Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 23 - Page 7
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JUNE 5,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1920
ST. LOUIS PIANO TRADE MAINTAINING GOOD AVERAGE
Demand Is for High-grade and Low-Priced Lines, However, With Medium Grades Neglected for
the Time Being—Local Association Holds Meeting—Personals and Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., June 1.—About the only pianos
and player-pianos that are selling in St. Louis,
so that you can notice it, are the very high-
priced kind and the very low-priced kind. The
people who are buying are those to whom price
is no object and those to whom quality is no
object. In between, those who are not satisfied
with a battered old trade-in and yet want good
value for their money, arc not buying just now.
Instruments of the highest grade are bought
by wealthy people. People of limited means to
whom all pianos and all players look alike buy
the cheapest things that they can find, usually a
piano. Those who are looking for cheap stuff
seem to distrust the cheap player, but they are
willing to take a chance on any old thing in
the way of a piano. Wise piano men expect this
condition to continue through the Summer, with
most of the sales in the way-ups and the way-
downs.
During the past month Manager Russell Elam,
of the Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney piano de-
partment, tried out three kinds of advertising,
cheap players, slightly used grands and an assort-
ment of used pianos. The cheap player did not
go well, although the prices seemed alluring.
The best results were obtained from the grands
and the used uprights. The cheaper the latter
were the better they sold. Most of the sales were
to humble homes which had not before had a
musical instrument. In the advertised list were
two at $50 each. They were sold the first day
and afterward there were eleven calls for them.
The prices of the other used instruments ranged
up to $250. The coming month Manager Elam
is going to concentrate on high-priced grands,
starting off with Sohmers.
P. E. Conroy, president of the Conroy Piano
Co.; O. A. Field, president of the Field-Lippman
Piano Co., and J. F. Ditzell, manager of the
Famous .& Barr Co. music salon, will attend the
meeting of the executive committee of the Na-
tional Association of Music Merchants, the
meeting of the officers and directors of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and the
meeting of officers, directors and committees
of the Ampico Art Society, to be held at At-
lantic City late this mouth. Mr. Conroy is
chairman of the Music Merchants, director of
the Chamber of Commerce and president of the
Ampico Society. Mr. Ditzell is secretary of the
Ampico Society. Mr. Field is a director of the
Music Merchants' Association.
The Music Merchants' Association of St
Louis, after being comatose for a good many
weeks, revived Friday night at the Missouri
Athletic Association. President O. A. Field
sat at the head of the table, but it was an in-
formal affair. The giving away of rolls and
benches was discussed. The members present
were agreed that both practices should be cut out.
They did not cut them out because only one of
the department stores was represented and they
did not want to take the step unless all of the de-
partment stores joined in. So they put aclion
off to the next meeting, when it is hoped that
the department stores will come into line and
make it unanimous. It was decided, as a con-
cession to the movers, to permit them to route
suburban deliveries for certain days of the
week, to avoid doubling over the same ground.
MADISON
Piano Co.
Incorporated
Manufacturers
The Madison Tone-
Supreme—Its Own
219 Cypress Ave.
« NEW YORK
Changes in the by-laws were discussed and P.
E. Conroy was requested to put the changes into
shape to be acted on at the next meeting. It
was decided to go after new members, including
the talking .machine men, and to have luncheon
meetings every Monday hereafter at the Ma-
jestic Hotel.
M. F. Maune, formerly with the Kieselhorst
Piano Co., has taken a position with the Aeolian
Co.
Manager E. E. Fay, of the Connorized Music
Co., expects to be in his enlarged store by the
end of next week The room adjoining his
present store, at the corner of Thirteenth and
Olive streets, is being redecorated. When it is
occupied the space will be doubled. Frank Fay,
traveling representative, is leaving on a six
weeks' trip through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma
and Texas.
CINCINNATI TRADE OPTIMISTIC
Clearing Up of Freight Situation Makes Local
Dealers More Cheerful—Month of May Shows
Good Sales Totals—Other News
CINCINNATI, O., June 1.—A wonderful change
towards optimism has struck the trade in the
Middle West and this feeling of a better business
outlook is also spreading into other channels.
For one thing, there has been a real improve-
ment in the freight situation, but this alone was
not a factor in causing the merchants to look
upon the future with a clearer pair of spec-
tacles. The general trend of things leads them
to believe the expected depression to be a thing
of the past.
Sales of player and grand pianos were good
during May and one large house, with an un-
usual demand for used grands, now has feelers
out to take care of the local situation.
One firm estimates its loss through inability
to secure shipments of talking machine records
to be $5,000 for May alone. The supply of ma-
chines in all lines is increasing. William Graul,
who makes a specialty of the Hallet & Davis
line, is cleaned out of medium-priced players
and is trying to arrange for a carload shipment,
understanding the railroads will take care of
orders of this size.
Morris Cantor, with the Cantor Mfg. Co., in
town Saturday and homeward bound after a
successful trip through the West, said: "This
has been a very good trip. I found the mer-
chants in the West to be busy and satisfied with
the outlook. All my orders are for July and
later deliveries."
"If we never have a worse month than this
past May," said E. E. Roberts, with the Bald-
win Co., "we certainly will be well pleased with
the future. The demand was principally con-
fined to grand pianos and players." O. S. Boyd,
St. Louis, and H. C. Dickinson, Chicago, visited
headquarters during the past week.
E. G. Clayson, Middle West representative of
Lyon & Healy, and E. R. Laughead, of the
ITallct & Davis Co., were visitors in Cincinnati
during the past week.
Clarence Gennett, of the Starr Piano Co.,
spent part of last week in Cincinnati with his
family, one of whom is under the care of a
specialist.
Otto Grau expects to startle the local piano
world with the niftiest show window in Cincin-
nati and possibly in the Middle West. Carpen-
ters are now at work in creating the change.
The Grau firm is positive it will be the best in
Cincinnati and is laying plans to make general
use of its display possibilities.
T. P. Clancy, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.,
left Saturday for an inspection of the branches
in the East. He will be gone a week or more.
O. K. Francis, formerly an officer on General
r'ershing's staff, has joined the sales force
of the piano department.
Victor
Supremacy
The supremacy of
the Victrola marks it
as the greatest of all
musical instruments.
And with Victrolas
in such splendid vari-
ety, possibilities are
unlimited for every
Victor retailer.
" V i c t r o l a " i, the Registered Trademark of
the Victor Talking Machine Company designating
the products of this Company only.
W a r n i n g : The use of the word Victrola
upon or in the promotion or sale of any other
Talking Machine or Phonograph products is mis-
leading and illegal.
Important N o t i c e . Victor Record* and
Victor Machines are scientifically co-ordinated
and synchronized in the processes of manufacture,
and should be used together to secure a perfect
reproduction.
Victrola XVI, $275
Victrola XVI, electric, $337.50
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., U.S.A.
JUNE 5,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1920
ST. LOUIS PIANO TRADE MAINTAINING GOOD AVERAGE
Demand Is for High-grade and Low-Priced Lines, However, With Medium Grades Neglected for
the Time Being—Local Association Holds Meeting—Personals and Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., June 1.—About the only pianos
and player-pianos that are selling in St. Louis,
so that you can notice it, are the very high-
priced kind and the very low-priced kind. The
people who are buying are those to whom price
is no object and those to whom quality is no
object. In between, those who are not satisfied
with a battered old trade-in and yet want good
value for their money, arc not buying just now.
Instruments of the highest grade are bought
by wealthy people. People of limited means to
whom all pianos and all players look alike buy
the cheapest things that they can find, usually a
piano. Those who are looking for cheap stuff
seem to distrust the cheap player, but they are
willing to take a chance on any old thing in
the way of a piano. Wise piano men expect this
condition to continue through the Summer, with
most of the sales in the way-ups and the way-
downs.
During the past month Manager Russell Elam,
of the Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney piano de-
partment, tried out three kinds of advertising,
cheap players, slightly used grands and an assort-
ment of used pianos. The cheap player did not
go well, although the prices seemed alluring.
The best results were obtained from the grands
and the used uprights. The cheaper the latter
were the better they sold. Most of the sales were
to humble homes which had not before had a
musical instrument. In the advertised list were
two at $50 each. They were sold the first day
and afterward there were eleven calls for them.
The prices of the other used instruments ranged
up to $250. The coming month Manager Elam
is going to concentrate on high-priced grands,
starting off with Sohmers.
P. E. Conroy, president of the Conroy Piano
Co.; O. A. Field, president of the Field-Lippman
Piano Co., and J. F. Ditzell, manager of the
Famous .& Barr Co. music salon, will attend the
meeting of the executive committee of the Na-
tional Association of Music Merchants, the
meeting of the officers and directors of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and the
meeting of officers, directors and committees
of the Ampico Art Society, to be held at At-
lantic City late this mouth. Mr. Conroy is
chairman of the Music Merchants, director of
the Chamber of Commerce and president of the
Ampico Society. Mr. Ditzell is secretary of the
Ampico Society. Mr. Field is a director of the
Music Merchants' Association.
The Music Merchants' Association of St
Louis, after being comatose for a good many
weeks, revived Friday night at the Missouri
Athletic Association. President O. A. Field
sat at the head of the table, but it was an in-
formal affair. The giving away of rolls and
benches was discussed. The members present
were agreed that both practices should be cut out.
They did not cut them out because only one of
the department stores was represented and they
did not want to take the step unless all of the de-
partment stores joined in. So they put aclion
off to the next meeting, when it is hoped that
the department stores will come into line and
make it unanimous. It was decided, as a con-
cession to the movers, to permit them to route
suburban deliveries for certain days of the
week, to avoid doubling over the same ground.
MADISON
Piano Co.
Incorporated
Manufacturers
The Madison Tone-
Supreme—Its Own
219 Cypress Ave.
« NEW YORK
Changes in the by-laws were discussed and P.
E. Conroy was requested to put the changes into
shape to be acted on at the next meeting. It
was decided to go after new members, including
the talking .machine men, and to have luncheon
meetings every Monday hereafter at the Ma-
jestic Hotel.
M. F. Maune, formerly with the Kieselhorst
Piano Co., has taken a position with the Aeolian
Co.
Manager E. E. Fay, of the Connorized Music
Co., expects to be in his enlarged store by the
end of next week The room adjoining his
present store, at the corner of Thirteenth and
Olive streets, is being redecorated. When it is
occupied the space will be doubled. Frank Fay,
traveling representative, is leaving on a six
weeks' trip through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma
and Texas.
CINCINNATI TRADE OPTIMISTIC
Clearing Up of Freight Situation Makes Local
Dealers More Cheerful—Month of May Shows
Good Sales Totals—Other News
CINCINNATI, O., June 1.—A wonderful change
towards optimism has struck the trade in the
Middle West and this feeling of a better business
outlook is also spreading into other channels.
For one thing, there has been a real improve-
ment in the freight situation, but this alone was
not a factor in causing the merchants to look
upon the future with a clearer pair of spec-
tacles. The general trend of things leads them
to believe the expected depression to be a thing
of the past.
Sales of player and grand pianos were good
during May and one large house, with an un-
usual demand for used grands, now has feelers
out to take care of the local situation.
One firm estimates its loss through inability
to secure shipments of talking machine records
to be $5,000 for May alone. The supply of ma-
chines in all lines is increasing. William Graul,
who makes a specialty of the Hallet & Davis
line, is cleaned out of medium-priced players
and is trying to arrange for a carload shipment,
understanding the railroads will take care of
orders of this size.
Morris Cantor, with the Cantor Mfg. Co., in
town Saturday and homeward bound after a
successful trip through the West, said: "This
has been a very good trip. I found the mer-
chants in the West to be busy and satisfied with
the outlook. All my orders are for July and
later deliveries."
"If we never have a worse month than this
past May," said E. E. Roberts, with the Bald-
win Co., "we certainly will be well pleased with
the future. The demand was principally con-
fined to grand pianos and players." O. S. Boyd,
St. Louis, and H. C. Dickinson, Chicago, visited
headquarters during the past week.
E. G. Clayson, Middle West representative of
Lyon & Healy, and E. R. Laughead, of the
ITallct & Davis Co., were visitors in Cincinnati
during the past week.
Clarence Gennett, of the Starr Piano Co.,
spent part of last week in Cincinnati with his
family, one of whom is under the care of a
specialist.
Otto Grau expects to startle the local piano
world with the niftiest show window in Cincin-
nati and possibly in the Middle West. Carpen-
ters are now at work in creating the change.
The Grau firm is positive it will be the best in
Cincinnati and is laying plans to make general
use of its display possibilities.
T. P. Clancy, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.,
left Saturday for an inspection of the branches
in the East. He will be gone a week or more.
O. K. Francis, formerly an officer on General
r'ershing's staff, has joined the sales force
of the piano department.
Victor
Supremacy
The supremacy of
the Victrola marks it
as the greatest of all
musical instruments.
And with Victrolas
in such splendid vari-
ety, possibilities are
unlimited for every
Victor retailer.
" V i c t r o l a " i, the Registered Trademark of
the Victor Talking Machine Company designating
the products of this Company only.
W a r n i n g : The use of the word Victrola
upon or in the promotion or sale of any other
Talking Machine or Phonograph products is mis-
leading and illegal.
Important N o t i c e . Victor Record* and
Victor Machines are scientifically co-ordinated
and synchronized in the processes of manufacture,
and should be used together to secure a perfect
reproduction.
Victrola XVI, $275
Victrola XVI, electric, $337.50
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., U.S.A.
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