Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 25 - Page 7
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JUNE 18, 1921
SUMMER LULL HITS ST. LOUIS RETAIL PIANO TRADE
Business Strikes Average Summer Speed—Starck Co. Holds'Special Sale—Phil Lehman Starts on
Vacation Trip—W. A. Lippman Also Away—Personals and Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., June 13.—With one or two ex-
ceptions the piano business in St. Louis last
week was about as usual—meaning that it was
about as listless as it has been in the recent past.
Even executives who have the habit of always
looking on the bright side admitted that Sum-
mer had come and with it Summer "dullness,
which was just what was to be expected in the
Summertime.
One of the exceptions was the St. Louis store
of the Starck Piano Co. The Starck Co. put on
a cut-price sale. Now, one of the conundrums
in the St. Louis piano field of late has been.
"Can you sell a piano sale?" The answer gen-
erally has been that it couldn't be done. But
Manager J. H. Reger, of the Starck Co., has
shown that it can be done, and in the early days
of June at that. When word came from the
head of the Starck Co. to Mr. Reger that the
factory was to be kept going and all the em-
ployes were to be kept employed, and it was up
to the stores to do the selling, Manager Reget
decided to try a sale. He advertised it big.
The bargains brought the people in, but the
buying was not by any means confined to the
bargains. Manager Reger says no special ef-
fort was made to switch customers to better
stuff, but a good many of them switched. The
sales of small grands were particularly good.
Manager Reger mentioned in confidence a fig-
ure for the week's business that was rather
amazing. Of course, the advertising did not
do all of it. Everybody worked hard. But
it goes to show that a piano sale can still be
sold in St. Louis.
Manager J. F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr
Co. music salon, is not putting on sales, but he
is sticking to his advertising at a time when
most other piano men are cutting it down. The
motto at the Famous & Barr salon is "1921 Re-
wards Fighters." So Manager Ditzell is fight-
ing with his advertisements and with everything
else. He is determined to show the world that
the Famous & Barr forces are fighters. The
past week he has been fighting with an unusual
offering of Braumuller grand pianos at $695,
with particular reference to the needs of June
brides and sweet girl graduates.
The luck is breaking two ways at the
Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney piano depart-
ment. L. R. Tippin is mourning for his big Cole
car, which he left at Eleventh and Olive streets
the other night and which was not there when
he came again. He notified the police, the Au-
tomobile Club and the insurance people, but
cautioned them that he did not suspect anybody
on Piano Row. It has been his observation, he
said, that all piano men are too honest for their
own good. But A. H. Dickhaus is all smiles.
Miss Anne Murphy has named the day and
it is June 15. They will take a Western trip
before going to housekeeping. They gave
"Dick" a shower the other day. Most of the
things he got would not look well in print.
One thing about the men who leave the
Famous & Barr organization is that they usually
come back. It took Jack Burke three years,
but he is back. The three years he spent at the
House of Conroy.
Phil Lehman, president of the Lehman Piano
Co. and president of the Music Merchants' As-
sociation of St. Louis, is off to the Northland
in his new Pierce-Arrow limousine, with a trunk
and a hamper on behind and Mrs. Lehman
along. They are going to tour the lake region
as long as they feel like it, which will probably
be a month or so.
W. A. Lippman, secretary and manager of the
Field-Lippman Piano Co., went on an automo-
bile trip more than a week ago, which has
lengthened much beyond his expectations. With
his family and some friends in three machines,
with two of the Lippman trailers in tow, he
went to the Ha-Ha-Tonka country in the
Ozarks week before last week-end, intending to
return the following Monday. But they struck
weather and roads and found the trailer tents
more usable than the machines, so their stay
lasted a week longer than was intended when
they started.
Victor
Supremacy
Supreme as a musical
instrument, the Victrola
naturally stands supreme
as a business proposition.
The success of Victor
retailers follows Victor
supremacy as a matter of
course.
MUSIC DEALERS GET PUBLICITY
Many Features of Chicago Convention Distrib-
uted Throughout the Country by the Asso-
ciated Press—Those Who Were Quoted
The sheet music dealers evidently have learned
the knack of getting the proper amount of daily
paper publicity for their activities, as was evi-
denced during the convention last week in Chi-
cago, when not only did the local papers play up
the feature of the convention each day, but the
high spots were sent out through the country
by the Associated Press. The alleged fact that
jazz is "doomed and dying," that the "nut" songs
are in the discard with the old-style ballads and
waltzes coming back, and that ragtime is again
coming into its own, were all emphasized in
daily paper stories published in various sections
of the country. Each story mentioned the fact
that the sheet music dealers were holding their
convention in Chicago. J. M. Priaulx, of Chas.
H. Ditson & Co.; S. Ernest Philpitt, president
of the association; Bernard Grager, of New
York, and others were quoted by the daily
paper reporters.
"Victrola
is the Registered Trade-
mark of the Victor Talking Machine
Company designating the products of
this Company only.
Warning: The use of the word
Victrola upon or in the promotion or
sale of any other Talking Machine or
Phonograph products is misleading and
illegal.
Important Notice. Victor Records
and Victor Machines are scientifically
co-ordinated and synchronized in the
processes of manufacture, and should be
used together to secure a perfect re-
production.
MEETING OF PROGRESS CLUB
Results of Chicago Convention Discussed by
Kohler Industries Organization
The Lauter-Humana
A player-piano designed
to meet the needs of the
discriminating buyer.
I« Your Territory Open?
LAUTER-HUMANA CO.
NEWARK, N. J.
The regular meeting of the Progress Club,
made up of members of the Kohler Industries
organization, was held at the Y. W. C. A.,
Tenth avenue and Fiftieth street, New York, on
June 6, with President Gordon G. Campbell pre-
siding.
A feature of the meeting was the review of
the Chicago convention presented from differ-
ent angles by Herbert Simpson, B. P. Sibley,
U. Urquhart and other members of the Kohler
organization .who attended that trade gathering.
Particular attention was called to the interest
given to the reproducing piano.
A representative of the Bab son organization
' of Wellesley Hills, Mass., explained in detail a
business chart furnished by that organization
as a guide to general conditions. There was
also a musical entertainment participated in by
the Brambach Jazz Band, led by Al. Biondi.
Victrola XI, $150
Mahogany, oak or walnut
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., u. s. A.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JUNE 18, 1921
SUMMER LULL HITS ST. LOUIS RETAIL PIANO TRADE
Business Strikes Average Summer Speed—Starck Co. Holds'Special Sale—Phil Lehman Starts on
Vacation Trip—W. A. Lippman Also Away—Personals and Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., June 13.—With one or two ex-
ceptions the piano business in St. Louis last
week was about as usual—meaning that it was
about as listless as it has been in the recent past.
Even executives who have the habit of always
looking on the bright side admitted that Sum-
mer had come and with it Summer "dullness,
which was just what was to be expected in the
Summertime.
One of the exceptions was the St. Louis store
of the Starck Piano Co. The Starck Co. put on
a cut-price sale. Now, one of the conundrums
in the St. Louis piano field of late has been.
"Can you sell a piano sale?" The answer gen-
erally has been that it couldn't be done. But
Manager J. H. Reger, of the Starck Co., has
shown that it can be done, and in the early days
of June at that. When word came from the
head of the Starck Co. to Mr. Reger that the
factory was to be kept going and all the em-
ployes were to be kept employed, and it was up
to the stores to do the selling, Manager Reget
decided to try a sale. He advertised it big.
The bargains brought the people in, but the
buying was not by any means confined to the
bargains. Manager Reger says no special ef-
fort was made to switch customers to better
stuff, but a good many of them switched. The
sales of small grands were particularly good.
Manager Reger mentioned in confidence a fig-
ure for the week's business that was rather
amazing. Of course, the advertising did not
do all of it. Everybody worked hard. But
it goes to show that a piano sale can still be
sold in St. Louis.
Manager J. F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr
Co. music salon, is not putting on sales, but he
is sticking to his advertising at a time when
most other piano men are cutting it down. The
motto at the Famous & Barr salon is "1921 Re-
wards Fighters." So Manager Ditzell is fight-
ing with his advertisements and with everything
else. He is determined to show the world that
the Famous & Barr forces are fighters. The
past week he has been fighting with an unusual
offering of Braumuller grand pianos at $695,
with particular reference to the needs of June
brides and sweet girl graduates.
The luck is breaking two ways at the
Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney piano depart-
ment. L. R. Tippin is mourning for his big Cole
car, which he left at Eleventh and Olive streets
the other night and which was not there when
he came again. He notified the police, the Au-
tomobile Club and the insurance people, but
cautioned them that he did not suspect anybody
on Piano Row. It has been his observation, he
said, that all piano men are too honest for their
own good. But A. H. Dickhaus is all smiles.
Miss Anne Murphy has named the day and
it is June 15. They will take a Western trip
before going to housekeeping. They gave
"Dick" a shower the other day. Most of the
things he got would not look well in print.
One thing about the men who leave the
Famous & Barr organization is that they usually
come back. It took Jack Burke three years,
but he is back. The three years he spent at the
House of Conroy.
Phil Lehman, president of the Lehman Piano
Co. and president of the Music Merchants' As-
sociation of St. Louis, is off to the Northland
in his new Pierce-Arrow limousine, with a trunk
and a hamper on behind and Mrs. Lehman
along. They are going to tour the lake region
as long as they feel like it, which will probably
be a month or so.
W. A. Lippman, secretary and manager of the
Field-Lippman Piano Co., went on an automo-
bile trip more than a week ago, which has
lengthened much beyond his expectations. With
his family and some friends in three machines,
with two of the Lippman trailers in tow, he
went to the Ha-Ha-Tonka country in the
Ozarks week before last week-end, intending to
return the following Monday. But they struck
weather and roads and found the trailer tents
more usable than the machines, so their stay
lasted a week longer than was intended when
they started.
Victor
Supremacy
Supreme as a musical
instrument, the Victrola
naturally stands supreme
as a business proposition.
The success of Victor
retailers follows Victor
supremacy as a matter of
course.
MUSIC DEALERS GET PUBLICITY
Many Features of Chicago Convention Distrib-
uted Throughout the Country by the Asso-
ciated Press—Those Who Were Quoted
The sheet music dealers evidently have learned
the knack of getting the proper amount of daily
paper publicity for their activities, as was evi-
denced during the convention last week in Chi-
cago, when not only did the local papers play up
the feature of the convention each day, but the
high spots were sent out through the country
by the Associated Press. The alleged fact that
jazz is "doomed and dying," that the "nut" songs
are in the discard with the old-style ballads and
waltzes coming back, and that ragtime is again
coming into its own, were all emphasized in
daily paper stories published in various sections
of the country. Each story mentioned the fact
that the sheet music dealers were holding their
convention in Chicago. J. M. Priaulx, of Chas.
H. Ditson & Co.; S. Ernest Philpitt, president
of the association; Bernard Grager, of New
York, and others were quoted by the daily
paper reporters.
"Victrola
is the Registered Trade-
mark of the Victor Talking Machine
Company designating the products of
this Company only.
Warning: The use of the word
Victrola upon or in the promotion or
sale of any other Talking Machine or
Phonograph products is misleading and
illegal.
Important Notice. Victor Records
and Victor Machines are scientifically
co-ordinated and synchronized in the
processes of manufacture, and should be
used together to secure a perfect re-
production.
MEETING OF PROGRESS CLUB
Results of Chicago Convention Discussed by
Kohler Industries Organization
The Lauter-Humana
A player-piano designed
to meet the needs of the
discriminating buyer.
I« Your Territory Open?
LAUTER-HUMANA CO.
NEWARK, N. J.
The regular meeting of the Progress Club,
made up of members of the Kohler Industries
organization, was held at the Y. W. C. A.,
Tenth avenue and Fiftieth street, New York, on
June 6, with President Gordon G. Campbell pre-
siding.
A feature of the meeting was the review of
the Chicago convention presented from differ-
ent angles by Herbert Simpson, B. P. Sibley,
U. Urquhart and other members of the Kohler
organization .who attended that trade gathering.
Particular attention was called to the interest
given to the reproducing piano.
A representative of the Bab son organization
' of Wellesley Hills, Mass., explained in detail a
business chart furnished by that organization
as a guide to general conditions. There was
also a musical entertainment participated in by
the Brambach Jazz Band, led by Al. Biondi.
Victrola XI, $150
Mahogany, oak or walnut
Other styles $25 to $1500
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., u. s. A.
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