Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
Toledo Music Merchants See Piano
Teaching as Basis of Increased Demand
Believe Such Selling Methods Most Direct Means of Increasing Volume—Effective Ampico in
the Chickering Window Display at the J. W. Greene Co. Store
-TOLEDO, O., August 10.—Piano merchants
*• here are of the belief that in order to obtain
the fullest results in piano selling the dealer
should go back to the straight piano and piano
lessons. The instrument should be sold with
the idea of giving some one in the family a
musical education, that it is the most elevating
and cultural influence that can come into the
home, that study of the piano makes a child's
mind more subtle, alert and also a quicker
thinker and that it co-ordinates and develops
all of the faculties as well as rhythm and touch.
At the J. W. Greene Co. store an oil paint-
ing showing the Ampico artists Rachmaninoff,
Mengelberg and Levitzky listening to the Am-
pico is used effectively in connection with the
Chickering Ampico as a window exhibit. Am-
pico rolls and the new Chinese red and green
roll cabinets are also a part of the display. Miss
Helen Baumgardner stated the window has
stimulated the sale of rolls of the better type.
The Brambach baby grand is stressed by this
store as the ideal small piano for apartment
dwellers.
The most successful piano salesman, said W.
W. Smith, president of the Greene Co., in dis-
cussing types of men, is not always the go-
getter. The type of man who does more head
work than foot work often builds confidence of
the enduring quality. This man frequently has
many people working for him. That is—satis-
fied customers telephone him when they or their
friends are in the market for a piano or other
musical instrument. Hence he is usually suc-
cessful without over-exerting himself.
E. A. Kopf, manager talking machine and
radio department, is on an extended motor trip.
Robt. C. Elwell, manager of the Lagrange street
branch, is motoring in the Adirondacks with his
family. Lucille Connell and Mary Schneider are
motoring to Niagara Falls. Carl Landgraf and
Mrs. Landgraf have returned from a motor trip
to Montreal and Quebec. He is vice-president of
the Greene Co. Miss Ethel Kyle, secretary, is
motoring to New York.
At Grinnell Bros, the fact that many people
buy for sentimental reasons is capitalized. The
Weber grand piano is the instrument exploited
on account of its old associations and time-
honored quality. Distinctive adaptations from
Italian, Chippendale, Sheraton and Louis XVI
motifs are emphasized in the drive. Henry C.
Stucke, manager, is vacationing in northern
New York.
At the Cable Piano Co. A. F. Maag is in
charge of the store, succeeding Leon C. Steele,
resigned. An early Fall drive will be launched
shortly on Mason & Hamlin pianos. The Vic-
tor combinations and the Panatrope models will
also be featured. The Autumn outlook is de-
cidedly bright, Mr. Maag believes.
At the. Frazelle Music House trade for the
month of July was noticeably better than dur-
ing June and Frank H. Frazelle, president,
stated that sales were several pianos and play-
ers ahead of the preceding thirty days, which,
considering the torrid weather, is most grati-
fying.
The Polish, Hungarian, German and other
buyers of foreign birth or extraction are in the
market for pianos and are satisfying the desire
for piano ownership. The Frazelle house has a
force of salespeople who speak several lan-
guages and is therefore in a position to cater
to the wants of people from across the sea.
There is no better way to secure the patronage
of these people than to be able to converse in
their tongue. It inspires confidence, which is
the beginning of any successful transaction.
Whitney & Co., Kimball and Seeburg dealers
report a fine season for automatic pianos and
the new Seeburg piano has been placed in many
amusement places this season. In addition to
p.anos the house carries small goods, music rolls
and teaching materials. The latter l.ne finds a
ready sale because the store is located in a
building in which a number of music teachers
have studios. Miss Dorothy Mayer is a new
member of the staff.
At the Goosman Piano Co. piano deals
since the middle of July have been more numer-
ous than at any time this Summer. Milton,
Cable Nelson, Starr and lvers & Pond lines
have been featured recently in att. active window
d.splays. The house has not re. orted to circus
methods to attract interest, but has stressed the
importance of quality, name and performance
as cardinal marks of a high-grade piano.
One of the outstanding sales of which the
house is justly proud is the sixth piano to the
Scheffert family. Father, four sons and a
daughter have purchased pianos from Patrick
Carroll, senior salesman of the Goosman force.
Fred. Goosman is decidedly optimistic about the
Fall piano outlook. He is chairman of the
Carrying Charge Committee of the Ohio Music
Merchants' Association. The schedule adopted
by the committee and recommended to dealers
will shortly be made public.
The Whitney-Blaine-Wildermuth Co. is trim-
ming its sails and making ready to occupy its
new building, the contract for which was let this
week. The house now occupies upstairs quar-
ters, but in the new structure it will have a first-
floor store as well as display rooms above. It
will have nearly double the present floor space,
according to David Blaine, president.
AUGUST 14, 1926
whether her family has a piano or not," stated
Hugh M. Holmes, vice-president and sales
manager of Bradford's. "Our object in holding
the courses is to stimulate interest in piano
playing. We feel that there is a great need of
creating greater interest in the piano from an
individual standpoint, and the child presents the
most logical point of contact for this work. If
a child becomes interested in playing, the
parents will probably purchase a piano if they
haven't one. That child is going to remember
these first lessons, and later on in life, he or
she will probably continue with the work. This
means additional piano purchases when the
child grows up and has his or her own home."
Herbert Senner, connected with Edmund
Gram, Inc., for the past two years, has joined
the sales force of the J. B. Bradford Piano Co.
at the south side store.
Oscar W. Ray, manager of the MeJ-O-Dee
Music Co., spent several days in Milwaukee
where he called at the Bradford store. Another
recent visitor was George Schlosser, of the
Cable Company of Chicago.
W. E. Tuell, retail manager of the Baldwin
Co., Louisville, Ky., was in Milwaukee for a
week as the guest of Mr. Holmes.
Vacation time has been taking many Mil-
waukee music store managers away from the
city for a brief rest before starting in with Fall
business. Henry M. Steussy, of tht Kesselman-
O'Drisooll Co., is spending several weeks at
Lake Kegonsa, near Madison. In addition to
a good rest, Mr. Steussy also plans on a num-
ber of rounds of golf at the Black Hawk country
club.
Leslie C. Parker, manager of the Mason &
Hamlin Studios, is spending about ten days in
northern Wisconsin, in the Land o' Lakes dis-
trict.
William F. Armstrong, manager of the music
department at the Boston Store, spent the early
part of August in Minneapolis and his home,
which is near that city.
July Business Shows Up
Very Well in Milwaukee Cincinnati Stirred by
Lopez and His Orchestra
Sales Much Better Than For Corresponding
Month Last Year—New Talking Machine
Stimulates Activity in That Division
MILWAUKEE, WIS., August 10.—Business during
the month of July exceeded that of last July by
a very satisfactory amount according to reports
from several Milwaukee music houses, and, if
August keeps up in proportion, local stores will
be in a very fine position for starting the Fall
season. There has been a fairly good demand
for pianos which is doing much to hold up
Summer trade. The opening demand for new
Brunswick and Victor phonographs has also at-
tained a very substantial volume in stores that
are pushing these lines. An improvement in
the record business has resulted from the re-
newed activity in talking machines.
R. E. Lindquist, of the Ampico Corp., was a
recent visitor at the Kesselman-O'Driscoll
store.
"The month of July was very satisfactory,"
stated Hugh W. Randall, president and general
manager of the J. B. Bradford Piano Co., rep-
resentatives of the Aeolian Co., Sohmer & Co.,
the Cable Company and the Brambach. "I be-
lieve that the volume of business was ahead of
any other July I can remember."
Bradford's have been attracting much atten-
tion to their South Side branch by giving piano
lessons free in the Miessner Melody Way. Start-
ing with only one class meeting twice a week,
the enrollment has been so large that three
classes have been organized, each meeting twice
a week. Between fifty and sixty children are
enrolled for the Summer, the course coming to
an end about the middle of this month. The
course closes with a recital in which a large
number of these children are expected to take
part.
"We are making no charge for the lessons,
and a child receives just as much instruction
Local Brunswick Branch and Dealers Tie Up
Effectively With Local Appearance of Noted
Recording Orchestra
CINCINNATI, O., August 9.—The local branch of
the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., together
with Brunswick dealers in this territory, have
had a busy time of it lately tying up with prom-
inent recording orchestras that have visited the
city. Hardly had the local trade settled down
after an effective tie-up with Ray Miller and
His Orchestra when announcement was re-
ceived of the approaching visit of Vincent Lopez
and His Casa Lopez Orchestra to fill an en-
gagement at the Castle Farm, the popular night
club on the outskirts of the city.
E. A. Wegert, record promotion manager of
the local branch, immediately arranged to have
officials of the Junior Chamber of Commerce
act as a reception committee to welcome Lopez
and His Band. The orchestra leader led a
parade of eight automobiles to the City Hall,
where he was welcomed by Mayor Seasongood,
who presented him with the keys of the city of
Cincinnati.
The Lopez engagement at the Castle Farm
was most successful and the place was filled to
capacity throughout the period, many being
turned awav.
A. D. Geissler Resigns
Announcement was made recently of the
resignation of Arthur D. Geissler as president
of the New York Talking Machine Co. and the
Chicago Talking Machine Co., Victor talking
machine wholesalers. No successor to Mr.
Geissler as president has been announced and
no statement made as to the future plans of
Mr. Geissler himself.