13
P R E S T O-TI M E S
October 29, 1927
swered favorable, \3 l /3 per cent slight interest only,
16% per cent did not answer question at all, 16%
per cent answered unfavorable, 20 per cent answered
"not yet determined."
No. 7. Have you had samples of period model
grand pianos on your floor and found from experi-
Analysis of Replies to Queries on Trade Mat- ence that they were the means of increasing sales?
Thirty per cent answered yes, 4 3 ^ answered no, 10
ters Announced This Week—Show Favor-
per cent did not answer question, 16% answered
able Views of Business.
they had tried samples of period model grands, but
The Strauhc Piano Co., Hammond. Ind., sent out the public showed no particular interest in them.
a questionnaire to the trade on September 16, seek-
No. 8. Have you had samples of period model
ing the opinions of dealers on certain important upright pianos on your floor and found from experi-
matters. The analysis of the answers made by the ence that they were the means of increasing sales?
company are very cheerful and shows the optimistic Thirty per cent answered yes, 50 per cent answered
attitude of the men who send replies. Here are some no, 6% per cent did not answer question. 13/? per
of the questions and the analysis:
cent answered they had tried period model uprights
\ o . 1. Judging from present indications in your but they did not assist in increasing sales.
territory, what is your opinion of prospects for piano
No. 12. Are you in favor of national advertising
business during the balance of the 1927 fall and win- by the manufacturer? Ninety-six and two-thirds per
ter season? Ten per cent answered excellent, 46%
cent answered yes, and many of them emphasized
answered good, 40 per cent answered fair, ?> l /\ an- their reply by expressions such as "absolutely," "it
swered poor.
certainly helps," "very much so," "a good help for
No. 2. Is the outlook at this time better or worse
the dealer," "not enough being done," or similar
than it was at a corresponding period last year? comments; 3j/j per cent failed to answer the question.
Fifty-six and two-thirds answered better than last
No. 13. Are you in favor of national pricing by
yer, 13*3 per cent answered muct better than last
the manufacturer? Eighty-eight and four tenths per
year. 20 per Gent answered about the same as last
cent answered yes, and several qualified their answer
yer, 10 per cent answered not as good as last year.
with enthusiastic comments; 11.6 per cent failed to
No. 3. In your vicinity is interest in piano music
answer the question or their answers involved the
increasing or decreasing? Seventy-three and one- method of application. One merchant only answered
third answered increasing. \tj/>, per cent answered
"no."
about the same, 6^3 did not answer the question, 3 l /s
per cent answered less interest, 43 l /i answered that
CONN RADIO CONCERT.
piano music was being taught in public schools, 50
per cent that it was not, 3j/j per cent stated not now
"Collections
are good," said E. A. Hartman, man-
hut would start soon, and 3 x /i per cent did not ager of the Conn Chicago Company, 62 East Van
answer.
Buren street, Chicago, on Tuesday of this week to a
Presto-Times representative. The C. G, Conn Co.
No. 4. What types of pianos tnjoy the largest sales
in your community and percentage to what extent? was represented in a fine radio program on KYW,
Player pianos, 30.7; uprights, 46.2; grands, 21.1; re- Chicago, Sunday afternoon of this week and these
programs are to continue every Sunday afternoon be-
producing pianos, 2.0.
No. 5. What is the public attitude toward period tween 3:30 and 4 p. m. for the next six months. This
models in grands? Twenty per cent answered favor- week's stars in the performance were Richard H.
("Duke") Rehl in a saxophone solo and "Jerry"
ble, \d 2 /i per cent slightly interested, 4 6 ^ answered
not favorable, \3 l /i per cent did not answer question, Cimera in a trombone solo. All the newspaper no-
tices following the concert said that such line saxo-
y/i answered "don't know."
No. 6. What is the public attitude toward period phone and trombone work had not been heard in this
models in uprights? Thirty-three and one-thord an- part of the world in many a day.
ANSWERS TO STRAUBE
PIANO CO.'S QUESTIONS
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
Manufacturers of
A. 0. QULBRANSEN'S
LETTER TO MR, BABSON
Piano Man's Communication to Head of Sta-
tistical Organization Was a Frank Criti-
cism of Piano Trade and Industry.
It seems that the recently published remarks of
Roger Babson, referring to the piano business, were
worded in such a way that readers gained the impres-
sion that he classed the "piano" among musical in-
struments as he would a '"stage coach" in the field of
transportation. This was apparently not Mr. Bab-
son's intention. His reference to the piano being
behind the times was with its methods of distribution
in mind, he said in a letter to A. G. Gulbransen from
the Babson Statistical Organization in reply to a
letter to Mr. Babson.
Here is the letter written by Mr. (iulbransen which
elicited this response:
Mr. Gulbransen's Letter.
"Dear Mr. Babson: My attention has been called
to a statement of yours in which the piano in the
music field is likened to the 'stagecoach' in the field
of transportation. I feel sure, Mr. Babson, that you
are disposed to take a fair view of the piano business.
While the statement that has been published may or
may not do some harm to the piano in the minds of
the newspaper reading public, if it will wake up some
of the 'stagecoach' piano manufacturers and dealers,
it will have served some good purpose at least.
"There are pianos that are behind the times, it is
true. There are products in every field that are be-
hind the times. But the piano, taken as a whole, is
not a 'stagecoach' proposition.
No article that
£65,000 persons are studying to master at this particu-
lar time can be classed with stage-coaches. The
piano is a live item, in many cases the livest item, in
homes throughout the land. It is a force for good,
a social, cultural, educational factor, particularly with
young folks. It is the permanent, basic instrument
of musical self-expression.
Antiquated Selling Methods.
"If there is any part of the piano business that is
antiquated and unprogressive, it is the selling end.
(Continued on Page 16.)
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