Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
The percentage of cash sales in the retail line is necessarily
small and most dealers are thoroughly awakened to the fact that a
steady income resultant from a reliable credit source is as good, if
not better, than the result of conducting strictly cash sales. There
are better profits and credit gives an opportunity for business ex-
pansion.
But pianos are not well sold when they are placed in the homes
of people who cannot pay for them. Better do less business and
narrow down on credits than to rush in with too much of the spread-
eagleism which interpreted means, "Get out all the pianos you can,
no matter to whom sold, but get them out." That is a mighty poor
business policy. Character sales are better than quantity sales every
time and a great many people fool themselves with the idea that
they are doing business simply because they are selling goods, but
that does not always prove to be the case.
T
O read some of the trade publications, one would almost tremble
for the future of this industry, and, really, have we not had
about enough of this "knocking"? A paper which is continually
seeking to pull down the industry, rather than trying to build it up,
should have no place in this busy world of curs It is far better to
be a creative force than a destructive force, and the newspaper
which by its utterances seeks to destroy confidence is working an
injury just so far as its influence extends. Why not talk occa-
sionally about the excellent features of the music business? Why
not emphasize how this industry has grown and developed within
the past decade, how to-day it may boast of having within its
borders vast producing and distributing corporations, whose* gross
business annually runs into big figures? Why not emphasize how
some of the men have worked up from humble beginnings in the
music trade—in fact, if we go back a few years we will find a num-
ber of the men who are well up the business ladder to-day were
occupying most humble positions. Of course, there are those in
the music industry who are no special credit to it and whose meth-
ods are not above board, but such men do not belong exclusively to
this industry, for they can be found in any line and the dealer who
conducts his business in a thoroughly honest and above-board man-
ner would find it difficult to believe the many shady shifts resorted
to by some competitors, low down in the scale of commercial recti-
tude—in fact, it is amazing, and yet such men are able to secure
goods and keep their business sign out, but, thank the Lord, their
number is very few and is continually diminishing. Let us help to
crush them all out, but at the same time, when we are denouncing
the few, do not attempt to cast discredit upon the many. Some-
times it makes, us wonder if we are really progressing toward a
higher civilization when we take stock of the innumerable evi-
dences on the part of some men to refuse to recognize right when
they see it. Perhaps this may be explained on the ground that, not
being honest themselves, they believe that that quality does not
exist. They do not recognize it.
I
N many trades it is generally agreed that some knowledge of
factory conditions and methods is essential in broadening the
usefulness of salesmen. There is no question but that the greater
fund of information which the salesman Ins regarding technical
matters in connection with the particular industry which he repre-
sents, the more valuable he is to his employer.
We know a number of piano salesmen who are practical piano
men from the ground up. They make it a practice upon their re-
turn from every trip on the road to spend much time within the
factory walls, acquainting themselves thoroughly with every detail
of piano making, for they realize the importance of keeping in
close touch with the factory.
For a new man in the selling field, it is a vital necessity to ac-
quire an acquaintance with the particular factory methods of his
company.
He can add to his fund of technical information materially by
reading practical works of value, and in this connection we may
add that this trade newspaper institution has published more tech-
nical literature than all of the other trade newspapers combined,
and is therefore viewed as an authority in that special field. We
have a number of books which should be read by salesmen. These
books include essays upon scale drawing and building of the piano-
forte, tuning, toning and regulating, and a scientific analysis of
piano player mechanism.
REVIEW
Are you improving your opportunities as you should?
The man who puts his character in pawn will probably never redeem
it.
The best thing for anyone to say who has nothing to say is to say
nothing and stick to it.
A pessimist is a feller that stays at home and waits for it to rain,
while the other folks go to the picnic.
A SURE TEST.—"She is a great actress."
"How many times has she been married?"
We are advertised by our loving friends, the Paretic Egotist and the
Featherweight of Chicago. Ain't it awful, Mabel!
"Very well. I engage you as housemaid.
lowers?"
"No, 'm; but I can soon get some." \
Er—have you any fol-
BADLY NEEDED.—Policeman—Heavy downpour this morning.
Milkman (who has left the lid off his milk can)—Yes, but it's badly
needed. We could do with a lot more to do any good.
ADVICE.—"What's the best way to save money?" asked the thrifty
youth.
"Quit reading the racing news and the market quotations."
CLEVER.—"Our new stenographer is a remarkably clever girl."
"How's that?"
"She got her 'Merry Widow' on straight with nothing to aid her except
one tiny hand glass."
A LOGICAL CONCLUSION.—"Mr. Pursington says he believes a man
should pay as he goes."
"Judging from the way he gets in debt, he must be accustomed to
traveling backwards."
UNDER THE THREE BALLS.—Rounder—It says here to clean a
diamond ring one should soak it.
Spender—Well, this one I have on should be the cleanest in the coun-
try. It has been "soaked" a dozen times.
BIG-HEARTED BRIDGET.—"Bridget," said Mrs. Hiram Offer,
sternly, "on my way home just now I saw the policeman who was in the
kitchen with you so long last evening, and I took occasion to speak to
him—" "Oh, shure, that's all right, ma'am. Oi'm not jealous."
SO THOUGHTFUL.—Nell—Yes, the count is very attentive to her.
She admired some roses she saw in a florist's window they were passing
yesterday, so he had some sent up to her—
Belle—How thoughtful!
Nell—Yes; C. 0. D.
EMPHATICALLY.—Does your husband hold any civic office, madam?"
asked the canvasser.
u
l should say he did!" answered the young matron. "He's the majes-
tic grand high killemakew of the Ancient and Illustrious Order of Spizzer-
inctumbangs!"
GAVE HIMSELF AWAY.—"Mabel, you shouldn't talk so freely to
Mr. Freshup. You know we are not very well acquainted with him, and
for all we know he may be a married man."
"No danger of that," chimed in Uncle Bill. "I was talking to him a
while ago and he claims to understand women."
AS TO YIPSLEY.—Mrs. Chugwater—"Josiah, this paper says a man
named Birkman has sued the city as Jared Yipsley's next friend. What
does that mean?"
Mr. Chugwater—"Huh! It doesn't mean anything in this case. No
man alive ever really got next to old Yipsley."
LOOKED MORE LIKE A RETREAT.—Her husband had come home
to dinner an hour late. He walked into the dining room softly, leaving
the outer door open, and sat down on the edge of his chair, with his hat
in his hand and his overcoat across his lap.
"What are you doing that for?" demanded Mrs. Vick-Senn.
"In time of peace, my dear," he said, "I am preparing for war."
EXCEPTIONAL INSTANCE.—Gollifer—"I've got to move my dwell-
ing house a quarter of a mile or more. Have you any idea what it will
cost me?"
Gosch—"It depends entirely on the mode of transportation and the
difficulties in the way. I knew a man in Jackson county, over in Mis-
souri, who once had his house moved 300 miles by the simple process
of building it a little too close to the banks of the Missouri river, arid.
he didn't have to pay a cent for it."