Presto

15
PRESTO-TIMES
October, 1931
means of marketing musical instruments outside of
the principal distributing centers of Manila, Cebu,
Uoilo, and Zamboanga.
Installment selling is widely practiced in the musi-
cal instrument trade in the Philippines, most of the
sales of band and orchestra instruments being made
At Least Fifty Per Cent of the Business Now on terms.
Generally speaking, musical instruments are not
Done in the Smaller Provin-
extensively advertised in the Philippines. The chief
cial Towns.
mediums for this purpose include five or six daily
Assistant Trade Commissioner Clarence P. Harper, and weekly publications, road sign boards and trav-
Manila, reporting to Eric T. King, chief of the Spe- eling trucks, the latter means being employed mainly
cialties division of the Commerce Department, says in the Provinces. Word of mouth propaganda has
that the Philippine Islands have for many years been proved quite effective, although a number of the local
a good market for band and orchestra instruments, importers carry on regular advertising campaigns.
Future Sales Prospects Good.
In 1929, imports of these items were valued at 140,015
pesos or live times the importation in 1914, which
The future prospects for orchestra and band instru-
was valued at only 28,148 pesos. (The peso is worth ment sales are bright, since less than 50 per cent of
$0.50.) While formerly the demand was largely for the bands in the Philippines are equipped with good
low-priced instruments regardless of their quality, the quality instruments. The general prosperity of the
Filipino's growing interest in music is gradually de- Islands will determine largely the rate of develop-
veloping a strong demand for quality instruments, ment of the Philippine market for these items. The
and American manufacturers have succeeded in sup- per capita income of the population is said to be
plying the bulk of this trade.
increasing and a favorable improvement in the future
The band-instrument trade formerly was confined is anticipated.
to the larger cities and a few convent schools, but
now has developed so that at least 50 per cent of the SEE NEW PROSPERITY ERA FOR BAND
business is done in the smaller provincial towns. This
INSTRUMENTS
wide distribution in recent years is due largely to
Indication
that
the band instrument business is on
the organization of bands in high schools and colleges
the upgrade, if not already entered into a new era of
and in the smaller municipalities.
Most of the stringed instruments used in the islands prosperity, has been seen in the unprecedented suc-
are of native manufacture, and, therefore, the most cess of the new 1932 line of Pan-American band
promising trade prospects appear in the line of brass instruments. In less than three weeks from the time
wind instruments, which are at present largely sup- the new line was offered to dealers, they ordered $46,-
plied by the United States. The trade in such instru- 279.50 worth of the new instruments.
If sales continue anywhere near the present level,
ments seems to be increasing rapidly.
1932 will set a new high water mark in the history
Competition Met by Quality Goods.
of the Pan-American company, according to F. W.
Neptune, sales manager. The Pan-American line
There is considerable competition in the band and
orchestra instrument trade, which many local dealers has been completely redesigned and remodeled and
meet by price cutting and allowing extra discounts many new improvements have been added.
As a result, the Pan-American instruments appear
in individual transactions. Although foreign manu-
facturers quote lower prices than do American man- to be the outstanding value on the market today.
Prices remain practically unchanged, but an instru-
ufacturers, importers of American products endeavor
to meet this competition by stressing the superior ment of much higher quality is being offered. This
is the reason to which Pan-American officials at-
quality of their lines, and a strong demand for better
quality band and orchestra instruments is gradually tribute the great success of the new line.
In addition to improving their line, however, the
being established. The market for the better quality^
Pan-American company has redoubled its selling ef-
lines offers a promising future, as about 50 per cent
of the instruments now in use through the Philippine forts. An extensive advertising campaign has been
Islands are of the cheap variety, but as funds permit, launched, and to display the new line the most beau-
they are being replaced by quality instruments.
^ tiful and comprehensive catalog in the history of the
company has been produced.
Distribution sind Sales Methods.
'•,
The success of Pan-American indicates that there
Band and orchestra instruments are usually handled is still plenty of band instrument business to be had,
through exclusive agents in Manila. These agents^ and that if new and better instruments are offered
are generally allowed to manage the distribution to the public will buy.
provincial districts in their own way. The larger'
houses distribute through branches or subagents, by.j WERLEIN BUYS C. G. CONN NEW ORLEANS
traveling salesmen, or by means of C. O. D. mail : i
BRANCH
orders. Because of the long-established custom inj
The house of Philip Werlein, Ltd., 605 Canal street,
the Orient of meeting competition by price cutting,^ New Orleans, has purchased the C. G. Conn company
it is quite difficult to establish a uniform retail price: business, which was located at 123 Carondelet street.
for any article sold. Local importing firms have This is the purchase of fhe stock, accounts, and good
opened up subagency relations with other musical, will of the C. G. Conn Music Co. branch at New
houses in Manila, only to find that the sum total of;'j Orleans. This business has been transferred to the
their business resulted from underselling them with 1 Werlein house and will be under the immediate direc-
their own customers, as a result of discounts granted, tion of A. J. LaCoste, manager of the band instru-
to them. The traveling salesman plan is employed by' ment department of the Werlein company.
several Manila musical instrument importers, but the'
"We are very fortunate, and glad, to be able to
most generally used plan is selling through what are[ take over the local branch of the Conn company,"
known as casual commission agents. These agents, Mr. LaCoste said. "The Conn people are the leading
contact with prospective customers and refer each manufacturers of band instruments and in taking over
customer to the dealer who will pay the largest this factory branch, we are now in position to accom-
agency commission on the sale. This practice is con- modate any and every ord,er for musical instruments
trary to ordinary business procedure, but is well .without delay.
established among the older firms in the Philippines. j "I am especially glad that we now handle the Conn
The C. O. D. mail-order plan is not widely used in line of band instruments, as it fits in with Philip
selling musical instruments, but in view of encour- ^Werlein company's policy of musical education
aging results obtained by firms using this method it throughout the South.
is probable that it will be more effectively used in the I Mr. Thomas Berry, Jr., who was manager of the
future in this line. In the absence of reliable and com- New Orleans Conn house, has been transferred tc
petent agents in the provincial areas, the C. O. D. ^Chicago to take charge of the Chicago factory branch
system is probably the most advisable and the safest 'of the same company.
PHILIPPINE MARKET FOR
BAND INSTRUMENTS
$1.00 a year
$2.50 for three years
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