Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1940 2295

Page 30 Text:

NEWS AND NOTE
HERE
A STEINWAY AND A WURLITZER
Two prominent figures in the musical world met for a
friendly chat in the Wurlitzer display room during the recent
Chicago Convention—Rudolph Wurlitzer, of the Rudolph Wur-
litzer Company, and W. B. Steinway of Steinway and Sons,
New York. These names have been famous in musical circles
for five generations.
FAMOUS CAROLINA SCHOOL BUYS STYLE D
STORY & CLARK DYNAMIC SPINET
Charles Stephenson of the C. H. Stephenson Music Com-
pany, Raleigh, N. C, recently sold a style D. Story & Clark
dynamic spinet to the North Carolina School for the Blind.
The main reason for this sale is the splendid Thayer drop
action installed in the Story & Clark style D which was of
great interest to the technical department of this fine school.
MELVILLE CLARK JR., WINS SCHOLARSHIP
Melville Clark, Jr., of Cazenovia, N. Y., son of widely
known music merchant, has just been awarded a second year
scholarship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at
Cambridge, Mass. Last year he won the Regional Scholarship
in the same school, making an outstanding record during that
year of 185 points, against an average of 135, one of the
highest freshman year ratings. His father, Melville Clark, is
President of the Clark Music Co. in Syracuse, New York,
which has been for over 80 years Central New York's leading
music store. Young Melville is majoring in physics and chemis-
try and returns about the middle of September to resume
his studies.
FROM J. W. WYLIE. BALDWIN
REPRESENTATIVE
"I would like to relate an interesting experience. As we
stopped at Danville, Illinois, the temperature was over 100,
and the heat was terrible. The dealer had been up at four
o'clock, went out and delivered a piano, and back by the mid-
dle of the forenoon, rested, and was leaving with another
piano at seven o'clock that evening when the weather was
cooler. Working early and late, resting during the heat of the
day, they sold eight new pianos during July. That's salesman-
ship! Keep your eye on Danville!"
PAGE THIRTY
Rudolph Wurlitzer and William B. Steinway
LAWRENCE H. SELZ ACQUIRES NEW QUARTERS
The Lawrence H. Selz Organization, which is publicity
counsel to the National Piano Manufacturers Association, is
moving its headquarters on September 16 to new offices at 221
North LaSalle Street, Chicago. The Selz Organization is tak-
ing over the entire two top floors of this building, which is
known as the LaSalle-Wacker Building. On the 40th floor will
be the reception room, copy writers' offices, the stenographic
section, and a large, modern production and mailing room.
Larry Selz, who is president of the organization, hopes that
many of his friends in the music trades will find occasion to
call on him in the new offices.
MAGNAVOX DEALERS' DINNER
The Magnavox Company held a Dealers' Dinner in the
Boulevrad Room of the Stevens
Hotel, on July 30. The Mag-
navox people feel that the af-
fair was an unusual success.
It was attended by almost 300
members of the Magnavox
dealer and factory organiza-
tions. The new line, which was
presented by the Vice Presi-
dent, Frank Freimann, was re-
ceived with great enthusiasm.
Mr. William Howard Beas-
ley presided at the meeting
following the dinner and short
talks were given by Mr. R. A.
O'Conner, President of Mag-
navox, and Mr. L. M. Sand-
wick, the Sales Manager. It is
significant of Magnavox prog-
ress in this industry that in
attendance at the dinner, as
Magnavox dealers, were many
of the most prominent names
in the N.A.M.M.
PRESTO MUSIC TIMES
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).
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Page 31 Text:

AND EVERYW
1
SPECTACULAR
INCREASE IN PIANO
SHIPMENTS
The month of July was a banner one for the piano indus-
try showing an increase in shipments of instruments of 57.31%
over July, 1939. The total number of pianos shipped was 7,266.
These shipments were made by twenty eight members of the
piano manufacturing industry.
The comparison of July, 1940, with July of the past two
years is very interesting.
Upright
Grands
Total
1940
6,258 (86.13%)
1,008 (13.78%)
7,266
1939
3,868 (83.74%)
751 (16.26%)
4,619
1938
2,979 (80.17%)
737 (19.83%)
3,716
Shipments of the first six months of 1940 and 1939
Uprights
Grands
1st 6 Mos. '40
54,055(84.34%)
10,033(15.66%)
1st 6 Mos. '39
42,873 (81.69%)
9,612 (18.31%)
MTTFP
were:
Total
64,088
52,485
The piano industry is on the grand march and if nothing
happens to deaden business in the next four months the piano
industry will probably have enjoyed its best year for some
time. Other branches of the music industry also report good
increases in business despite the fact that there have been
some quiet spots during this year.
TRUCK TECHNIQUE IN PIANO
SELLING
Jenkins Piano Company—$1,000,000 a Year
In a very recent number of "Life" magazine, there was an
interesting article entitled "Truck Technique Helps Boom
Piano Sales in Farm Areas." This illustrated article covered
two full pages and three half pages. It told of the activities
of the Jenkins Music Company of Kansas City with its nine
branch stores spread over Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Okla-
homa, and Texas. Through these stores the company sells
more than $1,000,000 worth of pianos a year.
One of their most successful schemes is a truck operation
which is illustrated in the story. About twice a week a
Jenkins truck, several pianos, and a salesman go cruising
avound the nearby farm territory. Through this activity many
sales are made.
It is interesting to know that this story was inspired by
Lawrence H. Seize, Publicity Counsel for the National Piano
Manufacturers Association, and that he spent sometime in
this territory helping prepare the story. Miss Maria Sermolino,
associate editor of "Life," flew from New York to Kansas City
to investigate the story and then photographer George Strock
flew from Los Angeles to take the pictures.
WALTER K. BAHR—A DYNAMIC
WURLITZER "COPS" ADVERTISING
PRIZES
Ray Erlandson, Vice President and Sales Manager of the
Retail Store Division of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company
(pictured at left), and Walter Schwimmer, of Schwimmer
& Scott, Chicago advertising agency, do a bit of congratulating.
And they have good reason for celebrating, for Wurlitzer has
just copped three of the major awards offered in the "Class
A" division of the annual advertising and display competition
held in connection with the Convention and Trade Show of
the National Association of Music Merchants, just concluded
in Chicago. The award for the best piano ad of the year was
won by the Wurlitzer Detroit store; the Wurlitzer Cincinnati
store won second place for advertising musical merchandise;
and the Wurlitzer Cleveland store won the first prize for the
best piano window display. All Wurlitzer retail store ads were
prepared by Schwimmer & Scott of Chicago.
LEADER
The picture at the right shows the band instrument dis-
play in the window of the Waldon Music Shop, Allentown,
Pennsylvania, of which Walter K. Bahr is the owner, and
Martin Band Instrument Company dealer. Mr. Bahr is one
of those agressive, up-to-the-minute men who are the life of
the communities in which they live. It is a matter of pride to
our whole fraternity of music dealers to have in it men like
Mr. Bahr. He is not only a fine leader in his own business
and in his own city but has extended his influence to a wider
area. He was one of the prime movers in the organization of
the Lehigh Valley Music Dealers Association. He has been
the representative of the Retail Musical Instrument Dealers
Association in this same territory. Presto Music Times wants
to congratulate Mr. Bahr on the success of his business and
the service he is rendering in a large way in the music field.
This is a splendid window. Such displays promote our business
because of their attractiveness and appeal to the artistic sense
of the general public.
SEPTEMBER, NINETEEN FORTY
PAGE THIRTY-ONE
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/

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