Music Trade Review

THE · ,MUSIC . TRADE
10
REVIEW
TOLEDO DEALERS ·EXPERIENCtNG FINE HOLIDAY tRADE
\stocks in High-grade Lines Not Up to the Demand-Goosman Wins Prize in A B. Chase Con­
test- J, W. Greene Co. Holding Retail Sales Contest-Frazelle Increases Sales Force
TOLEDO, 0., December 17.--It's a fine holiday
'§easori for lecal music merchants. Sales are
geing ahead, therefere, customers are satisfy­
in~ their desire fer piano, pla.yer and nl\lsjcal
instrument ewnership.
Christmas
savings
checks aggregating three millien were paid by
the banks and merchants report many customers
laid away pianos awaiting the checks. Dewn
paYmelits, · the'refore, were better than average.
., Tne-quality of the holiday advertising is of
distinctive, high order and decidedly in keeping
with the stor e and the merchandise offered. It is
an obvious fact that large, black face, coarse ap­
pearing adventisements attract ene class of cus­
temer, who often buys cheap goods, while well
illustrated, nicely balanced advertisements draw
a group which generally purchases better
pianos, players and other musical merchandise.
The quality appeal is, of course, far more re­
sultful than a mere scattering of shets which
seldom reach the mark, or at best make but a
surface impression. Grands, reproducing grands
and players are alike getting the interest of
prospects.
Grinnell Bros. are experiencing a shortage ef
Due-Arts and Steinways.
Seme custemers,
therdere, who ordered. for Christmas delivery
will be cempelled to wait until after the holi~
days for their .i nstrum ents. However, the house
is exclusi ve agent for nine well-knewn lin es of
pianO's and players in )Jorthwestern Ohio and
all indications point to one ef the best holida y
sea sons in several years.
Greene Sales Contest
At the J. W. Greene Co. all de partments In
the store exceeded the anticipated sales mark
for the past month.
A sales contest with
awards fer certain i·ndividual . achievements did
much to' put the month over, P~eston P. Brown,
sales manager, reports . Nine concerts were
staged in the Greene Concert Hall the past
month which drew a large number of persons
to the store and resulted in direct sales to a
few. This feature is regarded as general pub­
licity and is valuable in forming the aquaint­
ance of music lovers. The new small goods
department, Kenneth Kneisel states, is making
fine headway. Christmas sales are goed. The
talking machine section, under the directien ef
E. A. Kopf, has nearly doubled its holiday sales
over last yea.r.
The GeosmanPianoCo . . in· the sales race,
carried· en b)' the A. B. Chase makers, re­
ceived twO' awards. Fifth prize was given to
Fred. N. Gbosman for salesmanship, and sev­
enth prize was awarded the store for its record
among the dealers of the country.
Baby Grands in Demand
Baby grands are selling better than for years,
C. E. Colber, manager of the St. Clair street
store, advised. Grand prospects are being made
automatically and unconsciously. he believes, as
it seems the ambition oJ a growing number of
persons is to own a small grand. This desire
has come abeut through propaganda not wholly
of the musi c dealer's making. For instance, na­
tional adve'rtising, whether it is of tooth paste,
automobiles, flat irons or what not, frequently
has a contented home picture with a grand
piano to' add class to the illustration. Efforts
here are centered on the A. B. Chase, Starr,
Ivers & Pond, Milton and Bush & Lane.
The company's store at Bryan, 0., is closing
many sales with farmers and with dwellers in
the small tewns adjacent, it is reported. The
gc·neral publicity obtain ed from renting pianos
to chain steres, such jlS vVoolworth's, Kresge's
and Grant's, is regarded as well worth while,
Fred Goesman states, on account of the large
number of persens whO' visit these steres day
after day.
The Frazelle Piano Co. is receiving' a heart y
response from its drive to exploit the Kr a nich
& Bach Grandett e. This line is selling so
briskly that it is difficult to keep stocks full.
Edward :Mahoney, factory representative fer
Kranich & Bach, made a trip to Toledo r ecently.
Further, the Gulbransen and \;IJ eaver, also th e
Kurtzmann, are receiving much holiday patron­
age. A carload of Schiller pianos ,vas prac­
tically sold before it arrived at the station. The
sales force has been strengthened through the
addition of Milo Barrett, Alden Ward, Edward
Davis, Joseph Falcon, Carl Fer g uson and :Mr.
\Vinters.
Th e Cable PianO' Co. is putting its efforts en
players and grands, which just now are v e ry
popular, Manager 'N. A. Maag states. C. E.
Everingham has joined the sales force and will
specialize in out-of-town calls-fer a growing
number of prospects from o·utside communities
are favoring the store with their patronage.
The highest class player
actions in the world
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"The valve unit that made the player
famous"
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DECEMBER 22, 1923
Kenneth R. Shepherd, in charge of credits here,
has been premoted to the post of credit and
collection manager ef the Detro.it district with
about twenty stores to oversee. Bernard Felix
will succeed him.
At the Whitney-Blaine-Wildermuth Co. the
grand is receiving impetus from the general
trend which now is favoring this type. People
are talking grands and have a real desire for
ewnership which is a healthy sign, Henry C.
Wildermuth states.
PORTLAND DEALER HOME FROM EAST
Harold S. Gilbert Places Many Orders for
Future Delivery-Adds New Line-Sherman,
Clay & Co. Featuring the Sohmer Piano
PORILA ~D, ORE., December 13.- After a six or
seven weeks' trip to the East, during which
time he combined' busin es s with pleasure,
Ha reid S. Gilbert, of the Harold S. Gilbert
PianO' Co ., has returned to the city. While he
was away his establishment was weI! looked
after by hi s assistants, according to Mr. Gilbert,
and many good sales ef both pianos and phono­
graphs were closed.
While in the East Mr. Gilbert visited a num­
ber of piano factories and ordered a good line
ef pianos for his coming trade . In speaking­
of his trip Mr. Gilbert said that he found it
better to see persenally the men he was buyin g
from, that they weuld better understand his
needs, and he would become acquainted with
them in turn. Then, teo, he said he could se e
what he was buying and in orderin.c: he kept in
mind the needs and desires of his custemers.
He ordered a goed lin e of uprights and grands
and among the new lines taken on by him were
the Biddle, Baus, of the Jacob Doll & Sens, and
the Est ey line, while he reordered from the
Howard-Stowers Co. and the Laffargue CO'.
The Reed-French Piano Co. was visited last
week by James A. Stitt, of the Hallet & Davi~
Piano Co., who has his headquarters in Les
Angeles. Mr. Stitt is making an annual Coast
trip sizing up the business conditions and re­
mained in Portland abeut a week with the Reed­
French Co., who are the Portland representa­
tives for the Hallet & Davis pianos and phono­
graphs. Mr. Reed reports excellent business III
the Hallet & Davis line and remarked that i(
the business for December continued as it had
started in the month would be a record breaker .
The Sherman, Clay & Co. store in Portland
announced the taking o,ver of the Sehmer
a ge ncy by an attractive window display in which
a Sohmer concert grand was the central figure.
On each side ef the Sehmer was a handsome
peried model Victrola. while the furnishing of
the window consisted of beautiful Oriental rug~
and furnishings in keeping with the Sehmer~
The window attracted many customers, whO'
went into the store to inquire about the Sehmer.
Miss , Zonee Adams, who has been in charge
of the player rell department of Sherman, Cla.y
& Co., has re s igned h er positien to accept a
positien as a teacher of piano in the State school
at Grand Mound, vVashingten. Miss Adams'
position has been filled by the appointm·entof
Miss Helen vVatts, whO'· is a graduate of the
Oberlin Conservatory o·f Music · and last year
was the superviseI' ef music at Baker, Ore..
RYAN CO. TO HANDLE PIANOS
The ..ew "Amphia .. ·A-~cessible Actio.... is 1M las( word in Jcientific pia)'"
achievement. II has Ihe complete valve aclian assembled in .0 ",De1')o:untable
Unit') givi1'U instant accessilrility.
AMPHIONO~ACTIONS
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SYRACUSE .. (
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- Your Guarantee ... .. )
NEW YORK
E ,\ST ST. LO U IS, ILL., Dece mber 17.-A. piano
department has been ad ded to the John A .. Ryan
Furniturc Ce ., 122 Cellinsville avenuc. A linc
of new players has b ee n g iven a special display
ill tile store. and it is expec ted that the ·new
depart1l1Cll[ lll ay pre\·c a des irable fea ture:·
McFARLAND MUSIC CO. MOVES
MIUIlLETOW I\, 0 .. D ecember 18.- The McFarland
Music Co., after many year s of prospe rity on
Main str ee t. has removed to a more central
lecation at 408 East Third street. Du -; iness has
already been re s umed at the new lecatien.