Music Trade Review

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OCTOBER 14,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1922
FALL TRADE IN MILWAUKEE IS NOW WELL UNDER WAY
Better Grade of Instruments Are Leading the Demand, Say Local Music Dealers—Advertising
Bringing Excellent Results—Music Exhibits at Coming Household Exposition
MILWAUKEE, WIS., October 10.—Fall trade is
moving more briskly as the season gets under
way, local music merchants report.
Good
quality instruments are leading all others in
sales. Console model phonographs, reproducing
grand pianos and the best quality stringed in-
struments and band instruments are sold.
Advertising campaigns recently launched are
now bearing fruit. The Edmund Gram Music
House recently staged an intensive advertising
campaign simultaneously with the formal open-
ing of Highway 15, connecting Michigan cities
with St. Louis. The Edmund Gram Music
House entered the opening program because of
the fact that Highway 15 when extended
through the city of Milwaukee passes the large
music establishment of the Gram Co. The ad-
vertising of the company lines, the Steinway,
the A. B. Chase, the Cheney and the Brunswick
in the small cities along the route is proving
daily to have been a successful move, according
to Edward Herzog, sales manager of the com-
pany.
L. C. Parker, president of the Badger Music
House, who recently started a series of novel
advertisements in all of the street cars of the
city, when questioned as to the success or re-
sult of his Fall advertising campaign, stated:
"The majority of my customers on entering the
music house and asking for a Gulbransen player
or Victrola almost invariably remark on the
attractiveness of the car cards. The message
seems to have been driven home in a forceful
manner. Too much care cannot be given to
planning advertising."
Music merchants of the city this year re-
doubled their past efforts in this division of their
business. Exhibits were many at the recent
Wisconsin State Fair in the city and now the
majority of the dealers are planning to enter
large exhibits at the Household Exposition to
be given in the Milwaukee Municipal Auditorium
next week.
Several of the leading wholesalers of the city
will be represented at the exposition together
with the local dealers. The Yahr & Lange Co.,
Sonora distributors for Wisconsin and the upper
peninsula of Michigan, and the Badger Music
Co., Victor representatives for the same terri-
tory, will have large exhibition space.
S. B. Christophcrson, who is secretary of the
Milwaukee Association of Music Industries,
stated that the Yahr & Lange Co. intended to
arrange its exhibit at the exposition in conjunc-
tion with and with the co-operation of various
Sonora dealers of Milwaukee. Among the music
houses to be represented are the William A.
Kaun Music Co., the Luebtow Music House,
the Gether Piano Co., the Carl Euter Music Co.,
the Kittleman Co. and the Ford & Hesh Music
Co.
The Flanner-Hafsoos Music House will have
an independent exhibit featuring the C. G. Conn,
the Vega, Kurtzmann, Brinkcrhoff and Edison
lines. F. F. Flanncr, president of the company,
stated that daily concerts will be arranged for
the Flanner-Hafsoos Music Booth through the
famous Ole Olson Orchestra. The Olson Or-
chestra uses the C. G. Conn line of band instru-
ments exclusively.
IMPROVEMENT IN ALL LINES OF BUSINESS IN BUFFALO
Upward Trend Is Definitely Indicated by Increasing Activity in All Trades and Music Dealers
Are Anticipating an Excellent Season—F. H. Culp With Adam & Co.—Other News
BUFFALO, N. Y., October 10.—There is much
rejoicing among the retail trade of Buffalo and
vicinity. Trade starting out at a pace that prom-
ises to set new sales records and to beat Sep-
tember, which was the best month so far this
year for many dealers of this territory.
This improvement in business has been gen-
eral rather than confined to one or two lines.
Firms with complete music houses say the sales
gains have extended to every department in
their stores.
Dealers generally anticipate a
steady improvement in business which will
culminate in a brisk and substantial holiday
trade.
Appointment of F. H. Culp as general man-
ager of J. N. Adam & Co.'s new music store is
announced, also the appointment of F. F. Bar-
ber as manager of the piano department. These
two men succeed Stephen J. Butler, who re-
cently resigned. Both men have had long ex-
perience in musical merchandising and are ex-
ceptionally fitted for the positions to which they
have been named. They report a most gratify-
ing increase in business in the last month or
six weeks.
Another addition to the Adam sales forces is
W. I. "Billy" West, who is now with the piano
department. Mr. West has been manager of
several local theatres, including the Regent, and
was formerly on the vaudeville stage. He en-
joys an unusually wide acquaintance and ex-
presses himself as well pleased with his new
field of endeavor.
Opening of a new Edison department is an-
nounced by the John G. Schuler Co., Main and
Utica streets. The department will be under
the direction of E. F. Doherty, who occupied
a similar position with the Utley Piano Co. be-
Ludwig Small Grands,
Uprights and Players
Ludwig Pianos in small models may now be
obtained in grands, uprights and player-pianos,
thus providing a complete variety of small pianos
in the highest class for customer inspection.
fore its recent retirement. The Schuler Co., which
has one of the largest and most attractive stores in
Buffalo, plans to give special attention to its
new department, which already gives promise
of becoming one of the best patronized in the
store.
Announcement is made that the Poppenbcrg
Piano Co. will discontinue its wholesale and
country departments. This firm has had a
number of consigned stocks placed throughout
western New York, but has recalled these in-
struments and is closing them out in its Buf-
falo store. The company will continue its re-
tail business in its local department store.
Among the recent visitors in Buffalo was
Frank K. Dolbeer, manager of the Victor Talk-
ing Machine Co.'s traveling department. After
going over the Buffalo situation with C. N.
Andrews, wholesaler, and a number of retailers,
Mr. Dolbeer expressed the conviction that Fall
and Winter business will be exceptionally good
in this district.
Some of the leading record-makers of the
country have appeared here within the past
week or two. Ted Lewis and Ray Miller both
presented their orchestras in local theatres and
added to their great popularity by high-class
performances.
The plant of the Wurlitzer Co. at North
Tonawanda was recently menaced by fire which
started in a blower. There was no telephone
connection with the plant at the time, due to
the fact that workmen were placing wires un-
der a railroad track and had temporarily sev-
ered connections. A messenger was sent to
inform North Tonawanda fire headquarters of
the blaze, which was, however, extinguished by
plant workmen before the apparatus arrived.
The damage was estimated at $500 to $1,000.
Headed by Mayor Schwab, police recently
raided the musical instrument store of V.
Smorch, in Niagara street, near Georgia, and
confiscated more than 200 slot machines, said
to be valued at nearly $50,000. Police say the
store has been the distribution point for the
machines. The proprietor will be asked to make
an explanation.
SALAK BROS. OPEN FINE STORE
They are Ludwig Pianos in every particular; in
tone, tone-volume, resiliency of touch and perma-
nent construction they measure fully up to the
Ludwig standard—in no case has quality been
sacrificed for size. These small Ludwig Pianos
arc sales-makers; let us send particulars.
KACINK, WIS., October 9.—The Salak Bros. Piano
Co. held an informal opening in its new place
of business, 306 Fifth street, to-day and scores
of music lovers of the city visited the sales-
rooms. George and Charles Salek, well-known
musicians of Racine, are in charge of the new
store and as agents for the Steinway and Gram
pianos will carry the latest stock of everything
in music.
Ludwig & Co.
HENRY J. RAWET PASSES AWAY
Willow Avenue and 136th Street
New York
Write for prices—they may surprise you
The Ludwig Reproducing Piano
Grands
Uprights
Players
LOUSIVILLE, KY., October 9.—Henry J. Rawet,
for some time associated with the Adler Piano
Mfg. Co., of this city, as a tone specialist, passed
away recently from injuries received in a fall
from a motorcycle. The loss of Mr. Rawet
is deeply felt by the Adler Piano Mfg. Co.
K. K. Brown, of Naponee, Ind., is now con-
nected with the Gaskill Music Co., Nebraska
City, Neb.