March 28, 1925.
17
P R E S T O
CALIFORNIA TRADE
CONDITIONS GOOD
Favorable Weather Everywhere Throughout
the State Mean Certainties of Big Crops for
Farmer and Orchardist and Good Busi-
ness for Music Dealers.
ACTIVITIES ARE NOTED
Straight Pianos of High Grade Character, in Up-
right and Grand Models, Favored in Numerous
Sales in San Francisco.
tised in the same degree, the sales of such have been
amazingly numerous, a fact which has pleased the
managers.
Effective Advertising.
Excellent advertising for the Wiley B. Allen Co.,
San Francisco, is being accomplished by the musical
members of the staff under the direction of Harold
Pracht, sales manager of the company. Mr. Pracht
has organized the firm's employes into a concert
troupe which under his able leadership broadcasts
splendid programs over Station KPO. That the
Mason & Hamlin piano represented by the Wiley B.
Allen Co. is used in the concert work is another good
publicity fact.
Mr. Pracht himself is a baritone of more than state
wide fame and among those who assist in the con-
certs are Jack Gerovich, pianist; Eileen Sprague,
pianist; George Madison, basso; Clara Barnett,
mezzo-soprano; and Maurice Michiner, organist.
More Music Promotion.
The series of lecture recitals given in various places
throughout northern California by Geoffrey O'Hara,
composer, musician and clever talker on musical
topics, have proved welcome events to those inter-
ested in the encouragement of music. Mr. O'Hara
uses a Steinway Duo-Art in his demonstrations, the
instruments usually being supplied by the local rep-
resentative of Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco.
Lee S. Roberts, Inc.
Lee S. Roberts, Inc., will open in the near future
at 230 Pos street, a location suitable to a business
handling artistic products. Lee S. Roberts, formerly
vice-president of the Q R S Music Co., is head of the
new company, which, among other commodities, will
handle the Chickering piano.
Music dealers, everywhere in California are heart-
ened by the possibilities of generous crops as a
result of the copious rains reported from all the fruit,
wheat and general crop sections of the state. The
sales of pianos and other music goods to the well-to-
do settlers who arrive every year from eastern points
are always assured from obvious reasons but the
sales to the folk whose incomes are dependent on the
variety of weather that blesses or distresses Cali-
fornia are among the uncertain things. This year,
however, the general farmers and orchardists are as-
sured of good returns from trees and soil and the
probabilities of a profitable run of business cheer
the music merchant.
Event Promotes Music.
One of the events promoted to celebrate the dia-
mond jubilee of California's admission to the Union
will be the San Francisco Spring Music Festival to be
held in the Exposition Auditorium from April 18 to
25. Prominent music merchants are taking an active
part in the preparations for this notable event which
will be held under the joint auspices of the City of It Is Better to Stress the "Music in the Home" Need
San Francisco and the San Francisco Musical As-
Than Price.
sociation. The affair will be of a high class character
It
is
just
as
good
salesmanship in selling player-
in which famous operatic stars, great choral features
pianos, as in selling other merchandise of service, not
and symphony orchestras will be attractions.
to stress the cost of the piano you are selling, says
A desirable feature that distinguishes piano sales "Vocalstyle Notes." Stress what it means, what it
in San Francisco this season is the favor of customers does and the great pleasure and benefit it will give.
for the finer types of instruments in uprights and This, after all, is what they are buying—not the
grands. The interest of the well-to-do customers in the price.
expensive reproducing pianos is not so remarkable as
their interest in the straight pianos according to the Many a player deal has been lost through price
sales managers. The reproducing pianos have been dickering when the meaning of "Music in the home"
featured in a strong way with splendid results but should have been the subject talked about. Convince
while the straight instruments have not been adver- a man of the great utility and necessity of "Music in
the home," and closing the deal will be easy.
Don't try to convince him that he can afford to
pay $50 down and $15 or $20 per month on a piano.
He alone controls his expenditures. Just sell him the
idea of the pleasure and benefit of music. He'll take
care of the money end if you take care of yours.
If you have to talk in terms of dollars and cents,
speak of the important "returns" upon the money
Graceful lines, rugged construc-
spent. There are limitless other logical arguments
for "Music in the home" that have a stronger appeal
tion, moderately priced. It's the
in closing deals than that of price.
HOW DO YOU TALK WHEN
SELLING PLAYER PIANOS
The Best Yet
very best commercial piano from
every standpoint.
Style 32—4 ft. 4 in.
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell Readily—Stay Sold
Send to-day for catalogue, prices and
details of our liberal financing plan
Weser Bros., Inc.
520 to 528 W. 43rd St., New York
NEWSY FACTS ABOUT THE
MEN WHO RETAIL PIANOS
Items gathered From Various Sources Relate Inci-
dents in the Trade Activities.
F. L. Hutchinson, formerly of the Victrola depart-
ment of the Portland, Ore., store of Sherman, Clay &
Co., has been appointed manager of the phonograph
department of the Wiley B. Allen Co.'s Portland
store.
The Kurtzmann piano is ably featured by the
Elliott-Rittenberry Piano Co., 148 Fourth avenue,
Nashville, Tenn. This instrument has proved popu-
lar in Nashville and is in use there in several music
schools.
The Hardman piano was used to accompany Beni-
amino Gigli at recitals he recently gave in the Cen-
tral High School Auditorium at Scranton, Pa., and
the Capitol Theater, Hartford, Conn.
R. D. Owens Music Co., Inc., Pt. Allegany, Pa.,
recently suffered loss to stocks by fire.
The stocks of the Brazil Furniture Co. and the
C. S. York Piano Store, Brazil, Ind., were recently
acquired by Horace Link & Co., Paris, 111.
FINDS TEMPORARY QUARTERS.
Moyer Bros., East Liverpool, Ohio, a department
store with a music section, destroyed by fire recently,
has reopened in temporary quarters on East Fifth
street. The music department will be re-established
in the new store, but necessarily will be limited in
space. When the store reoccupies its old store, how-
ever, the department will be enlarged.
D. E. AHLERS PIANO CO.
OPENS IN DAYTON, 0 .
Head of New Company Is Former Dayton
Man and Widely Known in Wide Sec-
tion of Ohio.
The D. E. Ahlers Piano Company, 34 East First
street, Dayton, O., was incorporated last week at
Columbus for $30,000.
The president of the company, D. E. Ahlers, is a
Dayton man who is returning to the piano business
in his home city after an absence ot two years at
Atlanta, Ga., where he was manager of the Phillips
& Crew Piano Company. Mrs. D. E. Ahlers is vice-
president of the company and Hugo Wagenseil is
among the incorporators.
Mr. Ahlers is widely known in the musical circles
of Dayton, having spent the greater part of his, life
here in the piano business.
The date of the opening of the company's, new
quarters will be decided within a few days. The
house will represent the Knabe and Fischer lines in
Montgomery county and six surrounding counties.
For nine years Mr. Ahlers was manager of the
Aeolian company in this city. He went to Atlanta,
Ga., after resigning that position.
~
CHANGE IN FREEPORT, ILL.
A change of ownership has been made in the Cha-
telle Music store, corner of South Galena avenue and
West Main street, Freeport, 111. Ross Tuess, a for-
mer president of Stockton, has purchased this busi-
ness from A. B. Chatelle, and will conduct the store
as before, carrying the same lines of musical instru-
ments and sheet music as his predecessor. Mr. Tuell
and his family moved to Freeport last week.
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Qrand*. Upright* and Players
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
Uprights and Player Pianos
A high grade piano of great
vaiue and with charming tone quality.
Livingston Pianos— Uprights and Player Pianos
A popular piano at a popular price.
Over 70,000 instruments made by this company are ling-
Ing their own praises in all parts of the civilised world.
Write tor catalogues and state on what terms you would
like to deal, and we will make you a proposition if you are
located in Open territory.
WEAVER PIANO CO, Inc.
Factory: YORK, P V
Established 1870
For a
Bigger and Better
Business
There is nothing to compare
with the complete line of
M. SCHULZ GO.
The Players are RIGHT in
everything t h a t means
money to the dealers and
satisfaction to the public
You will never do anything better
than when you get in touch with
M. SCHULZ CO.
711 Milwaukee Avenue
CHICAGO
OUTHEW BRANCH? 790 Gandlar ffldfc, ATLANTA, GA
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