Music Trade Review

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THE 7VU/SIC TRKDE
Now, the piano man has a legal right to sell at any price which
A SIDE from the one price topic, the dealers will probably take
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up another topic at the Buffalo convention next May which is
he deems fit any article in his establishment, but he should not re-
fuse to sell to a purchaser who may call any piano which he has
of vital importance to the retail department of trade.
The advertising of pianos at practically wholesale rates by
advertised at a specified price..
There are laws in some states which directly apply to this
rival dealers will be a subject which will be introduced into the
kind of advertising and some of the local associations should make
deliberative councils of the Association.
There has been, as pointed out in The Review, a number
of recent instances wherein large and important dealers have ad-
an example of some violators of piano peace.
H P H E R E are some people who believe that advertising can sell
vertised brands of pianos carried by their competitors at practi-
cally wholesale rates.
REVIEW
anything—that any piano properly advertised will sell.
This practice naturally has a tendency to
weaken the confidence of the public in the honesty of the dealer,
who sells regularly these pianos advertised by his competitor at
wholesale rates.
It will not.
For if we take a poor piano, one that is not true
to the representations made, then the whole force of advertising
cannot make it a permanent success.
People will not have it, and
with all respect for advertising, it may bridge over a weak case,
It furthermore undermines the belief of the public in the hon-
esty of that institution, and on the whole creates a great deal of
but it will not create a permanent position for it.
There must be
merit behind a well advertised article. There is no question about it.
trouble.
There is no doubt but that there will always be men who will
advertise competitors' wares at ridiculous rates, simply to draw
trade to their own stores.
In these days of keen competition the
dealer who so advertises may claim that he has a perfect right to
sell anything in his establishment at any price that he desires.
Whether or not there is a profit on the deal is entirely an affair
of his and not of his competitor!
As long as he is satisfied to
advertise any merchandise which he may secure, and will sell it,
it is of no concern to his rival.
ciple stands and is generally recognized as sound and in har-
mony with modern mercantile plans.
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continue to offer instruments at whatsoever rates they deem
satisfactory to themselves.
They are not liable to consider the
wishes of their competitors, or figure whether their feelings are
hurt in the matter at all. But they can be prevented by law from
using a form of decoy advertising.
' I ''HE validity of the Brown kicker patents will shortly be tested
*•
in court, and the distinguished house of Chickering & Sons
will be the first defendants.
H p H E R E is no question but that in other lines of trade this prin-
*.
HPHE matter of prices no public agitation can settle, for men will
Some of the leading stores
It is understood that the manufacturers who have signified
their intention of pooling interests in the defense of any suits
which might be brought by Mr. Brown have concluded arrange-
in America secure from certain sources well advertised brands of
ments so that Chickerings will have the hearty support of the
merchandise.
These they exploit frequently at less than whole-
combination. The Chickering attorneys, Roberts & Mitchell, will be
sale rates simply as an advertisement and to win a reputation for
aided by a committee appointed by the National Association, includ-
their store for selling staple goods at extremely low prices.
ing Jas. R. Mason, Chas. H. Parsons and Geo. P. Bent.
We repeat that is a business principle which is conceded by
general merchants everywhere, but when they advertise a certain
They offer
well-known brands of pianos at ridiculously low prices, and when
people call to investigate and are satisfied with the advertised in-
struments and desire to purchase them, they find that the instru-
ments have "just been sold" and of course they regret that they
cannot supply the pianos as advertised, but they have something
which is "just as good."
correct move by the Association and certainly gives practical illus-
tration to the trade of the benefits of organization.
• •
A good many manufacturers have been served with threaten-
brand they sell to people who may call to buy.
Now, some piano merchants are not so honest.
This is a
In other words, they have used the
ing notices from the attorneys of Mr. Brown, hence they are all di-
rectly interested in the result of the first trial.
It shows therefore the right kind of spirit to have manifested
such interest in the defense of the suit brought against Chickering
& Sons.
W
E can hardly believe that Mr. Brown has been correctly
quoted in making the statement that the Association is
well-known piano purely as a bait and there are a few men
acting outside its province to take up this matter and urge concerted
who have their traps baited frequently with just such fraudulent
action in defense.
advertisements.
good and the protection of trade interests, and if a number of man-
A NOTHER evil of this kind of work lies in the fact that when
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a dealer indulges in that kind of advertising which slaugh-
ters his competitor's wares, it usually brings about retaliatory meas-
ures and bitter piano wars are inaugurated, all of which have a
tendency to degrade the business in the estimation of the general
public and furnish the department stores a still greater chance for
their innings.
In a general way the same principles which apply to other lines
of trade apply to piano selling, but the general merchant sells what
he advertises, or he is classed as a fraud,
The organization is formed primarily for trade
ufacturers consider that there are unjust demands made upon them,
what is more natural than that they should unite their interests in
defense of what they believe to be their just privileges?
Expert testimony thus far seems to give everything to the de-
fense, for men who have gone into the matter exhaustively allege
that the Commissioner of Patents would not have granted letters
to Mr. Brown had he had before him other patents, which had
been previously granted along the same lines. After all, the grant-
ing of a patent does not insure the patentee protection; that is de-
cided in the court of law.