Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ELECTION RESULTS INTEREST DETROIT PIANO DEALERS
Piano Men Are Optimistic Over General Result—Start Plans for Christmas Trade—Grinnell
Employes Dine at the Charlevoix—Kimball Store Now Ready for Business—Other News
DETROIT, MICH., November 11.—We are all still
talking and discussing election results, and par-
ticularly that part of it which has to do with
prohibition. As is no doubt generally known
by this time, Michigan was voted dry by a ma-
jority of 60,000 on November 7. It was a sur-
prise to everybody. No one dreamed that there
• was such a strong sentiment for prohibition.
The fight waged between the wets and the drys
for the past year has been a tierce one, and
while there was a growing sentiment for pro-
hibition among all classes of people in all sec-
tions of the State, no one ever dreamed that the
sentiment was so overwhelming.
According
to the vote taken, Michigan will go dry on May
1, 1918, thus giving the saloons and breweries
approximately eighteen months in which to
dispose of their stock on hand, fixtures, etc., and
get ready for something else.
There have
been statements made to the effect that pro-
hibition in Michigan is going to mean a set-
back for Detroit's prosperity, but viewing the
situation carefully, it is easy to see where such
statements are made in a false light. At the
present time about 7,000 persons are employed
in the breweries and saloons of Detroit. When
the vState goes dry, many of the breweries
will devote their plants to making ice; others
for storage and warehouse purposes, and still
others for soft drinks. Many of the saloon-
keepers own their buildings, and will open cigar
and confectionery stores, butcher shops, and
engage in other lines of trade. Thos.e who are
thrown absolutely out of employment will have
no trouble at all in getting work in the motor
car and other .factories. In fact, there will be
more jobs open than there are men to fill them.
On the other hand, what will the effect of
prohibition be on retail trade, and especially
the retail piano trade? The Review corre-
spondent asked R. H. Webber, president of the
J. L. Hudson Co., and other leading merchants
what they thought the effect would be, and
unanimously came back the answer that prohi-
bition would mean increased retail business, as
families would have more ready cash. There
was not a piano dealer seen by The Review dur-
ing the past week that did not remark that he
was glad Michigan had gone dry, and that, it
could not help but result in more piano busi-
ness and better collections.
It is a logical
conclusion that if men cannot spend money in
saloons, they will have more to spend in other
channels. Detroit is too diversified with manu-
facturing industries to be affected by any one
line of trade.
Ready for Holiday Business
Starting Monday, the 13th, every piano dealer
will put forth additional effort to get holiday
business. With Christmas less than six weeks
away, dealers realize that the time is ripe now
to go hard after prospects and to see that the
Artrmjro
Record Rolls
"Music as Actually Played"
HESE record rolls repre-
T
sent a true, scientific re-
production of piano playing
as performed by e m i n e n t
artists. Made with a respect to
the ideals of past and present
composers. Artempo rolls sell
on a merit basis only.
Your proof is in our sample
box at $2.00. Ask for it today.
BENNETT & WHITE, Inc.
67-71 Gobel St., NEWARK, N. J.
prospect's name is on the dotted line bf
bf the
contract blank. Dealers have held conferences
with their salesmen during the past week, and
have discussed the holiday possibilities. With
large stocks on hand, they are prepared as never
before for big holiday business.
Goodfellowship Club Banquets
The Goodfellowship Club, a social organiza-
tion of Grinnell Bros, employes, met last
Wednesday evening at the Charlevoix Hotel.
About 140 were in attendance. Membership of
the club is limited to male employes of the
company. Dinner was followed by a program
of addresses, classical dances and vocal selec-
tions. Leonard Grayson, president of the club,
spoke on the club's history, and C. A. Grinnell,
general manager of the company, gave a talk
on goodfellowship.
New W. W. Kimball Store Ready
The finishing touches have been put to the
new store of the W. W. Kimball Co. at 80
9
Broadway, and now Manager James W. Belcher
can safely pride himself on a musical emporium
equal to almost any in the Middle West, size
compared. The rich carpet and the hangings
have added 100 per cent, to the store's appear-
ance. You would hardly believe it possible to
get such a good looking store out of such a
building before the lease was signed.
Among the old-timers in the music business
in this city is John P. Becker, at 638 Monroe
avenue. He does a consistent business, and
has a big following.
Mr. Becker does a
twelve-months' business instead of doing it at
certain times of the year only.
One of the finest and most up-to-date out-
skirt piano stores of Detroit is that of the
Hustedt Piano Co., 814 Gratiot avenue, O.
Hustedt, proprietor. Another is the City Music
Co., 930 Mack avenue.
. The J. L. Hudson Co. department store man-
agers held their monthly meeting last Thursday,
E. P. Andrew, of the piano department, acting
as secretary. The main topic of the meeting
was a discussion of holiday sales plans of vari-
ous kinds.
COOL WEATHER STIMULATES KANSAS CITY PIANO TRADE
Prospects for Excellent Holiday Trade Are Bright—Jones Co. Sold One Hundred Pianos Since
First of Month—New Entrance for McDonald Store—New Salesmen for Starr Co.
KANSAS CJTY. MO., November 13.—The local
piano business has been rather quiet with a
good many dealers during the past week on ac-
count of the election and the excitement which
it aroused. The recent sharp weather, however,
is expected to cause people to think more of
staying indoors, and of having indoor enter-
tainment, and the piano will be more in their
thoughts than during the pleasant weather we
have been having all fall. A great many peo-
ple are also beginning to think of the coming
holidays and of Christmas buying, and this has
greatly stimulated the sales of pianos both in
Kansas City and in the territory.
C. V. Bissell, the new manager of the Starr
Piano Co., reports that he is getting things in
shape, and the results are beginning to come
in. A number of pianos have been sold, and
the holiday trade is commencing to show a
stimulating briskness.
Mrs. Cline, of the Altman Piano Co., is very
optimistic about the holiday trade in Kansas
City. She reports that she has placed orders
for pianos with every one of the wholesale
houses whose pianos she uses, and is not able to
get enough deliveries to supply the demand.
J. E. Reger, sales manager of the piano de-
partment of the Jones Store Co., reports that the
department has sold one hundred pianos since
the first of November. The sales are bringing
in good cash deposits also, and the people
seem to have plenty of money to invest.
Archie Dieckhaus, who formerly ran an or-
chestra here, has recently joined the local office
forces of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.
W. W. Russell, of Sedalia, Mo., who was for-
merly in the piano business for himself, has re-
cently joined the forces of the Wunderlich
Piano Co. as a traveling representative, as has
Robert Cassell, formerly of the Cassell Brothers
Piano Co., of Denver, Colo.
The McDonald Piano Co. has recently made
another entrance to its store, which leads
to Twelfth street, the other entrance being on
McGee street. Mr. Berry, manager of the store,
reports that he hopes to "catch the people com-
ing and going" with the two entrances.
J. R. Reger, sales manager of the piano de-
partment of the Jones Store Co., has just left
for a two weeks' trip in the Kansas and Okla-
homa territory. He will make special efforts
to increase the sale of holiday goods.
H. C. Guild, of the E. B. Guild Piano Co.,
has been kept busy running back and forth be-
tween Topeka and Kansas City for the past
week. His brother, L. E. Guild, manager of the
Topeka house of the E. B. Guild Piano Co., was
married recently to Miss Hazel Wing, of Hol-
land, Mich., and they have been away on a wed-
ding trip to New Orleans, and from there to
New York by boat. They will return to To-
peka and make their home there. H. C. Guild,
of the Kansas City house, has been managing
both houses during the absence of his brother.
H. S. Stewart, of the R. S. Howard Co., New
York, was a recent visitor to the local trade.
Other recent visitors were C. B. Barnett, of
Bartlesville, Okla, and R. h. Moulard, Platts-
burg, Mo.
C. V. Bissell, manager of the Starr Piano
Co., has recently added new special salesmen
for his line of Starr phonographs. J. L,. Rep-
logle, who is the new representative, is out on
his first tour of the territory, and is turning
in some good results. His territory will in-
clude Kansas and Oklahoma. Mr. Bissell re-
ports that the Starr phonograph business has
been very good in the past two weeks.
TAKES ON KRELL LINE
The W. W. Hon Furniture Co., of Pleasant
Hill, Mo., recently took on the Krell line of
pianos and players, the opening of the piano
department being featured by a concert which
was attended by a large crowd.
Smith,
Barnes
and
Strohber
Company
CHICAGO
Over 145,000 Pianos
in American Homes and
All Giving Satisfaction
MONEY MAKERS FOR THE DEALER
Write for Catalogues and Prices
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Go.
1873 Clybourn Avenue
CHICAGO