Music Trade Review

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TH
MUSIC TRADE
MEW
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^. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
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Directory ol Piano
The directory of piano manufacturing nrms and corporation*
'
~ "
found
on another
page will be of great value, as a reference
for
dealers
and others
Manufacturers
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Exposition Honors Won by The Review
it .and Prim
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver M edal.Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal..St. Louis Exposition, 1804
Gold Medal.LewIs-Clark Exposition. 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE—NUMBER 1745 GRAMERCY
Cable address: "ElbHl N e w York."
NEW YORK,
MARCH 23, 1907
EDITORIAL
O
NE of these periodical slumps for which Wall street is noted
occurred again last week, and as a result some of the so-
called authorities in the financial world have been painting the future
in indigo-hued tints. Meanwhile, the country still lives. Business is
active, and is being conducted on a more conservative credit basis
than for many years; the outlook in the agricultural sections is all
that could be desired, and as far as the piano situation is concerned,
it would seem as if the output of pianos at retail this year will equal
if not surpass any of its predecessors. Because a coterie of Wall
street buccaneers decide to depress or advance stocks is no reason
why the sane, sober, business element of the country should be
affected—outside of the usual injury which such tactics do to the
monetary situation. This is the time to give a black eye to the
prophets of disaster. It is the time to cultivate optimism—not
optimism based upon incorrect foundations, but rather the optimism
that is only deducible from a careful study of general business con-
ditions, and the financial health of the nation. There should be some
law to jail those men in and outside of Wall street who act like the
highway robbers of old. Whenever they choose they come together
and decide to make some extra money, and then, putting a pistol to
the public's head, set about depressing values. While these values
are all on paper, yet immense injury is done to the substantial busi-
ness interests of the country by such tactics, for it makes money
dearer and clogs, in a measure, the wheels of commerce.
T
HE man who builds up a great and successful business and
makes his trade-mark an asset expects and deserves the pro-
tection of the trade and of his customers. This protection is as
valuable to his customers as it is to him. If they buy his wares, they
know they are getting the worth of their money; they are getting
what they asked for, and what they wanted. If they buy a sub-
stitute they not only cheat him, but they do not get what they
desired, and they have absolutely no recourse if they are swindled.
One argument used by the substitution dealer is that he saves the
cost of advertising, which a standard article pays. This is all
tommy-rot. The man who has a trade-mark asset should be pro-
REVIEW
tected by the legitimate trade. He is doing a benefit to the industry
wherein his activities lie, and in the piano trade every manufacturer
who has created out of his name a valuable trade-mark should be
protected by every other manufacturer.
S
OME dealers, having secured the agency for certain other pianos
which closely resemble some of the great names, have endeav-
ored to confuse the public mind to such an extent that they can
substitute the imitation for the genuine. Whenever this course is
adopted in any city, the opposing dealers should do everything in
their power to crush out the substitution man. It is the great names
in the piano trade that dignify the industry; if it were not so, why
would a dealer emblazon his windows with gold lettering announc-
ing that he has the agency for some well-known pianos? He does
it because he knows that the passersby are sufficiently well posted
to recognize those names as representing standards of piano value.
They feel that upon entering the stores where such names are
flaunted they can secure those instruments, and they know they are
worth the prices asked for them—but here is where the substitution
dealer gets in his fine work. He lias a piano which he offers as a
"just-as-good," and the gap is wide in price—$ioo or $200 perhaps
—between his cheap piano and the standard instrument which the
customer came in thinking to buy. Some dealers hold the standard
make purely as a bait, as a drawing power, and when they get the
customers in their warerooms they use their powers of persuasion
to sell them something else.
*
I
F this plan were not pursued systematically there would be a
better trade for some of the first-class pianos in particular
localities. We know a case recently where a dealer had held the
agency for a well-known piano for several years. His trade, instead
of growing better, had steadily declined. The manufacturer found
upon investigation that he was substituting a cheaper piano for
his own, and at the same time the standard piano gave his establish-
ment character and dignity. We may as well take off our hats to
the great names of the industry and respect them. They deserve
it. They have helped to make the piano trade what it is, and do
not let us attempt to pull them down in the mud. There must
always be a line of demarcation between the standard articles and
those of intermediate grade. Then why not admit it and be honest
with ourselves and with the people who come in to buy pianos,
thinking that they will get square treatment in the warerooms?
N
OVELTIES in advertising are at all times interesting, and
now that the souvenir postal card craze has grown to such
an enormous extent in this country, why should not piano manu-
facturers utilize it especially to advertise their own product ? A
most attractive series of cards could be evolved, showing factories,
factory views, wareroom views and special kinds of pianos in colors.
Take such a great corporation as the Kimball Co. What an inter-
esting series of postal cards in colors they could work up, showing
views of their factories and warerooms, and how useful dealers
would find them. We put this out as a suggestion, and we believe
it could be adopted with excellent results by some of the piano manu-
facturing concerns. The postals would go into the homes of thou-
sands of people, where they would be shown and viewed with con-
siderable interest for a long time. It would be in a way permanent
advertising.
T
HE best way to disappoint a customer is to see that he gets
more for his money than he expected. The good effect of
the publicity thus secured gratuitously it would be difficult to esti-
mate. Wise piano men, please take notice.
T
HE influence which this journal occupies outside of purely piano
circles is infinitely greater than a paper devoted exclusively
to one line, appealing as it does to dealers who handle pianos and
organs, sheet music, small goods, talking machines and everything
which goes to make up a well-equipped music store.
It is of more value to the dealer than a paper which does not
contain such varied information, and it has as well greater value
for the advertiser. When we commenced a special talking machine
department some years ago that industry was young, and it has
been frequently said in trade circles that we "discovered it." We
at least saw its possibilities, and at once began to encourage trade