Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
CONDITIONS NORMAL IN KANSAS CITY PIANO TRADE
NEW PIANO STORE FOR DETROIT
New Building for Kimball Co. to be Opened Shortly—Jones Store Reports Good Sales—Starr
Co. Featuring Music Rolls—Opportunities for Piano Sales in Small Towns
Eiler's Music House Will Open About the Mid-
dle of This Month—Near Ford Plant
KANSAS CITY, MO., August 7.—The trade in
Kansas City has suffered from excessive tem-
peratures again, following a short spell of pleas-
ant weather. This is normal summer dullness,
of course; and while the weather is hotter than
necessary, it would cause little comment except
for the persistence of the drought in the agri-
cultural districts. Daily the reports of damage
to crops are growing more pessimistic, and the
sharp rise in wheat prices is also causing un-
easiness. The threatened strike of railroad em-
ployes is also adding to the uneasiness; and
piano dealers are like everybody else—wonder-
ing what they, as citizens and heads of families,
are going to do if the dry weather is further
complicated. If all these things turn out as
badly as they look now, there will be compara-
tively little trade for a month or so; and even
the fall business may be seriously damaged.
Kansas City has been so extremely optimistic
and prosperous for the past year or so, and
prospects were so rosy, that many business men
are now going to the other extreme precipitately.
DETROIT, MICH., August 8.—Eiler's Music
House is the name of the newest concern that
will start in the piano business in Detroit. The
location selected is at the northwest corner of
Woodward and LaBelle avenues, a block dis-
tant from the huge plant of the Ford Motor Co.
This would indicate that it will be the aim of
Eiler's to specialize in business with Ford em-
ployes, of which there are close to 40,000, most
of whom are drawing not less than $5 per day
in wages. The store to be occupied is not a
very large one, yet it has been fixed up attrac-
tively with ceilings and walls of blue, and
panelled half way to the ceiling. Being on a
corner there is a splendid chance to make win-
dow displays. A sign on the outside of the
building reads "From Factory to You," and this
will be one of the slogans of the new firm.
When The Review correspondent called there
last Friday, no definite information could be
learned other than the store would be opened
about the middle of August. A Mr. Johnson
has been handling the matter for Eiler's.
"But at that," he said, "there are chances for
selling pianos in the small towns, if one has the
confidence and the nerve to try the plan. I used
to sell four times as many in the towns in sum-
mer as I ever could in the city. I used to take
six or eight pianos to a small town; hire a store
room or rent a tent and set them up. Then I
would arrange concerts, employing some local
talent, getting other talent to serve free for the
fun of it; and then getting all these people to
pull for sales for me.
"One rule I made that was inviolable—I an-
nounced at the start that I paid no commissions.
For commissions are death. Mrs. Jones wouldn't
buy a piano if she thought Miss Smith was go-
ing to make $25 out of the sale—and every
woman would think she was paying more than
the piano was worth, if some music teacher was
receiving a commission. And such things cannot
be kept secret—there has to be some way to get
the word about that commissions will be paid.
"Well, I paid no commissions. But I would
tune the piano of the woman who helped with
The W. W. Kimball Co. is about ready to a sale as a courtesy. The women were generally
open its new building. The store front is now in helpful, too; the absence of commissions at
shape, and a beautiful grand displayed through once put the business on a plane above com-
the big plate glass window; the name is on this mercialism, and they would honestly recom-
window, and when the debris from remodeling mend the pianos, usually.
a neighboring store room is out of the way the
"Of course, I picked my towns; places where
opening will take place.
there was money and a prospect for selling. But
The piano department of the Jones Store Co. it took lots of pep and confidence, and maybe
has had a nice trade in pianos the past week, some salesmen would waste their time."
despite the heat. This company is almost alone
in rather extensive advertising during the hot
TEACHERS VISIT MEHLIN PLANT
weather, which is chiefly, however, confined to
the half pages that accompany the Kansas City Thorough Inspection of the Mehlin & Sons
Factory Made by a Large Body of Music
Post's weekly lesson in music.
Teachers—Entertained at Dinner
Harry Wunderlich, who had returned from
his vacation much benefited, has gone again, this
The factories of Paul G. Mehlin & Sons at
time on a business trip East.
The Starr Piano Co.'s Kansas City branch has West New York, N. J., were visited last week
had an excellent trade in music rolls this sum- by a large delegation of music teachers who are
mer, a special sale being on at 10 and 25 cents. attending the summer school conducted by the
The sales force in the branch are particularly New York school of Music and Arts. The
gratified with this result, because W. E. Rupe, teachers, who came from all sections of the
manager, is away on his vacation with Mrs. country, were met at the West Shore ferry by
Rupe, and they hope for a nice showing for him H. Paul and Paul G. Mehlin, Jr., and C. C.
on his return. Just before he went away Mr. Spanier, and went to the factory in automobiles,
Rupe was a guest at the wedding of Miss Minna where they were welcomed by Paul G., Chas.
Lee, who has been with the branch since its and Otto F. Mehlin. A thorough inspection of
opening. Her husband is C. R. Olson. Mrs. the factory followed, the process of piano con-
Olson remained in charge of the branch during struction being explained in detail by the heads
of the firm. Following the inspection the teach-
Mr. Rupe's absence.
ers were entertained at dinner at the Hotel Mc-
C. S. Hixon, a jeweler at Richmond, Mo.,
Alpin by the proprietors of the Mehlin con-
has secured the agency for Lyon & Healy
cern.
pianos, and has received a stock.
A piano man of many years' experience re-
A BELIEVER IN ADVERTISING
marked in Kansas City recently that the logical
way to treat the hot weather was to lay low; J. F. Renner Doing Some Good Publicity Work
there was little chance for business and no use
in Sandusky, O.
getting worried over it.
J. F. Renner, piano dealer in the I. O. O. F.
Building, Sandusky, O., has been carrying on an
energetic advertising campaign in the local news-
papers, using attractive ads set up in generous
space. The advertising of Mr. Renner does not
feature any particular line of pianos, but makes
a strong point of quality. A recent advertise-
ment, for instance, was headed "Your Ideal
Piano Awaits You at Our Reliable Store" and
"Music as Actually Played"
offers some interesting facts for prospective
piano buyers.
Artemjro
Record Rolls
record rolls repre-
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.
J. P. AUSTIN RESJINQ IN MAINE
PORTLAND, ME., August 7.—John P. Austin, of
the Austin Organ Co., Hartford, Conn., is now
spending his vacation at Rangeley Lakes, ac-
companied by his wife and son. He spent a day
here en route to the lakes, attending an organ
concert at the City Hall, to listen to Will C.
Macfarlane play the large Austin organ in-
stalled there. He reported that the work of
transferring the Austin organ, which was played
at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Fran-
cisco, to the San Francisco Auditorium, was
progressing nicely.
DEATH OF HENRY M. FISHER
Henry M. Fisher, a retired organ builder, of
Reading, Pa., recently passed away; aged sixty-
seven years.
The Triumph
of the
American Tone
AWARDED
The position won by the
American Steel & Wire Co.
demonstrates clearly how
right, in the end, must tri-
umph over prejudice.
The high tension cry of
years ago has entirely sub-
sided, and America's great
wire manufacturing com-
pany, by continuing its
campaign of education, has
finally won the piano trade
to see the correctness of its
position.
Gradually America's lead-
ing piano manufacturing concerns
have accepted the American standard
and artists and amateurs are now
thinking less of the high tension idea
and more of beauty of tone than ever
before.
The special brands of the Ameri-
can Steel & Wire Co.—the "PER-
FECTED" and "CROWN"—were the
outcome of an ever alert anticipation
—anticipation backed by the ability to
know—the ability to fight undeviat-
ingly for the maintenance of correct
principles. For years it clung relig-
iously to an ideal, in the face of the
most discouraging opposition, and
now the whole world recognizes its
triumph, which has resulted in giving
a purer musical tone than ever before,
and in showing that art is oftentimes
concealed by art.
American Steel & Wire Company
Chicago, New York, Worcester, Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. a. Steel
Products Co., New York. Pacific Coast representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.