Presto

[ ' R E S T O-T I M E S
June 23, 1928
A LOOK AHEAD IN
THE PIANO BUSINESS
THINGS SAID OR SUGGESTED
proving it by throwing bouquets at himself at all
hours of the day. He wore a path on the rug to the
Frank M. Hood, vice-president and sales man- chief's desk to hand himself encomiums on his wis-
ager for the Schiller Piano Co., Oregon, 111., sees dom and festoons, chaplets and brilliant floral pieces
his name printed in the trade papers so often that of conversation on his industry.
the sight of the magic combination of letters occa-
The other young man just kept pegging away at the
sionally loses its thrill and fails to pleasantly react
task of the moment or the day. Seemingly he was
on his disposition. It might just as well be the name more worried about solving his business problems
of a vice-presidential candidate of the Anti-Cigarette without bothering the department head than in direct-
party for all he cares.
ing attention to the fact that he could do so.
Then something happens to make him sit up and
As the days passed the floral young man noticed
take notice; something retributive to humble his that it was to the pegger that the chief turned when
proud spirit, like spelling his name wrong, a flagrancy he desired a pointer or when he had some particular
committed by a linotyper for Presto-Times in last instructions to give. Then he made another mistake
week's paper.
and interlarded his own praises with deft knocks at
The Hood humbling agent clicked out on his ma- his associate assistant. By his showing the pegger
chine that "F. M. Heed, vice-president of the Schiller was unreliable and lazy, whereas he himself was a rock
Piano Co., was a visitor to Indianapolis." The read- of dependability and for industry had the busy bee
ers inferred that Mr. Hood was presenting the same looking like a loafer, or words to that effect.
face with a different moniker to Edgar Daab, man-
It was at this point that the talkative boy got what
ager, and other wideawake piano men of the Pearson
was coming to him and he got it good and proper.
Piano Co. In short, leading a double ilfe in the pleas- The department head didn't rise up in his wrath and
ant Hoosier city. Tut! tut!! Also pish! tush!! The dramatically swat him. His voice did not rise above
inference is unthinkable!
his habitually low tones, but his message was loud in
No one can blame him for sensing a plot by its enlightenment. The words withered the bouquets
the music trade papers to ruffle his usual good nature. and scattered the bright rosebuds of self-praise and,
An Eastern paper during convention time styled him
ashamed, the young chap returned to his desk.
"proprietor of the Schiller Piano Co.," a mistake in
He was more thoughtful than resentful in the days
identity, naturally annoying to a man who enjoys so that followed and the period of his usefulness to the
much trade paper publicity. It read like news, so house really began from that day. The house has
a flock of reporters for the other trade papers hot- grown and with it the importance of the department,
footed to the Schiller exhibit to, ask President Edgar
of which he is now its chief.
B. Jones, "how come?"
The other one. Why, he kept pegging away, keep-
"The scoop is complete and includes me. First
ing his mouth closed and letting his work tell his
:
I heard of it," sa d Mr. Jones. '"Get Frank on the story. His name? He may not like it mentioned,
long distance in Chicago and congratulate him, add- but you will find it high up on the list of officers and
ing the suggestion to grow a chin whisker to qualify at the councils and directors' meetings he is still
as the goat."
sparing of his words. But, though few, it is re-
marked that they are the ones that guide policies.
* * *
* * *
BIOGRAPHY WITHOUT NAME ,
For one piano man who attended the radio con- THE QUALIFIED VIEW
vention and show at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, last
Laurence E. McMackiu, manager of the McMackin
week the most interesting experience was listening to
Piano Service, Des Moines, Iowa, is aware that a lot
some piano talk among a group occupying chairs in of old pianos have no excuse for a continued existence
the rotunda. One of the group, an official of a promi- but the unconvincing claim of antiquity. But lie has
nent New York piano house, told a bit of biography the sensible professional attitude expressed by him
in which the moral was so obvious it stuck out in this week:
black type in his discourse.
"We believe in junking a lot of pianos, but there are
When he entered upon his duties as head of a a lot of good old pianos that should be worked over
department some years ago, he said, coming from an- and sold to those who cannot afford a high priced in-
other house, he found that his principal aids were two strument.
young men who had begun as office boys in the place.
"There is a lesson, too, in the action of several
They had reached the position in which he found Indianapolis piano dealers who recently had made over
them by the happy processes of succession. Of course a number of used pianos and sent them to the schools
the new department head was at once desirous of
of Brown County, Ind., as aids to musical culture.
gauging the abilities of the two young men in ques- The amazing statement of the teachers there was that
tion.
many of the children in the remote section saw a
He was spared a big wait, however, by one of them. piano for the first time when the donated used pianos
This one plainly feared his chief would not discover
reached the schools. Therein is a suggestion for
how very wise and smart he was, so he set about
dealers elsewhere."
Those Who Engage in It Should Realize That
It Has a Number of New Features Requir-
ing Different Attitude of Salesman
to Public.
SIGNS OF COME=BACK
TOO MUCH IS ENOUGH
An Unmistakeable One Is the Revival of Interest in
the Piano Made Plainer by the Increase in the
Number of Piano Pupils Everywhere.
By A. (;. GULBRANSEN,
President, Gulbranscn Co., Chicago.
Many questions relating to the problems of the
retail piano merchants are put to me by dealers who
feel that the contact of the Gulbransen Company
with its 1,500 merchant representatives should have
found an answer to each and every problem. Nat-
urally, the answers that I give them are merely an
expression of my own opinion and I try, as far as
possible, to keep from making predictions. It is too
great a responsibility to have a merchant map out a
course of business conduct in his own community on
the basis of my deductions in a broad, national way.
I have not made the statement that bottom has
been reached in the piano business, nor can it be pre-
dicted that the lowest point has been touched now.
It does seem that there are some very encouraging
signs pointing to the improvement of the piano busi-
ness. Granted that the general conditions in the
country will continue on an even keel, the piano busi-
ness should show a slow and steady improvement.
The retail piano business of today and of the future
is for men of courage. A number have dropped and
are dropping out of the race. It has proved too
strenuous for some of them. They have not had the
courage nor the versatility nor the resources to carry
them through.
Greater Convention Interest.
It is common knowledge that the meetings of the
National Association of Music Merchants at the
convention in New York were better attended than
in many years. It is well known that the men were
more attentive, that they really tried to get business
help from their attendance at the convention. This
is merely a reflection of the sirrit of the men who
remain in the business today. This is said without
discounting the wonderful work of the present ad-
ministration of the merchants' association in develop-
ing a worth-while program of talks. No matter how
good the program is, men will not sit in a meeting
unless they are interested, and their interest was
greater at New York than it has been in years.
The men in the retail piano business must realize
that they are in a new business. They must realize
that the methods that so many merchants have been
going along on are not swift enough, not productive
enough for the present age.
Retail piano selling has been too easy. Merchants
and salesmen have made their money too easy.
Other more modern commodities, household special-
ties that have been developed in recent years have re-
quired very careful working out of sales plans and
(Continued on page 11)
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