Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Musical Merchandise
Published by The Music Trade Review, 383 Madison Avenue, New York
E-D-I-T-O-R-I-A-L
There s Life in the Old Uke Yet
T
HE ukulele (and banjo ukulele) is far from a dead issue!
Let's admit that the trade has been in the throes of a serious
slump in ukulele sales. Hardly a sufficient reason for throwing up
of hands and crying out that the ukulele is dead—or "has been
killed."
It seems to be simply the old business cycle of supply and de-
mand at work. Back in the fall of 1925 the jobbers and dealers be-
gan to clamor for ukes. They could not get enough to supply their
trade. The manufacturers busied themselves with production, and
manufacturers from other fields heard of the craze. Lured by talk
of easy money they jumped into the field. Soon we had all the
ukuleles we needed.
Sales resistance increased in 1926 and was met by price drops,
in many cases sacrificial, but production kept up. Finally the
eventual market glut came and with it temporary public satiety for
the uke.
This present set-back of the ukulele cannot mean a permanent
halt in the tremendous popularity of the instrument. The public
loves it as a stepping-stone to a musical education. It is marvelously
easy to play and its chords are pleasing. The public must have an
instrument that tills these needs. What else is there to take its
place ?
There's your answer to the question of the ukulele's future.
The wise manufacturer is using this period for the development
of ideas and new styles in ukuleles. He's the one who will get the
business that will start as soon as the robins begin to chirp.
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Give Some Thought to the Jobber
W
HAT is the place of the jobber in the modern system of mer-
chandising musical instruments? This question has come up
for informal discussion during the past few years.
We see dealers buying from mail-order houses, manufacturers
selling direct to the trade and dealers importing merchandise direct
from foreign countries—three practices tending toward the elimina-
tion of the jobber.
On the other hand, it is a fact that the business done by the
leading musical merchandise wholesalers last year was just about
as big as ever.
The jobber who recognizes his true function, which lies in the
rendering of service to the trade, and who performs a full measure
of this service will continue to be successful. It is only when he
falls down in delivering this service that he invites those practices
that contribute to his elimination.
Not all jobbers appreciate that their service is rendered, not
alone to the dealer, but to the manufacturer as well. The jobber
who demands the right of buying in dealer quantities at wholesale
prices is asking the manufacturer to perform the jobber's func-
tion. Obviously he is inviting the manufacturer to eliminate him
from the channel of distribution by going direct to the dealer with
his product.
Service to the retailer does not end with prompt shipments at
fair prices. Some jobbers give maximum service in this respect
and then go on to antagonize their dealer customer by vying for
his customer's business through their own retail outlets and by
direct selling to consumer.
The jobber's position is as secure to-day as it ever was, pro-
vided he goes to the dealer and manufacturer on a basis of full
and complete service.
ME
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Selling Music to the Public
OMETHING for nothing is always welcome, but the surprising
thing about it is that it usually has to be sold.
The manufacturers of musical instruments and accessories are
offering the dealer splendid co-operation in the campaign to sell
musical instrument playing to the public. The association supplies
a series of effective advertising mats free to dealers for use in local
advertising. These mats are admittedly a big help to the dealers
in selling Music to the public in competition with the many other
products for which people are asked to spend money to-day.
Already nearly two hundred dealers have availed themselves
of this help of the association. These two hundred dealers are
probably those who least needed the help, for their enterprise in
getting the mats indicates that they are the type who would be
hustling for business anyway.
The real problem is to get the less active dealers to use the
service. When these dormant thousands are enlisted in the cam-
paign the national habit of playing musical instruments will be oh
its way to a reality.
Books for the Dealer's Library
" C ' J H O O L ORCHESTRAS—How They May Be Developed," is
**-* the title of a book of vital importance to the music dealer, an-
nounced by the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music, 45
West Forty-fifth street, New York. The book is by J. E. Maddy,
well-known music supervisor, and is a companion piece to his highly
successful book, "School Bands—How They May Be Developed."
This booklet, which.is free to music dealers, is the answer to the
music dealer's question: "How can I organize an orchestra in the
school ?" It tells the whole story in minute detail. How to de-
velop interest in school music in the school orchestra. How to
handle the details of the preliminary work, meetings, etc. How to
teach the fundamental principles to the orchestra. The proper in-
strumentation.
It contains much material which is excellent subject matter for
speeches before school boards, Rotary clubs and other organizations
in arousing public interest. It not only tells how to fan enthusiasm
into the flame that starts the orchestra on its way, but it shows how
to go about the actual work of organizing the orchestra.
Every dealer should have a copy. He no longer has an excuse
for not knowing how to hop aboard the school orchestra movement.
Incidentally, the bureau has a number of other good books and
pamphlets of value to dealers, such as, "State and National Band
Contests, 1927," "Instruments of the Orchestra," "A Special That
Raised $2,000 for the Band," "The Music Memory Contest," etc.
Write to the bureau and get these books.