Music Trade Review

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NOVEMBER 26, 1927
Toledo Musical Merchandise Merchants
State Holiday Demand Is Opening Well
October Proved to Be Good Month in Sales and November Gives Indications of Be-
ing Even Better—High Grade Instruments Leading Demand
'-pOLEDO, O., November 19.—The demand
*• for wind and string instruments is gaining
momentum as the holiday season draws nearer.
While Christmas is some days off it is in reality
quite near for the music merchant who expects
to corral a large share of the holiday volume.
Within the next few weeks the season's prize
trade demand will be satisfied. At the present
time customers are demanding high-grade mer-
chandise here—only the best is wanted. Shoddy
or cheap goods will have a hard time this sea-
son if present indications continue.
The year book, published in the interests of
better musical Toledo, has just come from the
press. It is a larger, finer book than its prede-
cessors, with forty-four pages. It contains a
directory of Toledo's leading music teachers,
vocal and instrumental, schools of music, danc-
ing and dramatic art, music clubs, orchestra
organizations and the season's coming musical
events. Among the articles in the issue is one
by W. W. Smith, president of the J. W. Greene
Co., dealing with the topic of the proper time
to start training a child in music. He recom-
mends starting at an early age.
At the J. W. Greene Co., small goods sales
of October are 25 per cent above the same
period last year, according to Sam Santelli,
manager of the department. At no time within
the recent past have orchestra members pur-
chased such high grade instruments. This holds
good of both the amateur and the professional
player. The house is coupling its publicity of
the Conn line to well known users of those in-
struments including Sousa and others. The firm
co-operated in making the United States Navy
band concert here a success recently by men-
tioning the event in store publicity. This plan
will be carried out throughout the Winter with
all concert events. A box office for the sale of
tickets is another feature that brings people
into the store and aids in promoting musical
events for the good of all.
The full Slingerland banjo line is displayed in
an artistic setting of the instruments made up
of Fall foliage and bringing out the value and
the advantages to a player of owning a banjo
that has prestige which naturally will come to
him also. The Heinrich Th. Heberlin, Jr., line
of fine violins has also been added here. Spe-
cial letters, inviting violinists to come to the
store, play the instruments, try them in con-
cert and make the fullest tests are going out.
The line will be given the fullest publicity.
The Union Music Co., in the theatrical dis-
trict on St. Clair street, has sold several old
violins to orchestra leaders accompanying the
road shows which have appeared locally. The
house specializes in the Roth violin and has a
BACON
BANJOS
Played by Leading
Musicians and Orchestras
Sold by Representative
Music Merchants
BACON BANJO CO., Inc.
GROTON, CONN.
27
The Music Trade Review
special department in charge of A. G. Dickens.
He reports an awakening in violin music which
promises to bring much business to the alert
dealer. Buescher band instruments have been
delivered to St. John's college to equip the band
which is being enlarged this year. A sumber
of parochial schools are starting bands which
are being equipped with Buescher instruments,
Geo. Terry, the manager, announced. Other
school business is in prospect which it is be-
lieved will make the Fall season a successful
one. Paramount banjos were recently displayed
in a Halloween window which was most colorful
in its festive dress. Mr. Terry pointed out that
to-day color is playing a most important part in
merchandising.
Paramount banjos will be exploited in a large
way to the professional trade. Ludwig and
Leedy drums likewise will be plugged and a
drum study class is among the early possibili-
ties here, Mr. Terry stated. Lee Evans is a new
member of the sales staff.
Grinnell Bros., are working closely with the
King band instrument Fall sales campaign with
salesmen calling upon school principals who
have not as yet organized school bands. Not
only have various schools in the city laid plans
for forming bands but several schools nearby
are about to start bands or orchestras which of
course means considerable new business. The
current issue of "Melody," the store publication,
stresses King band instruments, Bacon, Para-
mount, Vega, Weymann and Gibson banjos.
The importance of the banjo in the orchestra is
recognized to the extent here that a thirty-
five piece banjo club has been organized and is
being directed by Miss Mitzie Daily. The saxo-
phone was featured as the center attraction of a
colorful Hallowe'en window which attracted
wide attention and drew several young men who
came to inquire about the instrument and the
possibility of learning to play it. Milo Barrett
is the new manager of the small goods depart-
ment.
Milwaukee Dealers Report
Good Pre-Holiday Sales
A. J. Niemiec, of Flanner-Hafsoos Music House,
Reports Band Instruments Moving in Record
Volume
is necessary in making sales, with the proper
amount of effort wonderful results can be ob-
tained. School band instrument business is
good and has been good during the entire fall
season and with instruments established on a
sound basis in the schools of the State things
are very promising. But the interests of in-
dividuals in purchasing band instruments arc
also very big and extremely good for business,
for these persons are interested in getting good
instruments and through their satisfaction in
their work they make good prospects of other
people," Mr. Niemiec concluded.
Good interest is noted in the Easy Play Music
Way promotion plan for band and orchestra in-
struments sponsored by Vesey Walker, manager
of the musical instrument department of the
Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co. Arrangements have
been made for school children to take their les-
sons following the close of school in the after-
noon up to 6 o'clock and working persons take
their lessons in the evening. There are still
some of the classes in the rarer instruments to
be formed, including the harp, accordion, bas-
soon and sousaphone and arrangements are be-
ing made for persons comprising these smaller
classes.
Chicago Manufacturers
Planning Dinner Dance
CHICAGO, I I I . , November 21.—At the monthly
meeting of the Association of Musical Mer-
chandise Manufacturers, held Thursday evening,
November 10, at the Auditorium Hotel, it was
decided that instead of holding a business meet-
ing next month, the members would gather at
a social event to be held at the Medinah Coun-
try Club. This will be held December 3 and
will take the form of a dinner dance, to which
the members and their wives and guests arc
invited. Wm. F. Ludwig, president of Ludwig
& Ludwig, and H. H. Slingerland, president of
the Slingerland Banjo Co., will arrange the
program. The meeting was devoted to dis-
cussion on general business subjects, including
selling and promotional work. There was a
good attendance with fifteen of the twenty
members of the association present.
Julius Kretschmar Dies
BOSTON, MASS., November 21.—Julius Kretsch-
mar died recently at his home in Roslindale
in his eighty-first year. He was born in Saxony
and came to this country at an early age, be-
coming interested in the manufacture of musical
instruments, with which his family had been
long identified in Carlsbad. For fifty years
Mr. Kretschmar was with the old Boston Mu-
sical Instrument Co. on Sudbury street.
MILWAUKEE, November 21.—Band instrument
business in Milwaukee continues to make
records, according to A. J. Niemiec, manager of
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
the band instrument department of the Flanner- The Review.
Hafsoos Music House, Inc., featuring C. G.
Conn band instruments and the Selmer line
"There is a big demand for big merchan-
dise," said Mr. Niemiec. "We find that the large
horns are in demand and that people are buy-
ing instruments for quality. Business so far in
November is ahead of last year, and I expect
this Christmas to be a record-breaking one a«
far as the band instrument business is con-
cerned. The demand is there and while effort
Banjo and Drum Heads
Genuine Rogers "Quality brands"
were given Medal and highest
awards over all others.
Five grades to select from, cheapest
to the very best.
White calf in thin, medium and
heavy.
Joseph Roger*, Jr., A Son
Farmmgdal*. N. J.