Music Trade Review

4
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
(Reajatered in the U. S. Patent Office)
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL. Inc.
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VOl. LXXVII
NEW YQRK. SEPTEMBER 15. 1923
No. 11
THE OHIO MUSIC MERCHANTS' MEETING
HERE was held in Cincinnati this week the annual convention
of the Music Merchants' Association of Ohio, a State organiza­
tion of music merchants which, for activity and accomplishment,
might well be held up as an example for music merchants in other
States who have had difficulty in keeping their Associations alive
after the formative period.
The success of the Ohio Association, of course, lies primarily
in the fatt that it is possessed of a decidediy competent secretary,
well versed in trade and legal matters, who gives his whole tilIne
to association interests, and by that means gets results that the ordi­
nary volunteer worker cannot expect to achieve. The Ohio mer­
chants have profited by legislation, sales helps and other material
developed by the Association for the benefit of the trade as a whole,
and, therefore, the memberships can see something tangible in ex­
change for the annual dues .
Experience in Ohio proves that a State organization can be made
effective if the work is carried on along the right lines and the
body is not expected to keep going automatically on the strength
of its original momentum. The Cincinnati convention not only
attracted the best element of the trade in Ohio, but offered it a pro­
gram that was distinctly practical and helpful, with enough play in
between to appeal to the individual who cares to mix a bit of vaca­
tion with a convention trip.
T
DEALERS EXPECT A HEAVY FALL DEMAND
HE survey of business conditions and prospects in the retail
music trade by the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
the results of which are published in this issue of The Review,
will give courage to those members of the industry who appear to
feel that the future is more or less dark and who, therefore, hesi­
tate about making even normal preparations to meet a stimulated
Fall and Winter demand without which their year's profits would
hardly be worth counting.
It is significant that 67 per cent of the music merchants who
replied to the questionnaires reported business increases ranging
trom 10 to SO per cent for the period since June 1, a season when,
T
REVIEW
SEPTEMBER
15, 1923
according to precedent set by other years, sales have beer. noted
for their absence. Likewise, 69 per cent of the dealers who replied
were confident that the retail business for the balance of the year
would be considerably in excess of that for the same period in
1922, some of the optimistic ones expecting a 50 per cent im­
provement. Practically all the remainder looked for business -as
good as that of last year and, as their statements may be con­
sidered conservative, prospects for greater sales volume are ex­
cellent.
The survey also offers some interesting and valuable informa­
tion regarding the condition of stocks and bears witness to the fact
that, despite all the urgings of trade authorities, the retailers have
not taken occasion to place advance orders in a volume sufficient to
insure suitable stocks when the increased demand comes.
The fact that a number of the manufacturers have increased
their facilities to a considerable extent and yet are unable to build
up stock reserves over and above current requirements holds little
hope for the many dealers whose stocks are low and who have to
depend upon quick factory shipments if they seek to avoid being
in the position of refu sing business for lack of goods.
A survey such as that made by the Chamber may not serve to
change the entire business situation, but at least it gives a more or
less accurate key for the guidance of those who seek earnestly to
look ahead and make their future calculations on the bases of con­
ditions as they exist at the present time and as they compare _ to
those for the corresponding period last year.
[
BRINGING THE TRADE-IN INTO THE OPEN
HERE is but one way to arrive at a solution of the trade-in
T problem
in the retail piano trade and that is through free and
open discussion. A good start in this direction was made at the
recent Chicago convention when C. Alfred Wagner, of the Amer­
ican Piano Co., in his paper read before that gathering, went into
the entire matter in detail and showed how necessary it is that the
best brains of the retail trade devote themselves to that problem
and thus eliminate, or at least diminish, the constant drain of profit
which arises from the average conditions that exist in regard to
this situation. Since that time the trade-in problem ha s been prob­
ably the leading topic of discussion in the trade.
In this issue of The Review, Burdick A. Trestrail, president
of the Mutual Sales Service, Ltd., of Toronto, Canadian distribu­
tors for the Gulbransen-Dickinson Co., presents another contribu­
tion to the discussion of this problem. Mr. Trestrail finds himself
. in sharp disagreement with Mr. Wagner, especially on the ac­
countancy problems which the trade-in section of the merchants'
warerooms present. But both are working for the same end and
both are making contributions of value to a wider knowledge of the
entire situation.
It would be a good thing -for the music trade in general if
other outstanding figures would contribute to this discussion, espe­
cially those who, in actual experience, have found a way out of the
maze which confronts many dealers in handling this problem. With
its wider discussion it unquestionably would be nearer a partial
solution at least and, once achieved, much of the unprofitable com­
petition and much of the hidden price-cutting, which takes place
through the medium of the trade-in, would disappear.
NO LONGER FEAR OF THE COAL STRIKE
HE prospect that the strike of the hard coal miners, which has
T become
more or less of an annual event, has been settled for the
time being at least through the efforts of Gifford Pinchot, will be
welcomed by the industries of the country generally, even though
it mean s an added burden of expense on heating and power plants.
\Vith the coal even at a higher price factories can operate, turn
over their raw materials in the form of finished products and keep
the wheels of industry going_ Without coal, or with limited sup­
plies, the loss suffered even as the result of a brief tie-up of mining
activities, runs into tremendQus figure s.
With the coal strike settled, and it is to be hoped the settle­
ment will be ,more or less permanent, one of the main factors
calculated to place a check on Fall and Winter business has been
removed. There may be local conditions in various sections that
are likely to interfere with business to a greater or less degree,
but there exists no national problem that will cause great fear in
merchandising circles.