Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
you cannot get your local editor to run in a reader or two in the
form of a little write-up calling attention to some special features of
your establishment. If the local newspaper man is enterprising
and clearheaded he will only be too happy to oblige a good adver-
tiser at this time of the year, and, if cleverly done, a neat little
.reading notice is an important aid to a first of the year business.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
G B O . B . K'«1T.T.»Tj )
L. B. BOWERS,
W. H. DYKES.
F. H. THOMPSON.
J. HAYDEN CLARENDON.
B. BBITTAIN WILSON,
L. J. CHAMBERLIN,
A. J.
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE:
B. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 195-197 Wabaah Are.
TELEPHONES : Central 414 ; Automatic 8648.
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL :
ST. LOUIS :
BBNBBT L. WAITT, 27&A Tremont 8 t
PHILADELPHIA t
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTBN.
SAN FRANCISCO:
CHAS. N. VAN BURBN.
S. H. GRAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI. O.: NINA PUQH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE. MD.: A. ROBERT FRENCH.
LONDON. ENGLAND:
69 Baslnghall S t , B. C.
W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION. (Including postage). United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50 ; all other countries, $1.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount Is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Dlreelory o l Plaao
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
"
~ ~
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference
Maunlielnreri
f o r dealers and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition 1902
Diploma. Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal.. . S t Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. . . .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4677 and 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting all Department*.
Cable address: "Elblll New York."
NEW YORK, JANUARY 18, 1908
EDITORIAL
R
EPORTS received by us from every section of the country
show bettered trade conditions. It is true that the move-
ment toward industrial sunlight in some sections is somewhat
sluggish, but nevertheless the turn is in the right direction and
financial affairs are steadily improving. Dealers do not hesitate to
say that they look for very much improved conditions within the
near future. Orders are coming in slowly at the factories, but
there are indications that a spring trade of fair proportions will
be enjoyed by piano merchants everywhere.
Stocks are low, in fact, the warerooms over the country con-
tain less instruments than usually carried at this season of the year.
As we stated last week, our special inquiries sent to every section
of the country indicate that piano stocks are in such a depleted
condition that it will be necessary for dealers to order immediately
when business brightens up.
T
HERE is nothing which attracts buyers any more than the
promise of bargains, and nearly every piano merchant in the
country has some stock 'which can be turned into cash and good
instalment paper without sacrificing in the slightest his regular line
of instruments. There are always some used pianos, "come backs"
and odds and ends which have accumulated for years that should
be gotten rid of at this season of the year.
Advertising space should be used in the papers to alluringly
exploit such special bargains. People at this time of the year
naturally find themselves short of cash and the bargains are about
the only magnets which will draw forth the money. There is
always a striking way in which to exploit special stock. Illustra-
tions are always good. Plain type stories require a little time to
mentally assimilate, pictures flash forth the point on the brain at
once.
If you do not know how to w 7 rite an attractive advertisement
employ someone who does. Try your hand at it any way—write
something about your store—tell what an enormous selling space
you have, how attractive your special showrooms are, and see if
T
HE advertising proposition is a great one and every business
man who hopes to make money in this little world of ours
is interested in the science of advertising, and everyone who in-
tends to influence purchasers is interested in seeking the best means
of reaching the buying public. First of all, he must put his adver-
tisement where it will be seen. In other words, select the mediums
that are widely read, but even then unless the advertisement itself is
attractively prepared the readers will be apt to overlook it. There
is still another essential, that is, to tell the truth. If you have some
special used piano stock which you want to get rid of tell the truth
about that stock. Tell it in such a way that the salesman will have
no apology to make .for over-exaggeration in advertising.
This is a money-making age and the man who will steadily
make money is the one who will continue to tell the truth about
his merchandise to his clients. It is a mistake to our minds for
business men to withhold their advertising appropriations in
such times as these. It is the business men who will help to put
trade back where it belongs and there is no way that they can
assist towards the speedy accomplishment of that desired end than
by showing their confidence in the country's present and future,
by exploiting their products, whatever they may be, in a consistent
manner. For, if the business men, the men who manufacture and
the men who sell, exhibit over-conservatism reaching pessimism
almost, it is certain that attitude will be sure to immediately affect
the purchasing public.
T
HERE is nothing like publicity and a display of confidence on
the part of the business men to assist in the complete restora-
tion of normal business conditions. Great business concerns realize
the advantage of this policy. Concerns like the Aeolian Co., for
instance, have never slackened in their advertising appropriations.
We understand there are a number of the leading music trade
institutions who have made larger advertising appropriations this
year than ever before. They propose not merely to wait until the
clouds roll by, but they propose to" assist in helping them to roll.
In other words, they are going at the present problem with a de-
termination to win out, and it is safe to say that they will achieve
success. A man must have enthusiasm to win in anything. It
would probably take enthusiasm to sell harps in Heaven, and it
surely requires plenty of the right kind of enthusiasm to manufac-
ture and sell articles which are not classed strictly as necessities in
these times, but it is the optimistic business man who will be ahead
next year and the year after.
The entire development of industrial America has been due to
the progressive spirit of our leading business men and there are
men in every industry to-day who have exhibited signs of extreme
timidity within the past few months. There are others who could
see the sun shining behind the clouds and they are the ones who
will be far ahead when that sun comes out so that all may bask in
its rays. Optimism of the right kind, that is what we need.
O
VER-CONSERVATISM is just as dangerous to business in-
terests as too much plunging. There is a medium course
which it would be well to adopt if we are so constituted. It is well
enough to talk about saving money and it may be the very best
thing to do, but if everybody were to keep at it for a while faur-fifths
of the world would soon be facing starvation. The trouble which
has been most annoying for the past few months is that many people
have been holding too close a grip on their money, and it has not
been doing what it should as a circulating medium. If the system
of holding on to it still continues it will mean a steady contraction
of trade.
DEALER who is refitting his warerooms asks The Review
A
if we favor small individual salesrooms rather than having
large exhibition space. We believe that a large and tastefully
arranged wareroom is at all times impressive. It suggests busi-
ness strength and it shows the customer at a glance a large line of
instruments which presumably can suit a. variety of tastes and