March, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
ISSUED THE
FIFTEENTH OF
PUBLICATION MONTH
The American Music Trade Journal
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
their assistance is invited.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the than strictly news interest.
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
Forms close at noon three days preceding- date of pub-
Subscription, $1.00 a year; 6 months, 60 cents; foreign,
£3.00. Payable in advance. No extra charge in United lication. Latest news matter and telegraphic communica-
States possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for adver- tions should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day.
Advertising copy should be in hand four days before pub-
tising on application.
F R A N K D. A B B O T T
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Editor
PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers
417 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, III.
lication day to insure preferred position. Full page dis-
play copy should be in hand three days preceding publi-
cation day. Want advertisements for current issue, to
insure classification, should be in three days in advance
of publication.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press at 11 a. m
three days preceding publication day. Any news trans-
piring after that hour cannot be expected in the current
issue. Nothing received at the office that is not strictly
news of importance can have attention after 9 a. m. of
that date. If they concern the interests of manufactur-
ers or dealers such items will appear the. issue following.
CHICAGO, MARCH, 1932
this issue on through the summer months
F ROM
Presto-Times will be published bi-monthly, a fre-
quency that will insure a paper of unusual interest
and attention to music merchants and the music trades
and industries in general.
Events of special importance or matters that de-
mand the attention of the trade will be heralded by
Presto-Times bulletins alternating with regular pub-
lication months.
The subscription rate, including a copy of the Buy-
ers' Guide to American Pianos, as a premium, is
placed at ONE DOLLAR a year. Subscriptions that
have been paid for 1932 will be extended six months
from the date to which payments are made.
In response to our circular announcing this change
and ONE DOLLAR subscription rate, including the
annual BUYERS' GUIDE, a flood of renewals and
new subscriptions have been received and the pub-
lishers are confident that under this new schedule of
publication Presto-Times will be of still greater value,
interest and service to its clientele.
* * - # * —
Two important music houses of the music manu-
turing industry and retail trade are celebrating anni-
versaries this year, arid, as it so happens, each a sev-
enty-fifth anniversary; the house of Wurlitzer has
been established in the United States seventy-five
years, notwithstanding the original organization of
Wurlitzer in musical instrument manufacturing is
traced back to about 1701. The other celebrant of
this diamond anniversary, the W. W. Kimball Com-
pany, was established in 1857 by the late W. W.
Kimball.
It so happens that several other anniversary cele-
brations of houses in the music trades and industries
have occurred this year.
Among- the notable large space advertisements that have recently come to the attention of
Presto-Times offices are the three and four column displays of the Aeolian Company, New
York, and their branch stores at Brooklyn and Jamaica, Long- Island. The Aeolian news-
paper advertising- has certainly been of great variety and unusual attractiveness.
The house of Steinert, Boston, has placed some very winning displays showing many
grand pianos with a few uprights scattered in the showing.
The advertisements of the American Piano Corporation, displaying Knabe, Chickering
and Fischer pianos, are attracting considerable attention. Their displays from Ampico Hall,
Boston, have helped a great deal to incite activity in the piano industry.
Probably the Wurlitzer advertisements are more numerous than those of any other one
house, inasmuch as there are so many branch stores throughout the country, about thirty, all told,
including Boston, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Omaha,
Milwaukee, Detroit and dozens of other cities, and all doing a great deal of advertising. By
the way, some of the Chicago newspaper display is exceedingly attractive, and decidedly
original.
The Milner Musical Company of Cincinnati has been doing a lot of Chickering advertising.
J. S. Reed Piano Company, Baltimore, have been doing some special Steinway advertis-
ing as well as some publicity work for the general piano business.
The Grinnel Bros, advertising is always attractive and "wholesome," and likewise some
recent W. J. Dyer & Bro. displays in Minnesota papers.
And, of course, the Steinway publicity continues to run with marked attractiveness.
"Child at Piano," a feature which the Steinway house has made known throughout the coun-
try, is still being used and the publicity that it has gained is quite a feat in the advertising
field.
The advertising campaigns noted above are but a few examples of what is being done in
the retail promotion of the piano industry today. In spite of conditions the piano industry is
The multi and selective types of phonographs and doing its share in helping towards a general business revival and of one fact we all are cer-
radio-phonograph combinations are not, not all of
them, having "easy going" now-a-days. In fact some tain : such efforts are not being extended in vain.
of them have gotten into the dilemma which has
The Schmoller & Mueller advertising from their houses at Omaha, Council Bluffs, and
been coming to the general run of automatic musical Sioux City, is strong, concise and attractive, generally placing the Steinway at the introduc-
instruments. Numerous failures and discontinuances
have been announced and tremendous losses and de- tion.
preciations. The latest of these seems to be the
The Griffith Piano Company displays are large, usually occupying from a half to full page,
Multi-Selecto Phonograph Company, Inc., of Grand
giving
lists of used piano bargains.
Rapids, Mich., just placed in receivership in an order
Numerous other advertising references will be found under the heading, "Activities in
entered in United States District Court and for which
the Michigan Trust Company is receiver. It is said Retail Trade," on another page in this paper.
that operations will continue in order to close up much
unfinished business.
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Henry Edward Krehbiel, the New York critic,
wrote in 1896: "The fundamental principle of the
pianoforte is as old as music itself, and scientific
learning, inventive ingenuity and mechanical skill,
always tributary to the genius of the art, have worked
together for centuries to apply this principle until
the instrument which embodies it in its highest
potency is become a veritable microcosm of music.
It is the visible sign of culture in every gentle house-
hold; the indispensable companion of the composer
and teacher; the intermediary between all the various
branches of music."
About two months ago a letter was received at the Presto-Times office from a prominent
Western music house asking if the publishers of this paper could give the names of a few
piano manufacturers who could offer some grand and upright pianos of saleable models at
very low or "liquidation prices." Out of eight replies to our letters to manufacturers five
wrote that they had a few to offer at liquidation prices and could furnish certain models at
very attractive prices. Two replies were very anxious to sell and one reply said "nothing
to offer."
Ten days ago we received another letter asking advice as to where to apply for rare bar-
gains, whereupon we wrote again to several manufacturers and jobbers. Three replies to this
letter said, "Not many rare bargains but would like to hear from the parties." Two replied,
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