Music Trade Review
Issue: 1925 Vol. 80 N. 6 - Page 8
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THE
8
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
St. Louis Better Business Bureau Uses
Newspapers to Combat "Bait" Publicity
Uses Quarter Page Space to Expose This Method of Selling Instruments—Theodore Maetten
Returns to Retail Force of the Kieselhorst Piano Co.—Other Notes of the Trade
C T . LOUIS, MO., February 2.—About the best
thing that can be said for January business
is that it was well behaved. Nothing impetuous
or hurried about it. Throughout the month it
moved with what might be called a stately pace,
slighly accelerated as the month advanced, but
H. Lere are two pianos.
One of them is advertised, but is
not for sale.
The other is for sale, but is not ad-
vertised.
. . . . Both instruments are pre-
cisely alike, and yet
many people are pay-
ing $260 more for one
than for the other.
A music store ad-
vertises a sale of the
X Grand Piano, at
the " r e m a r k a b l e
price of $318.50, in-
cluding s e a t a n d
floor lamp."
When you go to that store to see
the instrument, the salesman tells you
frankly that he cannot recommend the
X Grand, and urges you not to con-
sider it. Instead he steers you over to
another instrument, the Y Grand,
which he praises as a much finer piece
of merchandise.
The price? . . . . Oh yes, $578.50.
. . . . And he marshals all the
blandishments of selling to persuade
you to pay $260.00 more than the price
mentioned in his advertisement for a
piano precisely like the X Grand, save
c
the Globe-Democrat, because all St. Louis news-
papers were notified by the Better Business Bu-
reau, Inc., that copy and sales methods failed
to meet with the standards of truth and busi-
ness morality set by the Bureau." So thus the
controversy rests.
that his firm has had the name "Y
Grand" stenciled on it.
Or perhaps it will work this way:
Perhaps you will insist upon buy-
ing the X Grand as
advertised . . . . And
you'll deposit $100 on
it.
Within a day or
so, the salesman will
phone that unfortun-
ately the s o u n d i n g
board of your piano,
the last X Grand in
the warehouse, has
been broken.
. . . . But he has another piano,
the Y Grand for $578.50, etc., etc., as
we have heard him say before.
Be careful . . . .Go slowly. $260
is worth saving.
When the attitude of a merchant
leads you to suspect that he is unwill-
ing to back up his advertising offer, in-
sist upon your rights. Tell us about
it, if you will.
Help us protect all buyers against
"sharp" practice. Buy from reliable
dealers. Do not be guided by price
alone.
Uhe BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU
of SAINT LOUIS, Inc.
St. Louis Better Business Bureau Advertising
A. T. Schuldes, treasurer of the Straube Piano
never by any chance simulating a scramble.
The acceleration toward the end of the month Co., Hammond, Ind., visited A. C. Thiebes, on
was the best thing about it. This was con- his way back to the factory from a trip to
sistent and fairly substantial. February starts Duquoin, 111.
A. C. Thiebes, president of the Thiebes Piano
off with business holding the advantage it gained
in January. All signs point to a gradually im- Co., has returned from Hammond, Ind., where
he attended a factory convention for three days
proving condition.
Now the Better Business Bureau is taking a at the Straube Piano Co.
Theodore W. Maetten, formerly for twenty
hand publicly in the controversy that has been
waging for weeks over the ethics of piano ad- years with the Kieselhorst Piano Co., who went
vertising, as exemplified in local newspapers. over to the Aeolian Co. nearly two years ago,
In a quarter-page space it tells "A Tale of Two is back with the Kieselhorst Co., beginning to-
Pianos," in a fashion that has aroused much in- day. William F. Davie, who has been advertis-
ing manager of the Aeolian Co., is also now with
terest. The ad is reproduced herewith.
Another angle of the controversy is a dispute the Kieselhorst Co.
E. J. Schuessler, formerly with Davidson's,
between the Globe-Democrat and the Star as to
gains in musical display advertising in 1924. Des Moines, la., and the G. A. Crancer Music
First the Globe claimed to be the only St. Louis Co., Lincoln, Neb., started with the Kieselhorst
newspaper which gained in musical display ad- Co. Thursday.
vertising last year. The Star denied the claim
E. C. Johnston, formerly with Sherman, Clay
and presented figures to show that it, too, had & Co., and Kohler & Chase, at San Francisco,
increased. The Globe's explanation is that the will join the Kieselhorst organization soon.
Star's calculation includes "a significant amount
E. Robert Schmitz, using a Mason & Hamlin
of other types of advertising which the Globe- piano provided by the Kieselhorst Piano Co.,
Democrat does not classify with the regular gave a recital Saturday night at Sheldon
sales display advertising of regular musical ad- Memorial.
vertisers," including "stunt" advertising offering
prizes for the names of prospective customers
Alberto Sciarretti, the eminent Italian pianist,
sent in to musical houses and lineage in a spe- has selected the Mehlin concert grand for his
cial theatre building section. Continuing, the tour of recitals. He will give a recital at St.
Globe says: "Again, the Star has tabulated the Elizabeth College, Convent Station, N. J., on
advertising of a large user of space whose ad- February 3; another at Aeolian Hall, New York
vertising, since the early part of December, City, on February 5, and a third at Jordan
1924, has been denied a place in the columns of Hall, Boston, Mass., on February 25.
KKRRWAKY 7,
1925
Fradkin Appointed Musical
Director of New Theatre
To Have Charge of Musical Program of the
New Piccadilly Theatre in New York—Exclu-
sive Brunswick Recording Artist
Frederick Fradkin, at one time concert mas-
ter of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and
now an exclusive Brunswick recording artist,
has recently been appointed to the important
post of musical director of the Piccadilly The-
atre, Broadway and Fifty-second street, New
York. This theatre is one of Broadway's newer
motion picture palaces, located in the heart of
the Great White Way, and is unique in that it
is the only prominent picture house on Broad-
way that gives a midnight performance.
An announcement of this new post for Mr.
Fradkin has just been sent to Brunswick deal-
ers throughout the country by the Brunswick-
r>alkc-Collender Co., Chicago, accompanied by a
complete list of violin recordings made by him
on Brunswick records. To further stimulate
the dealer's interest, a sample copy of Piccadilly
News, published weekly by the theatre, and con-
taining weekly comments on the motion picture
industry by Mr. Fradkin, lias been sent out
with the other announcements.
Death of Oscar H. Bollman,
St. Louis Trade Veteran
Founder of Bollman Bros. Piano Co. Passes
Away at Home of Son in Colorado Springs—
Was in His 73rd Year
ST. LOUIS, MO., February 3.—Oscar II. Holliuan,
one of the founders of the Bollman Bros. Piano
Co., and prominent in musical circles here for
years, died recently at the home of his son at
Colorado Springs, Col., where he had resided
since the death of his wife in November. He
was 73 years old. He is survived by two sons
and a daughter. Interment was at Colorado
Springs.
Philpitt Builds in Miami
MIAMI, FI.A., February 2.--A contract for the
rrcction of a one-story building at I In. 1 corner
of Lincoln road and Jefferson avenue has just
been let by the E. Ernest Philpitt Co., Florida
representative for the Steinway piano. The
building will have 50 feet frontage and a depth
of 105 feet, and will be built with a sufficiently
firm foundation to allow for the addition of two
upper floors at a later date. The estimated
cost of the structure will be $35,000. It will be
occupied by the Philpitt establishment alone.
New Marengo Building
QUINCY, MASS., January 31.—Completion of the
new building of the Marengo Music Co., of this
city, is looked forward to during the next
month. The structure is a four-story building
of brick and granite, of which the music com-
pany will occupy the entire first floor together
with parts of the second and third floors.
Hall Music Go. Chartered
AHILENK, TEX., January 31.—The Hall Music Co.,
of this city, has recently been incorporated with
a capital stock of $50,000. The officers are Mrs.
Ozia Hall, Emmett Hall and Elmon Hall. The
Hall concern will handle a general line of music
goods here in modern wareroonis.
Aeolian Go. Visitor
Among the visitors at the executive offices of
the Aeolian Co., New York, during the past
week was P. W. Stallsmith, of the Stallsniilh
Music Co., Gettysburg, Pa.
THE
8
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
St. Louis Better Business Bureau Uses
Newspapers to Combat "Bait" Publicity
Uses Quarter Page Space to Expose This Method of Selling Instruments—Theodore Maetten
Returns to Retail Force of the Kieselhorst Piano Co.—Other Notes of the Trade
C T . LOUIS, MO., February 2.—About the best
thing that can be said for January business
is that it was well behaved. Nothing impetuous
or hurried about it. Throughout the month it
moved with what might be called a stately pace,
slighly accelerated as the month advanced, but
H. Lere are two pianos.
One of them is advertised, but is
not for sale.
The other is for sale, but is not ad-
vertised.
. . . . Both instruments are pre-
cisely alike, and yet
many people are pay-
ing $260 more for one
than for the other.
A music store ad-
vertises a sale of the
X Grand Piano, at
the " r e m a r k a b l e
price of $318.50, in-
cluding s e a t a n d
floor lamp."
When you go to that store to see
the instrument, the salesman tells you
frankly that he cannot recommend the
X Grand, and urges you not to con-
sider it. Instead he steers you over to
another instrument, the Y Grand,
which he praises as a much finer piece
of merchandise.
The price? . . . . Oh yes, $578.50.
. . . . And he marshals all the
blandishments of selling to persuade
you to pay $260.00 more than the price
mentioned in his advertisement for a
piano precisely like the X Grand, save
c
the Globe-Democrat, because all St. Louis news-
papers were notified by the Better Business Bu-
reau, Inc., that copy and sales methods failed
to meet with the standards of truth and busi-
ness morality set by the Bureau." So thus the
controversy rests.
that his firm has had the name "Y
Grand" stenciled on it.
Or perhaps it will work this way:
Perhaps you will insist upon buy-
ing the X Grand as
advertised . . . . And
you'll deposit $100 on
it.
Within a day or
so, the salesman will
phone that unfortun-
ately the s o u n d i n g
board of your piano,
the last X Grand in
the warehouse, has
been broken.
. . . . But he has another piano,
the Y Grand for $578.50, etc., etc., as
we have heard him say before.
Be careful . . . .Go slowly. $260
is worth saving.
When the attitude of a merchant
leads you to suspect that he is unwill-
ing to back up his advertising offer, in-
sist upon your rights. Tell us about
it, if you will.
Help us protect all buyers against
"sharp" practice. Buy from reliable
dealers. Do not be guided by price
alone.
Uhe BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU
of SAINT LOUIS, Inc.
St. Louis Better Business Bureau Advertising
A. T. Schuldes, treasurer of the Straube Piano
never by any chance simulating a scramble.
The acceleration toward the end of the month Co., Hammond, Ind., visited A. C. Thiebes, on
was the best thing about it. This was con- his way back to the factory from a trip to
sistent and fairly substantial. February starts Duquoin, 111.
A. C. Thiebes, president of the Thiebes Piano
off with business holding the advantage it gained
in January. All signs point to a gradually im- Co., has returned from Hammond, Ind., where
he attended a factory convention for three days
proving condition.
Now the Better Business Bureau is taking a at the Straube Piano Co.
Theodore W. Maetten, formerly for twenty
hand publicly in the controversy that has been
waging for weeks over the ethics of piano ad- years with the Kieselhorst Piano Co., who went
vertising, as exemplified in local newspapers. over to the Aeolian Co. nearly two years ago,
In a quarter-page space it tells "A Tale of Two is back with the Kieselhorst Co., beginning to-
Pianos," in a fashion that has aroused much in- day. William F. Davie, who has been advertis-
ing manager of the Aeolian Co., is also now with
terest. The ad is reproduced herewith.
Another angle of the controversy is a dispute the Kieselhorst Co.
E. J. Schuessler, formerly with Davidson's,
between the Globe-Democrat and the Star as to
gains in musical display advertising in 1924. Des Moines, la., and the G. A. Crancer Music
First the Globe claimed to be the only St. Louis Co., Lincoln, Neb., started with the Kieselhorst
newspaper which gained in musical display ad- Co. Thursday.
vertising last year. The Star denied the claim
E. C. Johnston, formerly with Sherman, Clay
and presented figures to show that it, too, had & Co., and Kohler & Chase, at San Francisco,
increased. The Globe's explanation is that the will join the Kieselhorst organization soon.
Star's calculation includes "a significant amount
E. Robert Schmitz, using a Mason & Hamlin
of other types of advertising which the Globe- piano provided by the Kieselhorst Piano Co.,
Democrat does not classify with the regular gave a recital Saturday night at Sheldon
sales display advertising of regular musical ad- Memorial.
vertisers," including "stunt" advertising offering
prizes for the names of prospective customers
Alberto Sciarretti, the eminent Italian pianist,
sent in to musical houses and lineage in a spe- has selected the Mehlin concert grand for his
cial theatre building section. Continuing, the tour of recitals. He will give a recital at St.
Globe says: "Again, the Star has tabulated the Elizabeth College, Convent Station, N. J., on
advertising of a large user of space whose ad- February 3; another at Aeolian Hall, New York
vertising, since the early part of December, City, on February 5, and a third at Jordan
1924, has been denied a place in the columns of Hall, Boston, Mass., on February 25.
KKRRWAKY 7,
1925
Fradkin Appointed Musical
Director of New Theatre
To Have Charge of Musical Program of the
New Piccadilly Theatre in New York—Exclu-
sive Brunswick Recording Artist
Frederick Fradkin, at one time concert mas-
ter of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and
now an exclusive Brunswick recording artist,
has recently been appointed to the important
post of musical director of the Piccadilly The-
atre, Broadway and Fifty-second street, New
York. This theatre is one of Broadway's newer
motion picture palaces, located in the heart of
the Great White Way, and is unique in that it
is the only prominent picture house on Broad-
way that gives a midnight performance.
An announcement of this new post for Mr.
Fradkin has just been sent to Brunswick deal-
ers throughout the country by the Brunswick-
r>alkc-Collender Co., Chicago, accompanied by a
complete list of violin recordings made by him
on Brunswick records. To further stimulate
the dealer's interest, a sample copy of Piccadilly
News, published weekly by the theatre, and con-
taining weekly comments on the motion picture
industry by Mr. Fradkin, lias been sent out
with the other announcements.
Death of Oscar H. Bollman,
St. Louis Trade Veteran
Founder of Bollman Bros. Piano Co. Passes
Away at Home of Son in Colorado Springs—
Was in His 73rd Year
ST. LOUIS, MO., February 3.—Oscar II. Holliuan,
one of the founders of the Bollman Bros. Piano
Co., and prominent in musical circles here for
years, died recently at the home of his son at
Colorado Springs, Col., where he had resided
since the death of his wife in November. He
was 73 years old. He is survived by two sons
and a daughter. Interment was at Colorado
Springs.
Philpitt Builds in Miami
MIAMI, FI.A., February 2.--A contract for the
rrcction of a one-story building at I In. 1 corner
of Lincoln road and Jefferson avenue has just
been let by the E. Ernest Philpitt Co., Florida
representative for the Steinway piano. The
building will have 50 feet frontage and a depth
of 105 feet, and will be built with a sufficiently
firm foundation to allow for the addition of two
upper floors at a later date. The estimated
cost of the structure will be $35,000. It will be
occupied by the Philpitt establishment alone.
New Marengo Building
QUINCY, MASS., January 31.—Completion of the
new building of the Marengo Music Co., of this
city, is looked forward to during the next
month. The structure is a four-story building
of brick and granite, of which the music com-
pany will occupy the entire first floor together
with parts of the second and third floors.
Hall Music Go. Chartered
AHILENK, TEX., January 31.—The Hall Music Co.,
of this city, has recently been incorporated with
a capital stock of $50,000. The officers are Mrs.
Ozia Hall, Emmett Hall and Elmon Hall. The
Hall concern will handle a general line of music
goods here in modern wareroonis.
Aeolian Go. Visitor
Among the visitors at the executive offices of
the Aeolian Co., New York, during the past
week was P. W. Stallsmith, of the Stallsniilh
Music Co., Gettysburg, Pa.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).