Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
"slowed up" as to suggest the approach of the
days of rest. And among them all many are
so widely loved, and so deeply respected, as
The American Music Trade Weekly
to possess, even in their shadowy present-
ments, a value beyond computation.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
And in the "morgue" are scores of photo-
C. A. DAN I ELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
• Editors graphs showing the great trade gatherings
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234. which long ago passed into history. Beginning
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com*
far back of the memorable first meeting of the
merclal Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
piano
manufacturers, at Manhattan Beach, in
Entered as second -class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago. Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
1897, the group pictures include nearly all of
•ufeeerlptlon, $2 a year; 6 months, H; Foreign. 14.
the later meetings, including the one at Cabin
PayabjA in advance. No extra charge In United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
John
Bridge in 1896. There is. too, the great
application.
semi-circular group taken at the World's Fair
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for in Chicago in 1893.
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
One of the groups which seems particularly
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
memorable
and suggestive is that taken dur-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
ing the third convention of the Manufactur-
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the ers' Association in May, 1900. In the group
editorial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of pro- were fifty-one prominent piano men nearly
duction will be charged if of commercial character, one-half of whom have since passed away.
or other than strictly news interest.
That notable group picture was taken at the
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is
requested that their subjects and senders be carefully Art Institute in Chicago, and it is very sug-
gestive of the brevity, even the uncertainty,
indicated.
of life. One group picture referred to may
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
be
found on another page in this issue of
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before Presto-Times. And should any of the others
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon be called for they also will be published.
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
epartnients to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
dearborn Street, Chicago. III.
IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBILITIES
Within the past two years there seem to
S
have been many impractical propositions set
forth for boosting the piano trade. It is not
SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1927.
the purpose now to recall them all, and much
less to comment upon them. Most observing
The Miniature Edition of Presto-Times, the
members of the trade can catalogue them as
American Music Trade Weekly, will be dis- well as we can, and know that few of them
tributed freely, at the Convention of the Music have resulted in any substantial gain to the
Trade and Industry at the Stevens Hotel, Chi- music merchants.
cago, June 6-9. It is a sort of souvenir, or
But there are still a few of the impossible
reminder, of the 30th anniversary of the organ- possibilities which in some way have escaped
ization of the Piano Association of America. attention. Some of them have to do with the
Copies of the Miniature Edition will also be methods for getting rid of the worn-out
mailed to all in the trade who may apply for pianos, others pertain to fecund advertising
them. Copies of the Advance Convention Edi- schemes, and still more to means by which
tion of Presto-Times will also be sent to dealers greater crowds might be drawn to the annual
who desire them. The issues of Presto-Times conventions. No reference need be made to
will be found at the Hotel Stevens or upon plans for still further supplying needed funds
application to the office of Presto Publishing for the maintenance of the fast-increasing
Co., 417 South Dearborn street.
branches of the state and national associations.
That the organizations for supporting the
THE SHADOWY PAST
endless purposes of music are useful in mak-
Presto-Times has, in its "morgue"-—as the ing the world better no one can doubt. But that
big cabinet of photographs, old and new, is the more pressing needs of the music trade
termed—a vast number of pictures pertaining may be quickly supplied, why not have a gen-
to men and events associated with the music eral fund created for buying up all trade-ins,
trade in all of its phases. The pictures cover the fund to be the result of the exchange of
portraits of the men who have helped to build coupons, or certificates to the dealers who ac-
the business, in factory and store, as well as cept them in payment for these instruments ?
hundreds of groups taken at banquets and The certificates might be made acceptable by
other similar celebrations. There are pictures the makers of the trade-in as part payment
almost innumerable, of factories, some now for new instruments of identical manufacture.
extinct and many still active in the industry. Then the certificates could be bought by any
And there are scores of scenes pertaining to dealers who handle the same make of piano
events in the retail trade, including views in as the old one, at a liberal discount. The cash
foreign countries and of the interior glories result of the certificate sale to go into the
of world fair piano exhibits.
treasury of a national association formed for
The pictures alluded to run back in piano the purpose.
history for something like forty- years—in a
Do you follow? Perhaps not—and no won-
few instances more than that. And practically der.
all of them mark the steady onward march of
As to the plan of increasing convention at-
the instruments of music and the men who tendance, why not have a fund, or tax, con-
have made them.
tributed to by all exhibitors at a convention,
Necessarily the collection of portraits con- the sum fixed in proportion to the number of
tains vivid reminders of many men who were pianos displayed? The fund may be devoted
for a time familiar in the time of their mun- entirely to paying the railway fare of small
dane activities. There are also very many dealers, who otherwise could not attend the
youthful faces of men now far along in life, meetings. Thus the manufacturers could
and if not actually retired from labor, so far choose the dealers they wanted to see their ex-
June 4, 1927.
hibits, and the cost would presumably be easily
overcome by the excess of orders so resulting.
Only two of the impractical possibilities of
trade expansion have been touched upon. There
is no space for any more just now. But they
are almost endless and most of them fully as
fertile of real good to the actual work of sell-
ing pianos as many that are already being
placed before the trade and industry by earn-
est enthusiasts whose understanding of what
is needed is no more reasonable than the bon-
fire plan at Atlantic City or the later one of
sinking the old timers in Lake Michigan dur-
ing the annual conventions.
The annual convention suggests, in a measure, the
organized discipline of self-defense, is the official call
so clearly intimates. And therefore, also, it is a mat-
ter of more than the recreation, the events in the
Hotel Stevens promise. It is really a duty of every
music merchant to attend the gathering in Chicago,
and to thus show interest in his own welfare no less
than that of the industry collectively.
* * *
Salesmen will find indisputable arguments in the
article by Mr. W. H. Doyle in a recent issue of
Presto-Times. "Imagine," says Mr. Doyle, "some-
thing happening that would leave the world without
a single piano." As well the world without a ray of
sunshine. It is a strong suggestion of disaster with-
out precedent.
* * *
Selling anything, except the essentials of life which
sell themselves, calls for special ability. Selling
pianos demands something much like genius. It is
the genius of a sort involving personality, ingenuity,
eloquence, persistency, plausibility, specious informa-
tion and the almost nameless ability to interpret char-
acter at a glance.
* * *
A news item says that the sale of tea in this country
has increased $1,000,000 the first quarter of this year,
and all due to the quarter million dollar newspaper ad-
vertising appropriation. At that rate the $200,000 budget
for piano publicity should add about a million dollars'
worth of piano sales this year. Will it?
*
•
*
It is certain that the introduction of the period
design has served to stimulate the industry and trade.
It has served to enliven the warerooms and the home
desire to still further beauty, and it has brought an
added zest to the piano business, the effects of which
are widespread.
The new Stevens in Chicago is a pretty big tavern.
But even its three thousand rooms, all with baths at-
tached, will be taxed to the full if all the piano indus-
tries, and other musical instruments, that seem interested
clamor for space for displays.
* * *
If every piano man would get so busy selling
pianos that he couldn't find time in which to knock,
the business would soon be better than before in
many years.
* * *
Few piano dealers any longer say that they "don't
read the trade papers." Most of that kind are now
out of business or gradually getting out of it.
* * *
The piano manufacturers who persist in keeping
their names, and the names of their instruments, con-
spicuously before the trade are the wise ones who
will be first to feel the return of real prosperity.
AT THE BANQUET.
When the chairman called attention
To a motion to be heard.
Someone rose in the convention
And demanded just a word.
"First," he said, "before proceeding
With less vital things, I fear,
Tell us, ere we start the reading,
Is old Danny Luxton here."
"True," upspoke another brother,
"Nothing should be done until
Rolls are called, and many other
Of the boys their places fill.
I still miss some famous faces
That we all would like to see.
Where, I ask. in these vast spaces
Is old Henderson, J. C.?"
"And, I ask, while I am asking,
Where's Ben Janssen and his lyre?
Must we miss the joy of basking
In his lyric darts of fire?
But if some bright lights are lacking
There is compensation here,
And if not a cork is cracking
All our heads are cool and clear!
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