Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 71 N. 10 - Page 11
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11
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 4, 1920
OPTIMISM PREVAILING IN PITTSBURGH PIANO TRADE
Prosperous Outlook for Steel Industry Leads Piano Merchants to Anticipate Good Business
During the Coming Months—Local Warerooms Fairly Well Stocked—News of the Week
window display, and it is safe to say that very
few cities in the United States can surpass
Pittsburgh in the general character and style of
window display of pianos and player-pianos. All
of the show windows of the Pittsburgh piano
merchants are large and of such scope as to al-
low an unlimited field for display.
Newspaper advertising by the Pittsburgh
piano merchants has been kept up steadily and
it has been quite a stimulus to sales. The gen-
eral style of the advertising was on the quality
of the instrument and the actual cheapness of a
high-grade piano.
The well-known Kaufmann Male Quartet was
the attraction at Shady Grove Park, near Union-
town, Pa., on Sunday, August 29, the singers
rendering a fine program and acquitting them-
selves with credit. The personnel of the quar-
tet consists of John W. Brigham, first tenor;
Walter Steinecker, director and first tenor; Ar-
thur Kraeckman, baritone, and Cortlandt
Parker, second bass.
Formal dedication of the new pipe organ in
the Penn Theatre, Uniontown, Pa., was held on
Sunday, August 22, with Henry Charles Ger-
wig, of Pittsburgh, as organist, assisted by Mrs.
Daisie Norris Sagerholm, contralto, and Jules
Desterberg, violinist. The organ was manufac-
tured by the M. P. Moller Co., of Hagerstown,
Md., and installed by A. A. Peloubet and his
sons, F. G. and Leonard Peloubet, and J. P.
Hogue.
W. C. Hamilton, president of the S. Hamilton
Practically all of the piano merchants in Pitts-
burgh, in response to queries by The Review Co., and Piano Sales Manager Burt Hengeveld
representative, stated that their stocks of pianos left for New York last Friday night on a busi-
and player-pianos were satisfactory. Several ness trip. From New York Mr. Hamilton went
indicated that in the grand piano line they were to Atlantic City to join his family and will re-
"a little shy," although the general tone was that main there until after Labor Day.
In connection with the Allegheny County
of optimism. The attitude of the public toward
liberal buying was said to be most pleasing in- Teachers' Institute the C. C. Mellor Co. had a
asmuch as the high-grade lines of pianos were display of the work of the Victor educational
in demand. The question of high price does not department at the Soldiers' Memorial Hall,
appear to have any weight with the prospective where the teachers assembled. Miss Lillian M.
purchaser of a piano, as far as the Pittsburgh Wood, director of the educational work, was in
trade is concerned. The unparalleled high wage charge and gave a number of demonstrations foi
rates that obtain here make possible the high- the instructors. The large show window of tht
grade sales that have been made practically the Mellor Co. was utilized for an elaborate window
display of the work of the educational depart-
entire Summer.
An effective factor in salesmanship is that of ment and attracted a great deal of attention.
August 30.—With the steel in-
dustry of the Pittsburgh district planning for a
prosperous run, despite the railroad freight con-
gestion, Fall industrial trade for this section is
stated to be very hopeful. There are large or-
ders coming into the steel company offices daily
for delivery the last quarter of 1920 and the first
quarter of 1921. There is no indication of any
labor disturbances and the general attitude of
the workers in the various iron and steel mills
of the district is that of satisfaction. This is
especially due to the high wages that are preva-
lent in the industry. The average wage of un-
skilled men in the industry is between $5 and
$6 per day, while skilled men draw much higher
pay. All lines of the steel trade are enjoying
a brisk trade as far as orders are concerned.
The only unsatisfactory situation is that rela-
tive to the delivery of orders, which is naturally
due to the railroad conditions, where traffic is
slow and uncertain. However, the past week
there has been a marked improvement in the
handling of freight cars and the railroads are
said to be functioning in more nearly normal
fashion, due to the embargo placed on West-
ern shipments by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Under the ruling of the Interstate Commerce
Commission it is expected that some 28,000 cars
will soon be available for general service on
the railroads, which will be an important fac-
tor in allowing the free movement of merchan-
dise, etc.
PITTSBURGH, PA.,
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, W».
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, III.
For
Progressive
Dealers the
MARSHALL
and
Marshfield
Player Pianos
offer unlimited
sales possibil-
ities.
CLAIMS WORLD SELLING RECORD
STYLE 77
T. A. Conboy, Packard Dealer of*Sterling, 111.,
Disposes of Thirty Pianos and Players in
Thirty Days and Claims the Championship
In every industry there
are recognized standards of
excellence and quality. The
player piano industry has
established three prime req-
uisites for any successful
instrument, namely, Tonal
quality, Mechanical per-
fection and Case artistry.
It is well to remember that
both the Marshall and
Marshfield lines possess all
these requisites and attrac-
tiveness of price besides.
According to the Packard Bulletin, issued by
the Packard Piano Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind., T. A.
Conboy, the Packard representative in Sterling,
111., has set up what he claims to be a world's
record in piano selling. Mr. Conboy declares
that in thirty days, from June 15 to July 15 of
this year, he sold thirty pianos and player-
pianos, or at the rate of an instrument each day.
All sales were for cash or bankable notes for
less than one year, and all instruments were sold
on a strictly one-price basis.
Inasmuch as Mr. Conboy claims the world's
record for piano selling in a given time, and
offers the figures upon which he bases his
claim, it would seem right and proper for any
other salesman who has exceeded that record to
make his feat known in order that he may re-
ceive due acknowledgment. There are probably
salesmen in larger cities who have, in connec-
tion with widely advertised special sales, dis-
posed of more than thirty instruments within
any given month, but Mr. Conboy's record was
made without the added advantage of a special
sale or special sale advertising, and this point
is to be considered in considering his achieve-
ment.
Read William Braid White's interesting anal-
ysis of the problems presented by the small
grand piano on page 13.
Investigate our sales plan today.
J&JJ
I
ident }\ _
1508-1516 Dayton Street, Chicago, III.
11
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 4, 1920
OPTIMISM PREVAILING IN PITTSBURGH PIANO TRADE
Prosperous Outlook for Steel Industry Leads Piano Merchants to Anticipate Good Business
During the Coming Months—Local Warerooms Fairly Well Stocked—News of the Week
window display, and it is safe to say that very
few cities in the United States can surpass
Pittsburgh in the general character and style of
window display of pianos and player-pianos. All
of the show windows of the Pittsburgh piano
merchants are large and of such scope as to al-
low an unlimited field for display.
Newspaper advertising by the Pittsburgh
piano merchants has been kept up steadily and
it has been quite a stimulus to sales. The gen-
eral style of the advertising was on the quality
of the instrument and the actual cheapness of a
high-grade piano.
The well-known Kaufmann Male Quartet was
the attraction at Shady Grove Park, near Union-
town, Pa., on Sunday, August 29, the singers
rendering a fine program and acquitting them-
selves with credit. The personnel of the quar-
tet consists of John W. Brigham, first tenor;
Walter Steinecker, director and first tenor; Ar-
thur Kraeckman, baritone, and Cortlandt
Parker, second bass.
Formal dedication of the new pipe organ in
the Penn Theatre, Uniontown, Pa., was held on
Sunday, August 22, with Henry Charles Ger-
wig, of Pittsburgh, as organist, assisted by Mrs.
Daisie Norris Sagerholm, contralto, and Jules
Desterberg, violinist. The organ was manufac-
tured by the M. P. Moller Co., of Hagerstown,
Md., and installed by A. A. Peloubet and his
sons, F. G. and Leonard Peloubet, and J. P.
Hogue.
W. C. Hamilton, president of the S. Hamilton
Practically all of the piano merchants in Pitts-
burgh, in response to queries by The Review Co., and Piano Sales Manager Burt Hengeveld
representative, stated that their stocks of pianos left for New York last Friday night on a busi-
and player-pianos were satisfactory. Several ness trip. From New York Mr. Hamilton went
indicated that in the grand piano line they were to Atlantic City to join his family and will re-
"a little shy," although the general tone was that main there until after Labor Day.
In connection with the Allegheny County
of optimism. The attitude of the public toward
liberal buying was said to be most pleasing in- Teachers' Institute the C. C. Mellor Co. had a
asmuch as the high-grade lines of pianos were display of the work of the Victor educational
in demand. The question of high price does not department at the Soldiers' Memorial Hall,
appear to have any weight with the prospective where the teachers assembled. Miss Lillian M.
purchaser of a piano, as far as the Pittsburgh Wood, director of the educational work, was in
trade is concerned. The unparalleled high wage charge and gave a number of demonstrations foi
rates that obtain here make possible the high- the instructors. The large show window of tht
grade sales that have been made practically the Mellor Co. was utilized for an elaborate window
display of the work of the educational depart-
entire Summer.
An effective factor in salesmanship is that of ment and attracted a great deal of attention.
August 30.—With the steel in-
dustry of the Pittsburgh district planning for a
prosperous run, despite the railroad freight con-
gestion, Fall industrial trade for this section is
stated to be very hopeful. There are large or-
ders coming into the steel company offices daily
for delivery the last quarter of 1920 and the first
quarter of 1921. There is no indication of any
labor disturbances and the general attitude of
the workers in the various iron and steel mills
of the district is that of satisfaction. This is
especially due to the high wages that are preva-
lent in the industry. The average wage of un-
skilled men in the industry is between $5 and
$6 per day, while skilled men draw much higher
pay. All lines of the steel trade are enjoying
a brisk trade as far as orders are concerned.
The only unsatisfactory situation is that rela-
tive to the delivery of orders, which is naturally
due to the railroad conditions, where traffic is
slow and uncertain. However, the past week
there has been a marked improvement in the
handling of freight cars and the railroads are
said to be functioning in more nearly normal
fashion, due to the embargo placed on West-
ern shipments by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Under the ruling of the Interstate Commerce
Commission it is expected that some 28,000 cars
will soon be available for general service on
the railroads, which will be an important fac-
tor in allowing the free movement of merchan-
dise, etc.
PITTSBURGH, PA.,
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, W».
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, III.
For
Progressive
Dealers the
MARSHALL
and
Marshfield
Player Pianos
offer unlimited
sales possibil-
ities.
CLAIMS WORLD SELLING RECORD
STYLE 77
T. A. Conboy, Packard Dealer of*Sterling, 111.,
Disposes of Thirty Pianos and Players in
Thirty Days and Claims the Championship
In every industry there
are recognized standards of
excellence and quality. The
player piano industry has
established three prime req-
uisites for any successful
instrument, namely, Tonal
quality, Mechanical per-
fection and Case artistry.
It is well to remember that
both the Marshall and
Marshfield lines possess all
these requisites and attrac-
tiveness of price besides.
According to the Packard Bulletin, issued by
the Packard Piano Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind., T. A.
Conboy, the Packard representative in Sterling,
111., has set up what he claims to be a world's
record in piano selling. Mr. Conboy declares
that in thirty days, from June 15 to July 15 of
this year, he sold thirty pianos and player-
pianos, or at the rate of an instrument each day.
All sales were for cash or bankable notes for
less than one year, and all instruments were sold
on a strictly one-price basis.
Inasmuch as Mr. Conboy claims the world's
record for piano selling in a given time, and
offers the figures upon which he bases his
claim, it would seem right and proper for any
other salesman who has exceeded that record to
make his feat known in order that he may re-
ceive due acknowledgment. There are probably
salesmen in larger cities who have, in connec-
tion with widely advertised special sales, dis-
posed of more than thirty instruments within
any given month, but Mr. Conboy's record was
made without the added advantage of a special
sale or special sale advertising, and this point
is to be considered in considering his achieve-
ment.
Read William Braid White's interesting anal-
ysis of the problems presented by the small
grand piano on page 13.
Investigate our sales plan today.
J&JJ
I
ident }\ _
1508-1516 Dayton Street, Chicago, III.
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