Music Trade Review
Issue: 1910 Vol. 50 N. 23 - Page 14
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14
THE
BILLINGS' TWO
REASONS FOR
INVENTING
HIS FLANGE
Recent public statements
in the trade press that
wood flanges will get loose
and rattle, unspace t h e
working parts, center pins
work out during extreme
heat, thereby causing the
bushing to greatly wear
out, has demonstrated that
piano actions w i t h o u t
Billings Flanges are likened
to a watch without jewels.
1st. Billings Flanges d o
not require retightening
and will not rattle or shift.
2nd. Billings F l a n g e s
clamps the center pins in
perfect position and will
not work out, thus saving
the wear and tear of the
bushed centers—a com-
bination of meritorious
results.
BILLINGS FLANGES FOR
DAMP CLIMATES
Where Billings Flanges are
used, centers can be left
easy, as the center pins
cannot work out when
shrinkage sets in, as is the
case with other flanges.
BILLINGS SPRING BRASS
FLANGE COMPANY
400-401 Enterprise Bldg., Milwaukee, Wis.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
May a Good Business Month with Big Demand for Player-Pianos—Improvement in All Branches
of Music Trade—Fine Wholesale Report—Developing Gimbel Piano Department.
(Special to The Review. |
Philadelphia, Pa., May 31, 1910.
The month of May was one that was very
satisfactory to the piano dealers. If all the other
months of the year will be equally satisfactory
there will be no cause for complaint. Business
gradually picked up from the very start of the
month, and there was nothing that interfered
with its continuation right through to the end.
The business has taken on a peculiar aspect of
late, and it would seem that only the wealthier
people were buying instruments, and while it
was supposed that people of means had all been
supplied, it would seem that there has been
a general demand among them for new instru-
ments—exchanging their old pianos for play-
ers. One of the large firms told me that during
May they had sold almost as many player-
pianos as they had pianos without the player at-
tachment. This makes a very good showing for
the salesmen, and they seem well pleased with
the amount of money that their sales footed up
during the month.
Not alone has the business been improving in
pianos, but in all lines of the trade. There has
been a general movement forward in the smaller
instruments, and particularly so in talking ma-
chines; the trouble in the latter seems to be the
difficulty to get certain instruments fast enough.
Sheet music has shown the least activity, and
there is a notable drop-off in that line of the
trade, due in a measure to the fact that the
theatrical season is over and with no particular
song hits just now having a run.
days just after the middle of the month it looked
as if there was going to be a little slump, but
they pulled the force together and things went
booming along again. They do not now, believe
that they will have a dull summer, as they had
anticipated.
William Werner, of Werner Bros., of Easton,
was here this week.
Doings of the Lester Men.
H. C. Pressey, of the Lester Piano Co., is just
about starting on an Eastern trip, in which sec-
tion he says there is every indication that he
will do a good business.
George Miller and family expect shortly to go
to their new cottage at Point Pleasant, N. J.,
which was built during the winter, and where
they are looking forward to a most enjoyable
summer. They have been summering at Point
Pleasant for a number of seasons, but always
in a rented cottage, but this year they will have
a home of their own, built along plans of their
own designing, and the work was superintended
by Mrs. Miller while her husband was absent
several months in the West recently.
Henry F. Miller Co.'s Biggest May.
The Henry F. Miller Co. have had the biggest
May that firm have ever enjoyed. They have suc-
ceeded in putting out a large number of the
Miller pianos, and to some of the most exclusive
trade in this city—particularly their Lyric grand.
There is no seller in its class as popular in
Philadelphia as the Miller Lyric grand, and none
that is more easily placed in competition.
The Ludwig Co. have been doing very good
work of late, and find the new arrangement of
Manufacturers Continue Busy.
In the manufacturing line Philadelphia has no their second floor very much to their advantage.
Puzzle Advertising Opposed.
doubt kept well apace of other cities. . At all the
Philadelphia factories work is being conducted
The trade here are still considerably upset over
to the capacity of the plants, with the output the advertising of the Schubert Piano Co. They
and the demand about running even. Very few have been able to kill their guessing contest
pianos are being made for future sales, but on scheme, but that firm have now switched over
order. The Lester factory has been shipping to the puzzle picture, and instead of offering
them as fast as they have been able to turn money, which the coupon victim found was only
them out. The Cunningham Co. have been mak- of use to them when they made the purchase of
ing an effort to get sufficient stock ahead to turn a piano, they are offering presents of various
their attention more to the wholesale end of sorts, and it is apparently legitimate advertising,
their business, but the retail business at the and the newspapers cannot well turn it down.
Philadelphia store, as well as at the various A crusade has been started, however, to keep it
State stores they conduct, have been taking all cut of the papers, and with what success remains
the firm have been able to manufacture even to be seen.
with their enlarged plant. The Cunningham Co.
will, during the summer, endeavor to accumulate
TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR PIANO MEN.
stock to carry out a project they have in mind,
that is, of abandoning their country stores and
Education Committee of London City Council
selling pianos direct to dealers. Several of their
to Advance Manufacturing Industries by
country stores pay and others do not, and it
Educating Workers.
keeps a continual nagging to keep any of them
paying, and Patrick Cunningham would like to
The education committee of the London, Eng.,
get back to his old system of selling direct to City Council have arranged for the technical
dealers in the various large cities of the State. training of those engaged in the piano trade
Gimbel Bros. Piano Moves.
along the lines followed in specialized training
F.. J. Schwankovsky, the new manager of the in other industries. Those interested in the
Gimbel piano department, has taken hold of the development of England's manufactories realize
business in a spirited way. He was in Philadel- that their success lies in educating the workers
phia several days this week, and will spend or and thus developing the raw human material,
rather divide his time between this city and New thus keeping the better workers satisfied in their
York. There is a force of five well-seasoned
own country and preventing them from going
salesmen at the Philadelphia store, and with a abroad to better their condition.
fine line of instruments—the Hardman, Vose &
Sons, Packard, Sohmer, Harrington, and others
MISS POPPENBERG SAILS FOR EUROPE.
v/ith less famous names—he will have a splendid
stock to work with. The Gimbel house has had
Miss Louise Poppenberg, treasurer of the
a sale on in Philadelphia for a week, closing on Poppenberg Piano Co., Buffalo, N. Y., has sailed
Tuesday, and they have met with very good suc- for Europe on an extended tour during which
cess. It is to be hoped that the new manager she will visit all the principal cities of England
will be able to prevail upon the Gimbel firm to and the Continent. Miss Poppenberg's work has
give the department a more desirable location in fully entitled her to a long vacation and rest
the store, and I believe that that is the only which she has planned to enjoy to the limit.
thing needed to make the business boom.
Paul E. Fellows, of the Krell-French Co., was
At the Quadriennial National Song and Music
a Philadelphia visitor this week.
Festival of the American Union of Swedish
Singers, held in New York, May 28 to 31, James
C. J. Heppe & Son's Good Report.
C. J. Heppe & Son report that their business & Holmstrom grand pianos were used ex-
has been very satisfactory in May. For a few clusively.
14
THE
BILLINGS' TWO
REASONS FOR
INVENTING
HIS FLANGE
Recent public statements
in the trade press that
wood flanges will get loose
and rattle, unspace t h e
working parts, center pins
work out during extreme
heat, thereby causing the
bushing to greatly wear
out, has demonstrated that
piano actions w i t h o u t
Billings Flanges are likened
to a watch without jewels.
1st. Billings Flanges d o
not require retightening
and will not rattle or shift.
2nd. Billings F l a n g e s
clamps the center pins in
perfect position and will
not work out, thus saving
the wear and tear of the
bushed centers—a com-
bination of meritorious
results.
BILLINGS FLANGES FOR
DAMP CLIMATES
Where Billings Flanges are
used, centers can be left
easy, as the center pins
cannot work out when
shrinkage sets in, as is the
case with other flanges.
BILLINGS SPRING BRASS
FLANGE COMPANY
400-401 Enterprise Bldg., Milwaukee, Wis.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
May a Good Business Month with Big Demand for Player-Pianos—Improvement in All Branches
of Music Trade—Fine Wholesale Report—Developing Gimbel Piano Department.
(Special to The Review. |
Philadelphia, Pa., May 31, 1910.
The month of May was one that was very
satisfactory to the piano dealers. If all the other
months of the year will be equally satisfactory
there will be no cause for complaint. Business
gradually picked up from the very start of the
month, and there was nothing that interfered
with its continuation right through to the end.
The business has taken on a peculiar aspect of
late, and it would seem that only the wealthier
people were buying instruments, and while it
was supposed that people of means had all been
supplied, it would seem that there has been
a general demand among them for new instru-
ments—exchanging their old pianos for play-
ers. One of the large firms told me that during
May they had sold almost as many player-
pianos as they had pianos without the player at-
tachment. This makes a very good showing for
the salesmen, and they seem well pleased with
the amount of money that their sales footed up
during the month.
Not alone has the business been improving in
pianos, but in all lines of the trade. There has
been a general movement forward in the smaller
instruments, and particularly so in talking ma-
chines; the trouble in the latter seems to be the
difficulty to get certain instruments fast enough.
Sheet music has shown the least activity, and
there is a notable drop-off in that line of the
trade, due in a measure to the fact that the
theatrical season is over and with no particular
song hits just now having a run.
days just after the middle of the month it looked
as if there was going to be a little slump, but
they pulled the force together and things went
booming along again. They do not now, believe
that they will have a dull summer, as they had
anticipated.
William Werner, of Werner Bros., of Easton,
was here this week.
Doings of the Lester Men.
H. C. Pressey, of the Lester Piano Co., is just
about starting on an Eastern trip, in which sec-
tion he says there is every indication that he
will do a good business.
George Miller and family expect shortly to go
to their new cottage at Point Pleasant, N. J.,
which was built during the winter, and where
they are looking forward to a most enjoyable
summer. They have been summering at Point
Pleasant for a number of seasons, but always
in a rented cottage, but this year they will have
a home of their own, built along plans of their
own designing, and the work was superintended
by Mrs. Miller while her husband was absent
several months in the West recently.
Henry F. Miller Co.'s Biggest May.
The Henry F. Miller Co. have had the biggest
May that firm have ever enjoyed. They have suc-
ceeded in putting out a large number of the
Miller pianos, and to some of the most exclusive
trade in this city—particularly their Lyric grand.
There is no seller in its class as popular in
Philadelphia as the Miller Lyric grand, and none
that is more easily placed in competition.
The Ludwig Co. have been doing very good
work of late, and find the new arrangement of
Manufacturers Continue Busy.
In the manufacturing line Philadelphia has no their second floor very much to their advantage.
Puzzle Advertising Opposed.
doubt kept well apace of other cities. . At all the
Philadelphia factories work is being conducted
The trade here are still considerably upset over
to the capacity of the plants, with the output the advertising of the Schubert Piano Co. They
and the demand about running even. Very few have been able to kill their guessing contest
pianos are being made for future sales, but on scheme, but that firm have now switched over
order. The Lester factory has been shipping to the puzzle picture, and instead of offering
them as fast as they have been able to turn money, which the coupon victim found was only
them out. The Cunningham Co. have been mak- of use to them when they made the purchase of
ing an effort to get sufficient stock ahead to turn a piano, they are offering presents of various
their attention more to the wholesale end of sorts, and it is apparently legitimate advertising,
their business, but the retail business at the and the newspapers cannot well turn it down.
Philadelphia store, as well as at the various A crusade has been started, however, to keep it
State stores they conduct, have been taking all cut of the papers, and with what success remains
the firm have been able to manufacture even to be seen.
with their enlarged plant. The Cunningham Co.
will, during the summer, endeavor to accumulate
TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR PIANO MEN.
stock to carry out a project they have in mind,
that is, of abandoning their country stores and
Education Committee of London City Council
selling pianos direct to dealers. Several of their
to Advance Manufacturing Industries by
country stores pay and others do not, and it
Educating Workers.
keeps a continual nagging to keep any of them
paying, and Patrick Cunningham would like to
The education committee of the London, Eng.,
get back to his old system of selling direct to City Council have arranged for the technical
dealers in the various large cities of the State. training of those engaged in the piano trade
Gimbel Bros. Piano Moves.
along the lines followed in specialized training
F.. J. Schwankovsky, the new manager of the in other industries. Those interested in the
Gimbel piano department, has taken hold of the development of England's manufactories realize
business in a spirited way. He was in Philadel- that their success lies in educating the workers
phia several days this week, and will spend or and thus developing the raw human material,
rather divide his time between this city and New thus keeping the better workers satisfied in their
York. There is a force of five well-seasoned
own country and preventing them from going
salesmen at the Philadelphia store, and with a abroad to better their condition.
fine line of instruments—the Hardman, Vose &
Sons, Packard, Sohmer, Harrington, and others
MISS POPPENBERG SAILS FOR EUROPE.
v/ith less famous names—he will have a splendid
stock to work with. The Gimbel house has had
Miss Louise Poppenberg, treasurer of the
a sale on in Philadelphia for a week, closing on Poppenberg Piano Co., Buffalo, N. Y., has sailed
Tuesday, and they have met with very good suc- for Europe on an extended tour during which
cess. It is to be hoped that the new manager she will visit all the principal cities of England
will be able to prevail upon the Gimbel firm to and the Continent. Miss Poppenberg's work has
give the department a more desirable location in fully entitled her to a long vacation and rest
the store, and I believe that that is the only which she has planned to enjoy to the limit.
thing needed to make the business boom.
Paul E. Fellows, of the Krell-French Co., was
At the Quadriennial National Song and Music
a Philadelphia visitor this week.
Festival of the American Union of Swedish
Singers, held in New York, May 28 to 31, James
C. J. Heppe & Son's Good Report.
C. J. Heppe & Son report that their business & Holmstrom grand pianos were used ex-
has been very satisfactory in May. For a few clusively.
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