Music Trade Review

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DECEMBER 18, 1926
The Music Trade Review
Grand Featured as Christmas Gift Par
Excellence by the Toledo Music Dealers
Local Piano Merchants Obtaining Good Results by Heavy Advertising—Radio Show Is Big Suc-
cess—Arthur McPhillips Now Manager of Goosman Radio Department
O., December 13.—A more than
T OLEDO,
average number of homes here will have
new grand pianos on Christmas day if the
several suggestions offered by music merchants
are followed. "Make This a Musical Christ-
mas," "The Christmas Gift Supreme," "The
Gift That Keeps On Giving," "The Gift of
Gifts," "The Christmas You Will Never Forget,"
"Buy Her a Piano for Christmas," "Nothing
So Adequately Expresses the Love and Affec-
tion You Cherish for Another"—these are a
few of the enticing appeals which should almost
make a man ashamed to admit he does not
possess a piano. The grand is the instrument
most music stores are featuring.
Moreover, the Toledo Radio Show, which
closed on Saturday, was such an emphatic suc-
cess that a larger, more elaborate exhibition
is already planned for next year. The exposi-
tion was devoted entirely to radio. National
broadcasting stars provided the entertainment.
Thirty-six music stores and radio dealers had
booths at the show and practically every well-
known radio set was on exhibition. G. B.
Bodenhoff directed the exposition.
The Christmas buying season was inaugurated
here earlier than usual this year by merchants
working in conjunction with newspapers in a
Kriss Kringle and his reindeer parade, in which
several hundred school children in costume
marched- The idea is proving its worth as a
merchandising venture.
On December 6 several million dollars in
Christmas checks were paid to savers. A large
part of the money is being used to buy gifts,
not a few of which were pianos, radio and
phonographs. In fact, several weeks ago cus-
tomers began inquiring about musical merchan-
dise for delivery when the Christmas checks
became due. Seventy thousand savers shared
in the distribution here.
Grinnell Bros, are directing efforts towards
doing a large baby grand business before
Christmas. The enterprise is featuring what it
calls "Our Honor Roll of Famous Pianos," in-
cluded in which are Steinway, Krakauer,
Sohmer, Ludwig, Stcck, Kurtzmann, Premier,
Weber and also Stroud and Aeolian with the
Duo-Art.
Window and interior decorations give the
store a festive Yuletide appearance which is
decidedly pleasing to the eye. The store will
take an active part in promoting piano sales,
working along the lines advocated by the na-
tional promotion committee.
The J. W. Greene Co., in connection with
its Vose grand publicity, is using this sugges-
tion: "Teach the Children to Love Music and
They Will Love Their Home." The Chickering,
Marshall & Wendell, Vose, Estey and Bram-
bach pianos are the subjects of individual sales
drives. The new high-colored pianos and roll
cabinets are getting the attention of persons
who take pride in having home furnishings up
to the second and who naturally are fond of
new developments and ideas. Incidentally,
these lacquered instruments mark the greatest
improvement in piano appearance in a genera-
tion. W. W. Smith, president, looks for a
holiday trade of goodly proportions.
At the Frazelle Piano Co., according to
Frank H. Frazelle, president, business is com-
ing in spurts. Volume, however, is averaging
fairly well. But the call for pianos in middle
December should be brisk. The Gulbransen
piano, on account of the national publicity
which is making the line better known to the
buyer, is a consistent seller here. Billboards,
in addition to the newspapers, are employed
locally. The Hardman, Apollo and Kranich &
Bach lines are also carried. Q R S, Vocalstyle
and De Luxe music rolls are suggested to
patrons as excellent Christmas gifts.
The Goosman Piano Co. is conducting a drive
on players and grands with the object of clos-
ing deals which would ordinarily be put off
until Spring. The music roll stock has been
rearranged, according to type of music, as folk
songs, dinner music, Hawaiian, popular and the
like. The change facilitates service, F. N.
Goosman stated. The radio section is now in
Change in Control Will
Not Affect Victor Co.
E. E. Shumaker, Vice-president of Victor Talk-
ing Machine Co., in Letter to Trade Promises
a Future of Progress
In view of the interest aroused by the. trans-
fer of the control of the Victor Talking Machine
Co., last week, from E. R. Johnson, president of
the company, to the banking firms of Speyer &
Co. and J. & W. Seligman, and the speculation
that has been aroused regarding the plans of the
new controlling interests, E. E. Shumaker, vice-
president of the Victor Co., on Saturday last
sent the following letter to the trade:
"Some requests which we have received for
further information in reference to the proposed
change in the control of the company have
indicated a certain unexpected anxiety as to
the possible effect which this change might
have on the future of the business.
"Since there are some who feel this way,
there may be others, and it therefore seems
desirable to issue the following statement to
the entire trade, in order to allay any possible
misgivings.
"In the first place it may be well to repeat
that Mr. Johnson has given an option on his
holdings simply because he is ill and wants to
retire. He wants to be relieved of the tre-
mendous burden of. this business.
"It is our purpose to carry on in every way
just as we have in the past, and if there is
any change it will be for the better. Our busi-
ness for 1926 is simply marvelous and prospects
for next year look equally good. To us here
it seems impossible that anyone could imagine,
in view of this, that the new majority owners
would even contemplate doing anything which
would in any way prejudice our future. I per-
sonally believe that it was, under the circum-
stances, the best thing which could have
happened for the future of the business.
"The only harm which could possibly result
from the change would be if the dealers them-
selves lost interest. Continue pushing and
selling our product! We will continue to supply
it, and surely we will try with all our might
not only to maintain our reputation but to
improve the quality and performance of our
p oducts.
"The prospective purchasers are the people
who put Pierce-Arrow back on its feet. They
do not hamper industries. They build and
strengthen them, where necessary. They are
purchasing the control of this company for
their own account."
New Piano Store Is
Opened in Akron, O.
W. H. Stowe Piano Co. Has Taken Over the
Piano Department of the George S. Dales Co.
and Will Handle Same Lines
O., December 13.—A new piano store
has been opened at 128 South Main street
AKRON,
charge of Arthur McPhillips, well known here.
Arville V. Schaefer has accepted the position
of manager of the radio and phonograph de-
partments of the J. W. Rowlands Co., Lima,
O. He was for a number of years connected
with the Lion Store Music Rooms, Toledo.
Harry Chamberlin, representing Lyon &
Healy, Chicago, visited local dealers this week.
Robt. Taylor, manager Starr Piano Co., Cleve-
land, was a caller recently. Charles Cunning-
ham, of the American Piano Co.; William
Bolles, representing the Kohler Industries; Mr.
Johnson, of the Brambach Piano Co.; William
Rogers, of the Milton Piano Co.; Herman
Roemer, of Cable & Sons Piano Co., and John
A. Krummie, representing Hardman, Peck &
Co., made the rounds of Toledo dealers within-
the recent past.
known as the W. H. Stowe Piano Co. This con-
cern has taken over the piano department of the
George S. Dales Co., which in the future will be
conducted under the new firm name. Many of
the same make piano lines as have been sold by
the George S. Dales Co. in recent years have
been taken over by the new company.
New Hardman Catalog
Issued to the Trade
Attractive New Volume Illustrates and De-
scribes Thirteen Styles of Hardman Grands
as Well as an Upright Model
The new catalog of Hardman, Peck & Co.,
New York, has just come from the press and is
being mailed this week to the trade. The book-
let contains photographs of thirteen leading
Hardman grand styles and the style L upright.
Nine separate period model grands are now a
regular part of the Hardman line and include
the Style X, Louis XIV; Style V, Louis XV;
Style X, Louis XVI; Style V, William and
Mary; Style V, Jacobean; Style V, Early Eng-
lish; Style V, Two-tone Colonial; Style V,
Queen Anne, and the Style X, Spanish Renais-
sance.
The Hardman catalog contains a foreword
devoted to the subject of selecting a piano and
traces the history of the Hardman piano since
the first Hardman factory was established
eighty-five years ago. Photographs and short
endorsements of celebrated artists who have
used the Hardman have been introduced in the
new catalog in an effective manner by means of
inset cuts of these individuals at the foot of
each page. Altogether it is one of the most
impressive booklets ever released by Hardman,
Peck & Co., and serves to emphasize to both
dealer and prospect the extensiveness of the
line of Hardman grands.
Gilman in New Quarters
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., December 13.—In order to
accommodate its increasing business, new quar-
ters have been planned for the Gilman Music
Store, which has been located for the past ten
years at the corner of Fairfield avenue and
Broad street. The new store is located on
Fairfield avenue, a few doors from the present
establishment, and will be a modern brick and
stone structure with a terra cotta front. The
building will be two stories in height and will
involve an expenditure of about $75,000.
Hadley Co. Chartered
The Hadley Co., located at 1725 Second
avenue, Rock Island, 111., has been chartered
with a capital stock of $60,000. H. W. Barsel, J.
Alroy, Mose Felder and M. H. Rosenthal are
the incorporators.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.