Music Trade Review
Issue: 1908 Vol. 47 N. 1 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE: MUSIC TRADE
and money is not so plentiful even in the piano industry, therefore,
the dealers should take a reasonable view of the situation if they
expect to have their orders rilled promptly and at an early date.
They must place them early else they will have to take their chances
later on when there is an active demand in the retail field.
REVIEW
IN LIGHTER VEIN
There is no joy in idleness.
Keep an even temper, no matter what happens.
TEXAS dealer writes to The Review: "You would be sur-
prised to know of the number of pianos which are dumped
in this State by the mail order houses. Farmers receive these
enormous catalogues which they send out, take them home and study
them over and sometimes they order piands, but in most cases they
order something from these books to the disadvantage of the local
merchants. They send their cash to Chicago and get credit from the
local Texas merchant, which is unfair to him. They are infatuated
with the $88.50 pianos which are offered and sometimes they are
caught by this bait. I do not understand why regular dealers should
purchase from manufacturing institutions which supply pianos to
the mail order houses, for I do know that mail order houses are
steadily encroaching upon the domain of the regular dealer in
every line, pianos as well."
Of course they are. Why should they not? Their slogan is
the middle man eliminated, and they send enormous catalogues con-
taining everything which is needed in the home served up in rather
an attractive manner. But selecting goods from a catalogue and
paying for them in advance of delivery is like courting by grapho-
phone and marrying by telephone, novel and mildly exciting per-
haps but apt to turn out a poor investment. The idea of selecting
goods from a catalogue containing pictures of the articles and then
ordering the articles by mail was the direct result of a business
known as the Grange movement, that is, the Grange store, and the
Grange store has been succeeded by the mail order houses, and the
backbone of the system is the catalogue. The mail order houses
invite you to send in your money for theirs is a strictly cash-in-
advance proposition. They do not carry in stock all of the amazing
array of things shown in the catalogue, but they make the manufac-
turer carry them. They simply send to the factory of the piano
manufacturer who supplies the $87.50 piano and tell him to ship
style so and so. It is not necessary far them to carry a single piano
in stock.
One of the best ways to retaliate on catalogue houses is to
develop local patriotism, for the man who sends his money away
from his home town for goods that he may buy at a local store
loses more than he can possibly gain. He strikes at the very root
of his own prosperity. Every $87.50 for the cheap piano rattle boxes
sent out of his county reduces the working capital of that county
just that much. People who owe their living to the community,
who draw their salary from the public treasury, should at least be
loyal to the hand that feeds them. Professional men, school teach-
ers and public officers all should realize that loyalty to home trade
should mean something. In the first place the things sent forth by
the mail order houses must necessarily be cheap because it is on
cheapness that their trade is built. Now, does any one in the piano
trade know of cheapness and quality moving harmoniously to-
gether ?
Dealers in small goods have been specially hard hit through
the catalogue house competition. All of these lesser musical in-
struments can be transported cheaply and the mail order houses
have been hitting the regular dealers hard by depriving them of
the advantage of home support. And yet no dealer expressed an
opinion at the recent convention in New York as to methods which
could be best adopted to meet the steady encroachment of the mail
order houses upon the domain of the regular dealer.
A
OMBINATIONS, or trusts, are composed of human beings
who have certain clean cut views as to what their accom-
plishments should be under a merger act. They are not altruists—
they do not pose as philanthropists, but they bend their energies to
building and maintaining a business proposition the principal essence
of which is combination and system. Dealers should not lose their
heads over the result of any combination. There is not the re-
motest possibility of business men disturbing relations between them-
selves and the distributing forces when these relations are profitable.
No man should lose his head and indulge in a lot of ridiculous con-
jecture, causing him considerable unhappiness and loss of peace
of mind.
C
The successful man to-day is usually the practical man.
Don't hit the trust too hard, for you may be interested later on.
Might may not make right, but it usually manages to make good.
Nothing will starve to death much quicker than enthusiasm, unless
properly nourished.
Reprove a salesman if he has overcharged a customer for a piano,
instead of commending him for his act.
The talk of combinations is still a live one in the music trade, and
each day adds to the new crop of rumors.
What is that about reducing the price of paper? What a farce when
the paper (note) factories are running overtime!
If you expect your salesmen to be enthusiastic about your pianos,
see to it that you give them some reason to be.
Trade building, like house building, depends just as much upon the
mortar as upon the bricks. Good merchandising demands skill in plac-
ing the cementing material.
The trade of the wealthy is all right, but don't get a reputation of
running a store for one class of customers. We know of some piano
establishments that people of moderate means are too timid to enter.
"John," she whispered, "there's a burglar in the parlor. He has
just knocked against the piano and hit several keys at once."
"I'll go down," said he.
"Oh, John, don't do anything rash!"
"Rash! Why, I'm going to help him. You don't suppose he can
remove that piano from the house without assistance."
THE LIKENESS.—The Judge—What is your business?
The Witness—I'm a photographer.
"Is this the picture you took of this lady?"
"It is, your Honor."
"Do you wish to place it in evidence?"
"I tlo, your Honor."
"Then you will have to mark it for identification."
"Hi!" said the policeman.
"Look here," protested the motorist; "it's all rot. As a matter of fact,
I was only just doing twelve miles an hour. Wasn't I, Roland?"
"Yes, sir," said the chauffeur. " 'Bout 'leven and a half, sir, 1
should say.'
"Who said anything about speed?" said the policeman. "What 1
stopped you for was to tell you to take off that horrible mask. It's
frightening the horses."
"Take off the mask! Why, this isn't a mask; it's my face."
"Pass along," said the law. "Pass along!"
ONE ONLY LEFT.—Little Ethel had been playing quietly on the
porch one afternoon unnoticed by her father and a friend, who were
discussing the recent financial panic.
When the guest had gone and bedtime had come Ethel was unusually
silent and thoughtful.
And when she knelt to.say her prayers a pause followed the usual
petitions in behalf of "papa an' mamma an* Aunt Mary an' Uncle John
an' Rover an' Bridget."
Finally, with great earnestness, she resumed: "An' now, God, please
take great care of yourself, 'cause if anything should happen to you we'd
only have Mr. Roosevelt—an' he hasn't come up to papa's expectations."
ALMOST AT REST.—A kind-hearted but somewhat close-fisted man,
who was sorely afflicted with a conscience, came to a friend holding a
visiting card in his hand. He looked deeply troubled. "I know," said
he, "this man wants to borrow money. I know he will drink it. What
am I to do?"
"It is perfectly simple," said the friend; "send down word that you
are out."
"I cannot," he said; "I have never told a lie in my life."
"Then," said his friend, "lend all your money to me, and you can
toll him you haven't a penny in your pocket."
After some hesitation the kind-hearted man complied and, having
seen his caller, returned.
"Well," asked his friend, "are your conscience and mind at rest?"
"Not quite, man," he replied, "but they will be as soon as you have
given me my money back."
THE: MUSIC TRADE
and money is not so plentiful even in the piano industry, therefore,
the dealers should take a reasonable view of the situation if they
expect to have their orders rilled promptly and at an early date.
They must place them early else they will have to take their chances
later on when there is an active demand in the retail field.
REVIEW
IN LIGHTER VEIN
There is no joy in idleness.
Keep an even temper, no matter what happens.
TEXAS dealer writes to The Review: "You would be sur-
prised to know of the number of pianos which are dumped
in this State by the mail order houses. Farmers receive these
enormous catalogues which they send out, take them home and study
them over and sometimes they order piands, but in most cases they
order something from these books to the disadvantage of the local
merchants. They send their cash to Chicago and get credit from the
local Texas merchant, which is unfair to him. They are infatuated
with the $88.50 pianos which are offered and sometimes they are
caught by this bait. I do not understand why regular dealers should
purchase from manufacturing institutions which supply pianos to
the mail order houses, for I do know that mail order houses are
steadily encroaching upon the domain of the regular dealer in
every line, pianos as well."
Of course they are. Why should they not? Their slogan is
the middle man eliminated, and they send enormous catalogues con-
taining everything which is needed in the home served up in rather
an attractive manner. But selecting goods from a catalogue and
paying for them in advance of delivery is like courting by grapho-
phone and marrying by telephone, novel and mildly exciting per-
haps but apt to turn out a poor investment. The idea of selecting
goods from a catalogue containing pictures of the articles and then
ordering the articles by mail was the direct result of a business
known as the Grange movement, that is, the Grange store, and the
Grange store has been succeeded by the mail order houses, and the
backbone of the system is the catalogue. The mail order houses
invite you to send in your money for theirs is a strictly cash-in-
advance proposition. They do not carry in stock all of the amazing
array of things shown in the catalogue, but they make the manufac-
turer carry them. They simply send to the factory of the piano
manufacturer who supplies the $87.50 piano and tell him to ship
style so and so. It is not necessary far them to carry a single piano
in stock.
One of the best ways to retaliate on catalogue houses is to
develop local patriotism, for the man who sends his money away
from his home town for goods that he may buy at a local store
loses more than he can possibly gain. He strikes at the very root
of his own prosperity. Every $87.50 for the cheap piano rattle boxes
sent out of his county reduces the working capital of that county
just that much. People who owe their living to the community,
who draw their salary from the public treasury, should at least be
loyal to the hand that feeds them. Professional men, school teach-
ers and public officers all should realize that loyalty to home trade
should mean something. In the first place the things sent forth by
the mail order houses must necessarily be cheap because it is on
cheapness that their trade is built. Now, does any one in the piano
trade know of cheapness and quality moving harmoniously to-
gether ?
Dealers in small goods have been specially hard hit through
the catalogue house competition. All of these lesser musical in-
struments can be transported cheaply and the mail order houses
have been hitting the regular dealers hard by depriving them of
the advantage of home support. And yet no dealer expressed an
opinion at the recent convention in New York as to methods which
could be best adopted to meet the steady encroachment of the mail
order houses upon the domain of the regular dealer.
A
OMBINATIONS, or trusts, are composed of human beings
who have certain clean cut views as to what their accom-
plishments should be under a merger act. They are not altruists—
they do not pose as philanthropists, but they bend their energies to
building and maintaining a business proposition the principal essence
of which is combination and system. Dealers should not lose their
heads over the result of any combination. There is not the re-
motest possibility of business men disturbing relations between them-
selves and the distributing forces when these relations are profitable.
No man should lose his head and indulge in a lot of ridiculous con-
jecture, causing him considerable unhappiness and loss of peace
of mind.
C
The successful man to-day is usually the practical man.
Don't hit the trust too hard, for you may be interested later on.
Might may not make right, but it usually manages to make good.
Nothing will starve to death much quicker than enthusiasm, unless
properly nourished.
Reprove a salesman if he has overcharged a customer for a piano,
instead of commending him for his act.
The talk of combinations is still a live one in the music trade, and
each day adds to the new crop of rumors.
What is that about reducing the price of paper? What a farce when
the paper (note) factories are running overtime!
If you expect your salesmen to be enthusiastic about your pianos,
see to it that you give them some reason to be.
Trade building, like house building, depends just as much upon the
mortar as upon the bricks. Good merchandising demands skill in plac-
ing the cementing material.
The trade of the wealthy is all right, but don't get a reputation of
running a store for one class of customers. We know of some piano
establishments that people of moderate means are too timid to enter.
"John," she whispered, "there's a burglar in the parlor. He has
just knocked against the piano and hit several keys at once."
"I'll go down," said he.
"Oh, John, don't do anything rash!"
"Rash! Why, I'm going to help him. You don't suppose he can
remove that piano from the house without assistance."
THE LIKENESS.—The Judge—What is your business?
The Witness—I'm a photographer.
"Is this the picture you took of this lady?"
"It is, your Honor."
"Do you wish to place it in evidence?"
"I tlo, your Honor."
"Then you will have to mark it for identification."
"Hi!" said the policeman.
"Look here," protested the motorist; "it's all rot. As a matter of fact,
I was only just doing twelve miles an hour. Wasn't I, Roland?"
"Yes, sir," said the chauffeur. " 'Bout 'leven and a half, sir, 1
should say.'
"Who said anything about speed?" said the policeman. "What 1
stopped you for was to tell you to take off that horrible mask. It's
frightening the horses."
"Take off the mask! Why, this isn't a mask; it's my face."
"Pass along," said the law. "Pass along!"
ONE ONLY LEFT.—Little Ethel had been playing quietly on the
porch one afternoon unnoticed by her father and a friend, who were
discussing the recent financial panic.
When the guest had gone and bedtime had come Ethel was unusually
silent and thoughtful.
And when she knelt to.say her prayers a pause followed the usual
petitions in behalf of "papa an' mamma an* Aunt Mary an' Uncle John
an' Rover an' Bridget."
Finally, with great earnestness, she resumed: "An' now, God, please
take great care of yourself, 'cause if anything should happen to you we'd
only have Mr. Roosevelt—an' he hasn't come up to papa's expectations."
ALMOST AT REST.—A kind-hearted but somewhat close-fisted man,
who was sorely afflicted with a conscience, came to a friend holding a
visiting card in his hand. He looked deeply troubled. "I know," said
he, "this man wants to borrow money. I know he will drink it. What
am I to do?"
"It is perfectly simple," said the friend; "send down word that you
are out."
"I cannot," he said; "I have never told a lie in my life."
"Then," said his friend, "lend all your money to me, and you can
toll him you haven't a penny in your pocket."
After some hesitation the kind-hearted man complied and, having
seen his caller, returned.
"Well," asked his friend, "are your conscience and mind at rest?"
"Not quite, man," he replied, "but they will be as soon as you have
given me my money back."
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