Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 62 N. 4 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Victory Scored for Clean Advertising.
A
N important victory for clean advertising in general, and clean
piano advertising in particular, was recently won by the
Advertising Association of San Francisco. As reported in The
Review some time ago, a certain piano dealer of the city advertised
in two of the leading newspapers a special sale of pianos which
supposedly had been rented to summer visitors in San Francisco,
and on which the firm claimed it had made sufficient profit, through
rentals, to enable it to dispose of them at a great sacrifice. Several
of the highest grade instruments were advertised for sale at ridicu-
lously low prices, and the advertisement was generally so evidently
false that the association sent four different investigators to the
showrooms of the firm, the investigations showing that the number
of pianos on hand, and the prices thereon, were at decided variance
with the statements contained in the advertisement.
The association immediately reported its findings to the adver-
tising managers of the newspapers carrying the advertisements, who
in turn notified the piano firm that no more advertising of similar
nature would be accepted for publication. The association then
called a conference, which was attended by their representatives,
and the head of the offending firm, who quickly perceived the error
of his ways, promised to refrain from similar advertising in the
future, and made application for membership in the association.
This desirable result was obtained because the statutes of Cali-
fornia contain a section making it a misdemeanor for any person to
knowingly make any statement regarding goods for sale which is
untrue, which section is being enforced by the authorities, with the
aid of organizations such as the Advertising Association of San
Francisco.
Some twenty States have a statute similar to the California law,
but unfortunately it is not always enforced. Unscrupulous mer-
chants knowingly advertise their wares with false and misleading
statements, sacrificing honesty and business integrity in a short-
sighted attempt to attract gullible and unwary customers. The
folly of this course should be apparent to any merchant whose fore-
sight has not become so myopic, from gazing at the pennies of the
present, that he cannot see the dollars of the future. A customer
who is talked into buying an article which manifestly does not
measure up to its advertised specifications is certain to become an
active antagonist of the firm from whom he bought, and not only
is his future trade lost, but his experience, related among his neigh-
bors and friends, may lose more business to the firm in question
than an extended advertising campaign can gain.
While misleading advertisers eventually work themselves the
greatest harm, there is another danger to the trade in general which
their policy brings, a danger sufficiently great to cause every legiti-
mate advertiser to do everything in his power to demand an enforce-
ment of the existing laws against false advertising, or, if such laws
do not exist in his particular State, to actively and energetically
campaign for the enactment of such laws. This great danger lies
in the fact that the public, having learned that a certain dealer in a
special line is fraudulently advertising his goods, is prone to regard
all other dealers in that line with suspicion, and to view their legiti-
mate advertisements with skepticism.
This tends to impair materially the value of the legitimate
statements made by responsible dealers, with the result that poten-
tial customers are lost because of their doubt concerning the state-
ments made in advertisements which would otherwise attract their
careful attention and bring their interest up to a purchasing point.
Because of this fact, piano dealers should unhesitatingly fight, with
the aid of the courts, if possible, those purveyors of musical instru-
ments who seek to attract their trade through flashy statements and
false promises. Fortunately, the number of men in the piano
industry who resort to this form of advertising is comparatively
very small, but so long as any of this undesirable species exist, just
so long do they constitute a menace to healthy, legitimate business,
and just so long should concerted effort be made toward their
extermination.
All honor to San Francisco, her Advertising Association, and
her piano d alers. who co-operated splendidly in achieving a distinct
victory for honesty in advertising. May other States, other associa-
tions and other piano men quickly follow the admirable example
set bv their Western confreres !
kept on a high ethical plane and a sound credit basis through the
maintenance of prices. Hence the importance of the decision
handed down in favor of the Victor Talking Machine Co. Price
maintenance is the backbone of the talking machine industry, and
every decision that emphasizes the value of this policy merits
approval; hence it is that talking machine men are working so
earnestly for the passage of the Stevens Rill, which, if passed by
Congress, would enable the manufacturer to fix the price at which
his product may be sold.
While the members of the piano trade have not been active in
support of this measure as have their brethren in the talking machine
field, yet there can be no question that a fixed price—the fair price
—at which pianos could be sold from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and from Canada to the Gulf, would be a great thing for the piano
industry. Its accomplishment is like a dream, but there is no
question as to the beneficial result that would accrue from such a
policy were it possible to put it into force. Uniformity of prices
means healthy and stable credits, and this is made possible by means
of the inauguration of the one-price idea, which wholly and com-
pletely does away with piano misrepresentation.
STRAUBE
Values Are Genuine
Because T h e y Are
Lasting Values
•Here are two new
Players that for value in con-
struction, value in tone and
Style 15 Hammond Player.
value in price are really
exceptional. We cannot prove this by merely saying so.
our chance. Get our prices.
Style C Straube Player.
You must give us
ftraute pann
HAMMOND, IND.
209 S. State Street, CHICAGO
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Victory Scored for Clean Advertising.
A
N important victory for clean advertising in general, and clean
piano advertising in particular, was recently won by the
Advertising Association of San Francisco. As reported in The
Review some time ago, a certain piano dealer of the city advertised
in two of the leading newspapers a special sale of pianos which
supposedly had been rented to summer visitors in San Francisco,
and on which the firm claimed it had made sufficient profit, through
rentals, to enable it to dispose of them at a great sacrifice. Several
of the highest grade instruments were advertised for sale at ridicu-
lously low prices, and the advertisement was generally so evidently
false that the association sent four different investigators to the
showrooms of the firm, the investigations showing that the number
of pianos on hand, and the prices thereon, were at decided variance
with the statements contained in the advertisement.
The association immediately reported its findings to the adver-
tising managers of the newspapers carrying the advertisements, who
in turn notified the piano firm that no more advertising of similar
nature would be accepted for publication. The association then
called a conference, which was attended by their representatives,
and the head of the offending firm, who quickly perceived the error
of his ways, promised to refrain from similar advertising in the
future, and made application for membership in the association.
This desirable result was obtained because the statutes of Cali-
fornia contain a section making it a misdemeanor for any person to
knowingly make any statement regarding goods for sale which is
untrue, which section is being enforced by the authorities, with the
aid of organizations such as the Advertising Association of San
Francisco.
Some twenty States have a statute similar to the California law,
but unfortunately it is not always enforced. Unscrupulous mer-
chants knowingly advertise their wares with false and misleading
statements, sacrificing honesty and business integrity in a short-
sighted attempt to attract gullible and unwary customers. The
folly of this course should be apparent to any merchant whose fore-
sight has not become so myopic, from gazing at the pennies of the
present, that he cannot see the dollars of the future. A customer
who is talked into buying an article which manifestly does not
measure up to its advertised specifications is certain to become an
active antagonist of the firm from whom he bought, and not only
is his future trade lost, but his experience, related among his neigh-
bors and friends, may lose more business to the firm in question
than an extended advertising campaign can gain.
While misleading advertisers eventually work themselves the
greatest harm, there is another danger to the trade in general which
their policy brings, a danger sufficiently great to cause every legiti-
mate advertiser to do everything in his power to demand an enforce-
ment of the existing laws against false advertising, or, if such laws
do not exist in his particular State, to actively and energetically
campaign for the enactment of such laws. This great danger lies
in the fact that the public, having learned that a certain dealer in a
special line is fraudulently advertising his goods, is prone to regard
all other dealers in that line with suspicion, and to view their legiti-
mate advertisements with skepticism.
This tends to impair materially the value of the legitimate
statements made by responsible dealers, with the result that poten-
tial customers are lost because of their doubt concerning the state-
ments made in advertisements which would otherwise attract their
careful attention and bring their interest up to a purchasing point.
Because of this fact, piano dealers should unhesitatingly fight, with
the aid of the courts, if possible, those purveyors of musical instru-
ments who seek to attract their trade through flashy statements and
false promises. Fortunately, the number of men in the piano
industry who resort to this form of advertising is comparatively
very small, but so long as any of this undesirable species exist, just
so long do they constitute a menace to healthy, legitimate business,
and just so long should concerted effort be made toward their
extermination.
All honor to San Francisco, her Advertising Association, and
her piano d alers. who co-operated splendidly in achieving a distinct
victory for honesty in advertising. May other States, other associa-
tions and other piano men quickly follow the admirable example
set bv their Western confreres !
kept on a high ethical plane and a sound credit basis through the
maintenance of prices. Hence the importance of the decision
handed down in favor of the Victor Talking Machine Co. Price
maintenance is the backbone of the talking machine industry, and
every decision that emphasizes the value of this policy merits
approval; hence it is that talking machine men are working so
earnestly for the passage of the Stevens Rill, which, if passed by
Congress, would enable the manufacturer to fix the price at which
his product may be sold.
While the members of the piano trade have not been active in
support of this measure as have their brethren in the talking machine
field, yet there can be no question that a fixed price—the fair price
—at which pianos could be sold from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and from Canada to the Gulf, would be a great thing for the piano
industry. Its accomplishment is like a dream, but there is no
question as to the beneficial result that would accrue from such a
policy were it possible to put it into force. Uniformity of prices
means healthy and stable credits, and this is made possible by means
of the inauguration of the one-price idea, which wholly and com-
pletely does away with piano misrepresentation.
STRAUBE
Values Are Genuine
Because T h e y Are
Lasting Values
•Here are two new
Players that for value in con-
struction, value in tone and
Style 15 Hammond Player.
value in price are really
exceptional. We cannot prove this by merely saying so.
our chance. Get our prices.
Style C Straube Player.
You must give us
ftraute pann
HAMMOND, IND.
209 S. State Street, CHICAGO
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