Music Trade Review
Issue: 1926 Vol. 82 N. 1 - Page 46
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 2,
1926
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Philpitt States the New No-Discount
Plan Works Favorably in His Stores
SONGS THAT SELL
Declares All His Stores Would Most Energetically Fight Any Return to the Old System of
Fictitious Markings—Methods by Which the New System Has Been Popularized
Remember (Irving Berlin's Latest)
Then I'll Be Happy
A FTER years of agitation, the sheet music
dealer, on a recommendation of the Fed-
eral Trade Commission and with the assistance
of most of the large standard publishing houses,
finally saw complete the practice of marking
music with the net selling price. For the bet-
ter part of two years this form of marking mu-
sic has been in existence and, from the ma-
jority of reports of dealers, is working out suc-
cessfully. In a few instances those who do
a mail order business have felt the effects of
discounts given by competitors to teachers and
others, and these few have been loud in their un-
favorable comments on the printing of net
prices.
The situation is being fast stabilized and
the few weaknesses in the present system of
marking music will doubtless be eliminated be-
fore another season. In the meantime, those
dealers who are affected by unfair competition
must need hold .their ground, because the prog-
ress made is well worth fighting for, and a
little longer fight will see the end desired firmly
established.
A word from a well-known dealer operating
a number of stores, a former president of the
National Association of Sheet Music Dealers
and one of the most constructive members of
the retail music trade, is not only interesting
but is quite important. The letter from S.
Ernest Philpitt is reproduced below:
"December 9, 1925.
"Editor Music Trade Review: I am more
than ordinarily interested in the article which
appeared in your issue of December S, 'Oliver
Ditson Co. Urges Net-no-discount Plan Be
Strongly Supported.'
"I want you to know that I appreciate the
fearless manner in which the Oliver Ditson Co.
has taken the arbitrary stand in favor of the
new net-no-discount price.
"In our Washington, D. C, store, where we
do an exacting business, meeting daily the very
best elements of both teachers and general
musical public, we have found absolutely no
determined opposition to the net system. In a
few cases where protests were made, as a mat-
ter of explaining why we have made the change
and lopped off the 'discount,' we have been able
to convince easily the questioner of the fair-
ness and necessity for such action. The proof
that we have answered these questions and con-
vinced the musical public generally lies in the
fact that a review of our books and list of cash
customers show no marked losses, only the
usual percentage due to natural changes. We
have not lost a single account or cash customer
that we can trace, due to our change of price
marking, nor have we been able to trace a
single teacher who has left us for a mail order
house on account of our change to 'net' mark-
ing. We have had no grouching; the teachers
worth while considering in every case have ac-
cepted our explanations and agreed with us.
We might also say that in the case of most
of our teachers, they had for several years been
allowing their scholars all discounts they en-
joyed. We know this, because the scholars
have been in the habit of asking for 'my teach-
er's discount' and stating that they were in-
structed to ask for it.
"We fight the mail order houses along the
lines of service: we offer a stock ready to hand,
selections as desired, comprising the best of all
publishers (not largely made up of the mail
order publisher-dealer's own publications); we
are able to know the exact kinds of music the
individual teacher or scholar needs and we can
give advice to them as friend to friend. This
is service plus and is what the real teacher
values more than a few pennies one w r ay or the
other.
"We are meeting what little outside compe-
tition we have with a bold front; we frankly
argue the advantages of dealing locally with
any customer who brings up the subject; we
generally succeed in retaining their trade; as
stated above, we cannot trace a single important
loss to the mail order business people.
"Of course, we carry a line of the necessary
numbers of the mail order houses, but we do
not display any of their publications. We con-
sider them a menace if allowed to gain a foot-
hold, and act accordingly.
"We at Washington deplore any movement
looking towards a change of the present sys-
tem of price marking. We cannot see why the
music trade should retrograde to medieval
methods. What other business marks its goods
at one price and knows, together with its cus-
tomers, that it is an imaginary thing, that the
selling price is 'something else again'? It would
look as though the trade ought really to be
ashamed of anything so utterly unbusinesslike
as returning to fictitious price marking.
"We ought to also remember the very im-
portant fact that it is possible every teacher
who resells music for a profit is liable for not
obtaining a license as a dealer; also that the
public has been pretty well informed as to why
net prices were established. It is not inclined
to tolerate profits on sheet music and books
going to the teacher, for it considers the tui-
tion fee all that that party is entitled to. This
seems also to be the view of the best class
of teachers, as previously explained.
"Our Washington and also Florida stores
most energetically oppose any changes in the
present state of price marking. We believe
that any store can accomplish what we have
done by the use of frankness and diplomacy
with customers, both teachers and general. We
have no reason to suppose that we have ac-
complished anything remarkable, rather just the
logical results of proper presentation of the
subject, having nothing but fairness to argue
from the viewpoint of both buyer and seller.
Why do not all of us take the matter boldly in
I Never Knew
I Wish That I'd Been Satisfied With Mary
—
That Certain Party
In the Middle of the Night
I Wish't I Was in Peoria
Venetian Isles
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
Yearning
Ukulele Lady
I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
Cecilia
Sonya (Yup Alay Yup)
My Sweetie Turned Me Down
Don't Wait Too Long
Alone at Last
Silver Head
When You and I Were Seventeen
On a Night Like This
Ida, I Do
Waitin' for the Moon
So That's the Kind of a Girl You Are
—
BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 10
Special Edition for 1926
X
—
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumit
SONG GEMS
from the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
A Little Bungalow
Florida By the Sea
'
We Should Care
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
hand and not again degenerate into playing into
the hands of the few publishers who sell direct—
those 'goblins who'll catch us of we don't watch
out'?
"Sincerely,
"S. ERNEST
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Progress has been made in the production of high-
class music books and the MOST POPULAR
is the highest so far attained
Wire for descriptive catalog—order from jobber or direct from publisher
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc., Publishers, New York City
46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 2,
1926
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Philpitt States the New No-Discount
Plan Works Favorably in His Stores
SONGS THAT SELL
Declares All His Stores Would Most Energetically Fight Any Return to the Old System of
Fictitious Markings—Methods by Which the New System Has Been Popularized
Remember (Irving Berlin's Latest)
Then I'll Be Happy
A FTER years of agitation, the sheet music
dealer, on a recommendation of the Fed-
eral Trade Commission and with the assistance
of most of the large standard publishing houses,
finally saw complete the practice of marking
music with the net selling price. For the bet-
ter part of two years this form of marking mu-
sic has been in existence and, from the ma-
jority of reports of dealers, is working out suc-
cessfully. In a few instances those who do
a mail order business have felt the effects of
discounts given by competitors to teachers and
others, and these few have been loud in their un-
favorable comments on the printing of net
prices.
The situation is being fast stabilized and
the few weaknesses in the present system of
marking music will doubtless be eliminated be-
fore another season. In the meantime, those
dealers who are affected by unfair competition
must need hold .their ground, because the prog-
ress made is well worth fighting for, and a
little longer fight will see the end desired firmly
established.
A word from a well-known dealer operating
a number of stores, a former president of the
National Association of Sheet Music Dealers
and one of the most constructive members of
the retail music trade, is not only interesting
but is quite important. The letter from S.
Ernest Philpitt is reproduced below:
"December 9, 1925.
"Editor Music Trade Review: I am more
than ordinarily interested in the article which
appeared in your issue of December S, 'Oliver
Ditson Co. Urges Net-no-discount Plan Be
Strongly Supported.'
"I want you to know that I appreciate the
fearless manner in which the Oliver Ditson Co.
has taken the arbitrary stand in favor of the
new net-no-discount price.
"In our Washington, D. C, store, where we
do an exacting business, meeting daily the very
best elements of both teachers and general
musical public, we have found absolutely no
determined opposition to the net system. In a
few cases where protests were made, as a mat-
ter of explaining why we have made the change
and lopped off the 'discount,' we have been able
to convince easily the questioner of the fair-
ness and necessity for such action. The proof
that we have answered these questions and con-
vinced the musical public generally lies in the
fact that a review of our books and list of cash
customers show no marked losses, only the
usual percentage due to natural changes. We
have not lost a single account or cash customer
that we can trace, due to our change of price
marking, nor have we been able to trace a
single teacher who has left us for a mail order
house on account of our change to 'net' mark-
ing. We have had no grouching; the teachers
worth while considering in every case have ac-
cepted our explanations and agreed with us.
We might also say that in the case of most
of our teachers, they had for several years been
allowing their scholars all discounts they en-
joyed. We know this, because the scholars
have been in the habit of asking for 'my teach-
er's discount' and stating that they were in-
structed to ask for it.
"We fight the mail order houses along the
lines of service: we offer a stock ready to hand,
selections as desired, comprising the best of all
publishers (not largely made up of the mail
order publisher-dealer's own publications); we
are able to know the exact kinds of music the
individual teacher or scholar needs and we can
give advice to them as friend to friend. This
is service plus and is what the real teacher
values more than a few pennies one w r ay or the
other.
"We are meeting what little outside compe-
tition we have with a bold front; we frankly
argue the advantages of dealing locally with
any customer who brings up the subject; we
generally succeed in retaining their trade; as
stated above, we cannot trace a single important
loss to the mail order business people.
"Of course, we carry a line of the necessary
numbers of the mail order houses, but we do
not display any of their publications. We con-
sider them a menace if allowed to gain a foot-
hold, and act accordingly.
"We at Washington deplore any movement
looking towards a change of the present sys-
tem of price marking. We cannot see why the
music trade should retrograde to medieval
methods. What other business marks its goods
at one price and knows, together with its cus-
tomers, that it is an imaginary thing, that the
selling price is 'something else again'? It would
look as though the trade ought really to be
ashamed of anything so utterly unbusinesslike
as returning to fictitious price marking.
"We ought to also remember the very im-
portant fact that it is possible every teacher
who resells music for a profit is liable for not
obtaining a license as a dealer; also that the
public has been pretty well informed as to why
net prices were established. It is not inclined
to tolerate profits on sheet music and books
going to the teacher, for it considers the tui-
tion fee all that that party is entitled to. This
seems also to be the view of the best class
of teachers, as previously explained.
"Our Washington and also Florida stores
most energetically oppose any changes in the
present state of price marking. We believe
that any store can accomplish what we have
done by the use of frankness and diplomacy
with customers, both teachers and general. We
have no reason to suppose that we have ac-
complished anything remarkable, rather just the
logical results of proper presentation of the
subject, having nothing but fairness to argue
from the viewpoint of both buyer and seller.
Why do not all of us take the matter boldly in
I Never Knew
I Wish That I'd Been Satisfied With Mary
—
That Certain Party
In the Middle of the Night
I Wish't I Was in Peoria
Venetian Isles
Yes, Sir! That's My Baby
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
Yearning
Ukulele Lady
I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
Cecilia
Sonya (Yup Alay Yup)
My Sweetie Turned Me Down
Don't Wait Too Long
Alone at Last
Silver Head
When You and I Were Seventeen
On a Night Like This
Ida, I Do
Waitin' for the Moon
So That's the Kind of a Girl You Are
—
BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 10
Special Edition for 1926
X
—
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumit
SONG GEMS
from the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
A Little Bungalow
Florida By the Sea
'
We Should Care
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
hand and not again degenerate into playing into
the hands of the few publishers who sell direct—
those 'goblins who'll catch us of we don't watch
out'?
"Sincerely,
"S. ERNEST
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Progress has been made in the production of high-
class music books and the MOST POPULAR
is the highest so far attained
Wire for descriptive catalog—order from jobber or direct from publisher
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc., Publishers, New York City
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).