Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1927 2110

January 8, 1927.
11
PRESTO-TIMES
DETROIT TRADE IS
IN BEST GOODS
Leaders Assert That More Than 75 Per Cent
of November and December Sales in the
Motor City Were Grands and Re-
producing Grands.
WORKMEN FEAR TO BUY
Result of Some of the Larger Motor Concerns Run-
ning on Part Time or Shutting Down
for Inventory.
By HENRY
Chicag
The New
Period
TONKBENCHES
Are Ready
X^EEPING steadily in step with
-*-^- the march of progress in the
Piano Industry, we now announce a
new line of TONKBENCHES in
Authentic Period Styles.
In design and workmanship these new
TONKBENCHES again demonstrate
our ability to meet every changing
condition and supply you with Qual-
ity Benches to successfully meet each
and every existing demand.
Write today for full detailed informal
tion regarding this latest achievement
in TONKBENCH construction.
TONK TOPICS
Tonk Topics is a little magazine we
publish regularly in order to pass on,
to those interested, some thoughts
for the betterment of their business,
based on the many interesting
things our many friends in the
Piano Industry tell us.
Its popularity is well estab'
lished and if you are not re-
ceiving it regularly and would
like to have it, we'll be glad to
send it, if you request it.
It's Free.
inng
ny
1912 Lewis St.
CHICAGO
MacMULLAN.
Detroit—the greatest dynamo of human manufac-
turing industry in the world—annually chugs over a
static culvert about the last week of November or
first week in December, and while the zoom of the
shock resounds throughout all modern and progres-
sive lands, it only makes the drivers laugh because
they know why they did it.
For this is the week of closing down for inven-
tory, for checking up, for laying off several thousands
of mechanics and laborers pro tern. It is the week
when changes in styles of motor cars are decided
upon, or against, as the case may be, when quantity
of output and purchasing plans are determined, and
when the men who are laid off, if they have any
money for travel, may run out of the city for a few
days to visit their friends.
Swayed by Auto Activity.
The shock to those who are dealing in cheaper
pianos, second-hands, etc., is as if it occurred in
their stores, right under the managers' desks. The
Ford Motor Company's gigantic plants were closed
only one week for inventory, but some of the work-
men are saying that Henry Ford's plan of six days'
pay for five days' work is really five days' pay for
five days' work per week. The majority, however,
are much better pleased with the five-day plan.
Music Trade Boom Ahead.
There are other big concerns that are said by the
Detroit piano men to be running at about fifty per
cent steam; one manager who has several canvassers
out mentioned the Fisher Body Works, Hudson mo-
tors and Dodge Brothers as among those running
with reduced early winter forces. But this piano
retail manager generously added:
"Business with our field workers is bound to pick
up at the middle of January when all these giants of
industry resume operations in full. There are two
elements that work in the mind of the factory em-
ploye who has been laid off, even for only one week.
These are economy and fear. He is bound to cut
down on expenses from a sense of economy; he is
fearful of the hard winter ahead, of doctors' bills, of
the cost of coal and food, and so he just hedges
when he sees the piano man at his door."
Grands Go Like Hot Cakes.
The piano trade in Detroit during November and
December was mostly in grands and reproducing
grands. This was claimed by all the dealers in high-
grade goods and practically admitted by dealers
whose runs in normal conditions are made in the
cheaper makes and in used instruments.
Jay Grinnell, sales manager at Grinnell Bros.,
Michigan's largest retail music house, said to a
Presto-Times representative last week:
"Collections are very good, and the quality of con-
tracts are above the average. Grinnell Bros., as you
know, handle the Steinway, the Grinnell Bros., our
own make; the Sohmer, •the Vose, the Duo-Art and
the Premier Grand. Trade in ordinary playerpianos
has fallen off, but grand and reproducing grand
pianos are selling very well. I am speaking now of
general conditions throughout Detroit and the other
Michigan cities where our stores are located, and
other dealers here tell me that their trade has been
like ours—mostly in high-priced instruments."
"What is the trade outlook for 1927, Mr. Grinnell?"
"Very bright. In the Victor line the same as we
have been having lately. In pianos, trade will grow
livelier as soon as the great factories resume their
livelier activities."
Clayton A. Grinnell, head of the house, was in
California at the time Presto-Times' Detroit corre-
spondent got this interview.
Starck Held Holiday Sale.
At the P. A. Starck Piano Company's new store,
1546 Woodward avenue, I had a chat with H. Hous-
ton, who has been with the company for four years.
Found a Christmas sale of new pianos in full blast.
The company moved recently from Grand Circus
Park, corner of Woodward avenue, and on the spot
vacated is now being erected the 34-story Eaton
Tower Building. But the move was only some four
or six doors south on the same side of the street, so
it is easy for those familiar with Starck's old stand to
find the new one.
Mr. Houston looks for a boom in piano trade about
the middle of January and first of February, when,
according to annual custom, automobile factories go
at it hammer and tongs with full steam up, full
quotas of men, day and night shifts, producing auto-
mobiles by the million for an auto-hungry world.
Bush & Lane's Big November.
At the Bush & Lane store, fifth floor of 1514 Wood-
ward avenue, A. A. Morris and others have been
handling a fine trade. "Our lines are complete," said
one of the men. "But we are not selling anything to
speak of except grands and reproducing grands, and
in those lines trade is very good.
"November was the best month of the year with
us," he added, "both in volume and number of sales,
and the indications are that December will roll up a
still higher total."
Moneyed People Do Buying.
Calls made at other stores indicated that two-thirds
of the trade in Detroit is in grands and reproducing
grands—in other words, selling to the people who
have money. One dealer said:
"I don't see how the fellows who are selling cheap
stuff are going to figure out a balance in their favor
at the end of the year, for the few cheap instruments
we have in our store are not moving at all." This
remark was made in Christmas week.
Mason & Hamlin and Ampico.
The Mason & Hamlin is the official piano of the
Detroit Symphony Society. The Detroit representa-
tive of this piano is the Cable Piano Company, 1264
Library avenue, at Grand River avenue.
The Knabe Ampico is sold in Detroit by Janney-
Bowman, Inc., Janney-Bowman Building, corner of
Park place at Elizabeth street. Josef Lhevinne, who
has recorded a great many of his performances for
the Ampico, says he likes the term, "re-enacting" be-
cause it describes precisely what the Ampico does
with the playing of the artists who have recorded for
it; that he can detect in the playing of the Ampico
those minute details which individualize and make
personal the great pianists' interpretations, and the
same is true of his own recordings for the Ampico.
Detroit Kimball House.
The Kimball Piano Company, 1436 Broadway, is
local to Detroit and George W. Bourke is its presi-
dent. Mr. Bourke partakes of many civic activities,
and is a man of the widest intelligence and outlook.
Mr. Bourke is also president of the newly started
Piano Club of Detroit which meets for luncheon and
conference every Monday at 12:15 p. m. Walter A.
Elfstrom, the vice-president of the club, is with the
Cable Piano Co. Roy Langs, secretary, is with Weil
& Co.; A. H. Howes, treasurer.
"Our trade has been almost equal to that of last
year," said Mr. Bourke. "At the first of October we
were three per cent ahead of last year at that corre-
sponding period. Our collections right up to date
have been exceptionally good.
New Year Gives Big Promise.
"I believe that the new year will be a phenomenal
one. Of course we must allow a lot of conservatism
with that statement, too. A good sales personnel and
personal contact with customers counts more than
advertising locally. I have a larger force out than
ever. Among them are some high-powered men; you
know, men who want 1o make something of them-
selves, men who do more than a mere day's work for
a day's pay. I pity the poor, deluded merchants who
have depended on local advertising; they're getting
practically nothing.
"Now, 1927 is going to be a good year, because not
a manufacturer among the big fellows of Detroit has
anything much on hand manufactured ahead; they
are not carrying stuff on inventory; orders are in the
offices before the goods are made."
CHICAGO DEALER MOVES.
Jos. F. Budrik, Chicago, recently moved to his
new store at 3417-3421 South Halsted street, from
3343 South Halsted street, which will be retained as
a warehouse. The store has a frontage of sixty feet
and affords opportunity for a splendid display of the
stock. Mr. Budrik's success has been quite notable
in the sixteen years that he has been established on
the south side of Chicago. Gulbransen pianos,
phonographs, radios, sheet music, small goods and
furniture are on hand.
WHAT SCHERMERHORN CAN DO.
L. C. Schermerhorn, a tuner of Chattanooga, Tenn ,
admits there are liniinations to his usefulness in a
neat little blotter, on which he says: "I do not repair
watches, autos or bicycles. But I do repair and tune
all makes of pianos, players and grands."
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/
12
January 8, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
added the amount would be in the neighborhood of
75,000,000 crowns. It is estimated that 45,000,000
crowns of this amount was paid on a time basis.
The installment system has made great headway
in Sweden in recent years, and has been extended
to branches from which it was previously barred. It
is estimated that one-fifth of the 100,000,000 crowns N. M. Bradley Recently Celebrated Notable
(Continued from Page 10)
worth of cloth-ng sold in 1924 was paid for on the
Anniversary of His Start in Business
"have no frolicking 'round here." And he included installment basis; 40 per cent of the furniture sold
in the Green Mountain State.
that year which was valued at 45,000,000 crowns was
music among the very worst kind of "frolickin'."
The young wife was as determined as the ancient bought on credit.
bridegroom was stingy. She at last ceased to cajole
Sewing machines, musical instruments, including
The city of Rutland, Vermont, and, in fact, about
and weep, and beckoned me to a stable which stood pianos, vacuum cleaners, and even agricultural ma- all of Rutland County, joined with N. M. Bradley,
about fifty feet from the house. There she unfolded a chinery are now sold in Sweden on the easy payment proprietor of Bradley's Music House, in celebrating,
scheme. She asked if I'd bring a piano and plan* plan.
a few weeks ago, his fifty-first anniversary in the
it in the hut. She played the piano fairly well. She
music business. Mr. Bradley is widely known all
assured me that I would never take it away again.
over that part of the Green Mountain State. He has
I agreed, and within a week, sweet sounds issued
sold pianos and organs in every township and prob-
from the hut I was cautioned not to let the old man
bably in every school district in that county.
catch sight of me again. I left the piano and kept
Mr. Bradley is public-spirited and has been liberal
away till a note came asking me to call.
in donations for public and private institutions,
When I slipped into the hut the wife was there
though in that part of our country there is but little
with the piano's price, just as she had promised. I Importance of the Eye-Appeal Stressed in an Address need for charity.
Before Philadelphia Club.
asked how she had done it.
To do his own part in celebrating, accompanied
"Well, you see," she expla : ned, "my man is very
The importance of art in the advertising field was by Mrs. Bradley, the piano merchant journeyed
superstitious. When you called first and went away, stressed recently by Paul Lewis, manager of the southward and, on the return trip, tarried at New
I told him that I would get the spirits to haunt him copy department of N. W. Ayer & Son, in his address York, where they were entertained by numerous
with music as long as he refused to buy me a piano. at the open meeting of the Philadelphia Chapter of
friends.
He thinks I'm a 'medium.' Every nighf, after tea, the Art Directors' Club, at the Art Club, 220 South
On one of these occasions they spent a day at
I'd sneak to the cabin and play the piano. He'd lis- Broad street.
Riverhead, Long Island, the home of Eugene Radle,
ten and, being crippled, couldn't find where the sound
Mr. Lewis, speaking on the topic of "Competition of F. Radle, Inc., New York, whose pianos Mr.
came from. So he said he'd rather buy f he piano of Excellence," discussed the entrance of art into Bradley has sold for many years.
than be scared to death. And that's all!"
advertising work. He emphasized the importance
Mr. Bradley was born at Plymouth, Vermont, the
PHIL. M.
of art in placing before the people of the country the birthplace of President Coolidge, and here, fifty-one
product being advertised. He pointed out the need years ago, he started in the piano business. The
THE DEAF AND BLIND BUYERS.
now rising, and which will be more apparent in the first instruments he sold were those of Horace
My best, or easiest, sale was to a man and wife future, of procuring the finest thoughts in artistic Waters & Co., then located at 40 East Fourteenth
who were deaf and blind. The wife was sightless designs and creations in advertising. The productive Street, New York.
and the husband couldn't hear. But the blind wife capacity of the country he said is now rather larger
"By a strange coincidence," Mr. Bradley says, "the
than the demand and because of that condition he first piano I bought and sold from that house came
played the piano and the deaf man liked its look.-;.
urged the necessity of excellence and distinctiveness back to me forty-seven years later, together with a
"How is the tone?" asked the deaf man.
"Beautiful," replied the blind wife. "How does procurable only by talented art in advertising, in
girl grown to womanhood who is now my wife."
order to secure the sale of the products.
the case look?"
Mr. Bradley had not been in the music business
"Like a jewel case for Alladin's wife's diamonds,"
long when he took the agency for the Sohmer, which
answered the deaf husband; "even more beautiful
piano he still sells, and swears by, as he says. He
STARRS FOR M. E. CHURCH.
than King Tut's casket."
has sold many other makes, and for a long time has
"We'll take it," they both chimed in. And they
The Indianapolis branch of the Starr Piano Com- kept the Radie as one of his regular line, "an instru-
paid for it with a perfectly good check.
pany has furnished several Starr pianos for use in ment," he says, "that has given the best of satisfac-
GEORGE J.
the new Irvington Methodist Episcopal Church. This tion with customers and proven itself to be a splendid
structure is one of the finest of its kind in the state seller."
of Indiana, and is situated in the heart of the elite
[Editor's Note: A half-dozen more good stories of
Soon after Mr. Bradley got started in business at
suburb of the city of Indianapolis. After a careful the little village of Plymouth he decided to locate
the best sales have come in response to Presto-
survey and consideration the committee selected the at the "Hab of Vermont" and so established himself
Times' invitation. Lack of space prevents their pub-
Starr instruments.
lication th : s week, but they will all appear later.]
at Rutland, where he has established a state-wide
reputation for honesty and fair dealing.
SOME STORIES OF
BEST PIANO SALES
HAS SOLD PIANOS IN
RUTLAND FOR 51 YEARS
ART IN ADVERTISING THE
THINGS THAT SUGGEST ART
THE INSTALLMENT PLAN
IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Sweden Is Said to Do the Larger Part of Its Buying
on the Easy Time Payment Plan.
Sweden, native country of some of the most expert
piano makers, and a musical country generally, buys
a good share of the goods on the installment plan.
The Swedes are thrifty, economical people, and the
fact that they bel'eve in the installment plan is one
of the signs that it is a safe proposition in selling
the goods.
The past five years have shown a marked increase
in this type of merchandizing, according to a report
from the American consulate at Stockholm. The
report analyzes statistics regarding automobile and
other purchases. The full text is as follows:
Sixty per cent of the automobiles sold in Sweden
are paid for on the installment or deferred payment
plan. In 1924 the value of all the cars sold in Sweden
was about 50 000,000 crowns, and if motor cycles are
STRICH & ZEIDLER, Inc.
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooma
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Qrandu, Upright! and Player*
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
PATENT OFFICE LACKS SPACE.
Thomas E. Robertson, Commissioner of Patents, is
urging that a new building be erected in Washington
to house the office which now occupies a structure
dating back to Jefferson's days. Now upwards of
45,000 patents and 25,000 trade-marks are handled
annually. Records of 1,£00,000 patents are stored on
wooden shelves with absolutely no protection from
fire.
H H. Pr.'ncehou >e, vice-president of the McCor-
nr'ck Music Co. of Portland, Ore., has opened up a
music depart-nent in the Bee Hive department store
in Astoria, Ore., at the mouth of the Columbia river.
DECKER
U
EST. 1856
Over 70.000 instruments made by thii company are sing-
Ing their own praises in all parti of the civilised world.
Write for 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., lac
Factory: TORK, PV
Established 1870
SON
Grand. Upright
and
Uprights nra Player Piano*
A high grade piano of great
value and with charming tone quality.
Livingston Pianos— Uprights an* Player Pianos
A popular piano at a popular price.
5L
Welte-Mignon
(Licensee i
Reproducing
(Electric)
Pianos and Players
of Recognized
Artistic Character
Made by a Decker Since 1856
699-703 East 135th Street
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OFA CENTURY
POOLE
BOSTON-
New York
G R A N D A N D UPRIGHT PIANOS
AND
PLAYER PIANOS
''lnc.19171"""""^
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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