Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 23 - Page 10
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
STIEFF MANAGER IN PITTSBURGH
TRADE KEEPS UP IN NEW ORLEANS
Ben L. Sykes, One of the Most Progressive
Members of the Steel City Music Trade, Now
Getting Excellent Results in New Post
Price Slashing by Department Stores Does Not
Affect Music Trade—$5,000 in Sales From One
Ad—Many Orders for Steinways—Other News
PITTSBURGH, PA., June 1.—Ben L. Sykes, who
assumed the post of manager of the Pittsburgh
branch of Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., last February,
following the retirement of C. J. Roberts, who
NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 30.—Price slashing by
retail dry goods merchants will not affect the
music trade, says one piano merchant. An-
other declares it will. Business, meanwhile, has
been good and shows no sign of lightening.
The majority of New Orleans music dealers say
they feel comparatively safe. One theorizes that
if it wasn't for the freight congestion retailers
could get their goods and their money would
not be tied up.
What is claimed to be a very good record for
one day's business as a result of one advertise-
ment is that of the Dngan Piano Co., which re-
ported it sold $5,000 worth of pianos May 5 after
using a three-column ad twenty inches deep.
The ad was published on Tuesday, May 4.
Mrs. Gladys Louque has been added to the
Victrola department of Collins Piano Co. She
is an experienced saleswoman.
Benedict Grunewald, manager of L. Grune-
wald Co., reports the over-subscription in two
days by $250,000 of the $1,750,000 stock issue
of the Grunewald Hotel, in which he is in-
terested.
He says he has on file, dating from July, 1919,
between fifty and sixty-five orders for Steinway
grands and that none has been canceled, which,
he says, shows that when a Steinway is bought
it stays bought even if other dealers do have
some other make of grand pianos.
Tentative reports for the fiscal year, ending
May 30, of L. Grunewald Co. show that each
month was better than the previous one.
Mr. Grunewald has an idea about when the
Ben L. Sykes
is now secretary of the company with head-
quarters at Baltimore, is one of the best known
piano men in the Steel City. Mr. Sykes has
been connected with the Stieff organization since
October, 1916. He is a careful and conscientious
member of the Stieff staff and is highly respected
and esteemed by his force at the Pittsburgh of-
fices. He is an adept in salesmanship, and, while
not of a vain and boasting trend of talk, he al-
ways is able to produce the goods. Since as-
suming the managership of the Pittsburgh of-
fice he has shown that the confidence and ex-
pectations of the Stieff Co. were not misplaced.
Mr. "Sykes, like his predecessor, Mr. Roberts,
takes a deep interest in the affairs of the Piano
Merchants' Association of Pittsburgh, of which
he is a highly esteemed member.
BRAMBACH CO. MAKE AWARDS
Prizes Presented to Employes Who Submitted
Best Suggestions for Business Improvement
The Brambach Piano Co., of New York, are
conducting throughout their factory a sugges-
JUNE 5, 1920
fiscal year should end that may be of help to
other dealers. He says the best time, even if
he did have to get special permission from the
internal revenue collector's office, is May 30,
as that gives his house the "deadest" time of
the year in which to make inventory. In an
establishment handling every known article upon
which or with which music is produced, inven-
tory is a job not to be done some evening after
the store closes.
W. P. Ford, of the piano department of Wer-
lein, Ltd., is back on the job after an illness.
George A. Stockcr, manager of the Kimball
branch, is in St. Louis on a two months' vaca-
tion. He will return to New Orleans for a few
days June 1. His extended rest ends July 15.
Rand and orchestra instrument business is
good at Dugan's. Sales of small stuff, however,
declined with the closing of the theatres.
1500 CHICKENS WANT AN OWNER
Fail to Qualify as a Suitable Side Line for a
Retail Piano Store
It is a common custom these days for piano
men to add side lines to the stocks in their
stores, but when these side lines take the form
of homeless chickens then it is time to move the
piano store to the country and give the old barn-
yard a new wire fence. At least that is the
opinion of Milton Weil, manager of the retail
store of Krakauer Bros., New York, who re-
ceived last week a very attractive offer through
the mails of some 1,500 chickens. The ways of
the mails of to-day rival the famous labyrinth
of old. But after due consideration it was de-
cided not to make the piano boxes into chicken
coops and the 1,500 chickens must seek another
buyer.
improvements or increased efficiency in the man-
ufacture of the Brambach product. Each sug-
gestion is carefully considered and if of value
is paid for on a cash basis.
The accompanying photograph shows Gor-
don C. Campbell, vice-president of the Brambach
Piano Co., presenting the awards to several
\ \ G.C.Campbell Presenting Suggestion Fj
i Awards to Brambach Employees. 5
THE TIMES REVIEW OF PIANO TRADE
Firmer Prices and Big Demand for Players the
Outstanding Features
The following interesting review of general
conditions in the piano trade appeared in the
New York Times last week:
The price upheaval in other lines has had the
effect in the piano trade of making firm prices
possible. Up to a short time ago, no prices
would be named except at time of delivery. The
trade has had some feelers put out by buyers
to see how closely the manufacturers will make
them live up to their orders. The latter are said
to be sufficient to keep the factories running
to the end of the year. The demand is still
largely concentrated on pianos of the player
type, and from 50 to 90 per cent of the produc-
tion is taken up in making instruments of that
•sort. Concentration on players has created
something of a shortage in the regular lines of
uprights and grands. The export demand does
not embrace players to an appreciable extent.
Manufacturers believe that, with the naming of
firm prices, the peak of values has been reached.
Buyers are now described as hesitant.
CAPITAL STOCK INCREASED
The capital stock of the Cleveland Musical
Instrument Co., Cleveland, O., has been in-
creased from $25,000 to $50,000.
tion contest which is open to all of their em-
ployes. By means of this contest the various
employes are enabled to make suggestions for
STRAUCH
PIANO
ACTION
successful submitters of ideas. The remaining
men in the group are offering encouragement
and cheers to the winners.
THE
ACTION
OF QUALITY and MERIT
STRAUCH BROS., Inc.
20-30 Tenth Avenue
New York
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
STIEFF MANAGER IN PITTSBURGH
TRADE KEEPS UP IN NEW ORLEANS
Ben L. Sykes, One of the Most Progressive
Members of the Steel City Music Trade, Now
Getting Excellent Results in New Post
Price Slashing by Department Stores Does Not
Affect Music Trade—$5,000 in Sales From One
Ad—Many Orders for Steinways—Other News
PITTSBURGH, PA., June 1.—Ben L. Sykes, who
assumed the post of manager of the Pittsburgh
branch of Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., last February,
following the retirement of C. J. Roberts, who
NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 30.—Price slashing by
retail dry goods merchants will not affect the
music trade, says one piano merchant. An-
other declares it will. Business, meanwhile, has
been good and shows no sign of lightening.
The majority of New Orleans music dealers say
they feel comparatively safe. One theorizes that
if it wasn't for the freight congestion retailers
could get their goods and their money would
not be tied up.
What is claimed to be a very good record for
one day's business as a result of one advertise-
ment is that of the Dngan Piano Co., which re-
ported it sold $5,000 worth of pianos May 5 after
using a three-column ad twenty inches deep.
The ad was published on Tuesday, May 4.
Mrs. Gladys Louque has been added to the
Victrola department of Collins Piano Co. She
is an experienced saleswoman.
Benedict Grunewald, manager of L. Grune-
wald Co., reports the over-subscription in two
days by $250,000 of the $1,750,000 stock issue
of the Grunewald Hotel, in which he is in-
terested.
He says he has on file, dating from July, 1919,
between fifty and sixty-five orders for Steinway
grands and that none has been canceled, which,
he says, shows that when a Steinway is bought
it stays bought even if other dealers do have
some other make of grand pianos.
Tentative reports for the fiscal year, ending
May 30, of L. Grunewald Co. show that each
month was better than the previous one.
Mr. Grunewald has an idea about when the
Ben L. Sykes
is now secretary of the company with head-
quarters at Baltimore, is one of the best known
piano men in the Steel City. Mr. Sykes has
been connected with the Stieff organization since
October, 1916. He is a careful and conscientious
member of the Stieff staff and is highly respected
and esteemed by his force at the Pittsburgh of-
fices. He is an adept in salesmanship, and, while
not of a vain and boasting trend of talk, he al-
ways is able to produce the goods. Since as-
suming the managership of the Pittsburgh of-
fice he has shown that the confidence and ex-
pectations of the Stieff Co. were not misplaced.
Mr. "Sykes, like his predecessor, Mr. Roberts,
takes a deep interest in the affairs of the Piano
Merchants' Association of Pittsburgh, of which
he is a highly esteemed member.
BRAMBACH CO. MAKE AWARDS
Prizes Presented to Employes Who Submitted
Best Suggestions for Business Improvement
The Brambach Piano Co., of New York, are
conducting throughout their factory a sugges-
JUNE 5, 1920
fiscal year should end that may be of help to
other dealers. He says the best time, even if
he did have to get special permission from the
internal revenue collector's office, is May 30,
as that gives his house the "deadest" time of
the year in which to make inventory. In an
establishment handling every known article upon
which or with which music is produced, inven-
tory is a job not to be done some evening after
the store closes.
W. P. Ford, of the piano department of Wer-
lein, Ltd., is back on the job after an illness.
George A. Stockcr, manager of the Kimball
branch, is in St. Louis on a two months' vaca-
tion. He will return to New Orleans for a few
days June 1. His extended rest ends July 15.
Rand and orchestra instrument business is
good at Dugan's. Sales of small stuff, however,
declined with the closing of the theatres.
1500 CHICKENS WANT AN OWNER
Fail to Qualify as a Suitable Side Line for a
Retail Piano Store
It is a common custom these days for piano
men to add side lines to the stocks in their
stores, but when these side lines take the form
of homeless chickens then it is time to move the
piano store to the country and give the old barn-
yard a new wire fence. At least that is the
opinion of Milton Weil, manager of the retail
store of Krakauer Bros., New York, who re-
ceived last week a very attractive offer through
the mails of some 1,500 chickens. The ways of
the mails of to-day rival the famous labyrinth
of old. But after due consideration it was de-
cided not to make the piano boxes into chicken
coops and the 1,500 chickens must seek another
buyer.
improvements or increased efficiency in the man-
ufacture of the Brambach product. Each sug-
gestion is carefully considered and if of value
is paid for on a cash basis.
The accompanying photograph shows Gor-
don C. Campbell, vice-president of the Brambach
Piano Co., presenting the awards to several
\ \ G.C.Campbell Presenting Suggestion Fj
i Awards to Brambach Employees. 5
THE TIMES REVIEW OF PIANO TRADE
Firmer Prices and Big Demand for Players the
Outstanding Features
The following interesting review of general
conditions in the piano trade appeared in the
New York Times last week:
The price upheaval in other lines has had the
effect in the piano trade of making firm prices
possible. Up to a short time ago, no prices
would be named except at time of delivery. The
trade has had some feelers put out by buyers
to see how closely the manufacturers will make
them live up to their orders. The latter are said
to be sufficient to keep the factories running
to the end of the year. The demand is still
largely concentrated on pianos of the player
type, and from 50 to 90 per cent of the produc-
tion is taken up in making instruments of that
•sort. Concentration on players has created
something of a shortage in the regular lines of
uprights and grands. The export demand does
not embrace players to an appreciable extent.
Manufacturers believe that, with the naming of
firm prices, the peak of values has been reached.
Buyers are now described as hesitant.
CAPITAL STOCK INCREASED
The capital stock of the Cleveland Musical
Instrument Co., Cleveland, O., has been in-
creased from $25,000 to $50,000.
tion contest which is open to all of their em-
ployes. By means of this contest the various
employes are enabled to make suggestions for
STRAUCH
PIANO
ACTION
successful submitters of ideas. The remaining
men in the group are offering encouragement
and cheers to the winners.
THE
ACTION
OF QUALITY and MERIT
STRAUCH BROS., Inc.
20-30 Tenth Avenue
New York
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