Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
19, 1924
THE POINT OF REVIEW
front cover of this issue of The Review carries a repro-
T HE
duction in full color of one of the oil paintings which are being
used by the Auto Pneumatic Action Co. in its national advertising
featuring the Welte-Mignon (Licensee) reproducing action. There
are six of these paintings in this series, which is one of the finest
presentations of general piano publicity that have ever come from
the trade. They are the work of Defeo, a well-known artist, and since
the first appearance in the March magazines they have brought
to the Auto Pneumatic Action Co. many letters of commendation
and many requests for copies of them suitable for framing.
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aside the distinctly artistic merit of the paintings,
L EAVING
from a commercial angle it is indeed interesting to see the way
in which the artist has visualized the appeal of the reproducing
piano. The reproducing piano's appeal, of course, is a distinctly
musical one, opening as it does the entire range of piano literature,
played by interpretative artists of the highest standing, to the owner
of such an instrument. It is particularly difficult to convey this fact
by the medium of the printed word alone, and as difficult to convey
it by suggestion through illustrations. The way which the Auto
Pneumatic Action Co. has chosen, that of a series of illustrations
each of them suggesting the different emotional moods coming from
the spirit and context of various types of compositions which are
available in the great Welte library, could scarcely be bettered.
Unquestionably any reproducing piano prospect who reads these
six advertisements will carry away with him the idea that there is
no type of music which cannot be had through the medium of this
action, and that the treasures of all piano literature, from the
greatest of all that has been written down to the latest popular
melody, are his when and where he wants them. The series of
advertisements are a selling message of the greatest value to the
retail music merchant who handles instruments with the Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) action, and even beyond that a distinct contribu-
tion to publicity for the reproducing piano.
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' I A HE present number of The Review is largely devoted to various
*~ aspects of the retail selling problems which the reproducing
piano has created with the music merchants since its advent. There
is one contribution which the reproducing piano has made to the
retail trade, and which is not usually taken into consideration, yet
which has had a wide and powerful effect. The prices at which
these instruments must necessarily be sold have effectually trained
both the retail salesman and the retail music merchant to eliminate
the timidity which formerly was so apparent in asking for prices
which meant true values in pianos. Not so many years ago a
$1,000 sale in retail warerooms was subject for comment for weeks
if not months. The salesman who made it was regarded as the
bright, particular star of the selling force. To-day a sale of this
type arouses no comment, nor does a $3,500 sale. It is a matter all
in the day's work. This has been entirely due to the reproducing
piano, but its influence has been marked in the sale of every type
of piano or player. The trade to-day believes in the values which it
offers and does not hesitate to ask the price which it must obtain.
And, best of all, the prices which it asks represent true values.
The day of the inflated price is past and gone.
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UFFICIENT time has passed now to get some real idea of how
the music industries fared during the first quarter of the pres-
ent year. Despite the outcry of a lack of business, it is the general
opinion, and one. that is well supported by facts, that the first three
months of 1924 measured up very closely to the first three months
of 1923, with perhaps a slight preponderance in volume to the pres-
ent year. Whatever falling off took place showed in the last half
of March, and already this temporary slump is beginning to dis-
appear. The tendency so many piano men have to rest upon their
oars, once a slight depression is felt, was no better shown ever
before in the history of the trade than by some men during the past
thirty days. Certain manufacturers pulled their travelers in and
held them in the offices; certain dealers practically ceased selling
efforts waiting for better times to come. Invariably those who fol-
lowed this procedure were the ones who felt things most seriously
A traveler in the home office during the dull period only helps to
accentuate dullness; a retail sales organization not working harder
during the same time only means a still smaller volume of sales.
Anyone can sell pianos when they are in demand; it takes good men
to sell them when there is sales resistance.
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& iH
F a small dealer in Brooklyn can average twenty-four months on
his outstanding lease paper, and make many sales at terms con-
siderably better than that, what is the matter with some of the
larger retail organizations in the country, whose time average on
their leases is considerably higher? The answer comes pat. They
simply sell instead of trying to sell well. The retail music merchant
who places the sale above all other considerations is never the retail
music merchant who makes the most money in the retail piano
business. The trade has time and again seen this proven in actual
experience, yet there are still many in it who persist in regarding
gross volume as the sole criterion by which to judge the success of
their business. Every big failure, and this statement is made ad-
visedly, that has ever taken place in the retail piano trade had as
its fundamental cause this attitude of mind. In fact, it might be
said that this is the only way a retail piano dealer can fail. Yet,
despite these examples, there are still men in the trade who regard
their theoretical maximum terms as the minimum, and who have
on their books more exceptional contracts than those made accord-
ing to their rules.
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HE statement by the Cable Company that the reappearance of
the small-sized upright has created 1,000,000 new piano pros-
pects is by no means an exaggeration, especially at this time of the
year when the first signs of Spring are turning the average person's
mind to the seashore or mountains. There is no instrument so well
fitted for country life as the small-sized upright, taking up but very
little room, and being light enough to be moved about at will by
those who own it. A certain dealer's experience last year is typical
of what many dealers have done with this style of instrument. Just
about this time of the year he ordered six small uprights. With no
special publicity or salesmanship, they moved from his wareroom
floors almost as soon as he received them. A second order for a car-
load moved almost as rapidly. By that time the dealer woke up.
During the Spring and early Summer he sold approximately 100 of
these instruments, and he was not located in a big city, either. This
year he expects to do even better, for he has planned an elaborate
campaign selling the small upright as pre-eminently the instrument
for the Summer home, camp or bungalow. There are any number
of dealers who can do similar work if they will get down to it.
Remember it has been shown that Summer months in retail piano
selling are only as dull as the retail dealer makes them.
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article on another page of this issue dealing with the ques-
T HE
tion of retail instalment selling contracts merits the attention of
all dealers. This question, unfortunately, is one which cannot be
discussed upon a general basis, largely because each State in the
country has a code of laws governing these sales which differs from
those in the other States. In other words, to use a purely theoretical
example, a sale which may be perfectly legal and binding in New
York may have no standing at all in court across the Hudson River
in New Jersey. A retail music merchant who is at all dubious about
the forms he is using should at once follow the advice given in the
article and submit them to competent legal authority. Some must
be dubious about it, for several have requested that this matter be
brought up at the coming convention for discussion.
It would
seem that by this time even- retail music merchant who does instal-
ment business would have definitely settled the question of the
proper forms to use, yet, strange as it mav seem, there are still
some who take a chance on this most important part of their busi-
ness in the effort to save a few cents of expense.
THE REVIEWER.