Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
MINNESOTA MUSIC MERCHANTS' ASSN. ADOPTS BY-LAWS
New Organization Now Firmly on Its Feet and Active Campaign for New Members Will Be
Carried on Among the Music Dealers—Usual Summer Business Being Done—Other News
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, July 14.—A con-
stitution and a set of by-laws were approved by
the executive committee of the Minnesota Music
Merchants' Association at a meeting Monday
evening in the St. Paul Athletic Club. The same
will be submitted to a general meeting of the
association October 6. The fundamental laws
of the association closely follow the constitution
and by-laws of the national association, a few
changes being mainly for the sake of brevity.
Secretary S. W. Raudenbush, in the time inter-
vening until the general meeting of the associa-
tion, will get in correspondence touch with every
music dealer in the state and present a line of
reasoning why one and all should join the new
organization. The main purpose is to place the
music trades on the same businesslike basis to
which other commercial lines have been brought.
The elimination of various forms of gift-giving,
such as free scarfs, free piano tuning and such
like luxuries, is one of the aims of the associa-
tion. Manj r thousands of dollars could be saved
annually if the dealers took a firm stand against
the gift evil.
The annual business report of the W. J. Dyer
& Bro. Corp. disclosed the institution to be in
handsome condition in every way. The only un-
satisfactory department, the Victrola department,
will soon be on par with the others, according
to George Mairs, who reported that he had re-
ceived assurances from the manufacturers that
the size of the shipments of goods would be
materially increased. The corporation's regular
dividend was declared.
Summer sales are about as numerous as might
be expected during the vacation season. The
sales and office forces of the several establish-
ments are more or less disorganized by the ab-
sence of members on various recreation under-
takings. One does not need to go far in Min-
nesota to find fine water for fishing, bathing and
boating, but quite a number of Minnesotans
find it desirable to take a jaunt to some of the
BIG ADDITION TO STARR FACTORY
New Six-story Building Now Being Erected at
Starr Piano Co.'s Plant in Richmond, Ind.
RICHMOND, IND., July 14.—Work on the new
six-story factory building at the plant of the
Starr Piano Co. is progressing rapidly. Over 200
Sketch of New Factory Addition
men are getting the preliminary work done in
the way of foundation work, etc., which will en-
numerous Atlantic Coast resorts for such por-
tions of the summer as they can spare for mere
idleness.
A report that the Golden Rule Store, of St.
Paul, was to add a large piano department is
denied by Manager Pofahl, of the Victrola de-
partment. He acknowledges that there has been
considerable talk among the directors of the
company relative to installing a big line of
pianos and pushing the enterprise with great
energy, but it has been deemed inopportune
just now to make the venture, mainly because
of the difficulty in obtaining any considerable
number of instruments.
CHRISTMAN FORCE ON VACATIONS
Business Continues Active—Interesting Sale
Showing One-price Policy—A. H. Mangold
Leaves for Auto Tour of New York
Vacation activities are claiming the attention
of many members of the force of Christman
Sons' piano warerooms, 25 West Fourteenth
street, New York. On Monday A. H. Mangold
was busy putting the finishing touches on his
Packard car for a tour through the wilds of
New. York State. He left on Monday all set
for the best vacation ever. Fred W. Peinecke
is planning to spend the first two weeks in Au-
gust at the Osborne Hotel, Atlantic City, with
his family. Frank S. McCarthy is mourning the
fact that he is unable to take a vacation this
summer, but is looking ahead to next year, when
he plans to make up for lost time. President
Geo. Christman is at present at his farm near
Monticello, N. Y., situated at the outlet ol
White Lake, where he is enjoying life. In spite
of the absence of many salesmen business con-
tinues brisk for the summer months. Especial-
ly active are the Christman studio grands and
the new Christman player. Eight of these play-
ers have just been sold and the first one passed
JULY 19, 1919
Foster & Waldo make the interesting report
that their sales during the first part of July
were unusually satisfactory, the entire sales staff
having been kept busy, as in the better months
of the year. Their experience is somewhat un-
usual, as the majority of the dealers say that
they are doing a strictly normal summer busi-
ness.
Some of the large department stores are mak-
ing Saturday a half holiday and the staffs of the
music departments are enjoying this boon in
common with the other employes of the music
houses. Only W. J. Dyer & Bro. and the Met-
ropolitan Music Co. have adopted the half holi-
day for the summer. The plan is making slow
but sure progress in the Twin Cities, and it is
almost certain that virtually all the music houses
will fall in line with the Saturday half holiday
movement in 1920.
into a customer's hands as soon as it was un-
loaded from the truck. This player is prac-
tically weatherproof and has the new metallic
action which is not affected by heat or moisture.
Although the mahogany cases have not lost any
favor with piano buyers there seems to be a
demand for fumed oak cases and these are
selling well.
A good illustration of the advantages of the
fixed one-price policy is found in a recent sale
made by Fred Peinecke. A customer came into
the store saying that he was in a great hurry
to catch a train and wanted to buy a Christman
before he left. He wanted a cut price for cash
and pretended to be much put out when told
that the one-price policy prevailed and no change
from the printed price on the tag was allowed.
Following the old tactics he left the store, but
returned in a few moments to resume negotia-
tions. Four times he left and likewise returned
and finally bought a grand. He was educated
to the one-price policy and was convinced of the
justice of it and also the fallacy of throw-ins at
the same time.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
able them to rapidly go ahead with the concrete
and other work connected with the direction of
the addition. Constructed of reinforced con-
crete, the new factory, which will be six stories,
will have 100,000 square feet of floor space, first
floor being 100 by 200 feet, the other five being
80 by 200 feet.
The new factory building will be erected at the
Chicago, who hope to have the building ready
for occupancy not later than September 1. The
additional floor space will bring up the total
floor space of the factory to 484,643 square feet.
Fred Gennett, secretary of the Starr Piano
Co., in commenting upon the new structure had
the following to say: "The necessity for the
erection of this building is not due to the expan-
sion of any one depart-
ment of our business, but
to the general growth of
the entire plant. A1-.
though the piano depart-
ment will occupy the
new building it is being
built for the purpose of
giving us more room in
all our branches. This
structure will be the fore-
runner of other buildings
to be erected this fall.
We are drawing plans
for a garage and a
cafeteria, each to occupy
a s e p a r a t e building,
These will not be startJ
ed until after the com-
pletion of the present
new structure. We have
not decided upon the,
proportion of these new;
Being Erected for Starr Piano Co. at Richmond, Ind.
south end of the company's property and is buildings as yet, but will do so within a corn-
being constructed by the Grant Smith Co., of paratively short time."
STRAUCH
PIANO
ACTION
THE
ACTION OF
QUALITY and MERIT
STRAUCH BROS., Inc.
20-30 Tenth Avenue
New York