Music Trade Review
Issue: 1904 Vol. 38 N. 11 - Page 6
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6
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
Editor and Proprietor.
J. B. 9 P I L L A N E , Managing Editor.
EXECUTIVE STAFF:
T H O S . CAMPBELL-COPELAND,
GEO. B. KELLER,
E M I L I E FRANCES BAUE.:,
W. MURDOCH L I N D ,
A. EDMUND HANSON,
A. J. N I C K L I N ,
GEO. W. QUERIPEL.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAdO OFFICE :
ERNEST L. W A I T T , 255 Washington St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
•
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
K. J. LEFEBVRE.
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madiion Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
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 form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY of PIANO
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
uiuinirTimcic
found on page "O will be of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS
dealers and other*.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, MARCH 12, 19O4.
EDITORIAL
' T p H E outlook this week as far a» the music trade is concerned
*
is one of marked improvement as compared with a week ago.
While the weather conditions have not been all that has been desired,
yet the harbinger of spring in the air has made people more optimis-
tic regarding the future. In New York and vicinity retail trade has
improved, while among the wholesale houses there have been many
visiting dealers, particularly from the far West, who have placed
some good orders. From the South excellent trade reports are
reaching The Review and the West is also sending in cheering tid-
ings of improved trade conditions. All things considered the situa-
tion has materially improved, and with settled and more seasonable
weather, a better market for pianos is certain to ensue.
H P HE great catalogue houses and department stores are steadily
*
encroaching upon the territory of the merchants located in
the smaller towns. Perhaps the piano merchant has been least
affected of all by this change.
There certainly should be appreciation of local enterprise, and
the local piano men are entitled to a fair consideration by the people
who live in their respective localities. Still simply because they are
entitled to that it should not cause them to remain quiescent while
the people hie themselves to the great cities and make their pur-
chases. They have got to work and work hard in order to interest
the people in the wares which they carry.
There is no good reason why a dealer's brand of pianos cannot
be bought just as cheaply from the small dealer as from a large one,
and in this particular the piano man has a better show than his
brother merchants in other lines, but he should improve his oppor-
tunities to the utmost.
Don't find fault with people for buying away from home. At
least not until some sound arguments have been advanced why they
should buy at home.
P)ICK up a paper anywhere and you read the announcements
of the people exploiting the fact that they sell direct to the
consumer. Looks like the wiping out of the men, does it not ? From
factory to fireside is the cry, and it becomes at once a question of
interest to know whether the retailer is going to be eliminated from
the struggle or not.
From the number of combinations which have taken place in this
industry recently, it would seem as if the idea of conducting branches
was gaining ground steadily.
No doubt the manufacturers would prefer to sell direct to deal-
ers than to establish their own branches, at least most of them figure
that way, for in the first place they must have what at times is diffi-
cult to find—a good manager in a city to make a success of their
institution. And even then they are subjected to many annoyances
that would be entirely removed, if they sold to dealers direct.
A Jl OST manufacturers are anxious to sell to energetic dealers,
for they realize it would take a vast deal of time and energy
on their part to build up a trade in any city to equal that of a good
dealer. But they do not propose to have their wares tied up in good
territory in such a manner that there is not a satisfactory distribution
of their instruments.
We may say that such and such a town is an excellent piano
point. What matters it to a piano manufacturer if it is, provided his
representative there is not satisfactory? That interests him and
nothing else. It is results that he desires, and if the results are not
forthcoming it is quite natural that he might be induced to plant his
own branch there.
Dealers should understand that any agency which they carry
pays the manufacturers only when they do his wares full justice.
But where instruments are taken and held simply to keep local com-
petitors from securing them, is the sort of practice which drives
manufacturers into the establishment of their own branches.
A WESTERN subscriber who has been interested in some of
The Review criticisms upon advertising, asks for some ex-
pressions of opinion as to a general "style" to adopt.
There is no advertising "style" in season or out, and sometimes
the striving for "style" destroys some really good points that a young
advertiser may possess.
Now the really successful writer of advertisements must first
of all be a careful man. He can't afford to make misstatements. To
care and exactness he must add a form which is convincing. The
one thing is to interest the reader, and having converted a portion
of the people into advertisement readers, the next thing is to convince
them of the truth of an advertising statement. Good advertising
must come from a man who knows intimately the details of the
business.
I T is true that a business man may give special pointers to an ad-
* vertising expert, and have the latter develop them, but the best
advertiser is a business man himself, provided he has the talent and
the inclination.
It is said on excellent authority that Robt. C. Ogden, the man-
aging partner of John Wanamaker, writes a great many of the
6
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
Editor and Proprietor.
J. B. 9 P I L L A N E , Managing Editor.
EXECUTIVE STAFF:
T H O S . CAMPBELL-COPELAND,
GEO. B. KELLER,
E M I L I E FRANCES BAUE.:,
W. MURDOCH L I N D ,
A. EDMUND HANSON,
A. J. N I C K L I N ,
GEO. W. QUERIPEL.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAdO OFFICE :
ERNEST L. W A I T T , 255 Washington St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
•
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
K. J. LEFEBVRE.
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madiion Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
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 form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
DIRECTORY of PIANO
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
uiuinirTimcic
found on page "O will be of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS
dealers and other*.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, MARCH 12, 19O4.
EDITORIAL
' T p H E outlook this week as far a» the music trade is concerned
*
is one of marked improvement as compared with a week ago.
While the weather conditions have not been all that has been desired,
yet the harbinger of spring in the air has made people more optimis-
tic regarding the future. In New York and vicinity retail trade has
improved, while among the wholesale houses there have been many
visiting dealers, particularly from the far West, who have placed
some good orders. From the South excellent trade reports are
reaching The Review and the West is also sending in cheering tid-
ings of improved trade conditions. All things considered the situa-
tion has materially improved, and with settled and more seasonable
weather, a better market for pianos is certain to ensue.
H P HE great catalogue houses and department stores are steadily
*
encroaching upon the territory of the merchants located in
the smaller towns. Perhaps the piano merchant has been least
affected of all by this change.
There certainly should be appreciation of local enterprise, and
the local piano men are entitled to a fair consideration by the people
who live in their respective localities. Still simply because they are
entitled to that it should not cause them to remain quiescent while
the people hie themselves to the great cities and make their pur-
chases. They have got to work and work hard in order to interest
the people in the wares which they carry.
There is no good reason why a dealer's brand of pianos cannot
be bought just as cheaply from the small dealer as from a large one,
and in this particular the piano man has a better show than his
brother merchants in other lines, but he should improve his oppor-
tunities to the utmost.
Don't find fault with people for buying away from home. At
least not until some sound arguments have been advanced why they
should buy at home.
P)ICK up a paper anywhere and you read the announcements
of the people exploiting the fact that they sell direct to the
consumer. Looks like the wiping out of the men, does it not ? From
factory to fireside is the cry, and it becomes at once a question of
interest to know whether the retailer is going to be eliminated from
the struggle or not.
From the number of combinations which have taken place in this
industry recently, it would seem as if the idea of conducting branches
was gaining ground steadily.
No doubt the manufacturers would prefer to sell direct to deal-
ers than to establish their own branches, at least most of them figure
that way, for in the first place they must have what at times is diffi-
cult to find—a good manager in a city to make a success of their
institution. And even then they are subjected to many annoyances
that would be entirely removed, if they sold to dealers direct.
A Jl OST manufacturers are anxious to sell to energetic dealers,
for they realize it would take a vast deal of time and energy
on their part to build up a trade in any city to equal that of a good
dealer. But they do not propose to have their wares tied up in good
territory in such a manner that there is not a satisfactory distribution
of their instruments.
We may say that such and such a town is an excellent piano
point. What matters it to a piano manufacturer if it is, provided his
representative there is not satisfactory? That interests him and
nothing else. It is results that he desires, and if the results are not
forthcoming it is quite natural that he might be induced to plant his
own branch there.
Dealers should understand that any agency which they carry
pays the manufacturers only when they do his wares full justice.
But where instruments are taken and held simply to keep local com-
petitors from securing them, is the sort of practice which drives
manufacturers into the establishment of their own branches.
A WESTERN subscriber who has been interested in some of
The Review criticisms upon advertising, asks for some ex-
pressions of opinion as to a general "style" to adopt.
There is no advertising "style" in season or out, and sometimes
the striving for "style" destroys some really good points that a young
advertiser may possess.
Now the really successful writer of advertisements must first
of all be a careful man. He can't afford to make misstatements. To
care and exactness he must add a form which is convincing. The
one thing is to interest the reader, and having converted a portion
of the people into advertisement readers, the next thing is to convince
them of the truth of an advertising statement. Good advertising
must come from a man who knows intimately the details of the
business.
I T is true that a business man may give special pointers to an ad-
* vertising expert, and have the latter develop them, but the best
advertiser is a business man himself, provided he has the talent and
the inclination.
It is said on excellent authority that Robt. C. Ogden, the man-
aging partner of John Wanamaker, writes a great many of the
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