Presto

10
September 10, 1927
PRESTO-TIMES
MUSIC DEALERS NOW IN
GOOD BUYING CONDITION
Stocks in Better Shape and Merchants' Financial
Health Good, Says B. R. Hunt.
B. R. Hunt, head of the B. R. Hunt Manufacturing
Company, Union City, Ind., important manufacturers
of musical instrument cases, has traveled extensively
during the past few weeks and is a keen observer of
trade conditions while at the same time sizing up his
own immediate business among dealers and others in
the trade and profession. Mr. Hunt is reported as
saying:
"Every dealer seems to have had but one idea in
mind the past few months, and that was to cut his
inventory. This was a mighty good thing in itself
and put the dealers' financial health in better condi-
tion, but now that most of the old stock has been
cleaned out the shelves are absolutely bare and a few
days of brisk consumer demand will start every one
of these dealers to buying.
"The downward sweep of the business cycle has
reached its lowest level and the curve has now
started upward. Every business depression the past
few years has been short and there is no reason to
believe that this past period will out last those pre-
ceeding it since the avalanche of 1920-21."
W. C. HEATON'S BUSY
TIME ON WESTERN TRIP
Beginning with Chicago Convention His Itinerary
Included San Francisco and Seattle.
When W. C. Heaton, president of the Auto Pneu-
matic Action Company, New York, which manufac-
tures Welte-Mignon Licensee reproducing actions
and auto de luxe expression actions, packed his grip
and started for Chicago to attend the convention here,
he didn't realize what he was in for. When Mr.
Heaton arrived at his hotel room in Chicago, he was
greeted by a large stack of mail which had gotten
here before he did. Numerous dealers and manufac-
turers in the middle-west wished appointments. He
managed to attend to all his convention duties, engi-
neer a comparison recital at Kimball Hall in which
the Welte-Mignon Licensee figured prominently,
make speeches to the assembled tuners of various
large Chicago music concerns, hold meetings for the
salesman of others and keep all the appointments
which were requested of him.
Having heard Mr. Heaton's talks and realizing
what a splendid effect they had upon salesmen, a
number of music merchants from Indianapolis re-
quested that he go to that city and hold salesmen's
meetings there. Though he had not planned to be
away from New York for more than the period of
the convention, this "missionary man par excellence"
wired back to headquarters for further sales material
and went to work. After several busy days which
prevented his return to New York before leaving for
the San Francisco convention, he boarded a train
for the coast.
Though the Auto Pneumatic Action Company had
no exhibit of its own at the western convention,
Pacific Coast representatives had arranged a program
for Mr. Heaton. Another hectic week of meetings,
business dinners and luncheons, speeches, etc., fol-
lowed. As Mr. Heaton had been planning for some
time to visit Seattle and other cities in the North-
west, he decided to do that next and, fatigued as he
was, he gathered together a number of Northwestern
piano dealers who were returning from the conven-
tion and held a sales meeting aboard ship on the
way.
On the w r ay back to New York, Mr. and Mrs.
Heaton went to Neahtawanta, the summer home and
studio of Dorothy Miller Duckwitz, well-known con-
cert pianist. The purpose of this visit was to arrange
for a series of comparison concerts to be given at the
Ohio Music Merchants convention in Cleveland,
Ohio, Sept. 12 to 16, by Miss Duckwitz, who is a
Welte-Mignon Licensee recording artist. At the in-
sistence of their hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Heaton re-
mained in this delightful spot for a few days of rest.
The trip from Michigan to New York was punctu-
ated by a brief stop in Chicago where Mr. Heaton
arranged with Herbert Witherspoon, the famous bari-
tone, to have the latter's grand piano shipped to the
Auto Pneumatic Action Company, so that a Welte-
Mignon Licensee Reproducing Action might be
installed in it.
In summing up conditions encountered on his trip,
Mr. Heaton made the following remarks in a letter
to the trade: "Business has been quiet and stocks
are low, and yet I found all of them optimistic as to
the volume of piano sales that will be made this Fall.
Dealers will need pianos, playerpianos and reproduc-
ing pianos, and the manufacturer will be at his wits
end to supply this demand; so, it behooves every
dealer to give this his very careful consideration and
place his order with the manufacturer now, or it will
be impossible for the manufacturer to fill all orders."
A BALTIMORE CENSUS.
A census of distribution for Baltimore, Md., for
the year 1926, just completed by the Department of
Commerce, says there were forty-nine musical in-
strument and sheet music dealers, having a total of
346 employees. Salaries of employees for the year
totaled $396,700 (not including compensation or pay
allowances to owners and firm members); the aver-
age stocks for the year were $554,400, and the total
sales for the year amounted to $2,146,000. The per
capita sales of musical instruments and sheet music
in the year were $2.67 for the entire population of
the city.
KREITER
The Leading and Most Popular
Pianos and Players
Grands, Players, Uprights and
Reproducing Pianos
The Results of Over Forty Years'
of Experience.
Kreiter Pianos Cover the Entire Line
and no Piano Dealer who tries these in-
struments would supplant them by any
others. A trial will convince.
Kreiter Mfg, Co., Inc.
310-312 W, Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wis.
E. Leins Piano Co.
Makers of Pianos and
Player Pianos That Are
Established L e a d e r s
Correspondence from Reliable
Dealers Invited
Factory and Offices, 304 W. 42nd St
NEW YORK
IMPROVES CANTON STORE.
The D. W. Lerch Piano Co., Canton, O., is making
extensive alterations in its store to be completed
this week. Plans call for an entire modern new
front, providing two spacious windows instead of a
single window as formerly.
NEW AKRON STORE.
Piano, radio and talking machine departments will
be included in the new department store of the M.
O'Neil Co., Akron, O., in a building which is now
being built. The new store will be opened some
time in the spring, the store to be conducted in keep-
ing with the policy of the May Co. at Cleveland, of
which the Akron store is an auxiliary unit.
HAMILTON FOR BIQ HOSPITAL
The Heppe, Marcellus and Edouard Jules Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos in the world with
Three Sounding' Boards.
Patented in the United States, Great Britain,
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Qrand*, Uprights and Player*
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
Upright! srd Player Pianos
A high grade piano of great
value and with charming tone quality.
Livingston Pianos— Uprlrhts and Player Pianos
A popular piauo at a popular price.
Over 70.000 instruments made by thii company are *iag-
Ing their own praises in all parts of the civilised wor!-1.
Write loi catalogues and state on what terms you would
like to deal, and we will make you a proposition if yon are
located in open territory.
WEAVER PIANO CO., Inc.
Factory: YORK, PA.
established 1870
CHRIST MAN
UPRIGHTS, GRANDS, PLAYERS
AND REPRODUCING PIANOS
THE FAMOUS "STUDIO GRAND"
"The First Touch Tells"
The accompanying cut shows St. Joseph's Hos-
pital, Lewiston, Mont., which recently purchased a
Hamilton piano. The Sister who recommended the
purchase was formerly a teacher in the schools of
France, where she learned to know the high quality
of Baldwin-made pianos.
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.)
CHRISTMAN PIANO CO.. Inc.
597 East 137th Street,
NEW YORK
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