Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Excessive Heat Knocks Bottom Out of Business—Advertising of Gimbel Bros, and Cunningham Co.
Enlivens Monotony—Both Conducting Special Sales—Advertising Worth Noting—Estey Co.
Receive Good Results from Window Puzzle-—Heppe Will Have a Grand Ready for Fall Trade
—Chance for Salesman at Henry F. Miller Co.—Herzberg House Reports Good Sales of
Kranich & Bach and Mehlin Pianos—Business Situation Reviewed.
Fischer stock, unfortunately for the Cunningham
house, they were ill-prepared and in a very short
time they cleaned up not only the few pianos
they took over from that stock, but also every
other second-hand piano they had in the place
and turned to various other sources for supplies.
During this same sale the Gimbel house did a
phenomenal business, something in the neighbor-
hood not very far distant from $50,000. It was
probably this success that induced them to take
up this new offer.
'
F. J. Heppe was in New York on Wednesday
and Thursday of last week.
C. J. Heppe & Son's business has been fairly
good on out-of-town sales particularly. The
abundant crops of all kinds have pleased the
farmers so much that they have already began
to be felt in the market.
The Estey Co. have removed the clock which
they had in their window for about ten days and
found it the most profitable advertising scheme
they have ever tackled. Thousands of answers
by way of solution were received, and prizes will
shortly be awarded.
Chauncey De Long, of the Estey selling force,
will shortly go to Blanchard, Pa., where he will
remain until September. Mr. De Long has a
farm there where he delights to spend a part of
his summer.
Newton Cornelius, of the selling force of F. A.
North & Co., has gone to his old home in New
Berlin, Pa., for a short vacation.
D. E. Woolley has sent his family to Pleasant
Beach, Maine, where he will join them for three
weeks shortly.
The Heppe house are having a number of
The Cunningham Piano Co., not to be outdone Heppe grands built for their fall trade. This
by their competitors, with whom they recently is the first time that the Heppes have placed a
shared in the disposition of the stock of the grand on the market, and they are very much
Charles H. Fischer Co., secured the stock of the pleased with the idea and feel sure that they
defunct E. T. Lumpkin & Co., and advertised it will have a ready sale for this new product. For
as follows:
the present they will build but one style, a baby
" 'Tis an 111 Wind That Blows Nobody Good.'
grand, but later may build several sizes.
"Prominent Baltimore Piano House fails with
Henry F. Miller & Sons Co. are looking for a
Philadelphia manufacturer as the largest credi- good live salesman. The firm have had about all
tor. Stock of high-grade pianos of B. T. Lumpkin they could do during the summer, and have
& Co. to be sold in Philadelphia. E. T. Lumpkin probably felt the business depression, less than
& Co., 209-211 N. Liberty street, Baltimore, one any of the other firms, being peculiarly situated
of that city's well-known piano houses, have in having on their staff so many music teachers
failed. The Lumpkin house occupied an hon- who throw all the business possible their way.
orable position in the Baltimore trade, E. T.
That business in Philadelphia is not quite as
Lumpkin, before his entry into business several bad as some of the firms would have you believe,
years ago, having been connected with some of
is shown in the fact that very few men have
Baltimore's most prominent houses, Mr. Lump- been laid off during the summer, and in only a
kin belongs to one of Maryland's oldest and most fev instances have salaries been reduced, but
substantial families, his grandfather having several of the houses have gotten around the
served two terms as Governor of that State. The dull period by asking their men to take vacations
late condition of the money market put the of a little longer duration than usual, which they
Lumpkin house in a bad way—thus the failure. seem willing to do, since the very hot weather
The Lumpkin house bought more heavily of Cun- seems to be continuing on.
ningham, Girard and Opera pianos than any
Gustav Herzberg & Son report several good
other makes handled, consequently we are to-day sties within the month of both Kranich & Bach,
the Lumpkin Co.'s largest creditors. When the Mphlin and Straube and are making a desperate
concern failed they were heavily stocked with fffort to clean up as much as possible so that
our goods. These pianos were partly paid for—
they can begin the fall trade with an entirely
some nearly all paid for—and Philadelphia buy-
new stock.
ers can take their pick by paying simply the
balance owed by the Lumpkin Co. on that par-
REINHARD KOCHMANN REMOVES
ticular instrument. Why did we not sell these
pianos in Baltimore? Why bring them to Phila- To New Quarters at 281-283 E. 137th Street—
delphia? Our representative went to Baltimore
Secures Additional Floor Space—To Add New
for the purpose of selling the pianos then and
Styles the Coming Fall.
there, but decided, after due investigation, that
Baltimore industrial conditions did not compare
Reinhard Kochmann, manufacturer of modern
with Philadelphia conditions, so we decided to pianos, has moved from 553-555 East 140th street
bring the pianos back home and give our own to 281-283 East 137th street, which building Is
people the benefit."
more modern in equipment and offers additional
Both of these offers have been the subject of floor area, which Mr. Kochmann has needed for
much discussion. It is to be noted, too, that both some time past to facilitate the handling of his
firms have been doing fairly well, in spite of the increasing business. There was no cessation of
business during the interval of moving and Mr.
hot weather.
Recently when these two firms advertised the Kochmann expects to have his new plant in
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., July 7, 1908.
The excessive heat of the past few weeks has
simply killed what little piano business might
reasonably have been expected with the slight
revival of business that is to be noted along
general lines. The only stir that has been noted
during the week has been the advertising of the
Gimbel and Cunningham houses or stocks that
they have been able to get, and upon which they
are able to make a special sale.
Gimbel Brothers, several days this week, ad-
vertised full pages in all the dally papers as
follows:
"Brand new Haines Brothers, Foster & Co.,
and other pianos are here at half price or near it
because Knabe, Chickering and the Foster Arm-
strong companies united and formed a $12,000,000
company and asked us to take at once all new
pianos not to be put in the future catalog. The
upright piano that Patti endorsed and put in
her castle; the Marshall & Wendell Piano, the
Foster Piano, the Armstrong Piano, the Brewster
Piano and the J. B. Cook Piano. The first step
of the new company was to completely rid its
New York factories of pianos, in art and plain
cases, not to be re-catalogued, and Gimbel
Brothers were chosen to do the selling. The
instruments not only come from that great unit
of the combination—the Foster-Armstrong Co.—
but they are now under the guarantee and war-
ranty of the mammoth new twelve-million dollar
company, and are as surely and as safely guar-
anted as the Knabe and Chickering. Two hun-
dred new upright pianos at $150 to $250 are of-
fered in this combination."
11
"apple pie" order in less than a week. Extensive
alterations, including the laying of a new maple
floor, were made during the past week, and the
factory will be one of the most up-to-date in the
Bronx district. The new location is a most de-
sirable one, for Mr. Kochmann is surrounded by
old friends. In the building are: E. B. Bogart
& Co., Dusinberre & Co. and Valols & Williams.
Mr. Kochmann will add several new designs to
his line this fall and looks forward to a good
business.
BRINGING BUYERSJO CHICAGO.
Central Passenger Association Makes Special
Rates Over Their Territory Which Will Help
Piano Manufacturers in Chicago—Territory
Covered an Extensive One.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., July 8, 1908.
An increase of buyers on this market next
month is in prospect through the operation of
excursion fares in Central Passenger Association
territory. These fares will be a fare and a half
from all points where the fare to Chicago is $2
or more.
The days of buying tickets and returning are
as follows:
First merchants' meeting, buying dates, August
1 to 5, inclusive. Return, August 3 to 13, inclu-
sive.
Second, August 15 to 19, inclusive. Return
August 17 to 27, inclusive.
Third, August 27 to September 2, inclusive.
Return, August 31 to September 10, inclusive.
Fourth, September 12 to 16, inclusive. Re-
turn, September 14 to 24, inclusive.
The territory of the Central Passenger Asso-
ciation is bounded as follows: Cairo, 111., thence
the Ohio River to Evansville, thence the L., H.
& St. L. Railway to Louisville, thence to C. & O.
Railway, Louisville to Kenova, thence the Ohio
River division of the B. & O. Railroad, Kenova
to Wheeling, thence the B. & O. Railroad to
Washington, Pa., thence P., C, C. & St. L. Rail-
way to Pittsburg, thence B. & O. Railroad to
Callery Junction, thence to Butler, thence the
B. & L. E. Railroad, Butler to Mercer, thence the
Penn. Railroad from Mercer through Franklin,
Oil City, Irvineton, Warren and Kinzua to
Salamanca, thence B., R. & P. Railway, Sala-
manca to Buffalo, thence the Niagara River; also
the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Also from the following territory in Illinois:
From all points on the Chicago & Eastern Illi-
nois Railroad, except south of Hillsboro. From
points on Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St.
Louis (Big Four) Railway as follows only: All
stations on Cairo division, Peoria & Eastern di-
vision, Mansfield and east thereof, also all sta-
tions on St. Louis division, Hillsboro and east
thereof; from stations on the Illinois Central
Railroad on the east of the line, Chicago to Gil-
man, Gilman to Clinton, Clinton to Cairo, inclu-
sive.
From all stations on Vandalia line east of, but
not including, East St. Louis and Decatur, 111.
AMBASSADOR TARBEAUX'S TRIP.
A. A. Tarbeaux, general traveler for the Chase
& Baker Co., Buffalo, N. Y., was in New York
last week on his way home from a seven months'
trip through the South, for his house. Mr. Tar-
beaux stated that while he did a very good busi-
ness, things as a rule are rather quiet in that
section of the country, though prospects are
bright for a heavy fall trade.
THE BALDWIN IN EVANSVILLE.
The well-known dry goods firm of Maas & Son,
in Main street, Evansville, Ind., have added a
new department to their store and are now the
local representatives of the Baldwin Piano Co.
The New Jewelry and Music Store, Newman,
111., is the latest addition to the music houses of
that town. They handle the Cable-Nelson piano
as their leader and also carry a full line of Edi-
son and Victor machines and records.