Music Trade Review

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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
VOL. LXIV. No. 14
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York. April 7, 1917
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Distributioii
F
OR the last two hundred years the most serious occupation of the world, generally speaking, has been the
creation of wealth.
Gradually we have come to learn ways and means -for the production of wealth, until at the present
time the figures which represent the most' conservative money value we can place thereon, are so enormous
as to be incredible.
The modern world has at last learned, and learned very well, how to produce. It has not learned all the
secrets of production, it has not eliminated all waste, all friction, all bad judgment. It has not yet succeeded
in making production a science. But it is well on the way.
Yet this is only half the problem. We have learned enough of the problems especially involved in produc-
tion, to know that there is a science to be gradually and surely attained, until all waste, all friction, and all
chance have been eliminated. We must now set about learning that distribution is also to be made scientific; and
that until it has become scientific in method, business w r ill continue to be a gamble and prosperity to exist only in
spots.
We have learned how to produce things; we must now learn how, equally well, to distribute them.
In our piano business, it is a matter of general admission that the manufacturing end runs far ahead of the
retailing, in spite of the fact that even here there is much room for improvement. Still, making all allowances,
the fact remains that the producing branch of the business is far ahead of the distributing branch.
When this fact is recognized in our business, as it is being recognized in others, and when in consequence
the study of the distribution problem is undertaken with care and system by the best brains in the business;
then and then only will the piano trade begin to become the staple, certain and handsomely paying industry it
rightfully should be now.
Of course, we all know that the great houses which have combined production and distribution have come
closer to solving their problems than others have. We know that great retail establishments in the piano
business have already reduced their selling systems to approximate perfection; but the fact remains that these
are, relatively speaking, exceptions. The rank and file of the retailers still conduct business on the "specialty"
plan; that is to say, on the plan of regarding the piano as something that has to be "sold" on tricks of salesman-
ship; not as something that is bought on its merits.
The piano, nevertheless, ought now to sell on its merits as a staple product, as much naturally in demand
as is a newspaper; and much more naturally in demand than an extravagantly priced automobile.
Can we bring the distribution end of the piano business into that happy state? Can we really, practically,
do it ? We can if we know how!
Consider! We have now, for the first time in the history of the trade, practical machinery in operation
which can be turned to account for our purposes. W r e have the new co-ordination of the trade associations
in the activities of the Chamber of Commerce. We have the Bureau for the Advancement of Music. Both
may be powerfully and effectively used.
It has well been said that a campaign of national advertising for promoting the piano business would cost
an enormous sum of money and be uncertain in its results. Not uncertain, however, would be the results of a
campaign by the Advancement Bureau among the dealers, for the specific purpose of creating a general reform
in advertising methods, directed to curing the present public weakness for believing that to set about buying a
piano is simply to undertake the acquirement of a not very necessary luxury in a manner by no means business-
like..
The instalment business has, in one sense, been the making of the piano trade; for it is perfectly certain
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