Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
THE STANDING OF THE SMALL GRAND PIANO IN THE TRADE—(Continued from page 9)
them to take a size that will produce the real
results expected from a grand piano.
"There is no doubt but that there is a much
larger demand for grands to-day than in previ-
ous years, as it is every musician's ambition to
own a grand in preference to an upright, but due
to the fact that musical people prefer a grand,
they want one for which they will have to make
no apologies."
H. W. CLINTON, A. B. Clinton Co.. New
Haven, Conn.
"Regarding the increased popularity of the
small grand piano it is the opinion of our com-
pany that this is owing to the great strides man-
ufacturers have made in the last few years in
perfecting this special type of instrument.
"We find that most customers that buy the
grand piano have already made up their minds
before calling at our store that only a grand
will suit their special wants.
On the other
hand, we find many of our customers who pur-
chase upright pianos, would like to buy the
grand and will undoubtedly change their up-
rights for grands later."
E. A. KIESELHORST, Kieselhorst Piano Co.,
St. Louis, Mo.
"It is our opinion that the increased demand
for small grand pianos has been due largely
to piano merchants calling the public's attention
to their many desirable features, particularly
their small size, moderate price and convenient
terms.
"Occasionally sales of small grand pianos have
been made to prospects' who called to inspect
uprights. The small grand piano has not had
the effect of making better terms in this
market."
ROBERT N. WATKIN, Secretary, Will A.
Watkin Co., Dallas, Tex.
"Our house has noticed an increased demand
for small grand pianos during the last several
years. We think this has been due more to
the idea prevailing that a grand piano is more
fashionable to have in the home than to the
lower price or any improvement in the instru-
ments themselves. Then, too, music lovers and
music teachers seem to have the ambition to
own a grand piano as soon as possible. We
do not sell many grands to prospects who origi-
nally come in to purchase uprights."
HENRY DREHER, President, B. Dreher's
Sons Co., Cleveland. O.
"The past two years has truly brought about
a decidedly interesting situation in the music
trade as pertains to the selling of grand pianos.
"During the above term, we have noticed a
very large increase in our sales of pianos of the
grand type and we think the same condition has
been the experience of dealers all over the
country.
"This increase, we believe, is traceable at least
tc some extent:
"Firstly, to the fact that musical appreciation
has developed to a point where a higher standard
of musical excellence is demanded than it is
possible to secure when pianistic effort is limited
to an upright piano.
"Secondly, to the fact that homes are now
more often built with architectural ideas em-
bodying in the plans more roomy living rooms
and more roomy music rooms.
Awarded first prize in many world compe-
titions during the past sixty years, the
Schomacker Piano is now daily receiving first
prizes of preference won by its superb tone,
wonderful breadth of expression and structural
beauty.
SCHOMACKER PIANO CO.
23d and Chestnut Sts.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
"Thirdly, to the fact that the improved finan-
cial condition of the average piano purchaser
makes it possible for him to invest in the better
instrument.
"These reasons, we believe, are doing much
towards popularizing the grand piano, causing
customers of more moderate means to invest in
the lower-priced makes whom it would have
been extremely difficult formerly to interest In
a grand at any price.
"We are selling grand pianos to a goodly
percentage of upright prospects. These cus-
tomers as a rule are better prepared to make
better monthly payments and we notice a gen-
eral inclination towards shorter time in making
sale settlements.
"Manufacturers will make no mistake by in-
creasing the output of grand pianos for we pre-
dict an ever increasing demand for this type of
instrument."
WM. M. CARLIN, Carlin Music Co., Indian-
apolis, Ind.
"We have never pushed the small-sized grand
to any extent, as we have decided from years
of experience that no grand will last as long
under the same amount of usage as an upright
of the same grade.
"There are but few grands in steam heated
buildings that have been used any great length
of time but what become defective in the sound
board. We have seen many of the very finest
makes in which the sounding board had cracked
in several places. This is often caused by the
grand being placed in too small a room, over-
heated at times.
"Notwithstanding the above, we are satisfied
the grand will have a larger sale than it has
ever had in the past. Many persons consider
it up-to-date to have a grand, irrespective of its
musical qualities and durability. The popular
grand will be a grand that can be sold for $500.
It must be well made, have first class action and
bt as durable as a grand piano can be."
RUDOLPH STEINERT, M. Steinert & Sons
Co., New Haven, Conn.
"Regarding the sale of small grand pianos, I
would say that the demand has been coming on
for some time for this style instrument. It al-
ways has been a desire of the public to purchase
grand pianos but the public has been largely
eliminated from having them both on account
of the size and the high cost, and I think that
the sale of this style instrument will be in-
creased greatly in the future."
D. C. HARMON, Vice-President, O. K.'Houck
Piano Co., Memphis, Tenn.
"The trade is making many extravagant claims
with regard to grand pianos. There has been
some increased trade in this direction and chiefly
on account of reduced prices. The public is
not familiar with improvements incorporated in
such instruments. The increase is due solely to
the fact that prices have been reduced.
"Our experience with the grand has not been
such as to warrant us in the statement that
when customers come in to buy uprights they
select a grand—that is not the case—no more
so than at times a customer will come in to
buy a grand and decide on an upright.
"As to the matter of terms—we have never
sold terms. We talk price and quality and insist
on having our money in a reasonable length of
time and when we say 'reasonable' we mean less
than three years—most of our paper matures in
less than thirty months."
DAN J. NOLAN, Manager Piano Department,
The May Co., Cleveland, O.
"I have not any decided views regarding the
increased desire of the public for a small grand
piano.
"The grand piano trade, of course, is a most
desirable one for the merchant, but until such
a time as the manufacturers of grands can mar-
ket their product to the merchant at a price
that will enable him to make a legitimate profit,
I do not believe that the average merchant who
really knows and understands profits will be
keenly interested in the small grand trade.
"I have noticed, of course, the constantly in-
creasing demand for the grand piano, but 1 at-
tribute this mostly to the minds of the public
being more intelligently schooled in music,
through the introduction of the player-piano and
the intelligent instruction and forcible adver-
tising of the talking machine companies and the
placing of thousands of their machines in Ameri-
can homes.
"The American child to-day is being brought
up in a musical environment, which some years
ago was not known, and, of course, wherever
music prevails in a home, the ultimate wish and
desire is for a grand piano. You have my views
above honestly given, and you may find them
somewhat different from the average run of
opinions expressed by most of the other mem-
bers of the trade."
S. ERNEST PHILPITT, Miami, Fla.
"Our experience justifies our feeling that our
sales thus far upon the grand piano in the State
of Florida is due to the fact that there are a
few people who look upon the grand as an in-
strument symbolizing the higher art music and
being in a position to secure an instrument of
their choice naturally select the grand, other-
wise I would say the one best stimulant for the
grand piano in my estimation is the outcome of
the public's opportunity to hear the greater
pianist."
F. B. T. HOLLENBERG, President, Hollen-
berg Music Co., Little Rock, Ark.
"There is no doubt that the demand for small
grand pianos is of some moment to the piano
trade. Whether that demand is created by the
makers of small grands or whether the instru-
ments are produced because of the demand of
the public, I am not prepared to say. Generally,
all articles that are manufactured come under
the same rule. It does not make very much
diference whether the producers create the de-
mand or whether the public demands creation
of the instrument or article—the result is the
same and the demand for small grands will
increase."
G O. H E I N E , Heine Piano Co., San Francisco,
Cal.
"We have found great demand for small
grands on account of the exceedingly low prices
at which we offer them. At the present writing
we are absolutely sold out. Think that the de-
mand will grow steady now that the price is
put in the reach of every buyer, and that the
grand will become more popular among the
musical class."
FITZGERALD MUSIC CO., Los Angeles, Cal.
"There is an increasing demand in this terri-
tory for the small grand. This demand, we be-
lieve, is due to a very great extent to the price
at which a good, small grand may be purchased
at the present time.
"We .believe—in fact, our belief is supported by
actual experience—that practically 50 per cent,
of all prospective purchasers of upright pianos
may be made to see the advantages of possess-
ing a small grand in preference to the upright.
The small grand, we believe, has a great and
prosperous future."
THE LEADING LINE
I
WEAVER PIANOS
Grands, Uprights
and Players
YORK PIANOS
Uprights and Players
LIVINGSTON PIANOS
Uprights and Player-Pianos
If your competitor does not already have this
line, go after it at once.
Weaver Piano Co., Inc.
FACTORY
YORK, PA.
Established 1870