Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 13,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
becomes as much a permanent part of the retail music store as is
the piano and the talking machine.
Musical Merchandise
Musical merchandise has enjoyed another remarkable year.
Music merchant after music merchant reports heavy volumes of
sales in this department which has become one of the most profitable
in his store. The vogue of the orchestra and band shows no signs
of any falling off among the country's people; on the contrary, every
indication is that it will continue to grow at a still speedier rate.
America has passed the day when it was content to sit and have
its music made for it. To-day it requires musical self-expression
with the result the amateur musician who constitutes the great
market in all lines for the retail music merchant is growing in
numbers as never before. No town of any size throughout the
country to-day can be found without its amateur musical organiza-
tion, and a great majority of these owe their origin to the resource-
fulness and propaganda of the retail music merchant located there.
The prospect for small goods is the most numerous of all prospects
which the music merchant has, and the past year has seen his
realization of that turn into sales of impressive importance. Dur-
ing the coming year this trend will continue, and the music store
without a musical merchandise department, as a result, misses one
of the most profitable adjuncts which it can. possess.
The Supply Field
Conditions in the piano supply field during the past year have,
of course, been very similar to those existing in piano manufactur-
ing, as these two industries are so closely linked that every move
in one affects the other immediately. Here, too, the study of
technical problems has occupied considerable of the industry's at-
tention, especially along the lines of a greater degree of standard-
ization in unessential parts of the piano, that is, unessential to its
individuality. An endeavor has been made in co-operation with
piano manufacturers to eliminate unnecessary differences in specifi-
cations which, while as yet it has had but little result, holds great
promise for the future. Its eventual achievement would mean a
considerable decrease in factory overhead, a detail in which the
supply man, the manufacturer and the piano merchant all possess
a vital and essential interest. Another most constructive achieve-
ment in this field, and which is worthy of more than passing men-
tion, has been the good work accomplished by the Supply Associa-
tion in handling failures among piano manufacturers by eliminating
the long and costly process of bankruptcy through the courts and
by giving institutions which have been unfortunate an opportunity
for revival from their difficulties. This work is one of the most
striking examples of the realization of the common interest that
exists between every branch of the music industry and is worthy of
all encouragement and support from every man therein.
The General Situation
Prophecies are most dangerous to those who make them. To
endeavor to forecast conditions during the coming year is an idle
task, one in which the possibility of error is so great that it makes
REVIEW
it futile so far as benefit may be derived from it. However, there
are certain elements apparent to everyone which constitute a basis
for sound optimism. The economic condition of the country
basically is all that can be asked for. The elements which created
the unsteadiness during the past year seem to have been effectually
checked. The farmer to-day is in a sounder position economically
than he has been since the end of the post-war boom, as is shown
by the gradual liquidation of his cumulative debts. No doubt one
of the great problems before the incoming administration is some
system of financing for the farmer which will permit him to enjoy
advantages that have long been denied him; but there is no more
doubt that this plan will be economically sound and bear none of
the marks of the radical panaceas which have so often been pro-
posed. The farmer here is given special emphasis since, despite the
steady increase of urban population in the country, he still consti-
tutes the economic backbone of America, and without his prosperity
there is little chance of prosperity for the rest of us.
The World Situation
Another element for optimism is the fact that the world economic
condition is steadily nearing stabilization. The adoption of the
Dawes' plan for the liquidation of Germany's reparation liabilities,
the floating of the German international loan, and the daily re-
ports from European financial centers all tend to confirm this belief.
Since the end of the war the most destructive element in America's
condition has been the economic chaos of world conditions, for
economics themselves pay little importance to boundaries and the
financial and economic structure of the world to-day is a unit. As
a result the year may be looked forward to with confidence and
unquestionably at least a normal demand may be expected.
The Merchants Task
Speaking of the music industries individually, they confront no
great concrete problem. Music, the basic element upon which their
sales are made, was never so popular in the history of America as
it is to-day. Never before have there been so many people anxious
to express themselves musically. Never before has music played
so prominent a part in the entertainment resources of the people.
With all these factors in his favor it rests with the individual music
merchant whether or not he can change them into concrete sales
that place a decent balance on the black ink side of his ledger. All
is not perfect, of course, and the realization of this fact is wide-
spread. There is much constructive work to be done, but the better
elements in the industry are constantly striving to do it and achiev-
ing no little measure of success.
To those merchants who have worked this way during 1924,
1925 will be a year of promise and reward, and if the retail mer-
chant finds the coming twelve months of this character, unquestion-
ably the manufacturer who supplies his goods will enjoy the same
condition. For the nub of the entire situation is the merchant
himself; upon his efficiency, his ability to take advantage of con-
ditions and to change them into actual sales depends the ultimate
prosperity of the entire industry. Taking the music merchant as
a class and considering him as he exists to-day he is absolutely
capable of doing this.