Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
trade and is also said to have the distinction of
being one of the first salesmen to travel in the
interests of the Edison Phonograph.
Retail Trade for Past Week Quite Active—Mr. Pressey, of the Lester Co., on a Southern Trip
—Ludwig & Co. Will Move to Larger Quarters at 1103 Chestnut Street About Feb. 1st, and
Will Occupy Entire Building—James & Holmstrom Piano Much Appreciated in Philadel-
phia—Heppe Business Satisfactory—Abusive
Advertising Condemned—Baldwin
Player
Piano Highly Praised—Messrs. Miller and Woolley Back from Convention—Other Items.
PIANO RIALTO IN DES MOINES.
Principal Music Houses Will Concentrate in
New Building on Locust Street.
(Special to The Keview.)
Des Moines, la., Jan. 14, 1907.
Son, naming the pianos the latter firm sell and
If plans which are now under consideration
ridiculing them to the "queen's taste." Such
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 16, 1907.
are brought to their expected finish the business
The Philadelphia trade is in excellent shape advertising methods are to be decried.
The Lester Piano Co. report that their branch section of the city will be improved by the
again. All the houses are well stocked with
building of a four-story structure occupying the
pianos, and for the past week selling has been stores are doing particularly well.
Charles E. Doddridge, who has five piano entire block between Ninth and Tenth on the
quite active. The Philadelphia manufacturers
are in particularly* good shape and are filling show rooms in Philadelphia, in which he exhibits north side of Locust.
In this building with six store fronts will be
orders promptly. Mr. Pressey, of the Lester the Baldwin and the other makes by that firm,
Piano Co., has started on a three weeks' trip one of which he had given over to office work, concentrated the largest music houses of the city.
through the South. The company have their busi- has been compelled to utilize that room to ex-
This plan has grown out of the original design
ness in such shape that they are again able to hibit the fine Baldwin player-piano. This instru- for the erection of two buildings upon the quarter
supply pianos of all their various styles, which ment is truly a gem among player-pianos. It is block at the corner of Ninth and Locust,
they expected they would not be able to do before placed in Style 56 Baldwin, which is the most which was announced early in December. The
the first of February.
Since Christmas, Mr. popular Baldwin seller in Philadelphia. In this original investment contemplated was for $150,-
Pressey and Mr. Miller have spent the better the firm seems to have done a wise thing, as so 000, but if this new plan is carried out the cost
part of each day at the factory rushing work. many concerns seem to neglect one of their of the building will be far greater.
And not only in pianos are they catching up cheaper grades of pianos for the player, in order
Paul E. Jones, of the firm of E. H. Jones &
rapidly, but their player-pianos are coming to keep the price down and make as much money Son, music dealers, stated that the house with
through with remarkable speed, and they have as possible out of it. Mr. Doddridge has sold which he is connected will take a double front
at present a number of these fine instruments quite a number of the Baldwin player-pianos, and of the new building if the other dealers can be
ready for shipment. Mr. Miller, who is president is about to close several sales this month.
induced to fill the rest of the block.
of the firm, calculates that this is going to be
James C. Miller and D. E. Woolley, who at-
the biggest year in the history of the house, and tended the Cincinnati convention last week, speak GEBHABJJT PIANO CO.'S ANNUAL MEETING.
has already full plans in hand for an increase of in the highest terms of what was accomplished
factory facilities if such a thing is deemed neces- there, and predict that the Chicago convention
The Gebhardt Piano Co. held their annual
sary.
in June is going to be the greatest ever held by meeting at the office of the company at Marion,
The most important development of the week the trade. Mr. Wooley, who in a great measure Ohio, on the 9th inst. The directors elected were
in Philadelphia is the move that the Ludwig looked after the press work, says that members N. L. Gebhardt, H. S. Barrett, C. R. Leftwich, C.
Co. are about to make. They will remove to are coming into the association fast. The asso- W. Graves, W. H. Burgener, Daniel Evans and
1103 Chestnut street, from their present quarters ciation has now 710 names on the roll, and by the William Gross. The directors elected N. L. Geb-
at 1127| just as soon as repairs are made in the time of the convention they hope to have the hardt president, treasurer and general manager;
H. S. Barrett vice-president, and William Gross
former building. The contractors have promised number up to 1,000.
to have the building r.eady by February 1, but
Several of the Philadelphia piano men have secretary. After the meeting of the directors the
Mr. Ryan doubts whether they will be able to do found it necessary to raise the price of their in- company exhibited their first inside player piano,
that. When 1103 is finished it will be one of struments, and the manufacturers say that if which highly pleased all present. The instru-
the finest piano buildings in Piano Row, as it materials continue to go up as they have been ment is run either by electricity or foot pedal, is
carefully built and has wonderful control over
is being extensively remodeled at present for a doing they will also have to make a raise.
two
piano.
piano house. The Ludwig Co. will occupy the
The Estey Organ Co. have just erected a very
entire building, having the four floors through, fine pipe organ in the Spring Garden M. E.
J. W. HARPER GOES TO TOLEDO.
which will give them more than double the space Church, at Twentieth street and Spring Garden.
they now occupy. They have been very much There will be another recital oil the large $12,000
J. W. Harper, formerly manager of the St.
handicapped in their present building, but it Estey pipe organ the company erected in Holy
would be a first-class piano store for a small Trinity Church on the 24th, and still another Paul, Minn., branch of the Cable Company, hag
firm, and no doubt it will not be long idle. one on February 5. The Estey recitals at the been made manager of the Toledo, O., branch of
Their new home was occupied for many years warerooms were resumed last Monday evening, the company, assuming the duties on January 1.;
by the Blasius firm.
and an unusually large crowd was present.
1
The Estey Co.'s proposition to give a brand
The Ludwig Co. expect to go into the business
DISTINCTIVELY HIGH GRADE"
on a more extensive scale than ever before in new Estey piano to the family having the oldest
this city. They will now have a special room piano in Philadelphia or Camden has called out
f0r the Ludwig grands, for they believe there is a large number of applications, and the firm are
ai big field here for that instrument, and they are getting many interesting letters in every mail.
ajlso going to push the Ludwig player-piano, They expect this to be a good paying proposition,
which has already taken a firm place in Phila- as it gives them the names of a big percentage
of the Philadelphians and Camdenites with old
delphia with the best of them.
' ! Jacob Brothers seem to have been fortunate in pianos. The contest closes on January 31.
getting such a splendid piano as the James &
There are evidently a great many piano sales-
Holmstrom to help them out in their present men dissatisfied with their present employment
trying circumstances. They still have a number —or vice versa—as several of the Chestnut street
of Jacob Brothers pianos on hand, and they have piano dealers tell me that they have never had
fjeen doing a splendid business. The manager so many applications for positions as they have
notes that their holiday business was the best had this January. This is contrary to general
they have ever had in this city, and was remark- conditions, for the complaint has been that when
ahle in the number of cash sales they were able a dealer would advertise for a new salesman
to make. The style 12 is a particularly popular he would get very few if any answers, and when
seller among the James & Holmstrom pianos. a Philadelphia house wanted a new man they
They are also being nicely helped out by the generally had to send out of town to get him.
many Mathushek & Son pianos that are -coming These out-of-town men have generally proven un-
in continuously.
satisfactory in Philadelphia, for the reason that
' j The Heppes report that business has started business here is done on a different basis. It
is the greatest success of the day.
*ujp quite satisfactorily, and they have plenty of also goes to prove that very few men are enter-
It possesses a scale of rare even-
stock on hand to supply their demand. They had ing the profession of piano salesmen, for a reason
ness, atone of remarkable sonority
an overstock of piano benches after the holidays, that is hardly explainable, as the wages are high
and richness, with a quality that
fajut as a result of placing a few samples in the and the work is not any more onorous than sell-
is highly orchestral. Our latest
ing any other line of goods.
windows, they have practically sold them all.
styles of Grands and Uprights
' I There seems to be only one "scab" paper in
mark a decided advance in the art
this city, as far as the piano men are concerned,
of piano-making. We court inves-
KAUFMAN WITH E. E, FORBES CO.
a;s it is the only paper that will print advertise-
tigation. Some territory still open.
ments of one house which attacks another. Many
E. H. Kaufman, recently connected with a
CHRISTMAN SONS, Manufacturer,
of the firms have refused to advertise with the piano house in Selma, Ala., has joined the forces
FACTORY AND OFFICE:
WAREROOMS:
paper for this reason. The Cunningham house of the E. E. Forbes Co. in Rome, Ga. Mr. Kauf-
869-873 East 137th St.
35 West I4th St.
NEW YORK
this week had a scathing attack upon Heppe & man is a man of wide experience in the piano
(Special to The Keview.)
66e CHRISTMAN
STUDIO GRAND