Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Ways of the Piano Trade.
These space writers on the daily papers
are remarkably clever fellows—that is,in the
realm of imagination—and the "stories"
they dish up about the piano trade are al-
ways interesting because of their original-
ity and improbability. Last Sunday's
Times, for instance, contained a contribu-
tion under the caption "Ways of the Piano
Trade" which as usual abounded in mis-
statements and exaggerations.
"The piano man" who is supposed to
have told the story about how players and
music teachers add to their incomes was
invented, of course, for occasion. His re-
marks about society women who like to
make a little extra money to help pay their
social expenses is, perhaps, the most prob-
able of the many illustrations adduced, yet
piano men will certainly tax their memo-
ries to discover whether they have ever
come in contact with such people. "You
see," said this mythical piano man, " a
woman goes out a good deal and she meets
a good many people. She will be at a big
euchre party one afternoon and hear you
say that you are going to buy a piano. It
is a very natural thing to speak of it. The
majority of people would do it and perhaps
ask a friend's advice. Well, the woman
who helps pay her tailor's bills in this way
overhears that remark about the piano, and
she gets an introduction to you if she
doesn't know you already, and it is very
easy for her to bring the conversation
around to pianos. You are quite ready to
talk on that subject.
" 'Oh, I do hope you will buy one of
Bangup's pianos,' she will say. 'I have
happened to have several friends buy them
within the last two or three years'—that is
true enough, too—'and they have invaria-
bly given such satisfaction, and the tone is
really remarkable.'
" 'Oh, my dear,'begins your new friend,
and then she hesitates a moment; ' really,'
she will go on, ' I don't want to advise
you, but there is such a difference in
pianos, and if you get a piano with a cold,
hard tone, you will never forgive yourself.
Of course Thumpum is well known and I
wouldn't say a thing against the piano for
the world, only I happen to know—well,
never mind. I am not going to say another
word. The only thing I am really sure of
is that Bangup's piano is a wonderful in-
strument, and so many people I know
think there is no other. But don't pay the
least attention to me. Get the piano you
like best yourself, and don't let any one
make you change your mind and you will
be satisfied.'
"Then she smiles and talks of something
else, but you may be sure that she is down
here bright and early the next day giving
us a full description of you, and you are
pretty sure to come in later and get the
piano, whLe she gets the commission. Oh,
it's a regular practice, and while it is not
done so much in the better class houses, the
smaller ones, where the name of the piano
is not known, does almost all its business
in that way. A little music teacher some-
where off in the suburbs, who knows so
little about music that it is a disgrace to
call her a musician, will shrug her shoulders
at the mention of any other piano than the
one by which she gets her commissions,
and in the families where she teaches they
look upon her as a marvel of musical
knowledge, and go where she tells them.
F. A, Winter's Piano Parlor,
F. A. Winter, the popular piano dealer,
of Altoona, Pa., is one of those enterpris-
ing men who believe that the application
of original ideas to piano display pays.
He has introduced an innovation in his
establishment in the way of a parlor scene,
eight by twelve feet in size, the purpose of
which is to show and afford customers an
opportunity of hearing pianos in a home-
like environment. The booth is substan-
tially made, with prettily decorated ceil-
ing and walls painted in white and trimmed
with gold. A cluster of electric lights
sheds a flood of light on a handsome pattern
of Brussels carpeting, as well as a number
of selected pianos that harmonize very
nicely with the well-appointed surround-
ings.
The effect is most pleasing and the idea
has been very favorably commented upon
by visitors as well as by the local papers.
Mr. Winter is handling a fine line of in-
struments for the Christmas trade, includ-
ing the Kranich & Bach, Mathushek &
Sons, Jacob Bros, and others. The large
stock on the floor is so arranged that the
parlor scene is given considerable promi-
nence.
" Well, did you have a good trip?"
"No. Merely sold a lot of goods to men
who wanted them."
"What on earth do you consider a good
trip? "
"Selling a lot of goods to men who don't
want them."
BEST OF GIFTS
THE HOflE QRAND GRAPHOPHONE
A GRAPHOPHONE is an ideal
* * holiday present. In its train
come all the delights enjoyed
through the sense of hearing.
With a Graphophone you can
have vocal solos, the music of bands
or orchestras, or of any instrument
you prefer—monologues by popular
comedians; sketches from famous
plays; speeches by eloquent orators.
On a Graphophone you can make
instantly and reproduce at once records of the voice; of music; or of any
sound.
The HOME GRAND Graphophone—the crowning wonder of the
art—reproduces with marvelous perfection of tone, and with the full
volume and brilliancy of the original rendition. Its place in the talking
machine art is at the very top.
REDUCED PRICE OF QRAND RECORDS
$1.50 EACH.
THE REAL THING: NOT AN IMITATION
GRAPHOPHONES OF OTHER TYPES FROH $5 UP
Husic dealers can establish and build up a profitable business in graphophones. Liberal discounts allowed to the trade. Best selling season of the
year now at hand.
WRITE FOR CATALOGUE M.
COLUMBIA PHONOGRAPH CO.
NEW YORK, 143 & 145 Broadway.
Retail Branch: 1155, 1157, 1159 Broadway.
PHILADELPHIA, 1032 Chestnut Street.
CHICAGO, 211 State Street.
ST. LOUIS, 720-722 Olive Street.
BALTIMORE, 110 E. Baltimore Street.
BUFFALO, 313 Main Street.
WASHINGTON, 919 Pennsylvania Ave.
CINCINNATI, 121 E. 4th Street.
SAN FRANCISCO, 723 Market Street.
PARIS, FRANCE, 34 Boulevard des Italiens.
~~
BERLIN, dERilANY, 55 Krnftrm—.