February 28, 1925.
PROBLEM OF SALES
AS OLD AS TRADE
Associations of Manufacturers and Dealers
Have Discussed It From Beginning of
the Organizations Although Action
Has Been Left to Members.
STILL INVITES SOLUTION
While Problem of Selling Has Been Settled at Num-
berless Meetings, Paradoxically It Is
Settled at Every Sale.
By DOUGLAS McNAIR.
The growth of interest in the music trade organi-
zations, local, state and national is the visible sign
of vitality in the trade. The organizations are con-
venient ways of evincing the enthusiasm of indi-
vidual members and inciting non-members to par-
ticipation in a common expression of trade liveliness.
The association conventions, the periodic meetings
of the salesmen of a house, the trade journals are
all parts of a business enterprise—that of selling
music goods.
Topics arise in the trade that assume the semblance
of problems until the organizations discuss them.
Then they are talked into affairs of no consequence
or if they are considered vital, are in time settled
effectively. But the never old problem of selling the
goods goes on forever. Paradoxically too, it is set-
tled every time a piano, player or other musical in-
strument is sold. Selling the goods is the most
interesting consideration in the trade because it is
an individual question concerning special courses of
action whereas many of the so-called problems of
the trade are abstract things.
Problems of History.
A history of the music trade or the piano trade
specifically, is interesting in the personal character
of the historic narrative. It naturally recalls the at-
titude of men on various questions that agitated or
even rocked the trade and industry at various times.
-
iS& onduring"
15
PRESTO
And it is highly interesting to recall that selling the
instruments was involved in every problem that ever
provided a topic for the historic characters. The
veterans couldn't get away from the really vital ques-
tion; we can't sidestep it today.
The stencil, the commission fiend and other dis-
tressing things of another era and the pirating com-
petitor, dishonest ads, freight question and stand-
ardization of today all concerned and concern the
way the goods should be sold, the terms of paying
for them, the ethics of behaviour and the size of the
profits. The eloquent speeches that the veterans
made when the trade organization were young really
concerned the way to sales; the speeches to be de-
livered at the next convention at the Drake hotel,
the resolutions, unofficial exhibits, advertising and
window dressing contests, all will bear on the ever-
green motto—how to sell the goods.
The Individual Effort.
The goods are sold by individual effort of dealers
and salesmen, but motives, the ethical spirit and en-
thusiasm are influenced and often created by the
trade association, local, state or national. Every
association is a joint effort of advertising. It raises
the commercial prestige of the trade and is a unit in
commerce generally in influencing fair legislation.
The standard of every member is raised by member-
ship in a strong and influencial trade organization.
But after all is said and done it is the actual sales
that count in the progress of the individual dealer.
Every piano dealer and piano salesman, every man
and woman in a phonograph or musical merchan-
dise department must supply the action suggested
by the ever-present motive—how to quickly and
profitably sell the piano, phonographs, band instru-
ments and small goods and no matter how high-
minded the dealer, how artistic the piano or meritor-
ious the other things, selling is strictly a matter of
business not an ethical gesture. So the best motive
of the associations and the individual members is
to increase the sales while making sure of a just
profit on sales.
Concerning Growth.
No music trade organization grows in membership
and influence automatically; no music house pro-
gresses of itself. The music firm expands and grows
rich on the work of individuals in its staff. Growth
is certain when the heads of sales departments have
vision, idealism, the faculty for hard work and the
patience that waits for the timely moment for launch-
ing every plan. The good dealer and the good sales-
man know what the trade organizations have been
voicing as an admirable theory all the years—that
the strongest element of strength is the giving of
good value for the money. The problem of selling
the goods has always been tacitly solved by men-
tioning the prime factor towards success—good qual-
ity in the instrument commensurate with the price.
SOME LATE DOINGS IN
THE RETAIL TRADE
Items of General News Value from
Throughout the Country.
^ttfardman
The Yardman Jzine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally w o r t h y 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.
c Jfanhnanfpeck &Qo,
the Field
"Why not owner a player now?" is the query in
the local newspapers of the Knapp Piano Co., Belle-
ville, 111., which presents a list of allurements.
J. D. Harden, piano dealer, 3 W. Third street,
Sterling, 111., features the Haddorff piano in a force-
ful way. This week the firm advertises the piano
as "the highest piano standard."
The G. H. Sharp Music Co., 110 Elm street, West-
field, Mass., is remodeling the Parker Block in which
the firm is located.
Warner Stone has opened a music store in Provo,
Utah.
Wallace Whitely, of Corydon, Iowa, has sold his
stock of music goods to C. H. Beeler, of Lacona,
Iowa.
Heim's Music Store, Danbury, Conn., is now set-
tled in the new music store at 221 Main street, Dan-
bury. The company also conducts music stores in
Brewster, N. Y., and Ridgefield, Conn.
J. W. Grantham, music merchant of Joplin, Mo.,
has opened a branch at Baxter Springs, Kans.
The H. M. Wolf Piano Co., of Newton Falls,
Ohio, will open a branch this week at Ravenna, Ohio.
The United Music Co., Brockton, Mass., has signed
a long term lease for a new store in the Brockton
Times Building.
EXPANDS IN VIRGINIA.
Among recent incorporations in Virginia was that
of the Cline Music Co., Staunton, to deal in music
goods at 126 West Main street. S. G. Cline, Sr., is
president, and S. Glenn Cline, Jr., secretary-treasurer.
The other incorporators are E. P. and E. V. Cline.
The Cline concern was started live years ago in a
small store on South New street. The company now
operates with an authorized capital of $50,000, and
occupies a modern three-story building.
"Built on Family Pride"
Doll & Sons
Represent the Artistic
in Piano and Player Piano
Construction
JACOB DOLL & SONS
STODART
WELLSMORE
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc.
Southern Boulevard, E. 133rd St.
E. 134th St. and Cyprew Ave.
NEW YORK
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer*
of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooma
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
STR1CH & ZEIDLER, foe
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
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 Trad* Mark is cast
In the plat* and also ap-
pear* upon th* fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all infrlngers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of Imitation* such aa Schu-
mann A Company, Schu-
mann ft Son, and also
Shuman, a* all stencil
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing: a m m i tn
imitation of the name
Schumann with th* Inten-
tion of deceiving; the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of th* law.
New Catalogue on Request.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, 111.
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