Music Trade Review
Issue: 1924 Vol. 79 N. 11 - Page 64
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
62
SEPTEMBER 13, 1924
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Caring for the Demand in the Various
Departments of the General Music Store
Diversity of Stocks Requires Careful Attention So That One Department May Not Be Slighted
at the Expense of Another—The P osition of Sheet Music Therein
T N this period, when many dealers operate
'•' stores with the idea of adopting the slogan
"Everything in Music," they confront problems
the solving of which either makes or mars their
success as merchants. Dealers who make a
feature of sheet music, as a general rule, first
add musical merchandise and small instruments
as an addition to their stocks. The reason for
this is that such goods are a factor in creating
a sale for sheet music and books, and the many
small adjuncts necessary to keep such instru-
ments in condition and up to the minute bring
a constant trail of customers into the establish-
ment. The sheet music dealer has calls for such
goods and he stocks the merchandise to fill the
demand and to give his customers service as
well as to absorb profits which would go into
competitive channels.
If the dealer wants to branch further into
the realm of a successful music merchant, he
next stocks talking machines, records and often
player rolls. This step is taken because, again,
there are many small items for which there is a
demand,, bringing people into the store, and
because the units of sale are not so large as to
create difficult financing. This is not true in
every case, but it does generally represent the
smaller merchant's idea in endeavoring to get
ahead and make his shop a prominent one.
Many sheet music merchants first handle
pianos before taking on smaller lines. The
piano as a teaching factor and as a creator of
sales for sheet music is, of course, the most im-
portant of all instruments. • Nowadays we have
radio in addition to all other musical items han-
dled by the merchant who wants to have every-
thing in music, and this adds to the problems
which must be faced by such a music establish-
ment.
The problem that confronts all such dealers,
and one which they are not readily solving, is
the question of amply caring for the demands
of customers in these various departments with-
out slighting the sales activities and service in
what might be termed opposition departments.
None of these different varieties of musical
goods fundamentally oppose each other. They
all seemingly create their own demands. Each
has a clientele which, for the particular mo-
ment, is interested in that phase of musical
activity.
The demand filled, this clientele,
WHO
doubtless, is in the market for other allied prod-
ucts. Herein, however, lies the weakness of
the "Everything in Music" store, which, in order
to be economically operated, must have a lim-
ited sales force and competition for the sales
force's time. There naturally are periods each
day when one particular department may be
more rushed than another and some sections of
this store and its stock will then be slighted.
Even in some of the highly efficient chain shops
that to-day handle radio with all other musical
items there are periods during the course of
the day's business when some of the depart-
ments are practically eliminated as factors.
Such weaknesses in these combination musi-
cal establishments can only be solved by the
attention that is given to designing properly the
interior of the establishment in order to separate
the different sections of the store, efficiently
handle the various groups of buyers and elim-
inate confusion. If the trade is large enough
some one person should be responsible for each
department. The lesser sales force can, as the
demand rises or falls in the various depart-
ments, respond where they are most needed.
This will serve to keep an active factor in
charge and responsible for the sales of the mer-
chandise in a particular section.
In smaller establishments, such arrangements
may not be possible but a similar situation
must be faced and thought and attention toward
solving the problem is necessary. To-day, pop-
ular sheet music and player rolls are being
slighted, so much so that thousands of sales in
these two items go unmade until the demand
for the particular prints wanes. To a lesser ex-
tent talking machine records are suffering
through the same condition.
Fortunately for standard music its position is
not being weakened by any such factors. There
never was an overabundance of sources of dis-
tribution for standard music and these limited
distribution points to a great extent arc oper-
ated by the proprietors of the establishments.
Most of them love the music business and have
a particular weakness for sheet music, musical
literature and books, and this, in these trying
times, is the bulwark and insurance that pro-
tects the distribution of standard music.
To-day, if anything, there are too many dis-
(Continucd on page 63)
WANTS
SONGS THAT SELL
What'll I Do?
Charley, My Boy
Driftwood
Red Hot Mamma
Lazy
I Can't Get the One I Want
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
Mindin' My Business
She's Everybody's Sweetheart
Old Familiar Faces
Nobody Loves You Like I Do
Nobody's Child
Where Is That Old Girl of Mine?
—
—
Cover Me Up With the Sunshine of
Virginia
Indiana Moon
Morning (Won't You Ever Come 'Round)
(New)
No One Knows What It's All About
(New)
Come Back to Me (When They Throw
You Down) (New)
Superstitious Blues (New)
Universal Dance Folio No. 7
X Special
Edition
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
—
Lundin's Tenor Banjo Method
•
—
—
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Annual
MUSIC BOX REVUE
An Orange Grove in California
The Waltz of Long Ago
Little Butterfly
Learn to Do the Strut
Outstanding Song Hits from
TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
A,
A PLAINTIVE FOX TROT BALLAD You will take rtoht to your heart
c
u A i
irki cr**T
Sung by AL. JOLSON
X
Xou carit do wron^y,
j vAdsjuw(FjEt$r sou
O
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
62
SEPTEMBER 13, 1924
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Caring for the Demand in the Various
Departments of the General Music Store
Diversity of Stocks Requires Careful Attention So That One Department May Not Be Slighted
at the Expense of Another—The P osition of Sheet Music Therein
T N this period, when many dealers operate
'•' stores with the idea of adopting the slogan
"Everything in Music," they confront problems
the solving of which either makes or mars their
success as merchants. Dealers who make a
feature of sheet music, as a general rule, first
add musical merchandise and small instruments
as an addition to their stocks. The reason for
this is that such goods are a factor in creating
a sale for sheet music and books, and the many
small adjuncts necessary to keep such instru-
ments in condition and up to the minute bring
a constant trail of customers into the establish-
ment. The sheet music dealer has calls for such
goods and he stocks the merchandise to fill the
demand and to give his customers service as
well as to absorb profits which would go into
competitive channels.
If the dealer wants to branch further into
the realm of a successful music merchant, he
next stocks talking machines, records and often
player rolls. This step is taken because, again,
there are many small items for which there is a
demand,, bringing people into the store, and
because the units of sale are not so large as to
create difficult financing. This is not true in
every case, but it does generally represent the
smaller merchant's idea in endeavoring to get
ahead and make his shop a prominent one.
Many sheet music merchants first handle
pianos before taking on smaller lines. The
piano as a teaching factor and as a creator of
sales for sheet music is, of course, the most im-
portant of all instruments. • Nowadays we have
radio in addition to all other musical items han-
dled by the merchant who wants to have every-
thing in music, and this adds to the problems
which must be faced by such a music establish-
ment.
The problem that confronts all such dealers,
and one which they are not readily solving, is
the question of amply caring for the demands
of customers in these various departments with-
out slighting the sales activities and service in
what might be termed opposition departments.
None of these different varieties of musical
goods fundamentally oppose each other. They
all seemingly create their own demands. Each
has a clientele which, for the particular mo-
ment, is interested in that phase of musical
activity.
The demand filled, this clientele,
WHO
doubtless, is in the market for other allied prod-
ucts. Herein, however, lies the weakness of
the "Everything in Music" store, which, in order
to be economically operated, must have a lim-
ited sales force and competition for the sales
force's time. There naturally are periods each
day when one particular department may be
more rushed than another and some sections of
this store and its stock will then be slighted.
Even in some of the highly efficient chain shops
that to-day handle radio with all other musical
items there are periods during the course of
the day's business when some of the depart-
ments are practically eliminated as factors.
Such weaknesses in these combination musi-
cal establishments can only be solved by the
attention that is given to designing properly the
interior of the establishment in order to separate
the different sections of the store, efficiently
handle the various groups of buyers and elim-
inate confusion. If the trade is large enough
some one person should be responsible for each
department. The lesser sales force can, as the
demand rises or falls in the various depart-
ments, respond where they are most needed.
This will serve to keep an active factor in
charge and responsible for the sales of the mer-
chandise in a particular section.
In smaller establishments, such arrangements
may not be possible but a similar situation
must be faced and thought and attention toward
solving the problem is necessary. To-day, pop-
ular sheet music and player rolls are being
slighted, so much so that thousands of sales in
these two items go unmade until the demand
for the particular prints wanes. To a lesser ex-
tent talking machine records are suffering
through the same condition.
Fortunately for standard music its position is
not being weakened by any such factors. There
never was an overabundance of sources of dis-
tribution for standard music and these limited
distribution points to a great extent arc oper-
ated by the proprietors of the establishments.
Most of them love the music business and have
a particular weakness for sheet music, musical
literature and books, and this, in these trying
times, is the bulwark and insurance that pro-
tects the distribution of standard music.
To-day, if anything, there are too many dis-
(Continucd on page 63)
WANTS
SONGS THAT SELL
What'll I Do?
Charley, My Boy
Driftwood
Red Hot Mamma
Lazy
I Can't Get the One I Want
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
Mindin' My Business
She's Everybody's Sweetheart
Old Familiar Faces
Nobody Loves You Like I Do
Nobody's Child
Where Is That Old Girl of Mine?
—
—
Cover Me Up With the Sunshine of
Virginia
Indiana Moon
Morning (Won't You Ever Come 'Round)
(New)
No One Knows What It's All About
(New)
Come Back to Me (When They Throw
You Down) (New)
Superstitious Blues (New)
Universal Dance Folio No. 7
X Special
Edition
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
—
Lundin's Tenor Banjo Method
•
—
—
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Annual
MUSIC BOX REVUE
An Orange Grove in California
The Waltz of Long Ago
Little Butterfly
Learn to Do the Strut
Outstanding Song Hits from
TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
A,
A PLAINTIVE FOX TROT BALLAD You will take rtoht to your heart
c
u A i
irki cr**T
Sung by AL. JOLSON
X
Xou carit do wron^y,
j vAdsjuw(FjEt$r sou
O
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