Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
anxious to create friction between the creative and distributive
forces. On the contrary, they are interested in maintaining
harmony, because through harmony business moves along the easiest
lines of resistance, but if distrust and uneasiness exists, then the
conditions are wholly different and it is the sheerest nonsense for
any business man to circulate absurd stories regarding the alleged
autocratic trade moves of this great corporation. Of course, from
the very fact that the interests which it controls are large, the op-
portunity offered for gossip is increased in like proportion, but this
company is officered by keen business men who are not looking for
petty trouble, but for business.
There may be a rattling of some dry business bones, but if there
was flesh upon them they would not rattle.
No man can reasonably expect to hold the agency for a great
piano unless he exhibits the possession of some red-blooded virility
in the conduct of his business. In this practical age it is the volume
of business which counts.
Loyalty cannot be one-sided nor all on the manufacturer's side
and be continued that way indefinitely. A dealer must evidence
loyalty to the product which he sells. lie must make the agency a
live one, else he cannot expect to retain it.
E
A. KIESELHORST, the well-known dealer of St. Louis,
•
forwarded us recently proof of an advertisement, stating
that this was the first half page advertisement ever put forth by a
piano house in the big papers of St. Louis. This advertising space
was used exclusively to exploit the Apollo piano player. The style
was excellent, the display good, and no doubt it proved a "puller."
We have had a number of half page and page advertisements sent
in to us from dealers at other points, showing that the piano dealers
of to-day are realizing the great importance and value of occupying
large advertising space in local papers.
We have been going some since the time when the piano dealers
used two or three inches single column to exploit their product.
There is no question but that the large advertisements bring better
returns proportionately than the smaller ones. It seems only natural
that the half page or full page advertisement should attract—larger
space has a certain effectiveness which comes entirely from its size,
so that a large advertisement, even if poor in itself, is likely to bring
better results than a small announcement equally poor would ac-
complish in proportion. It pays always to use advertising space
to the best advantage. A good many advertisers forget, however,
that it pays to get down to brass tacks, so to speak, in their opening
announcement. Many are inclined to wander around introducing a
lot of irrelevant matter before they get down to straight facts. Now,
the people have no time to lose in deciphering what an advertising
man is trying to figure out in his space. Wanamaker can afford to
do a lot of things in his headings that others cannot. The successful
writers of to-day, both in fiction and advertising, are those who begin
to tell their story with the first words. They jump right into the
middle of the story. The successful novelist of our times does not
start on the old-fashioned plan of telling how, when and why all
of his characters were born. lie picks a character up at the most
interesting part of his life and carries him straight on to the finish
of his story.
The wide-awake advertiser should follow the example of the
novelist and begin to talk business interestingly with the first words.
Generalities rarely amount to anything. The opening talks of de-
partment store advertisements are nearly always general talks that
have little or nothing to do with the real business of the advertise-
ment, but in a business like pianos, no time should be lost in describ-
ing piano history. Sound arguments should be made, and the
whole advertisement should ! be gotten up in a manner to attract, and
it's a mistake to believe that any kind of a picture in an advertise-
ment is better than no picture. If you cannot have first class illus-
trations, better cut them out entirely. A piano illustration in an
advertisement is placed there to show the style. If it does not illus-
trate that fairly or even flatteringly, the space had better be left
blank or filled with type, and we have -seen in a good many of the
piano advertisements which have been sent in here, some of the
worst illustrations. It would seem that dealers had ransacked their
shelves to find antiquated electrotypes to show pianos of half a dozen
years ago in their advertisements of 1908. That is a mighty poor
advertising policy. Show 7 the best you can in piano illustrations or
cut them out entirely.
REVIEW
TIMELY ADVICE.—Buy your Christmas presents now and save your
energy to agitate during the holidays for a sane Fourth.
CAN THIS BE?—Mr. Roosevelt formally announces his belief that
"this Republic will endure for many centuries." Without him?
ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT.—Hyker—Money is a conundrum.
Pyker—What's the answer?
Hyker—Everybody has to give it up.
WHAT HE REALLY SAID.—Miss Woodby—So Mr. Smart really said
lie considered me very witty—eh?
Miss Knox—Not exactly; he said he had to laugh every time he met
you.
KNEW HER FAILINGS.—"Judge, will you do me a favor?" asked
the lady who was about to go into the witness box.
"Certainly, miss; what is it?"
"Will you please ask me my age before I take the oath?"
Some railroad employes were at work on a trestle. One of the num-
ber, a negro, fell from the trestle onto a pile of rocks below, a distance of
some fifteen or twenty feet. He got up rubbing his head and remarked:
"Ef it hadn't er ben fur dem. rocks whut sorter bruck de force ob de fall
I'd er ben hurt."
NONE BUT THE FAIR
. —"Don't you ever feel anxious because
your husband employs such a beautiful typist?"
"Not in the least. I was his typist for seven years, and I should
probably be working in his office^yet if I hadn't practically proposed
to him!"
POOR JINKS.—"Doctor, if a pale young man named Jinks calls on
you for a prescription, don't let him have it."
"Why not?"
"He wants something to improve his appetite, and he lodges at my
house!"
Diffident Lover (trying to feel his ground—nervously)—Do you know,
I—er actually dreamt that I proposed to you last night. Now—er what
can that mean?
Practical Girl (promptly)—Mean? Well, it means that you are a lot
more sensible asleep than you are awake, Freddy.
FROM THE ALIMONIAL POINT OF VIEW.—He—So your marriage
was a failure?
She—Oh, I don't know.
He—Why, I thought you had secured a divorce?
She—I did.
He—Well, don't you call that a complete failure?
She—Hardly. You see, my partner made an assignment and I re-
ceived a very neat sum as a preferred creditor.
He—Oh—um—er—I beg your pardon!—Judge.
ARCTIC FARE.—Sir Leopold McClintock, the Arctic explorer, who died
recently, was once giving an account of his experiences amid the ice fields
of the North.
"We certainly would have traveled much further," he explained, "had
not our dogs given out at a critical moment."
"But," exclaimed a lady, who had been listening very intently, "I
thought that the Eskimo dogs were perfectly tireless creatures."
Sir Leopold's face wore a whimsically gloomy expression as he replied,
"I—er—speak in a culinary sense, miss."—Exchange.
Two ladies who had not seen each other for
the street. They recognized each other after a
nition was cordial.
"So delighted to see you again. Why, you are
"So glad; and how little changed you are.
since we met?"
"About ten years."
"And why have you never been to see me?"
"My dear, just look at the weather we have
years recently met In
time, and their recog-
scarcely altered."
Why, how long is it
had."—Tid-Bits.
JOHNNY COULDN'T HELP IT.—The teacher of one of the rooms in
a school in the suburbs had been training her pupils in anticipation of a
visit from the school inspector. At last he came, and the classes were
called out to show their attainments.
The arithmetic class was the first called, and in order to make a good
impression the teacher put the first question to Johnny Smith, the star
pupil.
"Johnny, if coal is selling at £1 a ten, and you pay the coal dealer £4,
how many tons of coal will he bring yo "Three," was the prompt answer from Johnny.
The teacher, much embarrassed, said, "Why, Johnny, that isn't right."
"Oh, I know it ain't, but they do it, miss."