Music Trade Review
Issue: 1908 Vol. 46 N. 18 - Page 12
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THE
12
A RUN AROUND JERSEY CITY TRADE.
Conditions
Reviewed—Dulness With
Large
Plants Effects Business—Lauter's Report—
Wissner's Player Piano Popular—A Good
Record by Jacob Doll's Manager—Brunton
Remodeling Warerooms—Doll
Pianos for
Hoboken Schools—Other Items.
(Special to The Review.)
Jersey City, N. J., April 27, 1908.
In making the rounds of the trade in this city,
it is an exceedingly difficult proposition to get a
consensus of opinion regarding conditions, almost
every store having a different report. With one
or two exceptions, however, it appears that trade
for April has been running behind March, which
was a very good month. Collections during the
present month have also fallen behind the March
record, due, some dealers claim, to the demand
for new Easter outfits, including Merry Widow
hats. At least the married men claim that is the
cause.
The commission "fiend" is also strongly in evi-
dence in this city, and dealers are making strong
efforts to stamp out that nuisance. They can
hardly hope for success, however, until they all
unite and take concerted action in the matter.
The great railroad terminals in Jersey City and
Hoboken, employing thousands of men, have been
cutting down in all departments, and as the piano
trade, as do others, depend largely on the patron-
age of the railroad men, it is naturally affected
by that condition. The trade with the well-to-do
class on the Heights, however, helps considerably
the sales records of those fortunate enough to
control a portion of that business.
At the Lauter Co.'s store, 127 Newark avenue,
Manager Wright stated that while his was one
of the branches to do an amount of business in
March exceeding that of the same month last
year, April so far had proven a disappointment
both in sales and collections. Many prospects
have been brought up to the critical point but
have put off purchasing for the time being, at
least, and with their business to look forward to,
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
the prospects in the future are far from gloomy. roads being badly felt by them, in view of the
However, the Lauter staff are hustling in order fact that a large proportion of their business is
to close enough sales by May 1 to make a good with railroad men.
average for April.
At the F. G. Smith Co. store on Montgomery
The Wissner warerooms, 138 Newark avenuer street business was declared to be rather poor,
in charge of J. Franklin, have enjoyed a very though March had been a very good month in
good April business, they being one of the houses view of general conditions. I t was stated that
who are enabled to report sales for the present the rumor of a 10 per cent, cut in wages on the
month exceeding those of March. They haVe had railroads and the demands of the Easter season
considerable success with the Wissner player- had had much to do with the dulness apparent
piano equipped with the Electrelle player mechan- during April.
ism.
Andrew Brunton, at 80 Montgomery street, is
Any dealer who desires his storage batteries of busy remodeling his quarters and is having in-
energy and enthusiasm recharged, should drop stalled three rooms for displaying the various
into the local branch of Jacob Doll & Sons at Mo pianos in his line, as well as a room for the
Newark avenue, of which Thomas S. Knight is talking machines, he handling both Edison and
manager, and absorb some of the hustling spirit Victor lines. In pianos he handles the Kranich
of the staff of salesmen. Mr. Knight reported a & Bach, the Hardman, Peck & Co. line, and the
very satisfactory condition of trade, owing to Brunton as well as the Autotone. Mr. Brunton is
hard work on the part of the staff, even Sunday very enthusiastic over that new player wonder,
sales being frequent. On one Sunday recently the "Artist Style" Autotone, and has already ne-
Mr. Knight closed three sates, and a salesman gotiated several sales of that instrument. The
two more, making five sales with which to start Brunton line is well advertised locally and a
business on Monday. According to Mr. Knight, branch is maintained in Bayonne to handle the
O. S. Spence, assistant manager, if he were not trade in the Greenville and Bayonne sections as
such a bashful and diffident young man (joke)
well as a portion of Staten Island.
could tell some startling tales of piano selling.
Wlnterroth & Co. also maintain a branch store
When the Review called, he had just closed a at 75 Newark avenue, where a very satisfactory
cash sale for a player-piano, and while naturally business has been done, although trade at the
in a pleasant mood, he was with difficulty pre- present time is rather dull.
vailed upon to acknowledge the fact that the
On the whole, the piano houses in this city
player-piano made the fifth instrument sold by compare favorably with those in any other large
him in five days.
city. Those who conduct the stores are as a rule
Mr. Knight stated that the present month was hustlers of the first order and can get whatever
fully equal to March, which had been most satis- business is to be had, very little of it going totho
factory, and that 40 per cent, of the sales were New York houses.
for cash. The branch has been established less
than a year, but over three hundred pianos have
TRADE BETTERMENT IN INDIANAPOLIS.
already been disposed of.
Jacob Doll & Sons, through the local branch,
The piano business in Indianapolis, Ind., has
succeeded in landing an order for seven pianos improved sufficiently to warrant the increasing
for the Hoboken public schools.
of the sales staff of the various leading houses.
At the local warerooms of the Mathushek & Both the Starr Piano Co. and Arthur J. King
Sons Piano Co., 150 Newark avenue, a considera- have each engaged two first-class salesmen to
ble drop in both sales and collections was re- handle the surplus trade, and prospects are
ported, the cutting down of forces by the rail- bright for the future.
The BEHNING piano is a remarkable instrument and by its splendid merits has
steadily advanced in the estimation of music lovers everywhere.
THE
Behning
is a wonder and in many essentials far surpasses any.of the player products now on the
market. The BEHNING PLAYER-PIANO should be seen and examined by every
dealer who is interested in player-pianos and that reminds us—what progressive dealer
is not interested in player-pianos ?
The player piano has a selling force which cannot be overlooked by progressive
men in all sections of the country.
BEHNING PIANO CO.
of Pianos a»rvd PI ».yer-Pianos
The
BlocK 131st to 132nd Street
NEW YORR
THE
12
A RUN AROUND JERSEY CITY TRADE.
Conditions
Reviewed—Dulness With
Large
Plants Effects Business—Lauter's Report—
Wissner's Player Piano Popular—A Good
Record by Jacob Doll's Manager—Brunton
Remodeling Warerooms—Doll
Pianos for
Hoboken Schools—Other Items.
(Special to The Review.)
Jersey City, N. J., April 27, 1908.
In making the rounds of the trade in this city,
it is an exceedingly difficult proposition to get a
consensus of opinion regarding conditions, almost
every store having a different report. With one
or two exceptions, however, it appears that trade
for April has been running behind March, which
was a very good month. Collections during the
present month have also fallen behind the March
record, due, some dealers claim, to the demand
for new Easter outfits, including Merry Widow
hats. At least the married men claim that is the
cause.
The commission "fiend" is also strongly in evi-
dence in this city, and dealers are making strong
efforts to stamp out that nuisance. They can
hardly hope for success, however, until they all
unite and take concerted action in the matter.
The great railroad terminals in Jersey City and
Hoboken, employing thousands of men, have been
cutting down in all departments, and as the piano
trade, as do others, depend largely on the patron-
age of the railroad men, it is naturally affected
by that condition. The trade with the well-to-do
class on the Heights, however, helps considerably
the sales records of those fortunate enough to
control a portion of that business.
At the Lauter Co.'s store, 127 Newark avenue,
Manager Wright stated that while his was one
of the branches to do an amount of business in
March exceeding that of the same month last
year, April so far had proven a disappointment
both in sales and collections. Many prospects
have been brought up to the critical point but
have put off purchasing for the time being, at
least, and with their business to look forward to,
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
the prospects in the future are far from gloomy. roads being badly felt by them, in view of the
However, the Lauter staff are hustling in order fact that a large proportion of their business is
to close enough sales by May 1 to make a good with railroad men.
average for April.
At the F. G. Smith Co. store on Montgomery
The Wissner warerooms, 138 Newark avenuer street business was declared to be rather poor,
in charge of J. Franklin, have enjoyed a very though March had been a very good month in
good April business, they being one of the houses view of general conditions. I t was stated that
who are enabled to report sales for the present the rumor of a 10 per cent, cut in wages on the
month exceeding those of March. They haVe had railroads and the demands of the Easter season
considerable success with the Wissner player- had had much to do with the dulness apparent
piano equipped with the Electrelle player mechan- during April.
ism.
Andrew Brunton, at 80 Montgomery street, is
Any dealer who desires his storage batteries of busy remodeling his quarters and is having in-
energy and enthusiasm recharged, should drop stalled three rooms for displaying the various
into the local branch of Jacob Doll & Sons at Mo pianos in his line, as well as a room for the
Newark avenue, of which Thomas S. Knight is talking machines, he handling both Edison and
manager, and absorb some of the hustling spirit Victor lines. In pianos he handles the Kranich
of the staff of salesmen. Mr. Knight reported a & Bach, the Hardman, Peck & Co. line, and the
very satisfactory condition of trade, owing to Brunton as well as the Autotone. Mr. Brunton is
hard work on the part of the staff, even Sunday very enthusiastic over that new player wonder,
sales being frequent. On one Sunday recently the "Artist Style" Autotone, and has already ne-
Mr. Knight closed three sates, and a salesman gotiated several sales of that instrument. The
two more, making five sales with which to start Brunton line is well advertised locally and a
business on Monday. According to Mr. Knight, branch is maintained in Bayonne to handle the
O. S. Spence, assistant manager, if he were not trade in the Greenville and Bayonne sections as
such a bashful and diffident young man (joke)
well as a portion of Staten Island.
could tell some startling tales of piano selling.
Wlnterroth & Co. also maintain a branch store
When the Review called, he had just closed a at 75 Newark avenue, where a very satisfactory
cash sale for a player-piano, and while naturally business has been done, although trade at the
in a pleasant mood, he was with difficulty pre- present time is rather dull.
vailed upon to acknowledge the fact that the
On the whole, the piano houses in this city
player-piano made the fifth instrument sold by compare favorably with those in any other large
him in five days.
city. Those who conduct the stores are as a rule
Mr. Knight stated that the present month was hustlers of the first order and can get whatever
fully equal to March, which had been most satis- business is to be had, very little of it going totho
factory, and that 40 per cent, of the sales were New York houses.
for cash. The branch has been established less
than a year, but over three hundred pianos have
TRADE BETTERMENT IN INDIANAPOLIS.
already been disposed of.
Jacob Doll & Sons, through the local branch,
The piano business in Indianapolis, Ind., has
succeeded in landing an order for seven pianos improved sufficiently to warrant the increasing
for the Hoboken public schools.
of the sales staff of the various leading houses.
At the local warerooms of the Mathushek & Both the Starr Piano Co. and Arthur J. King
Sons Piano Co., 150 Newark avenue, a considera- have each engaged two first-class salesmen to
ble drop in both sales and collections was re- handle the surplus trade, and prospects are
ported, the cutting down of forces by the rail- bright for the future.
The BEHNING piano is a remarkable instrument and by its splendid merits has
steadily advanced in the estimation of music lovers everywhere.
THE
Behning
is a wonder and in many essentials far surpasses any.of the player products now on the
market. The BEHNING PLAYER-PIANO should be seen and examined by every
dealer who is interested in player-pianos and that reminds us—what progressive dealer
is not interested in player-pianos ?
The player piano has a selling force which cannot be overlooked by progressive
men in all sections of the country.
BEHNING PIANO CO.
of Pianos a»rvd PI ».yer-Pianos
The
BlocK 131st to 132nd Street
NEW YORR
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