, Chicago, as an outside
piano tuner, and with the exception of a slight in-
terval, has continued in the same capacity until now.
Mr. Joll was 79 years old on September 11, and was
then retired on a pension. He is justly entitled to
this rest after so many years of activity, but it is
with considerable regret that his associates lose the
daily contact with the "Grand Old Man" of Lyon &
Healy's piano tuning department.
It is doubtful if the equal of jYIr. Joll's record
exists. Until the last day of his employment he
"carried on" with young men, on the job every morn-
ing before 7:30. He has been a pacemaker to the
finish and an example of industry, strength and
inspiration to be envied by every young man. He
attributes it all to his mode of living, vegetarian diet,
two quarts of milk a day, no tobacco, and "early to
bed and early to rise."
While on a visit recently at his daughter's summer
home in the Ozark mountains, Mr. Joll met with an
accident through a fall, which lamed him.
400 MILES BY AUTO.
J. J. Krall of Tyndall, S. D., is a Chicago visitor.
Mr. Krall drove to Chicago in his machine, following
a 400-mile auto trip from Tyndall to serve on the
United States grand jury.
NEW ALLIANCE, O., STORE.
R. R. Roath has opened a piano and talking ma-
chine store in Alliance, O. It is at 27 East Main
street and is known as the Roath Piano Company.
A. B. Chase, Hallett & Davis, and Emerson pianos,
phonographs, Q R S and Imperial player rolls are
handled.
The new store of the Roath Piano Co., Alliance,
Ohio, was opened recently.
QUALITY
GRAND PIANO
58 Inches Long
The best exponent of the present Baby Grand Age.
I$8 tone — its tinea — its restricted space requirement and
attractive price—
MAKE IT THE PREMIER AGENCY
Get full details of this valuable selling franchise NOW.
Premier Grand Piano Corporation
Largest Institution in the World Building Grand
Pianos Exclusively
WALTER C. HEPPERLA
President
JUSTUS HATTEMER
Viea-Pmidtnt
510-532 West ^3rd Street
NEW YORK
in Name and in Fact
TONE, MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION,
WORKMANSHIP, DESIGN—all in ac-
cord with the broadest experience—are
the elements which give character to
Bush & Lane Products.
BUSH&LANE PIANOS
BUSH & LANE CECILIAN PLAYER PIANOS
take high place, therefore, in any com-
parison of high grade pianos because of
the individuality of character which dis-
tinguishes them in all essentials of merit
ana value.
BUSH & LANE PIANO CO.
Holland, Mich.
HIGH GRADE
Folding Organs
School Organs
Practice Keyboards
Dul.ra' Attention Solicited
A- L. WHITE MFG. CO.
215 En*i«wood Av*., CHICAGO, ILL.
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
This Trade Mark la cast
in the plate and also ap-
pears upon the fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all Infringers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of imitations such as Schu-
mann & Company. Schu-
mann & Son, and also
Shuman, as all atencll
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing a name in
imitation of the name
Schumann with the Inten-
tion of deceiving: the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law.
New Catalogue on Request.
Schumann Piano Co.
W, N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, III.
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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