Music Trade Review
Issue: 1926 Vol. 82 N. 23 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JUNE 5, 1926
The Music Trade Review
American Player-Pianos Total More
Than 50 Per Cent of Australian Sales
Leslie H. Winkworth, of C. Winkworth & Son, Ltd., Sydney, Australia, States These Instru-
ments Meet the Requirements of the Market—Selling Methods in the Antipodes
/ C H I C A G O , ILL., May 29.—With a high
^ standard of living conditions, rapidly grow-
ing industries, increasing population and the
natural love for music that the Australian has,
Leslie H. Winkworth, a native son of Aus-
tralia, and director of C. Winkworth & Son,
Ltd., Sydney, emphasized the increasing field
for music, particularly the player-piano, in his
country in commenting on general and trade
conditions in Australia to a representative of
The Review.
While Mr. Winkworth, who is on a buying
trip to the United States and who came to at-
tend the national convention of the music in-
dustries, pointed out the developments which
show general expansion and growth in his coun-
try and are important factors in increasing gen-
eral business including the music industry, he
emphasized that competition is keen there just
as it is here and in order to get a good share oi
the business organized effort is necessary.
C. Winkworth & Sons, Ltd., was established
thirty years ago in Annandale, a suburb of
Sydney, by Charles Winkworth, Sr., who seven
years ago turned the business over to two sons,
Leslie and H. C. Winkworth, who have con-
tinued to carry out the principles on which the
business was built up, namely, service and sales-
manship. The company handles a number of
American lines of pianos and player-pianos, in-
cluding the Bush & Lane, Francis Bacon,
Schaefer, as well as Victor talking machines
and records, Columbia phonographs and records,
and Q R S music rolls.
"We maintain a sales organization the same
as the dealers in this country, to go out after
business," said Mr. Winkworth. "Our men use
cars to good advantage and in the suburbs and
country we use the truck. In addition to can-
vassing and newspaper advertising, making use
of the coupon, we give recitals and ask our
friends and clients to bring along their friends
in order to build up an active prospect list.
"The Australians are very fond of music and
are intent on raising the standard of orchestral
and instrumental music. This work is now be-
ing carried on by the State Conservatory of
Sydney. One of the movements which has
greatly stimulated music has been the musical
festivals that are held where the school children
compete in playing pianos and other musical
instruments.
"We do a large player-piano business and
over 50 per cent of the player-pianos that we
sell are made in the United States. The price
is right, the action is responsive and easy to
control, and these two factors are among the
ones that people look for. While the interest
charges vary, some of the dealers requiring the
regular 6 per cent or more, we have a 5 per
cent carrying charge on the total amount. We
ask 10 per cent of the cost for down payment
if the instrument is sold on the instalment plan,
with the balance to run over a period of three
years. In order to induce the customer to pay
cash we give a discount, but the people there
have been educated recently along the instal-
ment-payment plan and we find that even the
business people, who can afford to pay cash,
take advantage of buying the instrument on
the time basis.
"Radio broadcasting has gained popularity in
Australia and, of course, while news talks and
various programs are broadcast, music is one
of the principal features of the program. The
broadcasting of music has been a great help in
stimulating a large demand for records and
player rolls and has increased the sales of both
since broadcasting became popular.
"Living conditions art very good in Australia
and a high standard is maintained among the
working classes with a large percentage of the
laborers owning their own homes. The popu-
lation, which is 96 per cent Anglo-Saxon and 4
per cent Italian and Slavic, is centered to a
great extent in the large cities. For instance,
Sydney has a population of 1,250,000. While
the imports exceed the exports, the former
amounting to £34,000,000 and the exports
£7,000,000, we expect to equalize these figures
and are looking to the establishment of second-
ary industries.
"At the present time large woolen mills are
being built by the British manufacturers, as
well as the establishment of factories for other
industries. In this connection the Q R S Music
Superintendents' Club to
Attend Technicians' Meeting
A. K. Gutsohn Invites Members of That Organ-
ization to Participate in Technical Conferences
During Convention Week
Invitations have been sent out in the form of
a letter to members of the Superintendents'
Club of the New York Piano Manufacturers'
Association by A. K. Gutsohn, president of the
National Association of Piano Technicians, re-
questing their presence at the dinner and meet-
ing of the technicians' body on Monday, June 7.
The dinner will be given in the Breakfast Room
of the Hotel Commodore at 6.30 p. m.; tickets
for same will be issued at $2.50 per person, and
may be reserved by writing or telephoning to
A.. K. Gutsohn, Standard Pneumatic Action Co.,
Fifty-second street and Twelfth avenue.
Following the dinner, the meeting will be
given over to speakers, who will read papers on
prepared topics, such as the following: Piano
Action Regulation; Proper Balancing of Keys;
Wrest-Plank Construction; Pre-drying of Ve-
neer and Lumber for Gluing and Subsequent
Drying of Glued Stock; Use of Casein Glue in
Piano Building; Possible Standardization of the
Bridge Pin; Lumber Utilization as It Affects
the Piano Industry.
In the same letter the New York superintend-
ents are informed that a meeting of the Super-
intendents' Club will be called by President C.
Miller during the week of June 14. Further
notices will be sent out by E. M. Reulbach,
secretary of the club, in a few days.
New York Shopping
Decentralization Trend
(Continued from page 3)'
machines, 20, records, and 5, sheet music; 12
tobacco stores handling talking machines, 25,
records, and 17, sheet music; 3 toy stores han-
dling records; and 2 paint stores handling talk-
ing machines, 2, records and 2 sheet music.
Not Lacking in Retail Outlets
It can be seen from these figures that New
York is not lacking in retail outlets for musical
merchandise of every type. It can also be seen
that the specialty type of store dominates the
field. These figures include only the city itself
and do not take in the entire Metropolitan dis-
trict, which is usually considered all territory
within a radius of fifty miles of the greater city
itself.
No Wasted Market
New York has sometimes been called a
wasted market so far as pianos are concerned.
But if ever this were true, that statement no
longer holds good. The 6,000,000 people gath-
ered within its boundaries constitute one of the
best markets in the country, despite the large
Co. has also recently established a branch fac-
tory in Sydney, which has been of great assist-
ance to us in enabling our roll department to
give better service as we can now get the rolls,
especially the late numbers, very quickly. The
Columbia Gramophone people also have a
branch.
"While we provide one-seventh of the world's
supply of wool, which is one of our main in-
dustries, we have extensive mining operations
and other industries. Progress is also being
made in promoting irrigation and water con-
servation."
Mr. Winkworth has been visiting the piano
factories and music dealers in Chicago and the
mid-West and is now leaving to go to New York
to attend the annual convention of the music
industries. After meeting members of the trade
who have come to the convention, Mr. Wink-
worth will leave for San Francisco and visit the
trade in that section and from there will go to
Canada and perhaps to Europe before he re-
turns home.
foreign population. For foreign population is
always a good market for musical instruments,
as many a New York music dealer can tell. It
is only necessary to visit the music stores along
Grand street, a shopping center on the lower
East Side, and interview the merchants doitiji
business in that locality which is considered one
of the poorest in the Greater City, to see how
intense is the musical activity in these colonies
and the comparatively large per capita expen-
diture there must be for musical instruments.
In many lines of retail merchandising foreign
population is considered a detriment more than
anything else, but this does not hold true with
musical instruments.
PrattRead
Products
KEYS
ACTIONS
PLAYERS
FOR
Grand and Upright
Pianos
Hotel Commodore
Rooms 1239-1241,
during the
Convention
JUNE 5, 1926
The Music Trade Review
American Player-Pianos Total More
Than 50 Per Cent of Australian Sales
Leslie H. Winkworth, of C. Winkworth & Son, Ltd., Sydney, Australia, States These Instru-
ments Meet the Requirements of the Market—Selling Methods in the Antipodes
/ C H I C A G O , ILL., May 29.—With a high
^ standard of living conditions, rapidly grow-
ing industries, increasing population and the
natural love for music that the Australian has,
Leslie H. Winkworth, a native son of Aus-
tralia, and director of C. Winkworth & Son,
Ltd., Sydney, emphasized the increasing field
for music, particularly the player-piano, in his
country in commenting on general and trade
conditions in Australia to a representative of
The Review.
While Mr. Winkworth, who is on a buying
trip to the United States and who came to at-
tend the national convention of the music in-
dustries, pointed out the developments which
show general expansion and growth in his coun-
try and are important factors in increasing gen-
eral business including the music industry, he
emphasized that competition is keen there just
as it is here and in order to get a good share oi
the business organized effort is necessary.
C. Winkworth & Sons, Ltd., was established
thirty years ago in Annandale, a suburb of
Sydney, by Charles Winkworth, Sr., who seven
years ago turned the business over to two sons,
Leslie and H. C. Winkworth, who have con-
tinued to carry out the principles on which the
business was built up, namely, service and sales-
manship. The company handles a number of
American lines of pianos and player-pianos, in-
cluding the Bush & Lane, Francis Bacon,
Schaefer, as well as Victor talking machines
and records, Columbia phonographs and records,
and Q R S music rolls.
"We maintain a sales organization the same
as the dealers in this country, to go out after
business," said Mr. Winkworth. "Our men use
cars to good advantage and in the suburbs and
country we use the truck. In addition to can-
vassing and newspaper advertising, making use
of the coupon, we give recitals and ask our
friends and clients to bring along their friends
in order to build up an active prospect list.
"The Australians are very fond of music and
are intent on raising the standard of orchestral
and instrumental music. This work is now be-
ing carried on by the State Conservatory of
Sydney. One of the movements which has
greatly stimulated music has been the musical
festivals that are held where the school children
compete in playing pianos and other musical
instruments.
"We do a large player-piano business and
over 50 per cent of the player-pianos that we
sell are made in the United States. The price
is right, the action is responsive and easy to
control, and these two factors are among the
ones that people look for. While the interest
charges vary, some of the dealers requiring the
regular 6 per cent or more, we have a 5 per
cent carrying charge on the total amount. We
ask 10 per cent of the cost for down payment
if the instrument is sold on the instalment plan,
with the balance to run over a period of three
years. In order to induce the customer to pay
cash we give a discount, but the people there
have been educated recently along the instal-
ment-payment plan and we find that even the
business people, who can afford to pay cash,
take advantage of buying the instrument on
the time basis.
"Radio broadcasting has gained popularity in
Australia and, of course, while news talks and
various programs are broadcast, music is one
of the principal features of the program. The
broadcasting of music has been a great help in
stimulating a large demand for records and
player rolls and has increased the sales of both
since broadcasting became popular.
"Living conditions art very good in Australia
and a high standard is maintained among the
working classes with a large percentage of the
laborers owning their own homes. The popu-
lation, which is 96 per cent Anglo-Saxon and 4
per cent Italian and Slavic, is centered to a
great extent in the large cities. For instance,
Sydney has a population of 1,250,000. While
the imports exceed the exports, the former
amounting to £34,000,000 and the exports
£7,000,000, we expect to equalize these figures
and are looking to the establishment of second-
ary industries.
"At the present time large woolen mills are
being built by the British manufacturers, as
well as the establishment of factories for other
industries. In this connection the Q R S Music
Superintendents' Club to
Attend Technicians' Meeting
A. K. Gutsohn Invites Members of That Organ-
ization to Participate in Technical Conferences
During Convention Week
Invitations have been sent out in the form of
a letter to members of the Superintendents'
Club of the New York Piano Manufacturers'
Association by A. K. Gutsohn, president of the
National Association of Piano Technicians, re-
questing their presence at the dinner and meet-
ing of the technicians' body on Monday, June 7.
The dinner will be given in the Breakfast Room
of the Hotel Commodore at 6.30 p. m.; tickets
for same will be issued at $2.50 per person, and
may be reserved by writing or telephoning to
A.. K. Gutsohn, Standard Pneumatic Action Co.,
Fifty-second street and Twelfth avenue.
Following the dinner, the meeting will be
given over to speakers, who will read papers on
prepared topics, such as the following: Piano
Action Regulation; Proper Balancing of Keys;
Wrest-Plank Construction; Pre-drying of Ve-
neer and Lumber for Gluing and Subsequent
Drying of Glued Stock; Use of Casein Glue in
Piano Building; Possible Standardization of the
Bridge Pin; Lumber Utilization as It Affects
the Piano Industry.
In the same letter the New York superintend-
ents are informed that a meeting of the Super-
intendents' Club will be called by President C.
Miller during the week of June 14. Further
notices will be sent out by E. M. Reulbach,
secretary of the club, in a few days.
New York Shopping
Decentralization Trend
(Continued from page 3)'
machines, 20, records, and 5, sheet music; 12
tobacco stores handling talking machines, 25,
records, and 17, sheet music; 3 toy stores han-
dling records; and 2 paint stores handling talk-
ing machines, 2, records and 2 sheet music.
Not Lacking in Retail Outlets
It can be seen from these figures that New
York is not lacking in retail outlets for musical
merchandise of every type. It can also be seen
that the specialty type of store dominates the
field. These figures include only the city itself
and do not take in the entire Metropolitan dis-
trict, which is usually considered all territory
within a radius of fifty miles of the greater city
itself.
No Wasted Market
New York has sometimes been called a
wasted market so far as pianos are concerned.
But if ever this were true, that statement no
longer holds good. The 6,000,000 people gath-
ered within its boundaries constitute one of the
best markets in the country, despite the large
Co. has also recently established a branch fac-
tory in Sydney, which has been of great assist-
ance to us in enabling our roll department to
give better service as we can now get the rolls,
especially the late numbers, very quickly. The
Columbia Gramophone people also have a
branch.
"While we provide one-seventh of the world's
supply of wool, which is one of our main in-
dustries, we have extensive mining operations
and other industries. Progress is also being
made in promoting irrigation and water con-
servation."
Mr. Winkworth has been visiting the piano
factories and music dealers in Chicago and the
mid-West and is now leaving to go to New York
to attend the annual convention of the music
industries. After meeting members of the trade
who have come to the convention, Mr. Wink-
worth will leave for San Francisco and visit the
trade in that section and from there will go to
Canada and perhaps to Europe before he re-
turns home.
foreign population. For foreign population is
always a good market for musical instruments,
as many a New York music dealer can tell. It
is only necessary to visit the music stores along
Grand street, a shopping center on the lower
East Side, and interview the merchants doitiji
business in that locality which is considered one
of the poorest in the Greater City, to see how
intense is the musical activity in these colonies
and the comparatively large per capita expen-
diture there must be for musical instruments.
In many lines of retail merchandising foreign
population is considered a detriment more than
anything else, but this does not hold true with
musical instruments.
PrattRead
Products
KEYS
ACTIONS
PLAYERS
FOR
Grand and Upright
Pianos
Hotel Commodore
Rooms 1239-1241,
during the
Convention
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).