Music Trade Review
Issue: 1912 Vol. 55 N. 21 - Page 142
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138
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC IN THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
interested spectators. However purchases of large
lots, such as the sheet music, are usually made
through brokers, although some dealers come on
ter sale is clean, fresh stock it is not of the most
from New York and other cities for the sale each
recent date,—that is the latest "hits." This is ex- year. After the Parcels Post is in operation, with
plained by the fact that no music is put up at auc- its eleven pound limit and not only the number but
tion promptly after its receipts at the postal grave- probably the value of the musical derelicts is pre-
yard. On the contrary, it is 'held a full year in the sumably increased it is likely that the annual sale
hope that some person will claim it, and conse- will become of even greater importance to dealers
quently when it finally goes under the hammer it in search of job lots. And just here it may be
is likely that at least a year and a half and more noted that the possibility of musical merchandise
likely two or three years have elapsed since the finding its way to the market through so unconven-
date of publication.
tional a medium as the Dead Letter Sale,—an out-
How the Sale of Unclaimed Music Is Conducted. let that would scarcely be anticipated much less
As has been explained the musical merchandise guarded against in the most carefully planned sales
sold by the Dead Letter Office is not, unless it be program—emphasizes the value of sweeping and
especially valuable,—such as a costly flute,—offered iron-clad restrictions against price cutting, such as
to bidders as individual articles. Instead the goods have been thrown around talking machine records
are '"lumped." The sheet and folio music is put and certain of the new, patented types of player-
up in 'huge dry goods boxes, each of which con- piano rolls.
tains at least some hundreds and probably several
Need of Greater Care in Packing.
thousand pieces of music. Moreover it is most
But the one thing above all others which the
distinctly a case of buying a pig in a poke to pur- Dead Letter Sale should emphasize to the music
chase one of these "lots," inasmuch as no bidder trades is the need of greater care in packing and
has an opportunity to examine or even see the addressing musical merchandise for transmission
music on sale either in advance or at the time of
by mail. Of the more than 50,000 stray packages
the auction. Then valuable articles, such as dia- that come to the Dead Letter Office every year not
monds, which are included in the Dead Letter Sale more than about 6,000, on an average, are either
are displayed for the information of intending bid- sent to the proper destination or returned to the
ders, but there is such a quantity of goods to be sender and this small proportion indicates most
sold and so limited a time in which to sell it that conclusively the prevalence of carelessness in wrap-
no inspection is permitted in the case of the low- ping and packing or neglect to place a return ad-
price articles, such as published music. The great dress card on the exterior.
wooden boxes, nailed tightly shut, are merely
It goes without saying that there are a number
marked "Popular Music," "Sacred Songs," "Band
of kinds of musical merchandise that require care-
and Orchestra Music," or some other general char-
ful packing as a safeguard against damage in tran-
acterization and the buyer takes his chances as to
sit and even those which do not, should be wrapped
the quality if not as to the quantity of hfs pur-
securely. A mistaken idea of economy (proven by
chases.
th^ Dead Letter Office record) indulged in by
Uncertainty Adds Interest to Sale.
many publishers and dealers in sheet music is that
It is the presence of this element of extreme un- of employing too thin and flimsy paper for wrap-
certainty that makes the annual Dead Letter Sale ping , rolled music. The edges of the latter are
a highly amusing spectacle and the auction rooms sharp and under stress of the rough handling in-
are invariably crowded throughout the week with evitable in fast mail service it requires but a short
time for the rolled sheets of music to cut through
the fragile wrapper and after that it is more good
luck than good management if the whole wrapper
is not speedily loosened and separated from its
erstwhile contents.
Many progressive music
dealers who do more or less business by mail are
making good use of printed or embossed labels
which may b.? handily affixed direct to the goods
and also to the outside of the wrappers, thus pro-
viding a double means of identification.
{Continued front page VS7.)
handlers seem to balk. They do not send the
stamps demanded and consequently they do not
receive their music back. In some cases this
failure is ascribed to oversight or procrastination.
Or again it may be a case of "too much trouble,"
—a game not worthy of the candle. There is no
doubt, however, that in a large number of cases
this abandonment of the cheap music that goes to
the Dead Letter Office is in accord with a care-
fully considered business policy. It will cost the
publisher at least two cents and probably more (to
say nothing of time, stationery, etc.) to recover
each piece or derelict music and many a publisher
seems to regard such procedure as merely throw-
ing good money after bad and makes no effert to
get back 'his goods.
In this connection it must also be borne in mind
that the only object in the recovery of such music
is to put it back in stock. There is practically
no chance for the shipper of the music to ascertain
(if he be doing a large business) for whom any
particular strayed shipment was originally intended
—if that could have been done the Dead Letter
Office would have done it and never bothered the
shipper at all. The mailer of the music has noth-
ing to do but await a letter of complaint from the
patron who has failed to receive the goods ordered
and then send a second package. It is not even
practicable to ask the Dead Letter Office to for-
ward the goods in its hands. With this situation
many business houses marketing quantities of low-
price music make no effort to get goods back from
the Dead Letter Office.
Such being tli£ circumstances it is easy to under-
stand that most of the music that finds its way
into the Dead Letter auction catalogue is new
rather than second-hand. However, there is a fair
proportion of the latter,—lost in transit between
private persons,—and no effort is made to separate
the two classes. It should be added, too, that
whereas most of the sheet music in the Dead Let-
SCHULZ
SINCERITY
You find it all through the product of
this company
3 Great Pianos
With 3 sounding boards
in each (Patented) have the
greatest talking points in
the trade.
M. SCHULZ CO.
RArTORiPQ j Erie, Curtis, Ohio and Carpenter Streets
r A u i u m s : ^ g n d M o r g a n a n d Superior Streets
Office and Wareroom, 711 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 111.
N. W. Sales Department, 901-903 First Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minn.
South Atlantic Sales Department, Room 730 Candler Bldg., Atlanta, Ga.
SMITH & BARNES and STROHBEft
HIGH GRADE PIANOS,
SMITH, BARNES ft STROHBER CO.,
l « 7 t Clybaara « * • • • •
CIICAQO, S. S. A.
C« KURTZMANR
We fix " o n e p r i c e " —
wholesale and retail.
The Heppe Piano Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
126-536 Niagara St.. Buffalo. H. Y,
138
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC IN THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
interested spectators. However purchases of large
lots, such as the sheet music, are usually made
through brokers, although some dealers come on
ter sale is clean, fresh stock it is not of the most
from New York and other cities for the sale each
recent date,—that is the latest "hits." This is ex- year. After the Parcels Post is in operation, with
plained by the fact that no music is put up at auc- its eleven pound limit and not only the number but
tion promptly after its receipts at the postal grave- probably the value of the musical derelicts is pre-
yard. On the contrary, it is 'held a full year in the sumably increased it is likely that the annual sale
hope that some person will claim it, and conse- will become of even greater importance to dealers
quently when it finally goes under the hammer it in search of job lots. And just here it may be
is likely that at least a year and a half and more noted that the possibility of musical merchandise
likely two or three years have elapsed since the finding its way to the market through so unconven-
date of publication.
tional a medium as the Dead Letter Sale,—an out-
How the Sale of Unclaimed Music Is Conducted. let that would scarcely be anticipated much less
As has been explained the musical merchandise guarded against in the most carefully planned sales
sold by the Dead Letter Office is not, unless it be program—emphasizes the value of sweeping and
especially valuable,—such as a costly flute,—offered iron-clad restrictions against price cutting, such as
to bidders as individual articles. Instead the goods have been thrown around talking machine records
are '"lumped." The sheet and folio music is put and certain of the new, patented types of player-
up in 'huge dry goods boxes, each of which con- piano rolls.
tains at least some hundreds and probably several
Need of Greater Care in Packing.
thousand pieces of music. Moreover it is most
But the one thing above all others which the
distinctly a case of buying a pig in a poke to pur- Dead Letter Sale should emphasize to the music
chase one of these "lots," inasmuch as no bidder trades is the need of greater care in packing and
has an opportunity to examine or even see the addressing musical merchandise for transmission
music on sale either in advance or at the time of
by mail. Of the more than 50,000 stray packages
the auction. Then valuable articles, such as dia- that come to the Dead Letter Office every year not
monds, which are included in the Dead Letter Sale more than about 6,000, on an average, are either
are displayed for the information of intending bid- sent to the proper destination or returned to the
ders, but there is such a quantity of goods to be sender and this small proportion indicates most
sold and so limited a time in which to sell it that conclusively the prevalence of carelessness in wrap-
no inspection is permitted in the case of the low- ping and packing or neglect to place a return ad-
price articles, such as published music. The great dress card on the exterior.
wooden boxes, nailed tightly shut, are merely
It goes without saying that there are a number
marked "Popular Music," "Sacred Songs," "Band
of kinds of musical merchandise that require care-
and Orchestra Music," or some other general char-
ful packing as a safeguard against damage in tran-
acterization and the buyer takes his chances as to
sit and even those which do not, should be wrapped
the quality if not as to the quantity of hfs pur-
securely. A mistaken idea of economy (proven by
chases.
th^ Dead Letter Office record) indulged in by
Uncertainty Adds Interest to Sale.
many publishers and dealers in sheet music is that
It is the presence of this element of extreme un- of employing too thin and flimsy paper for wrap-
certainty that makes the annual Dead Letter Sale ping , rolled music. The edges of the latter are
a highly amusing spectacle and the auction rooms sharp and under stress of the rough handling in-
are invariably crowded throughout the week with evitable in fast mail service it requires but a short
time for the rolled sheets of music to cut through
the fragile wrapper and after that it is more good
luck than good management if the whole wrapper
is not speedily loosened and separated from its
erstwhile contents.
Many progressive music
dealers who do more or less business by mail are
making good use of printed or embossed labels
which may b.? handily affixed direct to the goods
and also to the outside of the wrappers, thus pro-
viding a double means of identification.
{Continued front page VS7.)
handlers seem to balk. They do not send the
stamps demanded and consequently they do not
receive their music back. In some cases this
failure is ascribed to oversight or procrastination.
Or again it may be a case of "too much trouble,"
—a game not worthy of the candle. There is no
doubt, however, that in a large number of cases
this abandonment of the cheap music that goes to
the Dead Letter Office is in accord with a care-
fully considered business policy. It will cost the
publisher at least two cents and probably more (to
say nothing of time, stationery, etc.) to recover
each piece or derelict music and many a publisher
seems to regard such procedure as merely throw-
ing good money after bad and makes no effert to
get back 'his goods.
In this connection it must also be borne in mind
that the only object in the recovery of such music
is to put it back in stock. There is practically
no chance for the shipper of the music to ascertain
(if he be doing a large business) for whom any
particular strayed shipment was originally intended
—if that could have been done the Dead Letter
Office would have done it and never bothered the
shipper at all. The mailer of the music has noth-
ing to do but await a letter of complaint from the
patron who has failed to receive the goods ordered
and then send a second package. It is not even
practicable to ask the Dead Letter Office to for-
ward the goods in its hands. With this situation
many business houses marketing quantities of low-
price music make no effort to get goods back from
the Dead Letter Office.
Such being tli£ circumstances it is easy to under-
stand that most of the music that finds its way
into the Dead Letter auction catalogue is new
rather than second-hand. However, there is a fair
proportion of the latter,—lost in transit between
private persons,—and no effort is made to separate
the two classes. It should be added, too, that
whereas most of the sheet music in the Dead Let-
SCHULZ
SINCERITY
You find it all through the product of
this company
3 Great Pianos
With 3 sounding boards
in each (Patented) have the
greatest talking points in
the trade.
M. SCHULZ CO.
RArTORiPQ j Erie, Curtis, Ohio and Carpenter Streets
r A u i u m s : ^ g n d M o r g a n a n d Superior Streets
Office and Wareroom, 711 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 111.
N. W. Sales Department, 901-903 First Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minn.
South Atlantic Sales Department, Room 730 Candler Bldg., Atlanta, Ga.
SMITH & BARNES and STROHBEft
HIGH GRADE PIANOS,
SMITH, BARNES ft STROHBER CO.,
l « 7 t Clybaara « * • • • •
CIICAQO, S. S. A.
C« KURTZMANR
We fix " o n e p r i c e " —
wholesale and retail.
The Heppe Piano Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
126-536 Niagara St.. Buffalo. H. Y,
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