Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Dangers Towards Which We Are Drifting.
The Effect Which Sensational Methods and Too Much Commercialism Will Have Upon the Future
of the Piano Business—If Pianos Are to Be Sold as Musical Instruments Then There Must
Be an Artistic Atmosphere Surrounding Their Sale Else the Business Will Go Tumbling
Down to the Level of Sewing Machines and Other Strictly Commercial Creations—The
Great Names of Piano History Constitute a Bulwark of Strength—What the Manufac-
turers Are Doing Directly and Indirectly Towards Sustaining an Artistic Atmosphere Must
Be Understood and Appreciated by the Men Who Are Selling Instruments at Retail
Throughout the Land—There Must Be Leaders in Every Piano Store and There Must Be
Intermediate Grades Else a Piano Merchant Is Lacking in Products Which Will Appeal to
the Varied Tastes of His Clientele—Dealers Who Have Pursued Ultra-Sensational Methods
. Have Reached the Limit and the Tide Is Setting in the Other Direction—The Piano
Business Cannot be Successfully Maintained if the Ultra-Sensational Methods Are to Dominate.
L
ET us halt a bit, cast about and take our bearings! Have
we been traveling so rapidly of late years along the com-
mercial path that we have drifted too far from our ancient an-
chorage ?
In other words, has the trend towards the commercial in all
lines blinded men so that they do not see with as clear a vision
as formerly?
Let us survey the situation in the piano trade and see if it
would not be well to revise certain business policies.
To begin with, let us survey the retail music trade field.
How many leading houses in every locality are there which
have won success without the agency of a leading piano?
If'we scan the trade country-wide do we not find, upon a close
investigation, that leading houses have built their music trade busi-
ness upon the reputation of great instruments with which they have
been allied?
If that is admitted, does it not necessarily follow that the great
pianos have aided and assisted the dealers in a way beyond which
many of them are willing to admit to-day?
For, it is a fact that a good many men during the past few
years have to a certain extent drifted towards the commercial plane
and through the adoption of sensational methods in marketing
instruments at retail they have lost sight of the fact that they are
losing a certain strength to their business which is necessary to in-
sure a permanent success.
A house may have a splendid business reputation locally, but
can it continue to cater to the best people in a particular vicinage
unless it has musical instruments of the highest grade as a drawing
card?
In other words, there must be a musical atmosphere, for with-
out it will not the business descend to the lowest commercial plane ?
We affirm that the piece de resistance of the entire piano in-
dustry is the great names, for without pianos of standing—without
a musical atmosphere—without the artistic environment—the whole
piano trade sinks down to a mediocre basis.
Then there has been during the past few years in almost every
line of trade the tendency towards the sensational.
We have seen it emphasized in piano selling.
We have seen men run mad over the certificate coupon-guess-
ing contest schemes.
We have pointed out the dangers which would come to the
trade if this plan were continued.
It is all right for the present dollar, but how about the future ?
Now, it is a fact easily proven that the men who have fol-
lowed the most sensational methods in piano selling are to-day, to
use a colloquial term, "up against it.'"
In other words, they have worked the sensational plans and
methods to the limit and now they can devise no other flamboyant
methods which can interest the public.
We have seen men who have cast sober, sensible forms to the
wind and have gone ahead to do business.
They have gone the limit, and to-day they have found that sen-
sational schemes after all do not live long.
Some of them realize that they have prejudiced the public
mind—that they have put forth cheap pianos at prices which should
entitle the owners to possess good ones—that they have fooled the
purchasers and to-day they are willing to come under the shelter
of the great names.
Why?
Without leaders—without pianos of reputation—where will
the piano business land?
Surely it is not a difficult question to answer!
We do not mean that there is not a place for the cheap pianos—
for the commercial pianos—for the good intermediate pianos.
There are places in plenty for all, but it is contrary to good
business principles to put the cheapest above the highest.
In other words, if the selling strength is put on the pianos well
down the line, then the dealer or salesman cannot build up from
that point; for piano selling, if it is to remain a business which
appeals to the cultivated side of man, must be run along lines which
will interest the music-loving people.
Some dealers whom we can mention have dropped some of
their leading instruments, and to-day they are not doing as much
business as they did five years ago; in the meanwhile the popula-
tion and wealth has steadily increased.
If you are going to sell pianos, you must never forget that
there are certain standards established by which the people measure
the different types of pianos.
When we engage in plain talks we do not mince matters, and
we never have hesitated to show up certain dangers which menace
the trade, and one of the greatest dangers to-day is the undermin-
ing of the whole piano fabric by reason of the attempt of certain
members of the trade to force arbitrarily products of no standing
ahead of the pianos which have made music trade history.
Just stop and reason for a moment! A man to be a good
piano merchant must have lines of instruments which appeal to the
varied tastes, but can he reasonably expect to supply the entire
demand with a cheap and unreliable product?
He may be able to do this for a brief period, and fool the
people, but where will he be at the end of a few years?
If some dealers persist in not recognizing the true position of
the leading instruments of America, refuse to accord them that
position and continue to sell pianos out of their class, then they
themselves will be contributing to the crumbling of the trade edifice,
which must necessarily collapse as the logical outcome of such a
suicidal policy.
The piano business must be maintained on a high pedestal.
Certain condition must be recognized and the musical atmosphere
must never be forgotten, else down the business goes to the level
of sewing machine trade.
Now, we can prate all we like about the glory of the great
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