Presto

Issue: 1932 2264

January, 1932
P R E S T O - T I MES
UNIQUE WINDOW DISPLAY AT INDIANAPOLIS
A window provocative of much comment and said
to have led many customers to enter the show rooms
of the Baldwin Piano Studios, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.,
is responsible for the sale of three Sargent grand
pianos within a very short period of time.
The piano was trucked from Cincinnati on Satur-
day and arrived in Indianapolis about 3 p. m. the
same day and, arranged in the spacious window, im-
mediately attracted every passer-by, brought ten peo-
ple into the store from 3 p. m. until 9:30 and resulted
in the sale of two of the instruments within six
hours.
The display was by no means new, bat the arrange-
ment was. From the small cut-outs fastened to the
window, shaped like miniature grand pianos and bear-
ing the name of the particular point of interest, di-
rected to the point by ribbon streamers, the instru-
ment tells its own story. The price of course, does
much toward the selling of this instrument. There
was no time during the afternoon that holiday shop-
pers did not linger an^- admire the beautiful piano
and brought human pedestrianism to a halt.
According to officials of the company Sunday win-
dow shoppers were attracted by the display and earlv
Monday morning calls came from all parts of the city
over the telephone. One of the calls resulted in an-
other sale, making the total of three up until Monday
at noon.
One of the outstanding features of this four foot
seven Sargent is the tradition of good workmanship
that prevails in all pianos made at the great factories
in Cincinnati. The case represents the fine school of
cabinet-makers; it has dignified proportions and
charming lines; it has captured the simplicity and
grace of line. The veneers were chosen and matched
to display the beauty of grain, and the harp shaped
lyre is the only Duncan Phyfe characteristic. The
tone is sweet, even and well balanced. The touch is
superb and the action readily responds to the artist's
touch.
AN ATTRACTIVE PIANO
The little Harrison upright piano, known as model
52, which is displayed in one of the corridors at Kim-
ball Hall, Chicago, has attracted a good deal of atten-
tion, especially by public school teachers who recently
had a meeting at Kimball Hall. In plain lettering at
right of fallboard is the inscription in gold letters,
"Manufactured by W. W. Kimball Company."
Harry T. Mathews and Mrs. Mathews have opened
a music store at Albion where, in addition to their
line of pianos, they will carry small musical instru-
ments, musical merchandise and radios.
DTSPLAY OF SARGENT PTANOS AT BAT/DWTN STUDIO.
CHINESE PROVERBS ALWAYS APPRO-
PRIATE
A man without a smiling face must not open a
shop.
Able to buy, don't buy so as to frighten the seller;
Able to sell, don't so sell as to frighten the buyer.
It is easier to open a shop than to keep it open.
A good customer won't change his shop, nor a good
shop lose its customers.
Be not too hasty to underbid another.
Business makes a man as well as tries him.
Business neglected is business lost.
Business sweetens pleasure and labor sweetens rest.
And Benjamin Franklin wrote: "Keep thy shop
and thy shop will keep thee."
A PIANO RENOWNED AT HOME
There are many exceptions to the old adage "A
prophet is not without renown save in his own coun-
try." In Cincinnati, for instance, a Cincinnati made
piano is used in many of the finest concerts of that
noted musical city. At the recent annual Feast of
Carols presented by the Cincinnati Conservatory of
Music the piano used on that occasion was, as we
read at the foot of the program, the Baldwin. This
concert of the well known Cincinnati Conservatory
was an exceedingly interesting event and of great
prominence in the music annals of that city.
SIX INTERESTING ESSAYS
NOTED
The
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
extend to their customers
and friends in the music
trade
COMPLIMENTS
OF THE SEASON
and wish them a full share
of the return of prosperity
now on the way.
Emil W. Wolff, President
Otto Schultz, Jr., and F. A . Luhnow, Vice-Presidents
F. P. Bassett, Secretary and Treasurer
AUTHORITIES DISCUSS
INSTRUCTION
PIANO
From Steinway & Sons Presto-Times is in receipt
of a brochure bearing the caption, "Suggestions in
Modern Piano Instruction," and the contents, that is
to say, the articles that make up this interesting and
instructive compilation, are the following essays:
"What Should We Teach When We Teach Mu-
sic?", by Dr. John Erskine, president of the Juilliard
School of Music, New York City.
"Music as a Self-expression," by Rudolph Ganz,
director of the Chicago Musical College, Chicago.
"Piano Possibilities," by Howard Hanson, director
of the Evanston School of Music, Rochester, N. Y.
"What Is Wrong with the Piano?," by Josef Hof-
mann, director of the Curtis Institute of Music, Phil-
adelphia.
"Give the Amateur Encouragement," by Ernst
Hutcheson, dean of the Juilliard Graduate School of
Music, New York.
"Meeting Modern Problems in Musical Education,"
by Olga Samaroff, of the Juilliard Graduate School
of Music.
In the preface to this list of essays Steinway &
sons say:
"We could continue to pick out many other inter-
esting bits from these six articles by Erskine, Ganz,
Hanson, Hofmann, Hutcheson and Samaroff, but it
is better to let them speak for themselves while we
content ourselves in presenting these articles as a
mark of appreciation for the untiring efforts of the
teachers and in the hope that the thoughts of thes(;
masters will be a help and inspiration to those whose
life work is the promotion of the art of music."
Copies of this pamphlet will be mailed to schools,
teachers, dealers, or others interested by addressing
Steinway & Sons, 109 W. 57th St., New York, N. Y.
KRAKAUER ON FIFTY-SEVENTH STREET
Krakauer Bros, have .signed a lease for a period of
years on the store at 115 W. 57th street, New York,
close to Steinway Hall. This will certainly place Kra-
kauer in a prominent and enviable position on the
high-toned piano row of New York.
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/
January, 1932
P R E S T O - T I MES
THIS
CORRESPONDENT ESTIMATES
CONSERVATIVELY
A letter was recently received by Presto-Times
from a prominent member of the music manufac-
turing industry and a gentleman regarded as ultra
conservative rather than over optimistic. This gen-
tleman writes:
"Well, gentlemen, here we are at the beginning
of a new year. It goes without saying that 1931
will be remembered 'good and strong' by many
of us.
The piano business surely got a good shaking up.
I see Campbell prophesies we will make 100,000
pianos in 1932.
The piano men must have their re-possessed pianos
pretty well disposed of. If these are out of the way,
they can think of making some new ones.
We have been cutting all the corners we possibly
could but we do now look for improvement.
If we get the foreign matters straightened out, I
think it would stimulate business. What they are
trying to do now, they should have done two years
ago.
If I owe you $100 and can •qnly pay you 50 cents
on the dollar, you better take it than let the thing
drag along. Think that is the great mistake that
was made.
1 think our Government was too liberal in ex-
tending credit. The International banks got a big-
price for floating the bonds and another profit when
they sold them to the public; in other words, they
let us people carry the bag and bet they do not
have anything in their portfolio.
This matter, 1 think, has been thoroughly thrashed
out in the House, and they will handle the proposition
differently.
I do not believe we should mix up so much with
other countries.
We better look out for our own salvation and let
them fight their own battles.
Hope the times will soon change for the genera!
good.
This esteemed correspondent knows what he is
talking about and is not afraid to speak his mind.
FROM GORDON LAUGHEAD, SALES MANA-
GER WURLITZER GRAND PIANO
CO., DE KALB, ILL.
Traveling 100,000 miles this year, 1 find that the
piano business is exceptionally good.
Successful music dealers are alert. They keep in
touch with public institutions, schools and music
teachers. These men forge ahead under present con-
ditions.
A sure method of bringing in piano business is
classified advertising in the local daily newspapers.
Classified advertising is used to sell both used and
new pianos. Our style 100 grand and style 815 up-
right pianos, permit the dealer to advertise new
pianos in the classified columns. Why not try it out?
A dealer in a large Western city ran the following
advertisement, with good results:
"Brand New Baby Grand Piano, $335. Worth con-
siderably more. Made and guaranteed by World's
Largest Reliable Manufacturer.
Terms, $2.50
weekly."
Not only is there piano business, but the high
quality of sales made by many dealers is surprising.
Last week a prominent dealer showed the writer six
contracts made during the preceding two days. The
cash payments on two sales were $100 each, on two
more $50 each, and the remaining two instrument?
were uprights, sold with $25 cash payments. Two
of the contracts paid out in six months, one in twelve
months and the balance within twenty months.
I have often talked to dealers who complain about
the lack of piano business. In analyzing their situa-
tion, the dealer's floor is usually barren of values
that are selling in other stores. PLAINLY, IN
ORDER TO DO PIANO BUSINESS TODAY,
the merchant must have clean, brand new, up to date,
low priced outstanding values to offer the public. No
wide awake dealer should be without one or more of
our style 100 grand or our new style 815 upright
pianos. Sincerely yours,
Dec. 25, 1931. '
GORDON LAUGHEAD.
M. SCHULZ COMPANY TO REPLACE TWO
HANDSOME MODELS
Two styles of grand pianos of the M. Schulz Com-
pany, their re-constructed Donatello and Lombardi
models, which were shown in Presto-Times' list of
"Successful Piano Models" a year ago, are now off
the market, aU the product having been disposed of
several weeks ago. While these models were beau-
tiful instruments in design and construction, neverthe-
less they will be replaced by other somewhat later
styles of casework, design and finish. So moves the
world and so move piano styles and models today to
meet the demand for changes and novelty.
Rock Island has a new music store
Tri-City Piano Sales, which is located
avenue. The proprietor of this store is
Sollo, formerly the proprietor of Sollo's
store.
DO YOU KNOW
About the Selling Power,
Beauty of Case Design,
Special Features and
Exquisite Tone Quality
of The
STARCK
Pianos, Grands and Uprights
If you haven't seen, tried and Critically
Examined the Latest Creations from
factory, you are not posted concerning
the latest pronounced triumphs of the
Piano Manufacturing Industry.
And we are prepared to meet Trade
more than half way in Prices and Terms
P. A. STARCK PIANO CO.
Manufacturers
Chicago, Illinois, U» S. A*
Factory:
Ashland Ave. and 39th St.
Offices:
210-212 So. Wabash Avenue
Piano Keys Recovered
First Class Work and
Satisfaction Guaranteed
We are known in the trade
by the quality of our work
McMackin Piano Service
1719*21 Mondamin Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa
known as the
at 1413 Sixth
Mr. Frank W.
Baldwin piano
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/

Download Page 6: PDF File | Image

Download Page 7 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.