Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DEFINITE, CLEAN-CUT ACTION DESIRED.
(Continued from page 3.)
Henry Dreher, also a former president, writes: "I certainly read your various editorials on the
first page of your paper with great interest, and have several times felt that I would like an oppor-
tunity of congratulating you on these articles, as they are not only educational, but any business
man carrying out some of your ideas would certainly find them profitable."
Thos. M. Pletcher, vice-president the Melville Clark Piano Co., Chicago, 111., says: "All of the
things you suggest in regard to fixing some valuation on trade-in pianos are very fine indeed, except
for the fact that in the writer's opinion nothing can be done."
Here is an opinion from Wm. H. Collins, a leading piano salesman of Chicago, who remarks:
"There is no doubt whatever in my mind that the problem of traded-in pianos is one that ought to
engage the careful attention of every player man. When I sell a player-piano and take a straight
piano, used, in trade as partial payment for the player, I am undertaking two transactions. I am
selling a player-piano and also buying a second-hand straight piano. Plainly, then, until the second-
hand piano which I have bought has been sold again, and at a profit, there is no complete sale. If
anybody makes such sales supposing that they are finished when the down payment on the player
has been made he is fooling himself. The traded-in piano must be resold before the transaction has
been completed."
Mr. Collins says further "there must be concerted action, and he believes that the piano manu-
facturers can do much in the way of beginning it."
While there must be a beginning, sometime and somewhere, why not start in right now on a
country-wide campaign?
I shall be glad to receive communications from any members of the trade who have ideas to
express along remedial lines.
The whole object of the campaign is to arrive at some general agreement whereby the condi-
tions of the trade may be materially benefited, and that one of the great problems—a dominant one
on account of the player-piano—may be much simplified.
I repeat what I have said in former issues—that, in my humble opinion, the over-valuations and
lack of system used by many piano merchants throughout America on traded-in pianos have been
among the chief reasons why dealers have not advanced further along the road to material wealth.
Take every one of the houses that have gon^ to the wall during the past few years, and you
will find by an analysis of their stocks that they have loaded themselves up with a lot of traded-in
stock which has been carried on their books at the prices at which they were traded-in, and in most
cases ridiculously high allowances were made for these instruments.
This is a matter which interests not only every piano manufacturer, but every piano merchant
in this great, big country of ours, and if the coming convention in New York can be so employed
that a national system may result, then much good will have been accomplished.
The sale of player-pianos has grown very materially during the past few years—in fact, last
year it took an amazing upward trend, and this year the proportion between straight and player-
pianos is constantly narrowing, and it will not be long before the sales of player-pianos will equal
those of straight pianos.
At the present rate of valuations on trade-ins an unfortunate condition will result, and a good
many men will have traded themselves out of business.
The question of devising fair valuations for traded-in pianos is one which requires the serious
consideration of the entire trade, and the piano merchant who is selling on long time a player-piano
which represents considerable investment, and accepts in part payment thereof another instrument
which he must resell in order to complete his original transaction, must meet certain conditions, and
if he does not succeed in meeting these successfully he will sooner or later find himself loaded up
with a stock of used pianos taken in at high valuations and having for them no adequate outlet.
What say you, gentlemen of the trade? Cannot the situation be
met in such a manner that conditions may be bettered by concerted
action?
All admit the seriousness of the situation—then why not strive to
better it by logical action?
T
HE four papers to be read at the coming convention of the Na-
tional Association of Piano Merchants and announced this
week by President O. A. Field are, each of them, of timely interest
and importance to the trade at large. The question of clean adver-
tising has been brought up before, but it will bear frequent repeating.
The proper advertising and handling of second-hand or trade-in
pianos is also a subject of most timely interest, as is the dis-
cussion of the one-price system and its bearing on the dealer and
his customer. Of the four papers, however, that referring to the
benefit of short terms should receive the greatest attention as
presenting the dealer's view of the subject. It is to be hoped
that the attendance at the convention will be such that the
papers receive the proper attention and discussion. The an-
nounced policy of fewer papers, but to have those few carefully
considered, instead of many papers soon forgotten, is interest-
ing enough to be given a fair try-out by the association members.