Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
PLEASANT WEATHER INCREASES PIANO SALES IN BUFFALO
Local Merchants Making Many Sales to Customers Who Usually Forsake the City When Weather
Becomes Oppressive—Hereth Has Successful Trip and Reports Prosperous Rural Conditions
BUFKAU), N. Y., July 17.—On account of the
cool weather many Buffalonians are remaining
in this city so far this month instead of taking
up summer homes at the local lake or river re-
sorts. These stay-at-homes, therefore, are a
source of considerable business for the piano
men. Those who are spending two or three
months out of town are buying plenty of patri-
otic and popular records as well as talking ma-
chines. There is no let-up in Buffalo's indus-
trial activity. Consequently there is plenty of
money in circulation and collections are satis-
factory.
Charles Hereth, Lauter and New Edison deal-
er, is also a practical tuner. He has just re-
turned from a successful tuning trip through
Cattaraugus County. He has followed a similar
plan for the past six summers. He not only
tuned eighteen pianos last week, but he also
drummed up some gilt-edged prospects on his
lines. He motored forty miles from Buffalo
and found the country roads in fine condition.
Here and there he crossed the path of an occa-
sional city competitor, who was combing the
country trade on account of its prosperity.
In East Otto, N. Y., Mr. Hereth made a hit
with the villagers by repairing and tuning the
piano in the village church, where a Red Cross
entertainment was to be held. His timely work
was received with considerable acclaim because
on his arrival he found the piano in wretched
condition. Mr. Hereth selected a central point
in the county for his headquarters and when the
countryside learned that he was "back on the
tuning job," the same as he had been in six
previous summers, his telephone calls for ap-
pointments were numerous. Mr. Hereth says
he doesn't mind making such a trip once a year
but that he is glad to get back to his first love
—that of selling pianos, instead of tuning them.
"The farmers of Cattaraugus County nearly all
have dairy farms," said Mr. Hereth. "Many of
them have twenty to forty head of cattle and
sell their milk to the cheese factories. They
receive their checks—substantial ones—every
two weeks, so it is plain why the piano sales-
men regard this territory as one rich with pros-
pects. Soaring food prices, which terrorize
some city people, seem to cause these country
folks no concern. They have abundant crops,
well-cultivated gardens and plenty of spending
money. Most of the farmers, it is said, prefer
to deal with a reliable" city piano house than with
a country dealer. The latter, according to the
farmers, are too often inclined to offer a cheap
article at a big price."
CAMOUFLAGE
Secure from the prying eyes in the skies, carefully hidden for safety's sake,
this is the art of camouflage.
But unlike art on the battle front, there is nothing to hide in these new
players. Look from the finishing coat of varnish to the heart of the action
—tear the players apart, piece by piece, and you meet nothing but quality,
thorough care and perfection.
This should really interest you.
Krell
Royal
Auto Player
Duchess
Mervyn
Krell Auto Player Auto Grand Krell Auto Grand
The Werner Industries Company
Piano and Player-Piano Manufacturers
CINCINNATI
.
.
.
.
U. S. A.
CLIP THIS COUPON—MAIL IT
THE WERNER INDUSTRIES CO.,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Gentlemen:—We want to know more about your business policies,
your pianos and players and your prices. Also send us entirely
FREE of cost your new plans for getting live player-piano prospects
In our territory. Requesting this information obligates us in BO
way whatever to handle your line. Yours very truly,
Firm Name
City
State
No. 11 of a series of advertisements—Watch
for No. 12 next week
JULY 20,
1918
"We have closed our business for the period
of the war," was the report of the Royal Music
Roll Co., "so as to release our employes for
Government work. We have shifted them into
another concern in which our officers are in-
terested and which is engaged in Government
contracts. The Royal Music Roll Co. has
stopped shipments entirely."
Shall the ethics of the piano business be main-
tained in wartime, when competition is the keen-
est and every bit of business counts? An af-
firmative answer to this question has come from
most of the local piano dealers. The sentiment
involved is reflected in the following typical
case: A salesman who has been covering the
country trade has talked with many rural resi-
dents who had bought pianos on trial. The
purchases in several cases were not satisfactory.
Many of the holders of the pianos or players
asked this salesman his opinion of these instru-
ments. What a chance for an "anvil chorus
of knocks," if the salesman had forgotten his
training in ethics. By means of wholesale
criticism, he could have replaced some of these
pianos with his own line, but "he wisely kept
his hammer in his pocket." He has fixed ideas
against "knocking a competitor." He is a stick-
ler for honor and his success proves that he is
on the right track. He says that on the trip
he got plenty of business without "stabbing his
fellow tradesman in the back."
During July and August John Schuler,'s piano
store is closed every evening except Mondays.
Mr. Schuler takes advantage of the extra hour
of daylight by enjoying the pleasures of his farm
on Ellicott Creek, N. Y. He has a large plot
under cultivation.
Richard Nevills, veteran
salesman in the employ of Mr. Schuler, is
steadily recovering his health. Mr. Nevills was
ill for a long period. He is now in active serv-
ice in the piano buisness.
S. J. Butler, manager of J. N. Adam & Co.'s
piano department, and his assistant, Mr. Hoff-
man, are spending much of their spare time after
work hours by enjoying the delightful breezes
of Lake Erie. Bathing at Crystal beach is one
of their pastimes. They believe that the extra
health and strength they are acquiring will serve
them in good stead in their strenuous trade
drives throughout the year.
"Slaughter sales" offers of "nothing do.wn and
next to nothing a week," and other "blood and
thunder" tactics that used to be a thorn in the
side of legitimate piano merchandising in this
city seem to have been pushed into the back-
ground in Buffalo these days. The old-time
arguments of the dishonest advertisers have lost
their edge, so far as the public is concerned. In
fact, the public is pretty well aware of the up-
ward trend of prices not only on pianos but on
all merchandise, and that so-called philanthropy
in the form of "giving something for nothing"
in the piano business is pure fiction, or as some
of the outspoken, plain customers call it, "bunk."
Hope-Jones organs are being handled satis-
factorily by the Wurlitzer branch. There is a
considerable call for these instruments in this
territorj^.
The business office of the Winegar Piano
Corp. has been moved from the first floor of
this store to a balcony, which has just been built.
This change gives the concern considerable
more wareroom space.
Alvin Kaeppel, of the Kaeppel Piano Co.,
who enlisted in the navy, will remain in train-
ing at Great Lakes, 111., for the next six months.
Mr. Sterlin, of Burns Bros., scarfs and stools,
was a trade caller.
DEATH OF JAMES BRATHERTON
James Bratherton, piano salesman for the
Starr Piano Co., of Detroit, Mich., passed away
at his home in that city last week, aged thirty-
six years. At the time of his death he was con-
nected with the wholesale department of the
Starr Co., and had previously been employed
with the John Wanamaker Co. and the Max
Strasburg Co. He is survived by a widow and
two children.