Music Trade Review
Issue: 1903 Vol. 36 N. 4 - Page 6
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
7VYVSIC T R K D E
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
viously supplied by The Review representing the total output of
pianos for 1902. Our estimate for 1901 was 159,500, and the past
year 210,000.
than $300, but the increrse and the output from the high-grade fac-
tories brings the average up materially.
It is interesting to note that a number of the dealers estimate
that sixty per cent, of all the instruments sold in their respective local-
ities were under $300.
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO. B. KELLER
There were a good many pianos retailed at less
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J. NICKLIN
v* Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $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 (orm, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 24, t903.
In some localities there has been a tentative agreement among
some of the leading houses not to sell pianos for less than $10 down
and $6 per month. However, in those localities where such agree-
ments have been made there is an evident existing belief that all have
not lived up to the agreement in every particular.
The trouble with such price arrangements is the fact that there
are many ways in which a merchant may avoid open violation of
contract by making concessions and still rigidly maintain his price
agreement.
TELEPHONE NUHBER, 1745-EIOHTEENTH STREET.
THE
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains In Its
ARTISTS'
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This Is
B
T M KIT ejected 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
tlons found on page 31 will be of great value as a reference for
pi A N r>
n c
MANUFACTURERS
f
I HERE is an unmistakable tendency to sell pianos even of the
*
highest grade on small payments down and meagre instal-
ments.
Trade methods which in some localities were most disrep-
utable have been materially reformed, and while a great many
dealers advise us that most despicable p ractices
vogue among their competitors, it cannot be denied but that as a
EDITORIAL
whole the business is run on cleaner and more healthful lines than
heretofore.
I T is imperative that piano manufacturers who intend making an
*
are still in
Every year sees a material betterment in this partic-
ular.
exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition should arrange for space
EGARDING the outlook for the present year there is a vari-
at the earliest possible date.
ety of opinion.
J. A. Ockerson, chief of the Liberal Arts Department, remarked
while in the offices of The Review this week:
"We have received
application from a number of piano manufacturers and it would
In the Middle West and the East dealers
complain bitterly of the effect of the coal famine upon their
trade.
seem from the way applications are coming in from all quarters
There is no question but that the retail piano business has been
for space that it will be difficult later on to give exhibitors just what
hit, and hit heavily by the lack of ability of the people to procure
they desire in location and in number of square feet needed for
coal. The increased cost of this necessity and the uncertainty which
exhibition purposes.
exists almost everywhere has steadily retarded business, and this
Naturally those who make early application
unpleasant factor is liable to figure for some weeks yet.
will receive the first attention."
The matter of space is a very important one and those who
Regarding prospects for the present year, eliminating the coal
delay too long may be disappointed in the location which they may
question, all agree that there will be a material increase over last
be able to secure later on.
year.
Estimates for the present year predict an increase of from
twenty to thirty per cent.
UK ING the pas; week we have been in receipt of communi-
cations from hundreds of dealers in every part of America
I T may be stated in this connection that the retail piano ware-
express ng personal view's on matters of general trade moment.
*
rooms all over America do not contain more pianos than ordin-
Some of these are presented in another portion of this paper, and
arily are found therein at this season of the year.. In fact, many of
just now when manufacturers are making preparations for the new
them were pretty well denuded of instruments during the holiday
year they will be of exceeding interest.
They serve to show the
season, and from estimates supplied us, we are inclined to say that
views of men prominently identified with the distribution of musi-
an exact statement of the retail stocks throughout the country
cal instruments to the general public upon a variety of subjects.
would show that there were less pianos on hand in the warerooms
than there were a year ago.
O
PINIONS from leading dealers in various cities throughout
T is interesting to note that nearly all dealers affirm that there
the Union indicate that the average retail price at which
pianos have been sold during 1902 would closely approximate $300.
The increase in business over that of 1901 varies according
!
has been a decline in the sale of what we may term pianos hav-
ing an indefinite, sometimes called "stencil" origin.
to localities from twenty-five to seventy-five per cent. The average
There has been, however, an increase in the sale of instru-
from all points from which we have obtained definite information
ments not bearing the stencil of manufacturers but the names of
appears to be a trifle over thirty per cent.
dealers. These have a definite origin and are referred to in differ-
The figures of increase
as told by the dealers are in exact accordance with the figures pre- ent terms than the old-time illegitimate piano.
THE
7VYVSIC T R K D E
REVIEW
EDWARD
LYMAN
BILL,
viously supplied by The Review representing the total output of
pianos for 1902. Our estimate for 1901 was 159,500, and the past
year 210,000.
than $300, but the increrse and the output from the high-grade fac-
tories brings the average up materially.
It is interesting to note that a number of the dealers estimate
that sixty per cent, of all the instruments sold in their respective local-
ities were under $300.
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR
EXECUTIVE STAFF :
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO. B. KELLER
There were a good many pianos retailed at less
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUER1PEL
A. J. NICKLIN
v* Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New Y o r k . *
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $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 (orm, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 24, t903.
In some localities there has been a tentative agreement among
some of the leading houses not to sell pianos for less than $10 down
and $6 per month. However, in those localities where such agree-
ments have been made there is an evident existing belief that all have
not lived up to the agreement in every particular.
The trouble with such price arrangements is the fact that there
are many ways in which a merchant may avoid open violation of
contract by making concessions and still rigidly maintain his price
agreement.
TELEPHONE NUHBER, 1745-EIOHTEENTH STREET.
THE
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains In Its
ARTISTS'
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This Is
B
T M KIT ejected 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
tlons found on page 31 will be of great value as a reference for
pi A N r>
n c
MANUFACTURERS
f
I HERE is an unmistakable tendency to sell pianos even of the
*
highest grade on small payments down and meagre instal-
ments.
Trade methods which in some localities were most disrep-
utable have been materially reformed, and while a great many
dealers advise us that most despicable p ractices
vogue among their competitors, it cannot be denied but that as a
EDITORIAL
whole the business is run on cleaner and more healthful lines than
heretofore.
I T is imperative that piano manufacturers who intend making an
*
are still in
Every year sees a material betterment in this partic-
ular.
exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition should arrange for space
EGARDING the outlook for the present year there is a vari-
at the earliest possible date.
ety of opinion.
J. A. Ockerson, chief of the Liberal Arts Department, remarked
while in the offices of The Review this week:
"We have received
application from a number of piano manufacturers and it would
In the Middle West and the East dealers
complain bitterly of the effect of the coal famine upon their
trade.
seem from the way applications are coming in from all quarters
There is no question but that the retail piano business has been
for space that it will be difficult later on to give exhibitors just what
hit, and hit heavily by the lack of ability of the people to procure
they desire in location and in number of square feet needed for
coal. The increased cost of this necessity and the uncertainty which
exhibition purposes.
exists almost everywhere has steadily retarded business, and this
Naturally those who make early application
unpleasant factor is liable to figure for some weeks yet.
will receive the first attention."
The matter of space is a very important one and those who
Regarding prospects for the present year, eliminating the coal
delay too long may be disappointed in the location which they may
question, all agree that there will be a material increase over last
be able to secure later on.
year.
Estimates for the present year predict an increase of from
twenty to thirty per cent.
UK ING the pas; week we have been in receipt of communi-
cations from hundreds of dealers in every part of America
I T may be stated in this connection that the retail piano ware-
express ng personal view's on matters of general trade moment.
*
rooms all over America do not contain more pianos than ordin-
Some of these are presented in another portion of this paper, and
arily are found therein at this season of the year.. In fact, many of
just now when manufacturers are making preparations for the new
them were pretty well denuded of instruments during the holiday
year they will be of exceeding interest.
They serve to show the
season, and from estimates supplied us, we are inclined to say that
views of men prominently identified with the distribution of musi-
an exact statement of the retail stocks throughout the country
cal instruments to the general public upon a variety of subjects.
would show that there were less pianos on hand in the warerooms
than there were a year ago.
O
PINIONS from leading dealers in various cities throughout
T is interesting to note that nearly all dealers affirm that there
the Union indicate that the average retail price at which
pianos have been sold during 1902 would closely approximate $300.
The increase in business over that of 1901 varies according
!
has been a decline in the sale of what we may term pianos hav-
ing an indefinite, sometimes called "stencil" origin.
to localities from twenty-five to seventy-five per cent. The average
There has been, however, an increase in the sale of instru-
from all points from which we have obtained definite information
ments not bearing the stencil of manufacturers but the names of
appears to be a trifle over thirty per cent.
dealers. These have a definite origin and are referred to in differ-
The figures of increase
as told by the dealers are in exact accordance with the figures pre- ent terms than the old-time illegitimate piano.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).