Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 18 - Page 14
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14
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
RETAIL BUSINESS SHOWING BETTER TONE IN NORTHWEST
Twin City Piano Dealers Report Increasing Trade, Though They Believe Volume Should Be
Still Greater—Foster & Waldo Doing an Excellent Ampico Business—News of the Week
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, April 26.—Some
Twin City dealers rind that they sold more
pianos and had more inquiries last week than
during the weeks immediately preceding. At
the same time they do not believe that there is
anywhere near the volume of buying that there
should be. People are a little uncertain as to
what is to happen, if anything, and are disposed
to hold back on all purchasing except of actual
necessities.
There is a fine market at all times for the
finest grades of pianos, such as the Steinway
grands, the Duo-Art, the Ampico, Welte-Mignon
and others of the very best lines, but what may
be called the standard makes, even though of
high grade, are not moving at anywhere near
the speed they should. Many dealers find a
great deal of comfort in the continued desire
for talking machines, as these "bring home the
bacon" at present.
President Edward K. Dyer, of the Metropoli-
tan Music Co., declares that the unfortunate
freight situation undoubtedly is hampering the
music business considerably, and his company
has not received any shipments for weeks. "It
is another straw on our already overburdened
backs," he said. "We have a waiting list for
Steinway pianos, but of other lines we have
enough instruments for immediate necessity.
We are not selling as many as we had hoped
or rather as many as we ordinarily sell. Our
customers don't like the prices and they don't
hesitate to tell us so."
A fine demand for talking machines and a
continued procession of Ampico sales are the
outstanding features of the Foster & Waldo
Co.'s review of the week. Robert O. Foster,
head of the house, asserts that there are enough
pianos about the place, so he is not making any
complaint of freight embargoes and such other
handicaps. His grievance is against the price
lists of the manufacturers, which lists do not
harmonize with the ideas of the prospective
piano purchasers.
Two Duo-Art pianos were sent out last week
by W. J. Dyer & Bro. to St. Paul homes. The
sales were for cash, with $4,000 straight as the
consideration for each. Generally speaking the
departments have been having excellent incomes.
The piano department, while hardly active, has
been doing a clean steady business.
M. L. McGinnis hied himself to Chicago last
week for an earnest talk with the powers that
control the output of" Starr pianos and Starr
phonographs. It seems that his company is
handicapped right along by slow deliveries of
instruments and his trip was made in the hope
that by personal suasion he could speed up ship-
HPHESE inspection gauges insure
J. the mechanical uniformity of
HOLTZER-CABOT Motors, built for
special labor-saving devices. Motors
made five years hence or to-day,
when put in place, will line up
accurately with the driven device
as though individually fitted.
' The precision and exactitude
maintained by repeated inspection,
with hundreds of these gauges,
makes for exceptionally smooth
and reliable operation of HOLTZER-
CABOT Motors for labor-saving
devices.
THE HOLTZER-CABOT ELECTRIC CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
CHICAGO
DETROIT
NEW YORK
PHILADELPHIA.
MINNEAPOLIS
BALTIMORE
ST. LOUIS
MAY 1, 1920
ment of several desirable models. The retail
business is eminently satisfactory, he declares.
If the upright piano business kept pace with
the call for grand pianos, the Brooks Piano
Co. would have no cause for repining. Under
favorable circumstances there is little difficulty
in closing a grand deal, but the other styles do
not move as freely as desired.
The Northwestern Music House, which was
crowded out of the old quarters it had occupied
for a generation, is now nicely housed in neat
and well-located quarters on the main highway
of Minneapolis, namely, Nicollet avenue. Presi-
dent Boland is well pleased with the change
and is confident that the annual sales volume
will be increased by the more favorable situa-
tion in which they are placed.
MUSICAL IMPORTS INCREASE
Statistics for Eight Months Ending With Month
of February Show Pleasing Increase in Im-
ports and Exports of Instruments
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 26.—The summary
of exports and imports of the commerce of the
United States for the month of February, 1920,
the latest period for which it has been compiled,
has just been issued as follows:
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
and parts, including strings, during February,
1920, amounted to $101,533, as compared with
$34,504 which were imported during the same
month of 1919. The eight months' total end-
ing February showed importations valued at
$1,094,407, against $262,225 worth of musical in-
struments imported during the same period of
1919 and $441,725 in 1918. This gives an increase
in imports for the eight months of $832,182.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for February, 1920, amounted to $466,145,
as compared with $583,221 for the same month
of the previous year. The eight months' ex-
portations of musical instruments amounted to
$4,451,531 in 1919, as against $3,601,117 in 1919
and $3,415,972 in 1918. This shows an increase
for the eight months of $850,414.
Of the aggregate exportations in February,
1920, there were 159 organs, valued at $9,387,
as compared with 190 organs, valued at $10,403,
in 1919. The eight months' total showed that
we exported 1,392 organs, valued at $122,747, in
1920; 1,029 organs, valued at $80,338, for the
same period of 1919, and 1,837 organs, valued at
$114,136, during 1918.
In February, 1920, we exported 440 pianos,
valued at $126,214, as compared with 1,428
pianos, valued at $295,921, for the same period
of the previous year. The eight months' total
shows 7,065 pianos, valued at $1,856,719, as com-
pared with 7,115 pianos, valued at $1,535,039, for
the same period of 1919, and 10,114 pianos, val-
ued at $1,649,834, in 1918.
The exports of player-pianos show that 239
of these instruments, valued at $90,636, were
exported during February, 1920, -as compared
with 363, valued at $131,740, exported in 1919.
The eight months' total shows that 2,399 player-
pianos, valued at $916,712, were exported during
1920, as compared with 2,948, valued at $1,063,-
805, for the same period of 1919, and 2,428, val-
ued at $754,692, in 1918.
Of the aggregate exportations there were 4
piano players, valued at $1,400, in February,
1920. For the eight months' period 131 of these
instruments, valued at $35,207, were sent abroad,
as compared with 74, valued at $19,173, in 1919.
The exports of perforated music rolls for the
month of February, 1920, amounted in value
to $34,522, as compared with $22,308 in Febru-
ary, 1919. The eight months' total amounted
in value to $223,019, as compared with $128,411
in exports for the same period in 1919 and
$99,206 in 1018.
The value of all other musical instruments
and parts thereof sent abroad during February,
1920, amounted to $203,986, as compared with
$120,929 in 1919. The total exports for the eight
months under this heading foot up $1,297,127,
as against $774,351 exported during the same
period in 1919 and $766,539 in 1918.
14
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
RETAIL BUSINESS SHOWING BETTER TONE IN NORTHWEST
Twin City Piano Dealers Report Increasing Trade, Though They Believe Volume Should Be
Still Greater—Foster & Waldo Doing an Excellent Ampico Business—News of the Week
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, April 26.—Some
Twin City dealers rind that they sold more
pianos and had more inquiries last week than
during the weeks immediately preceding. At
the same time they do not believe that there is
anywhere near the volume of buying that there
should be. People are a little uncertain as to
what is to happen, if anything, and are disposed
to hold back on all purchasing except of actual
necessities.
There is a fine market at all times for the
finest grades of pianos, such as the Steinway
grands, the Duo-Art, the Ampico, Welte-Mignon
and others of the very best lines, but what may
be called the standard makes, even though of
high grade, are not moving at anywhere near
the speed they should. Many dealers find a
great deal of comfort in the continued desire
for talking machines, as these "bring home the
bacon" at present.
President Edward K. Dyer, of the Metropoli-
tan Music Co., declares that the unfortunate
freight situation undoubtedly is hampering the
music business considerably, and his company
has not received any shipments for weeks. "It
is another straw on our already overburdened
backs," he said. "We have a waiting list for
Steinway pianos, but of other lines we have
enough instruments for immediate necessity.
We are not selling as many as we had hoped
or rather as many as we ordinarily sell. Our
customers don't like the prices and they don't
hesitate to tell us so."
A fine demand for talking machines and a
continued procession of Ampico sales are the
outstanding features of the Foster & Waldo
Co.'s review of the week. Robert O. Foster,
head of the house, asserts that there are enough
pianos about the place, so he is not making any
complaint of freight embargoes and such other
handicaps. His grievance is against the price
lists of the manufacturers, which lists do not
harmonize with the ideas of the prospective
piano purchasers.
Two Duo-Art pianos were sent out last week
by W. J. Dyer & Bro. to St. Paul homes. The
sales were for cash, with $4,000 straight as the
consideration for each. Generally speaking the
departments have been having excellent incomes.
The piano department, while hardly active, has
been doing a clean steady business.
M. L. McGinnis hied himself to Chicago last
week for an earnest talk with the powers that
control the output of" Starr pianos and Starr
phonographs. It seems that his company is
handicapped right along by slow deliveries of
instruments and his trip was made in the hope
that by personal suasion he could speed up ship-
HPHESE inspection gauges insure
J. the mechanical uniformity of
HOLTZER-CABOT Motors, built for
special labor-saving devices. Motors
made five years hence or to-day,
when put in place, will line up
accurately with the driven device
as though individually fitted.
' The precision and exactitude
maintained by repeated inspection,
with hundreds of these gauges,
makes for exceptionally smooth
and reliable operation of HOLTZER-
CABOT Motors for labor-saving
devices.
THE HOLTZER-CABOT ELECTRIC CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
CHICAGO
DETROIT
NEW YORK
PHILADELPHIA.
MINNEAPOLIS
BALTIMORE
ST. LOUIS
MAY 1, 1920
ment of several desirable models. The retail
business is eminently satisfactory, he declares.
If the upright piano business kept pace with
the call for grand pianos, the Brooks Piano
Co. would have no cause for repining. Under
favorable circumstances there is little difficulty
in closing a grand deal, but the other styles do
not move as freely as desired.
The Northwestern Music House, which was
crowded out of the old quarters it had occupied
for a generation, is now nicely housed in neat
and well-located quarters on the main highway
of Minneapolis, namely, Nicollet avenue. Presi-
dent Boland is well pleased with the change
and is confident that the annual sales volume
will be increased by the more favorable situa-
tion in which they are placed.
MUSICAL IMPORTS INCREASE
Statistics for Eight Months Ending With Month
of February Show Pleasing Increase in Im-
ports and Exports of Instruments
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 26.—The summary
of exports and imports of the commerce of the
United States for the month of February, 1920,
the latest period for which it has been compiled,
has just been issued as follows:
The dutiable imports of musical instruments
and parts, including strings, during February,
1920, amounted to $101,533, as compared with
$34,504 which were imported during the same
month of 1919. The eight months' total end-
ing February showed importations valued at
$1,094,407, against $262,225 worth of musical in-
struments imported during the same period of
1919 and $441,725 in 1918. This gives an increase
in imports for the eight months of $832,182.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for February, 1920, amounted to $466,145,
as compared with $583,221 for the same month
of the previous year. The eight months' ex-
portations of musical instruments amounted to
$4,451,531 in 1919, as against $3,601,117 in 1919
and $3,415,972 in 1918. This shows an increase
for the eight months of $850,414.
Of the aggregate exportations in February,
1920, there were 159 organs, valued at $9,387,
as compared with 190 organs, valued at $10,403,
in 1919. The eight months' total showed that
we exported 1,392 organs, valued at $122,747, in
1920; 1,029 organs, valued at $80,338, for the
same period of 1919, and 1,837 organs, valued at
$114,136, during 1918.
In February, 1920, we exported 440 pianos,
valued at $126,214, as compared with 1,428
pianos, valued at $295,921, for the same period
of the previous year. The eight months' total
shows 7,065 pianos, valued at $1,856,719, as com-
pared with 7,115 pianos, valued at $1,535,039, for
the same period of 1919, and 10,114 pianos, val-
ued at $1,649,834, in 1918.
The exports of player-pianos show that 239
of these instruments, valued at $90,636, were
exported during February, 1920, -as compared
with 363, valued at $131,740, exported in 1919.
The eight months' total shows that 2,399 player-
pianos, valued at $916,712, were exported during
1920, as compared with 2,948, valued at $1,063,-
805, for the same period of 1919, and 2,428, val-
ued at $754,692, in 1918.
Of the aggregate exportations there were 4
piano players, valued at $1,400, in February,
1920. For the eight months' period 131 of these
instruments, valued at $35,207, were sent abroad,
as compared with 74, valued at $19,173, in 1919.
The exports of perforated music rolls for the
month of February, 1920, amounted in value
to $34,522, as compared with $22,308 in Febru-
ary, 1919. The eight months' total amounted
in value to $223,019, as compared with $128,411
in exports for the same period in 1919 and
$99,206 in 1018.
The value of all other musical instruments
and parts thereof sent abroad during February,
1920, amounted to $203,986, as compared with
$120,929 in 1919. The total exports for the eight
months under this heading foot up $1,297,127,
as against $774,351 exported during the same
period in 1919 and $766,539 in 1918.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).