Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
this fall have changed their tactics considerably.
Another thing that is striking to the trade is the
way the Philadelphia piano "gyp" has been elimi-
September Makes Great Record—Strawbridge & Clothier News—Lit Bros. Has the Mathushek—
nated.
Since Mr. Woolley's recent crusade
Gimbel's Strong Line—Wm. Knabe Visiting Wanamakers—Great Call for Miller Grands—
against the newspapers, no "gyp" ads. worth
Heppe's Big Output of Weber Pianos—Trade Conditions Sound and Outlook Good.
mentioning have appeared and all the papers
(Special to The Review.)
have just started for that section, where Mr. have given their promise that they will not be
Philadelphia, Pa., October 3, 1905.
Pressey has found an unusual demand for his accepted in future.
And still another thing for which the piano
"September is the best month we have had grand. The first shipment of the Lester player
since we have been in business, now close on to pianos has also been started westward. • The dealers are thankful is the utter disappearance
forty years. It even surpassed that exceptionally factory is getting in very good shape for these of the piano thief. This has been brought about
busy September of 1902," said a prominent piano instruments, and George Miller says he is receiv- through the black list, carried by the local asso-
dealer this week. This is the general comment. ing praise all around on these instruments. Geo. ciation. This black list contains the names of al-
August was an excellent month, and more pianos W. Clutter, who handles the Lester at Pensacola, most every dishonest person in Philadelphia who
were sold than any previous August, was the ex- Fla., was a visitor to the factory this week, se- in the past has preyed upon the piano men, and
through this all the dealers are able to keep tabs
perience at the majority of the Philadelphia lecting his fall and winter stock.
A. H. Kayton, secretary of the Bailey Piano on these fellows, and have been watching them
stores, and September the sales were at least
so closely that they have practically been driven
half again larger than those of August. This is Co., was in Philadelphia this week.
Henry F. Miller & Sons have filled themselves out of business.
most gratifying and points to the biggest fall
and winter business in the history of the Phila- up with Miller grands and uprights, and they
delphia trade. There are several sides to this have been having a tremendous success with the
THIERY'S CHANGE OF BASE.
story that are also gratifying to the trade. The former. It is nothing unusual for three or
four grands to leave the Miller warerooms in Retires from the Retail Business and Will
most important to the dealer is the grade of
piano that is being taken. It is very rarely pos- one day. This may seem an exaggeration, but
Center His Activities on Wholesaling and ,
sible to sell a $175 piano at present. The pur- not when it is considered that most of the music
Mail Orders, Handling a Piano Bearing His \
chasers don't want it. They know that it re- schools and professors of music of Philadelphia
Own Name—Will Give Up Other Lines.
'
quires more money to get a good piano, and they use the Miller piano, and as these schools and
have the money to get something better, and the private conservatories are now opening, conse-
(Special to The ltevlew.I
/
cheap stencil is sitting idly by, wondering what quently this rush. I have often wondered just
Milwaukee, Wis., October 2, 1905.
she has done to be so completely ignored. The how the Miller Co. got such a cinch on this busi-
The announcement that J. B. Thiery, the well-
first payments are also going up somewhat, which ness, but they undoubtedly have it, and that ex- known piano merchant of Grand avenue, had de-
plains why so many Miller lyric grands are sold cided to retire from the retail business, has occa-
is another indication of plentiful money.
;
This prosperity is not alone being noted among in Philadelphia. The Miller house certainly con- sioned much surprise in the trade. It is his in- \
piano men, but the dealers in all classes of in- trols the music teachers of Philadelphia. On tention hereafter to confine his attention to the /
struments are enjoying prosperity. The player- Saturday morning before ten o'clock three Lyric wholesale and mail order sale of his own pianos /
piano business is getting to be a great feature. grands, left the Miller store. The Millers are and organs.
It is growing tremendously in Philadelphia. It just now getting in some magnificent veneers in
The proportions to which these branches of the
is really astonishing the number of wealthy peo- various shades. They are at present showing sev- business have grown have virtually compelled the
ple in Philadelphia who are exchanging their in- • eral very fine Weaver pianos, made by the Weav- change, says Mr. Thiery. Orders are sent all
er Piano & Organ Co., of York, Pa. These in- over the country, the State business being espe-
struments for these player pianos.
The Strawbridge & Clothier firm have had a struments are exceptionally tuneful and pretty cially heavy. The company sold a vast number
in case, and the Millers say that they are much of pianos in Milwaukee the past twelve montus.
wonderful prosperity with their piano depart-
admired.
ment, since they have been given the agency for
The success of Mr. Thiery's business has been
Since Mr. Fishliaugh has taken charge of the largely due to skillful and heavy advertising.
the Steck piano and the Steck-Pianola piano,
and since they have secured the agency for the Heppe factory things have been working along Starting in in a modest way in a small store on
popular Pease piano, they have placed them- very well. All the piano makers that can be used
Broadway, north of Wisconsin street, seven years
selves on a footing equal to the best piano stores are now at work, and the floors are filled with ago, Mr. Thiery has made his name familiar to
in Philadelphia in the fine line of instruments pianos of all styles in various stages of construc- all purchasers of musical instruments in the
they can offer the public. The Steck-Pianolas tion. The auto-manual department is a busy Northwest.
are beginning to arrive, and the firm have given hive of industry. This firm have orders for in-
From time to time, Mr. Thiery has purchased
over the large piano parlor adjoining their talk- side attachments for a number of factories, and the stocks of other houses. Among the largest of
ing machine rooms to the display of this instru- these orders are coming in considerably faster these is the Mondschein Piano Co., Gerber's
ment. Several of them have already been sold. than the firm can supply the demand. The piano house and Grobman's. Seven such stocks
Then the Pease has also been given a parlor by Heppes have also had considerable trade on their have been purchased in all, and sold out to the
Heppe player piano in markets at a distance customers of the company at bargain rates.
itself.
Lit Brothers, having lost the Gabler agency to where the Heppe piano is sold. The firm are The wholesale and mail order business on
the Gimbel house, have taken in its place the New showing this week several very fine Weber Art which the company will now center its undivid-
Haven Mathushek, an instrument which well Pianola pianos, and it is almost impossible for ed attention, holds the possibilities of a tremen-
suits its patrons, and upon which the Lit firm them to keep these instruments in stock. They dous increase in trade, and it is claimed that
will likely do considerable business. They con- have just received and set up their new orches- "The whole country will be made as familiar
tinue the Hazelton piano, but it is not likely trelle, style F, with solo device, 116-note register, with the name of Thiery as the city of Milwaukee
and which plays the same music as is played by and the State have been."
that that agency will remain at that house, if
any other arrangement can be made. The Hazel- their large pipe organ. Mr. Hillebrand, in charge
Mr. Thiery, who has been handling a line of
ton is too fine a piano to be buried at the Lit of this department, says he has had a wonderful twenty or more pianos, will hereafter handle only
store. That, firm, since they have gone into the success this fall with the orchestrelle, having his own pianos and organs. These he will con-
$1 down and $1 a week business, have advertised just sold one of the highest priced of these in- tinue to sell all over the country.
nothing else, and it is doubtful if the Philadel- struments to the Du Ponts, the powder manu-
The announcement that Mr. Thiery will retire
facturers of Wilmington. Mrs. Alexander Van
phia piano purchasing public know where the
from the retail field came as a great surprise. He
Rensselaer called this week and purchased one
was one of the best known piano merchants in
Hazelton is located.
of the $1,000 Weber Pianola pianos, which she
the Northwest.
The Gimbel house, since they have the Gabler,
presented to her daughter, Mrs. Henry. Mr.
have also pulled up their list of agencies to a
Hillehrand says he never saw anything like the
position equal to any other store in the city, and
wonderful confidence the people in general have
NORRIS NOISELESS AXIOMS.
it will be nip and tuck between the Sohmer, the in the Aeolian Co.'s product.
Gabler and the Ivers & Pond at that house
No. LXXXIV.
As the best evidence that the Philadelphia trade,
A popular axiom in military circles is "A
—these three instruments running a race for
popularity which will no doubt finish with some has implicit confidence in the fall and winter fortress on its guard is not surprised," and this
business in pianos, is the fact that they are applies as well to manufacturing as to military
advantage to the three.
William Knabe was in Philadelphia this week pushing business for all that is in it. All the movements. The piano manufacturer who util-
and spent several days at the Wanamaker store, houses are advertising extensively, and one thing izes in his pianos the Norris noiseless pedal ac-
where he found things most satisfactory. One that, is striking is the clean advertising that is tions and other specialties made by the Norris
of their finest piano parlors is devoted to his being done this fall. Their advertisements are Noiseless Pedal Action Co., of Boston, Mass., is
Knabe-Angelus, and the firm have been selling not ridiculously lauditory, but are conservative, virtually a fortress that cannot be surprised be-
these pianos almost immediately on arrival. At plain statements of facts in which they set out the cause there is no fault finding as when the old,
present they have less than half a dozen in merit of their goods, and never refer to the de- squeaking, noisy, nerve-racking pedals were used
stock, and the Emerson Angelus is going equal- merits of a competitor, as has been so frequently which give dissatisfaction both to the dealer,
the purchaser of the pianos in which they are
ly well. The Wanamaker general business is the case in the past. This is the right sort of
very large, all of their agencies coming in for spirit to display. The public are intelligent, and used, and to the manufacturer, because all
if advertising is not done intelligently it no "kicks" come back to him in due course. The
favor.
H. C. Pressey, of the Lester Piano Co., is at doubt drives more people away than it brings manufacturer who uses the Norris specialties is
present on the Pacific Coast, and is sending in to the store. How true this is has been found always content, and need never do guard duty
some good orders. A carload of Lester grands to the disadvantage of not a few dealers who because complaints are never known to him.
FROM PENNSYLVANIA^SJVIUSICAL CENTER.