Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
versation that, including the holiday trade,
December, January and February, they had
sold in all thirty pianos, and this is an ac-
tual occurrence in one of the largest and
best-known department stores in New
York City.
which are sold to department stores. In
this way they help to curb the encroachment
of the department store upon their business.
A report has reached this office that a
call has been issued by the dealers of a
Western City to come together to consider
the department store question and its pos-
sible effect upon the retail piano merchant.
T^HERE is no question but that organi-
zation is of great advantage and union
as well, when desirable elements are P H I L A D E L P H I A is well keeping up
her recent record as being the storm
brought together. We have in this trade
center
of trade news for the past few
some excellent manufacturers but poor
business men. In business co-operation weeks. If this sort of thing continues in
means a mutual advance. A good actor the Quaker City, we shall all have to give
rnay prove a tremendous drawing card and it a more prominent position in the sum-
make a great deal of money, but often- ming up of trade happenings than it has
times when he attempts to control the busi- recently occupied.
ness end of his affairs he fails lamentably.
IT is possible that next Monday interest-
Some men claim that they are busy, but
ing developments may occur which will
they are not making any money. Now, materially affect the plate industry. While
is that good business, and is it a good a trust is not an impossibility, yet it is
business man who makes such a declara- hardly believed that it will be formed, al-
tion ? Is it not well for him to look care- though some understanding may take place
fully over his affairs and see wherein his among the various plate men, so that fair
weakness lies?
prices may be obtained.
The year is certainly bright with pros-
The Vose "A Honey Haker."
pects, and it would seem as if we were
entering upon a period which would be re-
Dealers in all parts of this broad land
markable in many ways, and it is an of ours are in business to make money,
opportune time in which to vaccinate hence the importance of studying the Vose
announcement on the cover page of this
business failure with the virus of common-
issue.
sense and paying business system.
The Vose Co. very properly say: "You
must select an article that, in consequence
I T has been hinted in some quarters that of its superiority, finds a ready purchaser.
Marc Blumenberg has been promoting There are almost innumerable points of
the department store scheme with a view superiority in the' construction of the Vose
pianos, which, if "brought to the notice of
to obtaining commissions.
buyers, at once make themselves popular."
Possibly the rumor had its origin in the
This is not merely a general statement,
well-known affinity that Blumenberg has but a fact which is verified by actual ex-
always possessed towards commissions. periences of dealers handling the Vose
The inception of the commission idea be- products. They are not alone splendidly
gan by securing salesmen's positions for advertised by the mamifacturers in a most
complete, effective manner so that a large
which a " c o m " of ten per cent, was demand is created, but they possess in-
charged. It was the hope of winning a trinsic merits in the matter of artistic cas-
huge commission that interested him in ings and tonal attributes that enable them
the trust, and of course, if there are fat, to win a large measure of support wher-
juicy commissions to be obtained from ever sold.
Dealers handling the Vose pianos can
each of the contracting parties in the de-
feel assured that energetic work will meet
partment store matters, why it would not
with the heartiest support from the Vose
be surprising if he were following the Co. They are "live" people thoroughly
matter up closely. As the needle is drawn imbued with up-to-date business ideas, and
towards the magnet, so is Blumenberg they appreciate and believe in concerns
drawn towards the commission flesh pots. actuated by the same commendable pur-
It is possible, however, that he may hunger poses.
long before his capacious maw is satisfied
Praise for Knabe Baby Grand.
with those fat, juicy commissions which
R. Dorman & Co. have just received a
the trust and department store fields would Knabe Grand which for beauty of tone and
seem to promise.
artistic workmanship is the peer of any of
this style of pianos ever shown in our city,
A N association has been started composed says the Nashville, Tenn., American. Mr.
of retail grocers who have banded to- C. P. Street, secretary and treasurer of the
company, while on a recent visit to the
gether to work against department store
Knabe factory in Baltimore, was attracted
encroachments. It is said that they have by what he thought was the handsomest
signed an agreement whereby they will not upright piano he had ever seen. The
sell or offer for sale certain specified brands wood was mahogany, beautifully figured,
and so rich as to attract everyone's atten-
tion. He ordered the piano and a few
days after receiving it sold it to one of the
wealthiest families in Tennessee. The
mahogany used in the grand just received
is from the same log as the upright, and
shows to much better advantage. > It is:- a very fine quality and so beautifully
sawed that it attracts the attention of all
connoisseurs.
C
The Knabe factory pays enormous prices
for such fancy pieces of mahogany, and, of
course, gets the first choice, because they
are willing and can afford to pay more than
their competitors, whose trade does not
demand the best. The Knabe^name i& a
guarantee for the musical qaulitites of tBeir
piano, and anything said of Knab.e tone is
superfluous.
>-''
Conn's Greatest Novelty. -J
C. G. Conn, the ever-original, is just
about to launch one of the cleverest and
most ingenious novelties of a musical nature
which, perhaps, has ever come before the
public. It is an unique idea, whereby every
man, and child for that matter, becomes
his own composer. It furnishes a key
whereby anybody can write hundreds of
marches, waltzes—dance music of any kind
—for the piano, each of which will be
original in melody and correct in harmoni-
zation. It will compel our modern com-
posers to take a back seat.
• >j^
The idea has been patented and wili*%e
made known in due time to the public of
the country by the inauguration of a pro-
gressive advertising campaign. The nov-
elty will be sold at the moderate cost of
thirty cents, and will afford ten dollars
worth of value as an educational factor,
apart from its real merit. We shall have
more to say of this "wonder"-ful scheme
in a later issue. It is going to be the big-
gest "hit" of the age and a great selling
feature for dealers.
Miss Von Grave's Great Success.
Henry L. Mason, of the Mason & Hamlin
Co., received a telegram from Detroit on
Wednesday in regard to the playing of Elsa
Von Grave who played the Mason & Hamlin
grand piano with the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra on Tuesday evening. The des-
patch reads:
"Elsa Von Grave tremendous success;
five recalls, encore; Rosenthal enthusias-
tic over her playing.
(Signed)
Alberto Jonas."
fleetings Being Held.
Several meetings of the Committee on
Stencils of the New York Piano Manu-
facturers' Association, of which William
Dalliba Dutton is chairman, recently named
by President Myron Decker, have been held
since its appointment and good progress has
been made in preparing a report, etc. ,for the
National Association meeting in April.
William F. Hasse, who has been suffer-
ing from the grip, is now recuperating at
Lakewood. Business at the warerooms is
reported as active. Mr. Brown, the Hasse
traveling representative, is sending in good
orders.