Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
A good many manufacturers have taken their traveling men off
the road, stating that they cannot fill any more orders than they have
on their books during the year which is now rapidly drawing to a
close.
J
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
Cditor and Proprietor
J. B. S P I L L A N E , M a n a g i n g E d i t o r .
EXECVTIVE AND REPORTORIAL STAFF:
Gw>. B. KBLLHB,
L,. E. BOWERS.
W. N. TYLER,
F. H. THOMPSON.
BMILIE FRANCES BAUER,
WM. B. WHITB.
L. J. CHAMBERLIN.
A. J. NICKMN,
BOSTON OFFICB:
CHICAGO OFFICB
ERNEST L. W A I T T , 173 Tremont St.
B. P. V A N HARLINGEN, 1362 Monadnock Block.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICB «
TELEPHONES : Harrison 1 5 2 1 ; Automatic 2904.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
5 T . LOUIS OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
B. C. TOKBET.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICB:
C H A S . N. VAN BUREN.
ALFRED METZQEK, 425-427 Front. St.
CINCINNATI, P.;
NINA PUQH-SMITH.
'
Published Every Saturday at 1 Mudisen Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPT1ON (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 B11L
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
THE ARTISTS* "ArtistB 1 Department all the current musical news. This is effected
without In any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
DEPARTMENT section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore
augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
• i t rrTftBY ./ PI ANA ' 1 ^ ne d J r e c t ory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
•IKXvTOKY 9 rlANO jj oun a o n another page will be of great value, as a referenct
MANVFACTUR.ER.S
f Or dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK. DECEMBER 9. 19O3.
S we approach the holidays there is a noticeable increase in
the volume of trade in all lines, and piano merchants are
enjoying a trade which has never been equalled in the history of
the industry, and institutions which cannot do business under the
present conditions may be said to be removed considerably from
the path of success. In other words, they are out of the race,
because, with pleasing conditions all about us, every man whose
business shingle swings to the breeze should be drawing a fair
patronage. While the prosperity of the agricultural classes is well
known and the great crops of the year are often alluded to in a
general way, the additions thus made to the wealth of the country
are brought forcibly to the attention of the public in the summary
which has gone out from Washington of the interesting report of
the Secretary of Agriculture.
The fact that the year is unprecedented in the volume and
value of these farm products, cannot but affect the general tone of
business, as the prosperity thus reflected and produced must in the
natural course of things influence the trade favorably, as the money
thus realized goes into circulation to the advantage of all classes
from the laborer to the capitalist, and from the retail center of
distribution to the source of supplies in factory and mine. The state
of business as the year draws to a close corresponds with the con-
fidence which prevails.
A
M
ANUFACTURERS in all lines, of course including piano
manufacturers, find their order books well filled, and in
some cases crowded. There are some piano concerns to-day that
are hundreds of orders behind, notwithstanding they are working
overtime to supply the needs of their agents. Railroads have dif-
ficulty in moving the great quantities of produce, raw material, and
finished goods, the transportation of which overtaxes their facilities.
There has been, too, a steady advance in cost of the staples,
and in the prices of labor as well, therefore piano manufacturers
having to pay more for everything which enters into the construc-
tion of their instruments must in turn exact more from the dealer.
The volume of current business is extremely large, and appearances
now indicate a tremendous pressure upon the retail department
the week preceding Christmas.
UDGING from the advertisements which constantly reach this
office representing the kind of publicity carried on by various
leading piano men, we are inclined to the belief that the energy
in the retail department is not slowing down in the slightest, al-
though there are many who say that they are busy enough and that
there is no need to sit up nights planning how to get the people
coming their way.
Collections have been decidedly better during the past week,
and the high rates for money which prevailed before Thanksgiving
aroused very general suspicion that the stringency was not natural,
but was created by the almost omnipotent interest that existed in
the financial world for the purpose of depressing values of secur-
ities. While the conditions prevailing in Wall Street do not affect
the general conditions of the country in the same manner that they
did a few years ago, a flurry in stocks would be of no particular
interest to the average piano merchant or manufacturer who attends
to his own business and leaves Wall Street to itself, were it not for
two facts.
O
NE of these is that the stringency in the New York financial
center has a blighting effect upon the country at large. The
talk of tight money creates conservatism everywhere, and in many
cases new loans have to be effected to cover those called in by New
York, while in others, funds that ought to be at the disposal of local
borrowers are temporarily diverted by the excessive rate obtainable
in Wall Street. The other fact, that the national treasury is usually
called upon to help the New York speculators out of a hole, is less
important to the individual, but is of considerable moment to the
people of this country. But the prosperity of the country is so
overwhelmingly self-evident that we can afford to view Wall Street
spasms with complacency.
P
IANO merchants are becoming fully alive to the advantages
which a tasty wareroom filled with well kept stock has over
a dark depressing-looking establishment in which are displayed
dust-covered instruments. The arrangement of stock is a very im-
portant one in the retailing of pianos, and customers are frequently
attracted to a store where there is brightness and cleanliness apparent
everywhere, and the dealer who follows out the plan of making
his warerooms attractive has a decided advantage over the man who
believes in keeping stock in any old way.
Another thing about the keeping of stock which some do not
appreciate, is to have the proper number of pianos displayed and
not attempt to crowd instruments on a floor so that callers have to
edge along between narrow aisles lined with pianos.
The instruments in crowded quarters show to poor advantage
—in truth they cannot be seen or shown properly, and when cus-
tomers have tramped around in dust covered piano aisles, they are
not in a mood to buy any particular instrument which is shown
under such environment. After leaving such a store and visiting
an up-to-date wareroom, the man who has the bright, attractive,
well-arranged stock easily becomes the victor.
S
YSTEM regarding accounts and collections is a very important
matter, but a piano system that does not also include a well
kept stock in an attractive wareroom is lacking in essentials. Many
men wear themselves out trying to avoid difficult problems when a
successful man grappling with the situation would have strength-
ened them and made their business extremely profitable.
The piano business, it is true, is different than many others,
but after all, the same business principles which apply successfully
to other trades will work satisfactorily if applied to the retailing of
pianos. The business may be brightened and strengthened materi-
ally if the right kind of thought is placed upon it.
W
HEN you come to think of it, a piano salesman has but one
line to talk, and therefore he should develop the strongest
line of argument possible. We do not mean by that that he should
not vary his line of persuasion, but piano selling affords a splendid
opportunity for the exercise of high salesmanship talent.