Music Trade Review

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Still a Market for Used Pianos
10 far as we can judge at this time reconditioned used
pianos and MirrApianos will be sold in great quan-
tities this fall and through the holiday season. Even
if pianos are taken off the controlled list production cannot
be stepped up fast enough to supply all the new pianos
necessary to meet the demand this fall and for a greater
part of next winter. So those dealers who have protected
themselves with a good stock of used pianos will probably
be glad to have had them by the time Christmas rolls
around. For your own protection it is better not to let
the public think they are going to get new pianos too soon.
In our opinion if dealers get new pianos enough to make
a showing on their floors by next spring they will be lucky.
Unless the price ceilings for dealers is raised in proportion
to that received by manufacturers so the former don't have
to absorb the difference it isn't going to be profitable
selling anyway. Which all brings us right back to where
we smarted. It's entirely up to the OPA whether the piano
industry goes ahead or stands still, and the OPA's boss is
the Congress-
Inequality in Both Production and Supplies
V |f >j HE smaller piano manufacturers seem to be
I stymied to a greater extent than those who have
always had a large production in normal times. This
may be a natural consequence but it is unfortunate that
The !>lusi<- Trmlc Kevleiv IC\h1bIt »«t St. I.OUIM Exposition
in 11)04 ut which time It reoelved the Gold Medal Award.
supplies cannot be allocated impartially so that each manu-
facturer, large or small, may be able to carry on enough
Here Is a Little Past History
so that his toes aren't pinched to the extreme. This situa-
tion may be beyond the control of a supply manufacturer, y ]r ^ H E illustration on this page was made from a post
as he may have previous commitments to old customers
II card which was discovered by Arthur W. Wright,
which must be fulfilled. There is one factor that should
-^- retail sales manager of Wm. Knabe & Co., New
not be overlooked. Small manufacturers, especially in times York, in the window of one of those intriguing book
like we anticipate, can grow into large producers and shops found in Greenwich Village. New York. It shows
prove to be very profitable customers in the future. We the exhibit of T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW at the St. Louis
will admit that most of us live in the present. However, a Exposition in 1904, at which time T H E REVIEW received the
thought to the future may be very much worth while as "Gold Medal" award. This was one of five awards which
there may be a few elephants in the offing and an elephant, have been received by T H E REVIEW. The others include the
"Grand Prix" at the Paris Exposition in 1900, "Diploma
they say, never forgets. The same might apply to the
Medal" at the Pan American Exposition in 1901, "Silver
retail division of the industry. Undoubtedly some dealers
Medal" at the Charleston Exposition in 1902 and the "Medal
will get more new pianos than others. In most instances and Diploma" at the Louis & Clark Exposition in 1905.
we know about, however, manufacturers who are shipping All these were awarded for "the best" in music trade jour-
new pianos are doing their best to allocate them as equally nalism.
as possible in accordance with the quota to which each
dealer is entitled. There still are manufacturers who have
their own retail outlets who, owing to the price ceiling
situation are supplying their own stores which take prac-
tically all they can produce at present anyway. At best
it's an uncomfortable situation to say the least, and one
EDITOR
fit to try the patience of a saint.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, 1945
II