April 21, 1928
13
PRESTO-TIMES
HARDMAN, PECK & CO.'S
MODERNISTIC DESIGNS
from one of the most active and successful piano
merchants in the southwest. I say he is active be-
cause his organization sells a great many instru-
ments, more than 1,500 yearly, and always has. He
is sucessful because he has amassed a great fortune
in the piano business. His expression is this: "If
Progressive Firm of New York Piano Manu-
Elmon Armstrong Dwells Upon Vital Topic piano merchants think they can have a strong selling
facturers Presents Group of Models in
organization without advancing a great deal of money
Grand and Upright Designs.
at Salesmen's Gathering and Adds His
to finance the work of salesmen, they are mistaken."
Hardman, Peck & Co., New York, brought out a
Own Views on Salesmen's
We attribute our success to the fact that we have
been very generous along these lines. Salesmen group of pianos done in the modern manner, known
Remuneration.
must be supported by weekly salary, financed and as the "Modernique," which depart radically from
the conservatism of the ordinary piano. Upright and
It is interesting to note in your issue of April 7 a helped."
grand pianos alike hav been included in the group.
report of Gulbransen dealers in open meeting, writes
Over my extensive observation of many years, The designs are the work of Lee Simonson, Helen
Elmon Armstrong. This gathering of wide awake
coming in contact with a great army of piano mer- Dryden and Edward Steichen, who are in the fore-
piano merchants stressed a vital point for the indus- chants in my travels, I have to find the first suc-
try in general. I quote from the report as follows: cessful piano merchant who has been "chinchy" with front of the new decorative art movement.
For the past eighty-six years Hardman, Peck & Co.
"The points stressed at the meeting were increas- his salesmen, and such a "tight-wad" that he wouldn't
ing the man-power of the piano business through indi- spend enough money on his sales organization to have been leaders in the piano industry. It has
sensed the taste of each succeeding decade and has
vidual effort on the part of merchants; proper super- make money for himself.
produced for it pianos not only musically and tech-
vision of the efforts of the men who do store selling
At the present time the demonstrated, proven plan nically sound but also artistically correct. The com-
and selling out in the field; concentration on piano
selling by piano men, and 'adequate remuneration to of successfully selling pianos is: "a nominal salary, pany is now the first piano company to align itself
weekly, and a monthly bonus to salesmen. This is with the new movement in decorative art, and to
attract and hold good men.' "
Continuing Mr. Armstrong says: This sentiment far better than the "bare commission proposition" see the possibility of applying this trend to the de-
is gradually developing through the country, and very that has been in vogue in the past. The "bare com- sign and decoration of pianos. The new "Modern-
largely as. a result of the prominence given to this mission plan" has been a curse to the industry, and ique" pianos are the pioneers in this school of decora-
question through the Presto-Times. It is to be noted has "choked" its progress far beyond the realization tion and are likely to have a strong influence in
that these meetings were in charge of John S. Gor- of the trade, until lately many of them are seeing molding the interior architecture of the future.
In making this move, Hardman, Peck & Co., has
man, vice-president and sales manager of the Gul- the light.
selected three artists, who are widely known for their
bransen Company, who presented to the dealers
various facts discovered in an "extensive survey of
RALPH B. WAITE VISITS NEW YORK. contributions to the new art of decoration. These
piano selling conditions."
Ralph B. Waite, head of the Ralph B. Waite Piano artists were commissioned to produce new designs of
Very important news comes to me from a man Co., 218 South Wabash avenue, Chicago, representa- pianos which would conform to the new styles of
who wishes his name withheld at present, whose tive of the Krakauer pianos in that territory, was a interior, which are everywhere springing up. They
home is in Portland, Ore. He is a man of noted New York visitor this week, arriving Wednesday. were not restricted in any degree as to the style of
abiliiy over the nation, a very successful general man- Mr. Waite went east on a special mission concerning piano they should create other than that it be soundly
ager. In this message to me he concurs in the the early delivery of several Krakauer grands in artistic, that it should not affect the musical excel-
thoughts brought out by the Gulbransen Company Period models and of special design which he desires lence of the Hardman and that it be able to take its
and the general ideas conveyed in a series of articles to have ready for delivery within the next two weeks. place harmoniously in the modern American home.
that I have written to the Presto-Times. One of his Mr. Waite was able to return home on the Twentieth
expressions is very forceful. He said: "The piano Century Limited Thursday and by Friday noon had
MARK P. CAMPBELL'S TRIP.
is not dead, but many of the piano merchants are made two good sales from the floor of his sales
Mark P. Campbell, president of the Brambach Piano
asleep at the switch"; they are failing to employ their rooms. It was another evidence of successful hustling Co., New York, was in Chicago this Aveek on one
salesmen in the proper way. They have utterly failed by the energetic Chicago dealer.
of his stops in an interesting trip, which extended
to keep them in the musical arena, due to the fact
to the Pacific Coast. On his return trip Mr. Camp-
that many of them in the past have been using "the
bell made a detour to include Biloxi, Miss., where he
bare commission form of employment."
The California Music Co. is a new store at 2105J/2 enjoyed several days of sunshine and out-of-door
recreation.
Tn this connection I wish to quote an expression Brooklyn avenue, Los Angeles.
CITES LESSON FROM
GULBRANSEN MEETING
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