Music Trade Review
Issue: 1903 Vol. 36 N. 13 - Page 6
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRKDE
sales, but simply to scour the warerooms, pick up all of the drift-
wood of years, and catalogue the entire list in the "was" and "is"
announcements which are then served spiced and hot in order to
tempt the appetite of the public.
' I "HERE are some customers who will believe that they are secur-
ing bargains when they see a piano listed "was $750, is $50."
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBEI.L-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO.B. KET.LER
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J.--NICK-LIN
But, Lord bless you, some of these instruments could have been
secured from the local piano dealers at a half less than the depart-
ment stores have advertised them—but then, it is the bargain idea.
And they have sold a great many pianos which the regular dealer
^ Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
found it impossible to do, simply because they have not made the
SUBSCRIPTION (Including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, f 2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, '$2.00 per Inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00 ; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.,
bargain feature the dominant one of their advertisements.
If the dealers would inaugurate the "was" and "is" sales they
might also clean a lot of antiquated stock at good prices.
The department stores have given us some novel terms,. Now,
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, MARCH 28, J903.
TELEPHONE NUriBER, 1745-EIOHTEENTH STREET.
THE
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
ADTiQ-re-
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is
Mm i s i 9
effected without In any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora
DIRECTORY
tions found on page 27 will be of great value as a reference for
r\e DiiNn
MANUFACTURERS
"used pianos" is a much more pleasing term than "second hand," and
we rather think the "was" and "is" sales may take the place of
"slaughter" sales.
Piano nomenclature is becoming more varied since the advent
of the department store men, who are constantly enriching it.
T
HE small grand piano is destined to play a more important part
in the piano output as time rolls on. By the small grand we
mean grand pianos which vary in length from five-two to five-eight,
EDITORIAL
T
HE department stores with piano attachments have recently been
carrying some heavy special advertising in the columns of the
leading New York dailies.
An analysis of these business announcements would seem to
corroborate the statement which we made at the time of the advent
of the department store into the piano arena, that the great draw-
ing power of these institutions centers in the exploitation of the bar-
gain scheme. The piano advertising recently carried by the depart-
ment stores has been simply nothing more or less than bargain an-
nouncements, or, if we" might be permitted to invent a new term
which we think extremely applicable, we should say that they have
been indulging in the "was" and "is" sales.
The chief feature of these "was" and "is" announcements lies
in the fact that ancient pianos are exploited somewhat as follows:
"One Lighte & Ernst was $650, is $65."
And $65 is certainly not a low price for an antiquated square
piano.
I N order to make an imposing announcement of the "was" and "is"
sales, representatives of certain department stores have visited
the various local piano warerooms, and have secured all kinds of
second-hand instruments, in order to exploit them as colossal bar-
gains. Thus the accumulation of years in some of the Fifth avenue
warerooms has been dug out of basements and brought to life to
play this part.
• It isn't necesary to scratch such pianos with watches or dia-
mond rings, or to carelessly lean against them and to cause a dent
to be made by the impression, so that a discount of fifty or sixty
dollars could be easily made.
There is nothing of the kind required in the "was" and "is"
and are designated by a variety of terms applied by their makers.
Take, for instance, the small grand manufactured by dickering
& Sons, and known by the very catchy title of "quarter grand." It
is a veritable "little giant," possessing a tone of great volume and
ravishing beauty, and its proportions architecturally are admirable.
It has been simply impossible for this firm, notwithstanding their vast
facilities, to turn them out in sufficient quantities to meet the de-
mand. There are plenty of other small grands, and there are more
constantly being added to the list. And every concern which has
placed a small grand with marked musical qualities upon the market
has been successful. But the field has hardly been touched in this
particular line.
M
ANUFACTURERS will organize for the production of these
special instruments, and they will turn them out in liberal
quantities, so that the cost of production will in time be materially
reduced.
Take the Mignon grand which Knabes have recently placed
upon the market—a beautiful instrument and one that is meeting
with the warmest approval of musical critics. These pianos are
built on symmetrical lines, are pleasing to the eye, possess a tone of
rare volume and quality, and when they are sold at prices a trifle
more than uprights they at once appeal to people who have the
home space in which to locate them. Yes, the small grand has come
to stay. We know of several more contemplated additions to the
growing family of small grands,
I T is safe to assume that several of the papers which are to be read
1
at the dealers' convention next May in Buffalo will emphasize
some of the good which the retail department of the trade has ac-
complished and will not bear so strongly upon the ways that are
dark and devious which have been followed by few members of the
trade.
THE MUSIC TRKDE
sales, but simply to scour the warerooms, pick up all of the drift-
wood of years, and catalogue the entire list in the "was" and "is"
announcements which are then served spiced and hot in order to
tempt the appetite of the public.
' I "HERE are some customers who will believe that they are secur-
ing bargains when they see a piano listed "was $750, is $50."
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBEI.L-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO.B. KET.LER
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J.--NICK-LIN
But, Lord bless you, some of these instruments could have been
secured from the local piano dealers at a half less than the depart-
ment stores have advertised them—but then, it is the bargain idea.
And they have sold a great many pianos which the regular dealer
^ Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
found it impossible to do, simply because they have not made the
SUBSCRIPTION (Including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, f 2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, '$2.00 per Inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00 ; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.,
bargain feature the dominant one of their advertisements.
If the dealers would inaugurate the "was" and "is" sales they
might also clean a lot of antiquated stock at good prices.
The department stores have given us some novel terms,. Now,
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, MARCH 28, J903.
TELEPHONE NUriBER, 1745-EIOHTEENTH STREET.
THE
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
ADTiQ-re-
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is
Mm i s i 9
effected without In any way trespassing on the size or service
DEPARTMENT of the trade section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corpora
DIRECTORY
tions found on page 27 will be of great value as a reference for
r\e DiiNn
MANUFACTURERS
"used pianos" is a much more pleasing term than "second hand," and
we rather think the "was" and "is" sales may take the place of
"slaughter" sales.
Piano nomenclature is becoming more varied since the advent
of the department store men, who are constantly enriching it.
T
HE small grand piano is destined to play a more important part
in the piano output as time rolls on. By the small grand we
mean grand pianos which vary in length from five-two to five-eight,
EDITORIAL
T
HE department stores with piano attachments have recently been
carrying some heavy special advertising in the columns of the
leading New York dailies.
An analysis of these business announcements would seem to
corroborate the statement which we made at the time of the advent
of the department store into the piano arena, that the great draw-
ing power of these institutions centers in the exploitation of the bar-
gain scheme. The piano advertising recently carried by the depart-
ment stores has been simply nothing more or less than bargain an-
nouncements, or, if we" might be permitted to invent a new term
which we think extremely applicable, we should say that they have
been indulging in the "was" and "is" sales.
The chief feature of these "was" and "is" announcements lies
in the fact that ancient pianos are exploited somewhat as follows:
"One Lighte & Ernst was $650, is $65."
And $65 is certainly not a low price for an antiquated square
piano.
I N order to make an imposing announcement of the "was" and "is"
sales, representatives of certain department stores have visited
the various local piano warerooms, and have secured all kinds of
second-hand instruments, in order to exploit them as colossal bar-
gains. Thus the accumulation of years in some of the Fifth avenue
warerooms has been dug out of basements and brought to life to
play this part.
• It isn't necesary to scratch such pianos with watches or dia-
mond rings, or to carelessly lean against them and to cause a dent
to be made by the impression, so that a discount of fifty or sixty
dollars could be easily made.
There is nothing of the kind required in the "was" and "is"
and are designated by a variety of terms applied by their makers.
Take, for instance, the small grand manufactured by dickering
& Sons, and known by the very catchy title of "quarter grand." It
is a veritable "little giant," possessing a tone of great volume and
ravishing beauty, and its proportions architecturally are admirable.
It has been simply impossible for this firm, notwithstanding their vast
facilities, to turn them out in sufficient quantities to meet the de-
mand. There are plenty of other small grands, and there are more
constantly being added to the list. And every concern which has
placed a small grand with marked musical qualities upon the market
has been successful. But the field has hardly been touched in this
particular line.
M
ANUFACTURERS will organize for the production of these
special instruments, and they will turn them out in liberal
quantities, so that the cost of production will in time be materially
reduced.
Take the Mignon grand which Knabes have recently placed
upon the market—a beautiful instrument and one that is meeting
with the warmest approval of musical critics. These pianos are
built on symmetrical lines, are pleasing to the eye, possess a tone of
rare volume and quality, and when they are sold at prices a trifle
more than uprights they at once appeal to people who have the
home space in which to locate them. Yes, the small grand has come
to stay. We know of several more contemplated additions to the
growing family of small grands,
I T is safe to assume that several of the papers which are to be read
1
at the dealers' convention next May in Buffalo will emphasize
some of the good which the retail department of the trade has ac-
complished and will not bear so strongly upon the ways that are
dark and devious which have been followed by few members of the
trade.
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