Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1928 2177

Page 5 Text:

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1928
PIANO SELLING
RADIO SELLING
DO THEY MIX?
The Question Is One for Large and Small Dealers and Requires a Decision
as to Whether Their Interests Are Best Served by a Choice of One
or the Other Rather Than'a Combination of Pianos and Radios
Piano manufacturing and selling is the main trade
of the music industry of this country and constitutes
the principal business of our music merchants. Like-
wise, the main support of Presto-Times and, probably
of the other music trade papers, too, is from those
who make and sell pianos; in other words Presto-
Times primarily is a piano trade paper, and as such
it aims to give the best service possible to piano
merchants.
The Views Expressed.
This article is submitted with that aim in view.
Presto-Times will be glad to receive criticisms, favor-
able or unfavorable, or such comment as the subject
may suggest.
To begin with, pianos are sold, not bought.
Radios are bought, not sold.
It goes without saying that there are many in-
stances where persons w r alk into a piano store unex-
pectedly and without solicitation of any kind and,
uninfluenced by advertisements, buy. And, likewise,
there are many cases where radios are sold only after
repeated solicitation, advertising and follow-up work,
but we believe both the radio and piano trade will
agree with us that the above rule holds in both cases.
As pianos are sold it stands to reason that the more
selling done the greater volume of business will be
done. Selling pianos is not only a physical action
merely consisting of getting prospects, soliciting
them and selling them, but it takes continued con-
centration of thought on the one thing—selling power
—as it is only by much thought as well as by con-
stant day and night physical effort that pianos are
sold in sufficient numbers to make real money for the
dealer.
Necessity for Concentration.
Anything that tends to interfere with this piano
selling thought and effort detracts from sales and
profit.
In the case of a small dealer depending more or
less on his own efforts in selling, as well as directing
a small sales force, the sale of radios surely detracts
from his piano selling. The nature of the radio is
such as to do this. It is a fascinating thing. Some-
thing new is always bobbing up as a topic of inter-
esting conversation even with one who is not a pros-
peel.
So it seems that the small dealer should decide
whether his best future is in piano or in radio sales
and then go after the one of his choice and eliminate
the other.
How Big Dealers Handle the Radio.
Radios are sold by about all of the big music
houses of the country, including, of course, piano
manufacturers' retail stores and branches, but in so
doing, in thus carrying on a radio business, they have
a separate radio department. This department is
entirely separate and distinct from the piano division
and is handled by a radio manager as entirely sep-
arate and distinct from the piano division and who
pays no attention, or at least should not give any
attention to the piano end of the business.
The main business of these stores is doing a piano
business; pianos are the instruments they sell and
here are the salesmen who roll up the big trade
balances of the day; who make the real money. They
are the men of the establishment who must have
their minds on their business and think and sell
pianos day and night. Soliciting must be done;
personal contact must be established with many pros-
pects; 'phone calls must be attended to, appointments
made, prospects brought to the salesrooms and such
a variety of work kept going that pianos and piano
selling will occupy their thoughts.
In these establishments where radio departments
are maintained, the piano salesmen are not permitted
to pay any attention to radio sales.
The Public's Part.
The public today can and will pay for more values
in piano construction for better piano quality, for
better pianos generally than ever before, but piano
men must carry on the piano business. The pianos
must be sold by piano men, real piano men. Those
who "stick to their last" can sell pianos of quality
ant! of value easier than those who offer cheap in-
struments.
A Few Questions.
Now, for the music store of moderate proportions;
the dealer and salesman whose efforts and work are
the mainstay of the piano business, this question is
suggested: Can you make separate and independent
departments for your radios and pianos?
If you cannot do this can you make a success of
either pianos or radios with both lines mixed together
and handled by the same salesmen?
This brings up the question: "With what line shall
I work to make success—pianos or radios?
Can the radio business be kept so much apart from
the piano division that no encouragement is given
a piano salesman to try to sell radios, nor com-
missions be allowed piano salesmen for radio pros-
pects. A story has gone the rounds that in one
Chicago piano house this rule has been so rigidly
enforced that it was discovered that one of the sales-
men had sent radio customers to a rival store where
he could get a commission refused by the house by
which he was employed.
Up to Dealer.
But the average dealer does not seem to realize
that unless in his business an absolute division be-
tween pianos and radios is made, with separate and
distinct rooms for them whereby the operations may
not mix in any way, his attention is so divided that
his piano business will suffer if not "go to the dogs"
altogether.
From the piano manufacturer's standpoint the
problem is not one of production nor of financing.
It is one of dealer activity and distributing. There is
nothing wrong with the public's attitude toward the
piano. In fact the public is in a very receptive mood
for buying pianos. What the manufacturer needs is
a sufficiency of dealers who are vitally interested
in and enthusiastic about selling pianos. To such,
progressive manufacturers can lend helping hands
that will provide all that the dealer needs outside of
the selling effort which he, himself, must put into
his business.
Necessity for Choice.
It is up to the dealer to make a choice between
pianos and radios. It is a vital necessity to do so.
Make up your mind whether you are going to do
$2 The Year
most of the piano business or most of the radio busi-
ness of your community.
The dealer with alertness, energy and the merchan-
dising sense may "decide to keep on with both
pianos and radios, but the qualities that make him
a ^ood merchant will instinctively guide him to de-
vise proper procedure. These are to make the two
departments distinct in the most complete way. The
employes working in one should not be distracted
by any incident in the other.
If he decides to operate an exclusive piano
business he will make a success of it. On the other
hand, if his choice is for radios he also will achieve
success.
The Moral.
^-..^^
The thought intended to be conveyed in this arti-
cle is the absolute necessity of avoiding a division
of interest between pianos and radios.
A piano man experienced in piano selling with
years of effort to look back upon, invariably is preju-
diced in favor of the pianos as the commodities to
sell. Most piano men love the trade. Their own
careers have covered a period in piano history. They
are interested in its past, anxious for its future and
perplexed at what seemingly are unsettled conditions
in it today. Most of the men found selling pianos
today possess experience and the love of the business
created in the years of selling effort. Their natural
inclination is to devote all their time and energies to
effecting piano sales.
Combination Doesn't Work.
But circumstances which they have been unable
to control have made it a necessity with many of
them to install radios side by side with pianos in their
businesses. With too many the combination does
not seem to work to the advantage of the business.
The two distinct lines divide a dealer's attention so
that both pianos and radios are only half served. The
result of such circumstances are a multiplicity of sick
businesses in the music trade; a sad roster of old
stores in which the piano phase is submerged in a
disheartened piano-radio character.
Decide Now.
Now is the time to choose. Will you make your
business one for the sale of pianos alone or one for
the exclusive sale of radios? Or, if you believe you
can combine the two commodities will you operate
your business so tnat pianos and radios will be dis-
tinct in every way—a separate sales force, separate
management, separate accounting system and sep-
arate financing?
TREASURE CHEST OF
MUSIC IS FEATURED
Chas. E. Howe of Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co.,
De Kalb, 111., Shows Its Merits on
Stage—Other News.
Chas. E. Howe of the Wurlitzer Grand Piano Com-
pany, De Kalb, 111., has just completed a week's
engagement featuring the Treasure Chest of Music
at the Paramount Theater, Salt Lake City, Utah.
This booking was arranged by Colonel Daynes of the
Daynes-Beebe Music Company, Wurlitzer dealers in
Salt Lake City. Thousands of people viewed the
exploitation of the Treasure Chest by Mr. Howe in
connection with Charlie Chaplin's latest picture, "The
Circus."
Emil Simon of the Simon Piano Company, Spokane,
Wash., visited the sales headquarters of the Rudolph
Wurlitzer Company in Chicago and expressed his
appreciation to Gordon Laughead of the Chicago
headquarters, of the fine Period styles now being
produced at the De Kail) factory of the company.
Cyril Farny, vice-president and general manager of
the Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company at De Kalb,
111., reports the sale of many of the early American
Period designs. The most popular selling instrument
of this group of Period designs is the Style H Spin-
nette model.
B. S. Porter & Sons Co., Lima, Ohio, have been
conducting an unusual display of Wurlitzer Period
grands, consummating several successful sales. The
president of this company is J. S. Porter, son of B. S.
Porter, the founder of the business.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

Page 6 Text:

April 21, 1928
PRESTO-TIMES
UNITED ACTION
IS NOW ASSURED
Everybody In Various Associations of Music
Industry and Trade Urged to Work for Big
Attendance and Increase of Enthusiasm
in Events at Commodore.
convention attractions by an efficient committee and
the advantages of attending the meeting at the Hotel
Commodore are being impressed upon the trade by
competent and enthusiastic members of the music
industry and trade.
The publicity committee for the conventions is
under the chairmanship of Ernest H. Vogel, of the
Kohler Industries; assisted by B. B. Wilson, Fred-
erick Steele and William J. Dougherty, with D. L.
Loomis, secretary of the National Association of
Music Merchants and Alfred L. Smith, general man-
agt-r of the Music Industries Chamber of Comerce,
in consultation.
ATTRACTIVE EXHIBITS
Appoints Exhibit Committee.
President C. J. Roberts of the National Association
Exhibition Feature of Week to Be Notable in Extent of Music Merchants has appointed the following
members to act as an exhibit rules committee for
and of Great Value in Increasing Sales Activity
service during the week of the convention: Shirley
and Improving Selling Methods Generally.
Walker, San Francisco, chairman; Alex. McDonald,
Everything points to a successful convention of the New York City; M. V. De Foreest, Sharon, Pa.;
music trades at the Commodore Hotel, New York, Henry E. Weisert, Chicago; O. A. Field, St. Louis,
during the week of June 4. In attractive events those Mo.; B. B. Burton, Birmingham, Ala.; Geo. H. Beas-
in charge of the annual meeting see the power to ley, Texarkana, Ark.; A. D. La Motte, San Diego,
Calif.; C. R. Moores, Fort Wayne, Ind.; H. G. Pul-
frey, Ann Arbor, Mich.: E. P. Andrew, Detroit,
Mich.; F. L. Paige, Terre Haute, Ind.; A. Z. Moore,
Lancaster, Pa.; L. B. Casagrande, Milwaukee, Wis.;
S. H. Morecroft, Syracuse, N. Y.; A. L. Maresh,
Cleveland, Ohio.
The duties of the members of the committee will
be to visit the exhibit rooms on the mornings of the
business sessions of the merchants' association, prior
to the opening of the sessions, to urge upon exhibitors
that exhibits be closed udring the hours of the
business meetings, which will take place Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30 a. m.
to 1 p. m.
A Convention Attraction.
S. L. Rothafel (Roxy) will deliver an address at
one of the business sessions of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants at the Commodore Hotel,
New York, the week of June 4. It will be a privilege
to many in the trade to see and hear the most strik-
ing, best-loved and widely known personalities con-
nected with radio broadcasting and the motion picture
industry. Mr. Rothafel will follow his illimitable and
familiar salutation, "Hello Everybody!" with an in-
spirational address touching upon the "Appeal of
Music to the Great Mass of the Public."
An indication of "Roxy's" tremendous following-
lies in the fact that in one of his rooms in the Roxy
Theater there lies neatly bundled up more than one
million letters which "Roxy" has received during the
past year from movie fans and radio enthusiasts.
Now he has his own theater, the "Roxy," the
world's largest house in one of the best localities in
New York city, and up to the minute in appointment,
HKRMANN IKTON
size and luxury.
draw the dealers, salesmen, tuners and others to the
His Start.
bi'^ hotel. That it will be made a business-building
It was in Forest City that he entered the motion
meeting is well understood and in the manner of
carrying out that scheme, the officials and special picture business, and from that time on "Roxy's" rise
committees will present many surprises in procedure. was like a romance. He came to New York and in
1913 at the Regent Theater on Seventh avenue, up
A new meaning will be given to the word convention.
town, amazed the motion picture public with his
The meetings of the various associations affiliated
with the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce will originality, taste and keen perception of what the
TO
THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY
Cooperation within an industry is the keynote of Success.
This does not imply that individual effort should lag-. Both are needful
for continued progress and one must derive its inspiration and impetus from
the other.
It is less important that a Convention be successful than that every
member of the industry should attend and obtain new viewpoints and angles
from what he will hear and see. That will make the Convention as well as
his own business a Success.
Faithfully yours,
'HERMANN IRION,
President.
have a character of uniqueness that will increase the
enthusiasm already expressed and the Chamber itself
will exercise its ability to make every meeting helpful
to the organizations. A message of President Her-
mann Irion of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce to the entire music trade, printed on this page,
relates to the convention on June 4, at the Hotel
Commodore.
Apart from the educative value of the business
sessions of the various associations, the exhibits of
the manufacturers in the various phases of the music
industry will be predominantly educational. Not only
will there be novelty in the pianos, band instruments
and musical merchandise shown, but new and suc-
cessful sales methods will be demonstrated.
The music trade generally is being advised of the
public wanted. When the Strand, at that time the
country's greatest movie house, was thrown open to
the public on Broadway, in 1914, "Roxy" was selected
as managing-director. Successively, he threw the
magic of his personality and originality into the
Rialto, Rivoli and Capitol.
W. J. EDEN IN ST. LOUIS.
An interesting and interested visitor to St. Louis
lasr week was W. J. Eden, affectionately known, in
the trade as "Gulbransen Baby Bill." Of course he
had an enjoyable talkfest with E. A. Kieselhorst, head
of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., which represents the
Gulbransen line in St. Louis. Mr. Eden's field of
action includes Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Ne-
braska.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY
THE CELCO CORP.
In Letter From J. Harry Shale, President,
Purchase of Factory Property and Equip-
ment at Norwalk, Ohio, Is Told and
Other Facts Related.
The Celco Corporation, successors to the United
Piano Corporation, executive offices, Norwalk, Ohio,
announced to the trade that the corporation has pur-
chased all the factory property and equipment at Nor-
walk, Ohio. This property was sold by the Lhiited
States Federal Court of the New York City District,
J. HARRY SHALE.
and the sale has been approved by the attorney repre-
senting the creditors, by Alfred L. Smith, the receiver,
and A. L. Olney, referee in bankruptcy.
J. H. Shale Writes.
'"This completes the set-up of our permanent organ-
ization here," writes J. H. Shale, president of the cor-
poration. "We will continue to manufacture at Nor-
walk, Ohio, the A. B. Chase as America's finest piano,
the Emerson, and Lindeman & Sons pianos. We
have in process a new line of period models which
will very shortly be announced, and as soon as these
are ready we will also have our permanent and new
literature to distribute to the trade.
"We appreciate that until the factory sale was con-
summated there has been in the minds of some of the
trade a doubt as to our permanent operations. There-
fore, we are now set to go ahead very aggressively;
and we hope to be a prominent factor in the future of
the piano industry.
"This business is owned by Mr. Seth B. Foster,
Mr. E. D. Button, and myself, and is amply capital-
ized to start out in a strong position without any
indebtedness whatsoever; and to take care of any
necessary financing the dealer may require.
"Mr. Button, who is a practical and experienced
piano man, has served as purchasing agent of the
American Piano Company and in the sales force of
the Foster-Arm strong Company. Mr. Foster also has
considerable experience in retail and wholesale and in
the studied art of period piano architecture.
Appoints Distributor.
"We are also pleased to announce at this time that
definite arrangements have been made with W. F.
Frederick Piano Company of Pittsburgh, Penn., to
act as distributor of our line through western Penn-
sylvania and W r est Virginia. Several other new rep-
resentations have been made and others are in the
making and announcements will lie made shortly,
and it is our intention as soon as a suitable location
can be found that wholesale offices will be established
in New York City where complete samples of the
entire line will be on display.
"This institution is independent and connected
with no other institution, operating solely for its own
benefit, with a name value line of various grades for
exclusive representations among responsible piano
dealers. We feel in view of the present conditions
in the trade we have the line that is needed and this
announcement should be of general interest."
The officers of the Celco Corporation are as fol-
lows: J. H. Shale, president; Seth B. Foster, vice-
president; E. D. Button, treasurer; Walter A. Hall,
secretary; S. B. Keilholtz, assistant treasurer, and
Stuart H. Perry, western sales manager.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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