Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
Better Business Bureau of St. Louis
Continues Drive Against "Bait" Ads
Records of Local Piano Companies, It Advertises, Show That Average Purchase Prices of New
Player-pianos Run About $500 Per Unit—E. Lindquist a Visitor
CT. LOUIS, MO., December 13.—The business makes as the Steinway, Weber, Steck and
drive of St. Louis music dealers last week Kurtzmann.
;was marked by striking advertising, the most
The Better Business Bureau of St. Louis last
! conspicuous of which probably was that of week published another advertisement denounc-
.Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney. This large de- ing the methods of some piano dealers, and
partment store used an entire page last Tuesday especially warning buyers to beware of certain
'for its music department, the advertisement circular advertising. "We believe," said the
'featuring three makes of radios, the Ampico in warning in part, "the records of local piano com-
panies will show that an average buyer of a new
f the Chickering and the Marshall & Wendell
!makes, seven makes of grand pianos, five makes player-piano pays $500 or more. We believe
i of uprights and five of players. The advertise- that the piano merchant who is frank will tell
ment also featured Victrolas and Brunswicks in you that it would be difficult to stay in business
numerous models.
and sell pianos at the ridiculously low prices
The Aeolian Co. of Missouri gave special sometimes quoted by a few dealers. We believe
attention in its advertising to the small Vose that a search of the books of piano firms would
grands, mentioning also such other well-known show that few, if any, customers ever succeed
DECEMBER 18, 1926
in buying new player-pianos at $295 and similar
prices, and new grand pianos at advertised
prices around $385. . . . The practice is to show
the piano at the advertised price and then raise
you to the piano they really expected to sell
when the advertisement was written. Some are
more refined in their method than others. Some
permit you to buy the piano and sign the. con-
tract and then 'work' on your pride, discover
that the instrument is defective or use some
other tactics to secure the desired results. . . .
We do not believe"—and investigation has borne
us out in this—"that the merchant advertising
new player-pianos at $295 and other unbeliev-
ably low prices will gracefully sell at these
prices. This office has plenty of evidence of
frauds committed by certain advertisers in sell-
ing to respondents of 'bait' advertising .
The majority of local piano merchants are in-
terested in your welfare and gladly second our
stand in this matter."
E. Lindquist, of the Ampico recording library
department of the American Piano Co., was in
St. Louis last week.
Serge Halman, of the Aeolian Co., New York,
visited the St. Louis house.
Mrs. E. A. Kieselhorst, whose husband is
head of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., is in a sani-
tarium at Battle, Creek, Mich.
Year-end Luncheon to Be
Held on December 29
George G. Foster and Col. Theodore Roosevelt
to Be the Guests—B. H. Janssen, A. Dal-
rymple and Albert Behning in Charge of
Events
The annual year-end luncheon party of the
New York piano trade will be held at the Hotel
McAlpin on Wednesday, December 29, at 12.30
p. m., with George G. Foster, president of the
American Piano Co., and Col. Theodore Roose-
velt as the guests. The committee, as usual,
consists of B. H. Janssen, A. Dalrymple and
Albert Behning. The charge will be $3 per
plate and those desiring to attend should send
acceptances and checks to A. Dalrymple at 451
West Forty-second street, New York.
With the Advent of 1927 the M. Schulz Co.
Announces
The Schulz
Colony Grand Piano
in the symmetry of its design, new in its varied
finishes, new in the superiority of its fittings, this
small grand piano retains those qualities of musical
wealth and conscientious workmanship that have long dis-
tinguished Schulz pianos.
The length of the Colony Grand Piano is five feet. The
case is veneered in either Mahogany or Walnut, both be-
ing selected from extraordinarily fine logs, and both of
exceptional beauty. The optional finishes include the
popular lacquer with antique high lighting.
ML SCHULZ CO.
Manufacturers since 1869
CHICAGO
Ampico Club Proves
Active Selling Factor
(Continued from page 3)
The Ampico Club has gone far to solve the
problem of reaching these foreign-born adults
through the medium of the children, who not
only come regularly to the club meetings, but
in many cases bring their parents with them
after having aroused the interest of the latter
in what the music company is doing to pro-
mote a better understanding of music and
musical instruments. The discussions and ex-
planations being confined to simple terms with
a view to appealing to the children, by the same
token appeal to the foreign-born adults, whose
understanding of the English language is fre-
quently limited.
A surprisingly large number of the children
who have attended the club meetings come in
later with their parents and act as interpreters
in closing deals for musical instruments. In-
cidentally, being friendly with the music house,
these children naturally bring their influence to
bear to persuade the parents to buy and in
many cases actually force the closing of the
sale.
Schulz Attractive
Brochure Wins Favor
The M, Schulz Co., Chicago, which recently
issued a very handsome brochure of grands and
reproducing grands for its dealers, reports that
the trade has commended the little booklet
which has been helpful as a sales aid.
All Schulz dealers received copies of the
brochure for distribution.