Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
10
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
AN AID TO PIANO COLLECTIONS.
Some Reasons Why Many Piano Houses Handle
Sheet Music and Particularly Century Edi-
tion—Proves a Genuine Asset in More Ways
Than One—One Dealer's Experience.
In traveling about the country those W'.KI take
occasion to look into the matter are considerably
impressed with the number of piano stores that
carry a complete line of 'Century Edition music in
stock and feature that line strongly in connection
with the regular piano business. Although the
majority of the stores also carry full-fledged sheet
music departments, there are still a large number
that handle the Century Edition exclusively, for
the reason that it proves a decided asset to their
business in more ways than one. In the first place,
there is no fear of cut-price sales of that edition
by competitors, for the price of the music is fixed
strictly at ten cents per copy. Then, too, the edi-
tion is so cataloged and arranged that music of any
particular grade desired is easily found and placed
before the customer. Also a system of counter
catalogs is provided that, in many respects, makes
tlie Century Edition a self-selling proposition,
for the teacher or student can select the desired
music at leisure from the catalog and require the
clerk to pull clown from the shelves only the num-
bers selected.
A feature of a stock of Century Edition that ap-
peals to many piano dealers is that it serves to
draw teachers and students of the piano to the
store and identify it as a sort of headquarters for
their music purchases, and every teacher or stu-
dent that can be influenced to come into the piano
store regularly means a live prospect or a prospect
producer added to the lists of the store.
There is also a practical use for Century Edi-
tion not realized by many piano merchants, and
which was recently emphasized by L. G. Battin,
manager of the Century Music Publishing Co.,
New York, who in a recent interview said :
"On a recent trip West I called upon one of
our agents, who carried pianos and Victrola-> ex-
clusively, with the exception of a complete line of
Century Edition ten-cent sheet music, and I re-
marked that J couldn't understand how he used
such enormous quantities of the Edition, since he
did not have a regular music department, where-
upon he explained how he did it.
" 'Two years ago I had two people who devoted
80 per cent, of their time to following up piano
instalment collections. To-day I am doing nearly
double the business. I have but one, and he de-
votes less than 20 per cent, of his time to collec-
tions.
"'Nowadays, when I sell a piano on the instal-
men plan, I embody in the agreement that if the
instalments are paid promptly as agreed I allow
them a discount of 10 per cent, in trade for Cen-
tury Edition. That is, on payment of $10 they
may select ten copies from the Century catalog. .
" 'By the old method of dunning it cost me al-
most 15 per cent, to make collections, while the
new plan costs me at the most "AVz per cent., and
besides enables me to make an enormous conces-
sion to my customers of 10 per cent, for prompt
payment.
" 'I have not only found that it brings in money
that I know a collector might not have gotten, but
the plan has been responsible for recommendations
that sold quite a few pianos.
" 'Besides, I find that Century Edition is a music
department in itself. In fact, I make sufficient
profit on the regular sales at ten cents to cover
the cost of what I give to my instalment customers.
1 consider the Century one of the best advertising
assets I have.' "
Robert D. Sharpe, the piano dealer of Denver,
Col., had an excellent exhibit of Hallet & Davis
and Steger pianos at the Agricultural Fair held in
that city last week.
H. W. Porter has been appointed manager of the
Victrola department of the J. W. Greene Co., To-
ledo, O., succeeding Miss Mabel Burson, who re-
signed recently to get married.
Why You Get
More and Save More
FIRST: You are buying and
ing a better piano.
SECOND: You save money in
repair bills—lots of it.
Sales come easier with B=B
equipped pianos because—
Any man or woman can see for him=
self or herself the common=sense
principles of the Bransfield con=
struction. Just explain to prospec=
tive buyers how the wood rail and
flange in an old style action will
swell and shrink—how the screw
loosens and causes the rail to rattle
and click. They can easily see which
is the better way and why the B=B
piano is far the superior. With this
fact established you can get more.
Ask your manufacturer about our
Metal Angle Rail Action. Ask him
if we are correct. Then ask him
why he doesn't equip his pianos
with them. They do cost a little
more but they are more than worth
it.
"Looks good to me! I can say this from the stand-
point of being somewhat a judge, having worked in
a piano factory four and one-half years before going
into the retail part of it."—F. A. Shoeneberg, of
F. A. Shoeneberg & Company, Piano Merchants,
St. Joseph, Mich.
Explanatory
Catalog
BRANSFIELD-BILLINGS *UP™Y co
FRED K. KURTZ, Gen. Mgr. SAGINAW, MICH.