Music Trade Review

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12
THE MUSIC TRADE
COINOLAS
Supremacy thru their
Performance
Tiny Coinola
Durability that has
defied the years
REVIEW
DFXEMRER 20,
1924
Advertising Seems to Be the Chief
Topic of Discussion in St. Louis
According to Local Correspondent the Mere Mention of It Is Likely to Set Piano Men of
That City by the Ears—Better Business Bureau of City Enters the Fray
CT.
LOUIS, MO., December 15.—It used to be
that the Christmas rush in St. Louis set in
about December 10, but times seem to have
changed. Here it is the fifteenth and the
rush hasn't started. There is business but it is
not what music merchants have a right to ex-
pect along about now. But hope has not died.
The incorrigible optimists of Olive street are
out scanning the horizon and they all expect
the rush to come at any minute. Salesmen
are out beating the bushes trying to drive it
from its lurking place. And like as not it will
all come to pass, with everybody buying in the
last week, the last day and the last hour. That
will be all right. Just so they buy. One time
is as good as another.
If you want to start something in Olive street
just go down Piano Row yelling "advertising."
It will bring all the music merchants to their
doors and the next minute they will be all
tangled up in the middle of the street like a
bunch of Kilkenny cats. They are all 'het up"
over it and are ready to fight for their con-
victions at the drop of the hat. For some time
there has been a discussion raging as to the
elhical aspects of some of the St. Louis piano
advertising. There can be no denial that some
of the statements in the advertisements have
been very extravagant. The Better Business
Bureau has been prodded into taking notice.
It has had representatives shopping along the
street to see how the houses stand behind their
advertising and find out other things. The lead-
ing newspapers have been involved. Recently
one of them took the stand that it would not
print the advertising of a certain piano house
and printed a page of its own, patting itself on
the back like this: "We have just refused our
advertising columns to a large user of musical
display copy until such time as the copy and
sales methods of this advertiser meet with the
standards set by the Better Business Bureau
of St. Louis, Inc. Our action followed a dem-
onstration by the Better Business Bureau that
reader confidence was being abused by mislead-
ing cuts, statements and so-called 'bait' offers.
"If you have trouble securing an article ad-
vertised, if you are subjected to annoying efforts
to force you to buy higher-priced articles
through delays in delivery, requests for confer-
ences, abuse of the merits of the article adver-
t ; scd, etc.; if, in any way, you feel that the
ad crtiscr does "not meet the spirit and letter
of his printed offer you are invited to make
complaint to this newspaper or the Better Busi-
ness Bureau."
Last week a conference was held at another
newspaper office at which the pot called the
kettle black and the kettle talked back and there
was a general exchange of left-handed and back-
handed compliments. The upshot was that it
was left to the newspaper and the Better Busi-
ness Bureau to formulate something in the na-
ture of a standard of practice, acceptable to the
music merchants for their guidance in future
advertising.
George W. Allen, president of the Milton
Piano Co., New York, was here last week.
R. T. Hammon, manager of the Kieselhorst
Piano Co., after a severe illness, has returned
to his desk.
Mark Meyer, traveler for the Schulz Piano
Co., with headquarters in St. Louis, has re-
turned from a trip through Kansas and Okla-
homa, where he found conditions very encourag-
ing.
Special Course in Detroit Regarding
the Duo-Art Proves to Be Big Success
Forty-three Members of the Qrinnell Organization and of the National Association of Piano
Tuners Attend Course—Classes Held in Local Grinnell Store
' T H E Aeolian Co. recently organized in Dc-
•*• troit a special course for Duo-Art repairmen
to instruct them in the finer points of Duo-Art
construction and regulation. Forty-three men
from Grinnell Bros.' organization of thirty-
seven stores and the National Association of
which entitled them to a Duo-Art certificate
showing they thoroughly understood the Duo-
Art dynamic control system.
J. W. Gregor, of the Aeolian Co., of New
York, and the head of the Duo-Art repair
school, was in charge of the instruction. His
Reproduco Player Organ
Known Values
Proven Satisfaction
Your territory may be open
Manufactured by
The Operators Piano Co.
715 N. Kedzie Ave.
Chicago
Illinois
Detroit Class on the Duo-Art, J. W. Gregor in Charge
Piano Tuners attended the classes. They'were lectures were illustrated graphically by means
for the most part the "combination" men who of specially prepared charts and working models
are accustomed to working on the action, tuning demonstrating the control mechanism. Mr.
and regulating of the Duo-Art.
Gregor reported a most enthusiastic co-opera-
The classes were held in one of the rooms tion on the part of the men and a splendid
of Grinnell Bros.' store on Broadway. After- record of attendance.
noon sessions were held from 1 to 5 and eve-
D. S. Farmer, manager of Grinnell Bros.'
ning sessions from 7 to 10. The whole course service department, and A. V. Minifie, local
of instruction extended over a period of two secretary of the National Association of Piano
weeks. Examinations were held the latter part Tuners, rendered great assistance in establish-
of the second week and twelve men passed, ing the school.