Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
REVIEW
(Registered in the U. S. Patent Office)
Published Every Saturday by
Federated Business Publications, Inc.
at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York
President, Raymond Bill; Vice-Presidents, J. B. Spillane, Randolph Brown; Secre-
tary and Treasurer, Edward Lyman Bill; Assistant Secretary, L. B. McDonald;
Assistant Treasurer, Win. A. Low.
•
B. BRITTAIN WILSON, Editor
CARLETOrt CHACE, Business Manager
W. H. MCCLEARY, Managing Editor
RAY BILL, Associate Editor
F. L. AVERY, Circulation Manager
E. B. MUNCH, Eastern Representative
WESTERN DIVISION:
FJUUTK W. K I M , Manager
E. J. NIALT
333 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Telephone: State 1266
Telephone:
Vol. 87
I
BOSTON OFFICE:
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone: Main 6950
Lexington 1760-71
Cable:
Elbill New York
No. 12
September 22, 1928
The Possible Piano Shortage
T has not been so many years since it was a common occur-
rence for piano manufacturers and their representatives to
warn the dealer, about this time of the year, to place suffi-
cient orders to cover his requirements beyond the holiday season
on the claim that a shortage of pianos was in prospect, and unless
he took time by the forelock he was likely to lose sales because
sufficient instruments would not be available.
Even in those days the warning was regarded as a joke by
many dealers and they laughed right merrily, only to discover
about the first of December that the manufacturers had not been
simply crying wolf, but that it was really difficult to get pianos
as quickly as they were needed. It was the old story of trying to
force, beyond a certain point, a production that must be curtailed
for a number of months of the year because of seasonal buying.
This year the dealers are laughing again because some manu-
facturers and their travelers are predicting a piano shortage this
Fall. The dealers simply call attention to business conditions and
refuse to be serious about the warning. Yet they must take into
consideration the fact that in a majority of cases warerooms are
sadly understocked and have barely enough pianos to handle even
a poor run of sales, depending for replacements upon telegraphic
.orders.
It must be remembered, too, that many manufacturers have
refused to hold the bag during the past year or so, and have cur-
tailed production facilities right along the line. Even a slight spurt
of business between now and the first of the year is going to
mean that a great many manufacturers will be unable, and per-
haps unwilling, to speed up production to take care of a stimulated
demand that may be only temporary. This will mean that, for
Wisconsin Association
to Convene on October 2
MILWAUKEE, WIS., September 17.—The Wiscon-
sin Association of Music Merchants will hold
its annual meeting at the Milwaukee Athletic
Club on Tuesday, October 2. The meeting
this year will consist of a dinner and business
gathering, and the program of speakers is to
be announced later.
The date of the convention has been made
coincident with the Wisconsin Radio-Music
Exposition and the convention of the Wiscon-
sin Radio Trades Exposition, so that State
dealers belonging to both organizations may
be able to attend both of the conventions dur-
SEPTEMBER 22, 1928
the moment, at least the most popular styles of instruments will
be at a premium.
The ordinary dealer cannot be blamed for not warehousing
instruments on a chance that he may need them within the next
two or three months, but he should recognize the situation as it
exists, and in placing orders figure on a margin of safety that will
enable him to take care of the improved business that appears to be
in the offing. Anyway, an extra supply of pianos will stimulate
his sales organization to work just a little harder to move them.
So the plan has more than a single advantage.
A
Why the Carrying Charge
T the convention of the Music Merchants' Association
of Ohio, in Toledo, last week, Frazier Reams, a banker
of that city, offered a most logical explanation of the
necessity for the music dealer placing a carrying charge, in addi-
tion to interest, on all instalment accounts if he expected to real-
ize his rightful profit on his sales.
In substance Mr. Reams declared that under the instalment
plan the dealer was selling two distinct products, first, musical
instruments, and secondly, credit, and was as much entitled to a
fair profit on one as on the other. The man who buys on time,
he declared, must pay, and expects to pay for the privilege, for he
is spending not money on hand but unearned income, and realizes,
or can be made to realize, the fact that he is being granted credit
on an intangible.
The carrying charge has long been advocated in the music
industry, where, in many cases, it has been adopted with success
equal to that met with in other industries. In his discussion of
retail music store finances before the Ohio Music Merchants,
Mr. Reams presented some thoughts on the carrying charge and
other phases of financing that it would be well for many dealers
to study and digest.
1
^Studying the Problem of Distribution
HE announced intention of the Department of Com-
merce to give much attention to the study of retail
distribution and marketing with a view to gathering
information regarding distribution problems designed to prove of
real benefit to the small merchant is a matter of considerable gen-
eral interest, for what the department has already accomplished
with its surveys of the retail field has been enlightening in many
respects.
It is declared that mass production and the development of
the chain store have combined to bring about radical changes in
distributing conditions, changes that are not always readily under-
stood by the small independent merchant who must perforce learn
how to adopt himself to the new situation by the costly road of
experience. These new distributing problems are to be found in
the music trade just as they are in other industries, and it is to
be hoped that the information secured by the Government may be
of a practical character that can be utilized to good advantage by
those for whom it is intended.
Such matters as credit and delivery, gauging the potential
market, store location and planning, the training of the sales force,
and co-operative advertising, are all highly important in the retail
field. If the work of the Department of Commerce can help the
small retailer to guide his venture by the general experiences of
others, then he will enjoy a real advantage.
ing the one trip. Dealers will also have the
advantage of viewing the extensive displays at
the exposition, and of visiting radio, piano
and band instruments showings which will be
featured during the week.
Brodrib & Blair Buy
Woolley & More Business
MERIDEN, CONN., September
17.—The
ager. The business was established here nine
years ago by Thomas H. Woolley and Mr.
More was admitted to partnership in 1923. New
lines of musical instruments have been added
to the store, and alterations and expansion of
the warerooms are scheduled for the near
future.
Dissolve Partnership
Woolley
& More music house, located at Main and
Colony streets, has been purchased by Brodrib
& Blair, Inc., of Waterbury, New Haven and
New Britain. The store will be operated as
the fourth branch of the chain and Willard H.
More, of the old firm, will be retained as man-
A. W. Silversteen and S- M. Silversteen,
operating a music and jewelry store at 254
South Main street, Akron, O., have dissolved
partnership and have asked the court to appoint
a receiver to sell the business as a going con-
cern.