PRESTO
has been poor and the drought this year prevented a
full crop. But the growers are getting good returns
on what they produced and the outlook is encourag-
ing both to them and the music dealers.
New Department Busy.
The John Breuner Co., the big furniture house, is
Driest Year in Annals of Weather Man Did considerably pleased with the success of the new
piano department in its Oakland branch. The man-
Not Dull the Ardor of Music Dealers,
ager, T. Stahlberg, is strong for the show window
Who Tell of Good Business in All
featuring of his pianos and players and the house
gives him the proper facilities for the purpose.
Departments.
What M. P. Thompson Says.
M. P. Thompson, manager of the Pacific Coast
THE CHEERFUL VIEW
interests of the Baldwin Piano Co., last week took a
glance backward and a look ahead for 1925. "Splen-
Everything Points to a Big Music Goods Business did" is the term he used to characterize the results
for the year now drawing to a close. Every month
and Expectations for 1925 Are Very En-
has shown an increase in sales over the corresponding
livening.
month in 1923 and despite. the driest season in the
Music merchants all over California responded to annals of the weather man he anticipates at least a 30
the spirit of the season and Yuletide thoughts were per cent increase over 1923.
synonymous with the desire for Christmas sales of
pianos and other musical goods. The general opin-
ion was that Christmas business would be unusually WESTERN ELECTRIC PIANO
big and that the activity now being felt in the music
trade will continue far into the new year. An abnor-
CO. BUSY AS YEAR WANES
mally low rainfall which resulted in a condition
affecting water supplies and water power and inter-
fering with farming interests generally, also meant All Styles of Automatic Instruments Manufactured
quiet business for the music dealers. The reaction
by Chicago Firm Popular in the Trade.
following the rains which relieved the conditions from
the drought, showed how much the fortunes of the
The newest entry into the automatic piano field is
state depend on the moisture supply at the proper terminating a year that marked certain success in the
period.
fact that its product has gained a recognition in the
But from reports of music houses in San Francisco, trade that has brought gratification to the officials of
Los Angeles and other large cities it would seem the company located at 439 West Superior street,
that the music business is independent of weather Chicago.
phenomena. A great amount of piano selling has
Several new and distinct styles are now ready for
gone on despite drought, cattle epidemics and other aggressive dealers who realize the possibilities in this
happenings which one would expect to have a dis- interesting field.
tressing influence on sales. In San Francisco, Sher-
Of the new models the Selectra Model "B" has
man, Clay & Co., the Wiley B. Allen Co. and Kohler proven
itself a consistent money-maker. Its height
& Chase, delightedly tell of a November business sur- is 62 inches
and with a width of 46j4 inches. The
prising in its size and heads of piano departments in original design
case, with beautiful art and bevel
all three houses have anticipations of a Christmas glass panels, will of appeal
to lovers of art and will meet
business that will break all records for the season.
the demand of high class business houses and amuse-
Other Instruments Sell.
ment parlors.
But pianos and players do not monopolize the at-
tention of the California public and the fact is pointed
BUSINESS TO BE CONTINUED.
out in the increase of phonograph sales despite an
The jewelry and music store of the late W. T.
alleged interference by radio. San Francisco is a Bowles, Bloomington, Ind., will be continued by the
good radio city but it continues to be a place of great Bowles family. The jewelry department will be in
opportunities for the phonograph dealers. A big charge of Mr. Hallingsworth and the music depart-
business in phonographs is reported by the Kruschke ment will be conducted by Mrs. Jessie Mercer.
Sales Co., 539 Market street, the Western Phono-
graph Co., in the Hobart Building, the Emporium,
and Sherman, Clay & Co.
Good Business Everywhere.
James J. Black, treasurer of the Wiley B. Allen Co.,
San Francisco, includes all the Wiley B. Allen Co.'s
branches in the bright report he made last week.
Even in the Fresno branch Manager R. W. Young
Graceful lines, rugged construc-
is achieving an excellent holiday business, a happy
tion, moderately priced. It's the
result that is surprising when the nature of the fruit
growing industry in that section is considered. In
very best commercial piano from
the territory surrounding Fresno the community is
every standpoint.
dependent almost entirely on the raisin crop and on
the manner in which it grows and is saved depends
the ability of the people to buy pianos and other
means towards music. For two years the raisin crop
BRIGHT REPORTS
FROM CALIFORNIA
December 27, 1924.
GREAT ARTISTS AND
THEIR STEINWAYS
Confidence in Their Instruments Animates the
Famous Concert Pianists in Dramatic Moments.
Mischa Levitski at his Steinway is the subject of
the artistic illustration in the page advertisement of
Steinway & Sons in the current number of the Sat-
urday Evening Post. The portrait is one of the ad-
mirable collection presented in Steinway advertising,
which associates the Steinway piano as the "instru-
ment of the immortals." This suitable type matter
accompanies the cut:
"In that dramatic moment of quiet before the first
note is struck, the concert pianist marshals swiftly
all his genius, his spirit, his skill. And there is
scarcely a great pianist since Liszt who has not
drawn, in that moment, new courage from his utter
confidence in his chosen instrument—the Steinway.
Paderewski, Hofmann, Levitzki—these and others of
the great pianists know how perfectly the Steinway
translates the mellow, golden harmonies of Schu-
mann or the sharply etched roulades of a Bach fugue.
They know how the Steinway at a touch becomes a
singing, animate voice, instantly responsive to the
most extraordinary demands.
"This knowledge of the superiority of the Stein-
way is shared by the public at large. For the great
majority of Steinway pianos are purchased on limited
incomes and for unassuming homes. As a matter of
principle, it has been kept within the reach of every
true lover of music—sold at the lowest .possible
price and upon the most convenient terms. Each of
the various models is a true Steinway. And each
will return, decade after decade, full measures of
pleasure and delight. You need never buy another
piano."
A GOOD MILWAUKEE REPORT.
The Flanner-Haufsoos Music House, Inc., Milwau-
kee, is now assured that sales for 1924 will be far
ahead of sales for 1923. Big sales in Kurtzmann and
BrinkerhofT pianos were a feature of the holiday
business. F. F. Flanner says the sale of grands
shows continuous growth with the small models
leading. The reproducing grand shows an upward
trend in sales.
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