Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL
10 Cents a
1 Year
Copy
$1.25
10 Months... $1.00
6 Months. .75 cents
Issued Semi-.Montlily
J'irHt mill Fifteenth of Kaih Mouth
CHICAGO, ILL., DECEMBER 1, 1929
WHAT WM. R. STEINWAY HAS TO TELL US
Foreign Representative of Steinway & Sons Compares Trade Conditions
Here and Abroad for Presto=Times
BY PRESTO-TIMES STAF F CORRESPONDENT.
solicitor before making an allowance on a used piano
William R. Steinway, head of the European divi-
to be traded in. Thus if one found the allowance value
sion of the house of Steinway, "gets a kick out of"
had already been set, he would stick to it. If he was
visiting America every two years. He learns some-
the first one the customer had seen, he would send
thing new on every visit. Two years ago he was
his man to appraise it and ;eport the amount to the
impressed by such characteristically American devices
solicitor for the guidance of his competitors, in case
as the motored baggage trucks in our railroad termi-
she should call on them also. So the profits that were
nals, and the electrically-driven orange and lemon -
formerly thrown away on competitive bidding for
squeezing devices of our soda fountains. This year
second-hand instrume'Ms when traded in, are being
he has discovered the splendid cypress highways
saved.
which extend out of New Y
nto Westchester
Ninety per cent ot bargaining is "trj-on." in the
County and Long Island, having iio". ( ,ross-streets and
no limit on the speed. He says that he always finds opinion of Mr. Steinway. who spent several years
reorganizing- the London retail business of the house.
so much pep and initiative in the United States that
He cited the manner in which the bargain-bound cus-
he returns to Europe with a great impetus to try to
tomer is now met, by the co-operating dealers of Lon-
do things faster.
don. For instance a prospect will walk into the Stein-
We of the United States have something to learn
ernment is controlled by the Social-Democrats, the
new friendliness between the manufacturers has been
of much value in meeting unreasonable demands of
the workmen, etc. He told of the fine friendship
that has sprung up between the House of Steinway
'ind another leading German factory when the repre-
sentatives of each spent a day conducting the execu-
ive- of the other through their plant.
Touching on advertising and selling conditions here
!)•'• >ome of the facts the reporter gathered:
Advertising in Europe is not nearly as effective in
persuading public judgment quickly as it is in this
country.
Some of the methods most successful here, such as
canvassing or doorbell ringing, are futile and fatal
over there.
The London store of Steinway & Sons does an
enormous amount of cash business. They have found
that, in England, with a high-grade instrument at
least, the "hire-purchase" or installment plan does not
take hold. It is also interesting to note that in Lon-
don the buying of second-hand goods is not socially
dc irop, due perhaps to the fact that at the time the
World War began London was overstocked in every
line and many merchants marked their goods second
hand and cut the price in an effort to dispose of the
enormous -urphis; also due f" the passing down of
family antiques
When askci what effect raw-.. Vl r- having on Euro-
pean conditions, \ | r . Steinway -'ati-l that in England
there is oiiL one central radio -iition, owned and
controlled In the government, \\>th several hook-ups.
Kadio is not so far advanced as to the diversity,
quality and ir<< rexl of programs, as not a word of
commercial r-'h,, ;.'!\ ettising >s allowed.
Eve*-.' Laborer Has His Own Radio.
I V a c ' )•.•./
i r, .iborer has his own radio and is
i o r i'',v in
• . perhaps, hearing good music. The
r ' M i o mil «
l!y has :•. fleeted the sale of player-
pianos in I
< ,i it (iocs have tone color that the
player did
:.
< M'ei'alIv with such instruments
as the s-:\ ;
Howev .
into ih< •
sire for
stressed ; •
manue
W1LL.TAM R. STEIWVAY EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK ON THE STEAMSHIP BREMEN.
from Mr. Steinway. For European manufacturers
and dealers, facing much the same problems as exist
here, are meeting them by an increasing co-operation
which has favorable results on the profit side of the
ledger. One can see that this is an issue near Mr.
Steinway's heart.
Younger Generation's Habits.
In Europe as in America, the piano business i>> not
in the best of health. Mr. Steinway laid the condition
in Europe primarily to the great post-war desire to
be out of doors and the fact that there are too many
tilings for the younger generation to do. He summed
it up by taking a typical London family where sop imi
daughter go forth to "shake a leg at the Savo\.
mother goes to the bridge club, lather to tlu dog
races, and the piano stays at home.
It is Mr. Steinway's opinion that if the leading
ho.tses in a city will co-operate with each other the\
may save the profits which they throw away because
'^ f lack of co-operation.
Mr. Steinway cited the case of the six leading Ber-
lin houses agreeing to limit the music teacher's
commission to 5 per cent instead of the usual 10 per
cent. Thus, if the teacher's prospect was one who
insisted on a high grade instrument, some one of the
houses was sure to get the sale, with an added 5 per
cent profit.
He also told of the co-operation practiced by three
dealers in an English city who agreed to consult a
way showrooms exhibiting a catalog of a competitor
and sa\mg that the compeiitot h.is offered him such
and such a discount ami hi t\;>. '- the same from
Steinway & Sons.
In yeai> £• :•• ^
!u ' t a i l s a l e s -
m a n has a l w a y s r e g a r d e d i h e c o m p e l : ' 1 ••• •- ! h" ••in
to shoot at r a t l u r than the c u s t o m e r . .\ow o, i •• •,••,
a c u s t o m e r calls the h o u s e will " h . . n e t h e c o m p
'
ask if t h e p r o s p e c t h a s been : ' h e r e , a n d give ';<-
n a n i e or a descriptiv>ii of h i m . M> that t h e y m a y I-,.
r e a d y for h i m w h e n be d o e s call.
So t h e c i ^ t o i i i e v
is met w i t h a u n i f o r m refusal of a n y d i s c o u n t a n d the
r e s u l t is t h a t at t h e e n d of t h e y e a r the sales w h i c h
the c o m p e t i t o r h a s g o t t e n t h r o u g h h a v i n g t h e n a m e s
! t h r o u g h his c o - o p e r a t i o n .
A n d e v e r y d e a l e r is in
p o c k e t to i h e a m o u n t of the d i s c o u n t s w h i c h smile
formerly threw .iv.>v in c u t - p r i c e c o m p e t i t i o n
S a l e s m e n ' s Dinners.
A v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g storv w a s told b y Mr S i e i n u a y
of t h e b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r at a d i n n e r g i v e n by him
of t h e retail sales staffs of t h e t w o leading IVrlin
p i a n o h o u s e s w h e r e b y a fine d e g r e e of friendship
:; c o - o p e r a t i o n h a s b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d w h i c h li,i> beer. o.
beueiit to b o t h h o u s e s .
I t is i n t e r e s t i n g i<> iio*r ''.;it
t h e s e s a l e s m e n ' s d i n n e r s h a v e n o w b e c o m e a -eim
aunuai event.
Mr. Steinway also spoke of the fine and increasing
co-operation among the manufacturers both in Eng-
land and in Germany. In Germany where the gov-
'
i: •:: and melody are being ingrained
..Mil and it is inevitable that the de-
liuisii. will lol'uw. Mr. Steinway
'- ^rluUin: like is the swing of social
• iv s ii'ways a post-war period similar
to thi
in
< "'i
• of the world have just gone
thron
-i . ; . m >K'\ swing back to a more Victo-
rian i < ••• \ ~ t e i i '
Due to the wide spread of the
ra niusi .II.I
ii.i they do the two instruments which
will \•'!•' •
l«i most used because they are the "true
torn ' ' • M c n t s are the piano and the violin. Si
who •
ii'lulum swings, as Mr. Steinway feels it
will i.
or five year--, tin pian > men will owe a
debt -
i tide to radii- i<»r i;url:i:iiing in people the
desire • > > • '>. e niu^ie.
W'he:
.' coned as to the use oi Group I'iano Tn-
striutio!, Mi Steinway stated th i* it is making slow
but stead 1 . ; rogress in Engia > started in < iermany, as yet.
Ship to Fifty On: tries.
- - >n>
'us headquarters
'"••jf, Germany, and
ing. They ship to
i each one has a
•lerstood and met.
ililieii :
• of c o n d i t i o n s to
r.u\ and methods,
T h e r e ..u- n i t t i i e n ' l a n g u a i • •
in of the Hamburg
T h r e e t r a v e l e r s w o r k <-<>n>• ;M : I
the factory at
factory.
H e i n s t a n c e d ;>, '...;irii< . u n
.mi Bucharest,
w h i c h w e r e p r e s e n t S t e i n w a v dealer
Finland and Australia.
Like every place where two or three men are gath-
ered together, the conversation turned to the Stock
Market. It ua- suggested that perhaps the Wall
Street crash would help the piano situation in Amer-
ica as people might be obliged to sell their cars and
get used to -taving home again!
Mr. Steinwav recalled the hectic post-war days in
Germany when the mark was fluctuating wildly and a
customer would bring a bushel basket of money when
he wished to buy a piano! At th:t time all the agents
wen instructed to phone the main office whenever
iluy had a sale so that they might be told the present
price oi the instrument in marks. Thus though the
Steinwav piano always sold at the same value as
M r . W illiam R. S t r i m v v .
. .;
..• i-i S l e i n w a y f a c i o r \ at l<
: n
n i t r i e s from H a m b u n
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