Presto

April 7, 1928
PRESTO-TIMES
NEWS OF TRADE
GULBRANSEN DEALERS
1NNEWYORKC1TY
, N R E Q I 0 N A L MEETING
Interesting Items from Other Important Points
in the Eastern States Also Included in the
Following Budget—Problems of the
Retail Music Trade Discussed.
TRADE=IN EVIL
A Perpetual Condition in Piano Business Is Blamed
on Dealers Who Disseminate the Silly Idea of
the Piano's Ability to Continue in
Use Forever.
By HEXRY MAC MULLAN.
"The best grades of grands and reproducers are
selling the best of all," said L. Schoenewald, retail
manager of the Chickering New York store, 27 West
57th street—Chickering & Sons, Inc.,—on Wednesday
of this week to Presto-Times' New York corre-
spondent. "We are moving along nicely, and I am
feeling very hopeful," he continued.
"And what would you say, Mr. Schoenewald, is
GROUP OF GULBRANSEN DEALERS AT THE N E W YORK MEETING.
needed most just now to bring about better condi-
tions of piano trade?" he was asked.
At this meeting, probably more than at any of its
The Gulbransen organization held the third of a
A Subject for Public Teaching.
predecessors, the piano merchants gave practical evi-
series
of
dealer-meetings,
at
the
Hotel
Pennsylvania,
"Two things are necessary—not one, but two"—was
dence that concentration on piano selling pays and
his reply. "These two things are not mere hobbies; New York, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 28
that the same amount of effort expended in the piano
they are necessities. The first is to put pianos in and 29. The setting was of a beautiful "salon" of
end of the business earns the dealer a larger net profit
Gulbransen
pianos,
arranged
on
the
top
floor
of
the
the public schools everywhere. Teaching the chil-
than does any other department of the music busi-
dren piano music in schools takes the responsibility giant hotel.
ness. Evidence was also presented that capable piano
The Gulbransen merchants came from New Eng-
off the parents; it gives the children time to play,
salesmen are better paid for the same amount of work
which they do not get when piano lessons are to be land, New York state, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
than are the salesmen in many other lines of business,
taken at home; the teaching will be modern, by the Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, more than a
Considerable constructive discussion was had as to
hundred strong.
group instruction plan, you know."
the trade-in problems with which the retail trade finds
Everything Else Taught, Save Piano Lessons.
In most cases they were leaders in the piano trade
itself faced, and many plans were considered for
Mr. Schoenewald said everything else was taught
in their community, part of the vast army of Gul-
changing the public attitude toward old pianos, so
now in the public schools except the piano. Why, bransen dealers who have pledged themselves to work
that instruments traded in will not be held by their
they even have washing machines at work in schools in the interests of the piano business as a whole, to owners at exhorbitant prices.
in their technical departments. Sewing, carpentry, do all in their power to bring up the piano demand
Mr. Gorman's Plea.
cooking—every kind of a trade, but not the piano; and output in this country.
nothing for musical instruments.
Mr. Gorman made a strong plea for the general
For More Salesmen.
adoption by the dealers of the one-price system cover-
The Trade-in Evil.
The points stressed at the meetings were increas- ing all of their piano lines. The Gulbransen line for
The other thing Mr. Schoenwald discussed was the ing the man-power of the piano business through in- many years has been nationally-priced, with the genu-
trade-in piano. It was all wrong to teach the public dividual effort on the part of the merchants; proper
ine selling price stamped on each instrument at the
that the piano is an instrument that will last a life- supervision of the efforts of the men who do store-
factor}^, thus building up confidence and acceptance
time. The piano lasts about ten or fifteen years, if
selling and selling out in the field; concentration on on the part of the public. It is A. G. Gulbransen's
kept properly in tune and well cared for; no piano is piano selling by piano men, and adequate remunera- belief that the standing of the piano business in the
good for a lifetime.
tion to attract and hold good men.
public mind will be helped by general practice of the
What would one think of a man who would keep
one-price plan more than by any other single move.
The
men
discussed
closer
cooperation
with
their
an auto of the model of his father's days and declare
Mr. Kiehn's Address.
that it was just as good as when he bought it twenty competitive piano merchants, who are not their real
Modern advertising practices in the piano business
or twenty-five years ago? Or a piece of furniture or competitors in the bid for a proper share of the
anything else that wears out, Mr. Schoenwald asked. householder's budget. Competition is from without, were gone into fully by Walter Kiehn, advertising
The public must be taught on this most important not within, and piano dealers are beginning to realize manager of the Gulbransen Company. He gave par-
ticularly carefully analyzed facts on the place of win-
matter—the piano gets old, wears out. They must that the piano business will have to present a united
dow display in the field of retail piano selling, and
not keep their pianos until the last string breaks; front if the modern selling tactics of other lines of
covered also all of the other factors of retail advertis-
until the sounding board goes dead; until the action business are to be equalled or surpassed.
The meetings for the two days were in charge of
ing, namely, newspaper advertising, mailing, outdoor
fails to respond as it should.
advertising and use of literature by salesmen. These
Mr. Schoenwald has a large staff of workers, as John S. Gorman, vice-president and sales manager of
subjects were all covered from the standpoint of
becomes the head of so great a retail establishment in the Gulbransen Company, who presented to the deal-
the metropolis, but he says he instructs all of his ers facts unearthed in an extensive survey of piano modern practice and the possibilities of putting the
men to tell the truth about pianos. He said he selling conditions just completed by the Gulbransen retail piano business as a whole on a higher advertis-
would dismiss any man who would assure a customer organization. Plans for remedying the situation as it ing plane.
has been found to exist were fully gone into, with a
that a piano lasts a lifetime.
On each of the two days the assembled dealers
view to quick improvement in place of the attitude of
were ihe guests of the company at luncheon, served
Optimistic Views of C. Alfred Wagner.
C. Alfred Wagner, who recently resigned from the "waiting" for the natural upturn in conditions. This in the Butterfly Room of the Hotel Pennsylvania.
presidency of the American Piano Company, has re- is a state of mind met with in many quarters and in
The New Models.
tained his offices in suite 9A, Chickering Hall Build- many lines of industry and that, if permitted to con-
Of
chief
interest
among the Gulbransen instruments
ing, 27 W T est 57th street, New York, where he was tinue, inevitably results in still further slowing up of exhibited were the new Spanish model Grand and
conditions.
seen by Presto-Times New York correspondent on
the four foot six inch Art Grand—both distinctively
The Sales Angle.
Thursday. "I am going to give up this office in a
handsome and elegant in design. Other new prod-
few days," he said, "but I've been enjoying the rest
From the sales angle, the result of the New York ucts in keeping with the new style trend, in which the
for the time being. I stuck close to work for twelve regional meeting is that another large group of Gul- Gulbransen merchants took a keen interest, were the
years, except for a six months' vacation once in Paris, bransen dealers is committed to the program of add- Triano, the Three-Way Piano, the Art Model Minuets
so I've enjoyed this brief loafing spell. But an active ing largely to the man-power of the retail piano busi- with fancy scroll back, the four foot six inch Repro-
man can not loaf long and enjoy it, so I suppose I'll ness and bringing the day nearer when there will be ducing Grand and the period models. Many new and
be at work again before long. It is commonly be- 100,000 men approaching the public with the story up-to-the-minute advertising devices were also shown
lieved that the piano business gets into the blood
for the first time.
of the piano.
and one cannot quit it." Asked about the piano
outlook generally, he said that the men who would
stick to the piano trade from now on would make explains. He is manufacturer of piano protection
channels of greater activity; so I have all kinds of
more money than ever had been made before. The covers, scarfs, draperies, piano bench cushions, etc.,
faith for its greater future."
trade, he thought probably would not be so great in and distributor for the A. Merriam Company. South
Aeolian Annual Spring Sale.
volume, but it would be a better kind of trade; the Acton, Mass., manufacturers of piano stools, chairs
demand would be for the high-grade reproducing in- and benches. "Just now the call I get most is for
Announcement was made in the New York Sunday
struments, the fine grands, etc. He declared he saw piano covers," said Mr. Bauer. "I have faith in the papers this week of the x\eolian Annual Spring Sale,
nothing discouraging in the piano outlook; far from piano business, a business with which I am very beginning Monday, April 2, at all the five Aeolian
it; the trade had simply taken a new start in an closely associated. I believe that just as soon as the stores in New York and suburbs. "For weeks," the
entirely new way. And it was bound to be a money- nominees for president are known—say about the advertisement says, "our full force of repairmen has
maker for the men who would stick.
first of August—that there will be a remarkable spurt been preparing for this great event. They have care-
Piano Covers Going Well.
in all kinds of musical instruments and musical fully gone over the large stock of instruments that
Frederick J. Bauer, piano accessories, 65-67-69 merchandsie. The world is changing in many of its has come to us in the course of our big winter's busi-
Fourth avenue, has been at that number for twenty- ways, but there is something stable about the piano ness in exchange for Duo-Art pianos and Weber and
(Continued on page 11)
four years. "Right here, and without a vacation," he business which is drawing it back into its former
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