Music Trade Review
Issue: 1925 Vol. 81 N. 20 - Page 3
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THE
VOL. LXXXI. No. 20
REVIEW
Published Every SaUrday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Nov. 14,1925
BlD
»gJ5 # g2 £.?•"*•
How Two Chicago Retail Houses Sell
the Foreign-Born Buyer
Louis Solar and Justin Bros., Located in the Heart of Two of Chicago's Leading Foreign Sections, Tell of
the Methods by Which They Have Both Built Up Large Volumes of Trade—Some of the Factors
Which Go to Make a Successful Music House in Localities of This Type
HE Bohemian and Czecho-Slovakian sec-
tion of Chicago, located on the South-
east Side, is as important as the Polish
district on the Northwest Side, described in
The Review recently, when it is considered that
this Bohemian section is the largest colony of
this nationality of any city in the United States.
The music dealer in this section
is perhaps in most instances the
most fortunate of the dealers do-
ing business in the foreign dis-
tricts. He is dealing with a class
of people that are thrifty, progres-
sive and honest, and he builds for
permanency and grows with the
people. The Bohemian is also very
musical and highly advanced in his
musical knowledge. The larger
percentage is talented and plays at
least one instrument, while a great
number play several with the re-
sult that the general music store
carrying a line of musical mer-
chandise, sheet music, talking ma-
chines and phonographs, as well
as pianos and player-pianos, is
found in its most thriving stage in
this section.
Aside from the instinctive de-
mand for musical instruments, one of the inter-
esting factors of the business done in this sec-
tion is the assuredness of collections. It is
usually the case that before the Bohemian will
buy a musical instrument he will have assured
himself he is able to pay for it. He usually
buys his house first, and after he has established
his home he adds a piano or talking machine or
radio.
The greater percentage own their own
homes, and have a surplus in the banks, as these
people are naturally thrifty, and the dealer who
knows his trade as these dealers do knows
that if he treats his customers honestly and
fairly he will receive the payments regularly
and when due. Of course, there is some col-
lection trouble, but . it is of a different caliber
from the usual delinquencies and of necessity
calls for different treatment.
As the district is large, comprising nearly
150,000 of the Bohemian and Slavic peoples,
there is an old section and a new section, and
it seems that, while general principles are used
in the dealings in these two sections, different
T
methods of getting business are used. They
will be described in interviews with the most
successful dealers, first taking the older section
and later the new section for comparison.
Old Section Described by Solar
Louis Solar, Sr., head of Solar's Music House,
3215 West Twenty-sixth street, is one of the
Louis Solar, Jr., in His Warerooms
most successful dealers of the older section
of the Bohemian district, for he has been oper-
ating in this neighborhood for the past seven-
teen years. Several years ago he started his
son, Louis Solar, Jr., along the same path he
has taken in building up a thriving business and
opened up another store at 3946 West Twenty-
sixth street with the latter in charge and with
the full responsibility for the shop which is
shown in the accompanying illustration.
Solar, Jr.'s training in the music business
equipped him to build up immediately a busi-
ness for himself, and in less than three years
he had cleared his debt to his father and made
a handsome profit. At the age of twenty-two
he is considered among the successful mer-
chants on the street. George Solar, another
son, is going through the same course as Louis
did at his father's store and, although quite
young, can meet and serve customers as well
as the experienced salesman. He, like the
others, can also demonstrate many of the in-
struments he sells and has had a thorough
training in music.
"Our section is made up of about 50 per cent
Bohemian, 10 per cent Slovaks and the balance
Russian Poles and a few Germans," said Louis
Solar, Sr. "While it is not necessary to employ
foreign-speaking salesmen, as most of our cus-
tomers can speak English, we find that the for-
eign salesman is more successful, not only
because he speaks the same lan-
guage but because he knows his
people and knows how to deal with
them.
"One of the prime requisites in
doing business with the Bohemian
trade is to give service. Our busi-
ness has been built entirely by ad-
vertising and service, and I men-
tion these together because, with-
out one, the other will not alone
increase the business. For in-
stance, if we just carried on our
advertising campaign, without the
large service end of our business,
I believe that a large percentage
of our advertising would be
wasted and we would be operating
at a loss instead of a profit.
"Up until the present year, how-
ever, our business each year has
increased and shown a profit, while
our service department has been running at a
loss. The service end of the business, how-
ever, is so necessary to this continuous growth
that it has been profitable to operate this depart-
ment at a loss.
No Canvassers
"We have no canvassers and have never had
any, except for a trial period. The prospects
are brought to the store through foreign news-
paper advertising, billboard advertising and the
good-will advertising that spreads by virtue of
our policies and service. After we get the pros-
pect, of course, the floor salesman will follow
him up in the usual manner, but we do very
little direct-by-mail advertising and, as stated,
no soliciting.
"After we get the prospect we assure him
that our dealings are legitimate and there is no
questioning this fact, as the Bohemian is, in
most instances honest and expects the people
he is doing business with to be or he does not
buy. Unquestionable policies that have been
adopted hold the prospect, and, after he is sold,
(Continued on page 27)
THE
VOL. LXXXI. No. 20
REVIEW
Published Every SaUrday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Nov. 14,1925
BlD
»gJ5 # g2 £.?•"*•
How Two Chicago Retail Houses Sell
the Foreign-Born Buyer
Louis Solar and Justin Bros., Located in the Heart of Two of Chicago's Leading Foreign Sections, Tell of
the Methods by Which They Have Both Built Up Large Volumes of Trade—Some of the Factors
Which Go to Make a Successful Music House in Localities of This Type
HE Bohemian and Czecho-Slovakian sec-
tion of Chicago, located on the South-
east Side, is as important as the Polish
district on the Northwest Side, described in
The Review recently, when it is considered that
this Bohemian section is the largest colony of
this nationality of any city in the United States.
The music dealer in this section
is perhaps in most instances the
most fortunate of the dealers do-
ing business in the foreign dis-
tricts. He is dealing with a class
of people that are thrifty, progres-
sive and honest, and he builds for
permanency and grows with the
people. The Bohemian is also very
musical and highly advanced in his
musical knowledge. The larger
percentage is talented and plays at
least one instrument, while a great
number play several with the re-
sult that the general music store
carrying a line of musical mer-
chandise, sheet music, talking ma-
chines and phonographs, as well
as pianos and player-pianos, is
found in its most thriving stage in
this section.
Aside from the instinctive de-
mand for musical instruments, one of the inter-
esting factors of the business done in this sec-
tion is the assuredness of collections. It is
usually the case that before the Bohemian will
buy a musical instrument he will have assured
himself he is able to pay for it. He usually
buys his house first, and after he has established
his home he adds a piano or talking machine or
radio.
The greater percentage own their own
homes, and have a surplus in the banks, as these
people are naturally thrifty, and the dealer who
knows his trade as these dealers do knows
that if he treats his customers honestly and
fairly he will receive the payments regularly
and when due. Of course, there is some col-
lection trouble, but . it is of a different caliber
from the usual delinquencies and of necessity
calls for different treatment.
As the district is large, comprising nearly
150,000 of the Bohemian and Slavic peoples,
there is an old section and a new section, and
it seems that, while general principles are used
in the dealings in these two sections, different
T
methods of getting business are used. They
will be described in interviews with the most
successful dealers, first taking the older section
and later the new section for comparison.
Old Section Described by Solar
Louis Solar, Sr., head of Solar's Music House,
3215 West Twenty-sixth street, is one of the
Louis Solar, Jr., in His Warerooms
most successful dealers of the older section
of the Bohemian district, for he has been oper-
ating in this neighborhood for the past seven-
teen years. Several years ago he started his
son, Louis Solar, Jr., along the same path he
has taken in building up a thriving business and
opened up another store at 3946 West Twenty-
sixth street with the latter in charge and with
the full responsibility for the shop which is
shown in the accompanying illustration.
Solar, Jr.'s training in the music business
equipped him to build up immediately a busi-
ness for himself, and in less than three years
he had cleared his debt to his father and made
a handsome profit. At the age of twenty-two
he is considered among the successful mer-
chants on the street. George Solar, another
son, is going through the same course as Louis
did at his father's store and, although quite
young, can meet and serve customers as well
as the experienced salesman. He, like the
others, can also demonstrate many of the in-
struments he sells and has had a thorough
training in music.
"Our section is made up of about 50 per cent
Bohemian, 10 per cent Slovaks and the balance
Russian Poles and a few Germans," said Louis
Solar, Sr. "While it is not necessary to employ
foreign-speaking salesmen, as most of our cus-
tomers can speak English, we find that the for-
eign salesman is more successful, not only
because he speaks the same lan-
guage but because he knows his
people and knows how to deal with
them.
"One of the prime requisites in
doing business with the Bohemian
trade is to give service. Our busi-
ness has been built entirely by ad-
vertising and service, and I men-
tion these together because, with-
out one, the other will not alone
increase the business. For in-
stance, if we just carried on our
advertising campaign, without the
large service end of our business,
I believe that a large percentage
of our advertising would be
wasted and we would be operating
at a loss instead of a profit.
"Up until the present year, how-
ever, our business each year has
increased and shown a profit, while
our service department has been running at a
loss. The service end of the business, how-
ever, is so necessary to this continuous growth
that it has been profitable to operate this depart-
ment at a loss.
No Canvassers
"We have no canvassers and have never had
any, except for a trial period. The prospects
are brought to the store through foreign news-
paper advertising, billboard advertising and the
good-will advertising that spreads by virtue of
our policies and service. After we get the pros-
pect, of course, the floor salesman will follow
him up in the usual manner, but we do very
little direct-by-mail advertising and, as stated,
no soliciting.
"After we get the prospect we assure him
that our dealings are legitimate and there is no
questioning this fact, as the Bohemian is, in
most instances honest and expects the people
he is doing business with to be or he does not
buy. Unquestionable policies that have been
adopted hold the prospect, and, after he is sold,
(Continued on page 27)
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