Music Trade Review
Issue: 1945 Vol. 104 N. 9 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Established 1879
Vol. 104, No. 9
REVIEW
2788th Issue
September, 1945
THE PIONEER PUBLICATION OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Dual Display and Recital Hall
Builds Good Will for Dealer
NE of the chief builders of not pertain to Hammond organs. Ex-
"good will"—that intangible cept for a brief period directly after
quality that is a source of the war began, new Hammonds have
tangible profits—for the C. H. Ste- come through in limited quantity,
phenson Music Co. of Raleigh, N. C ,
is the company's practice of turning
its piano display room on the main
floor of the store into a recital hall
for the use of piano teachers.
All during the war, the practice
produced rich dividends in sales of
supplies to the teachers and their pu-
pils and, figuratively speaking, in the
sale of pianos. The piano business
being what it is these days the term
"figuratively speaking" is an apt
phrase because Stephenson's, like all
other music dealers, is absolutely un-
able to get new merchandise—in this
Mr. and Mrs. C II. S<«'|>honsort nt
case, Steinway, Knabe, and Story &
Clark pianos.
their sales being limited to the armed
As a result, Charles Stephenson, forces only. Now, however, they have
Jr., beats his way to New York five been released for civilian sale and
or six times a year, and to Chicago they're beginning to trickle into Ste-
about twice a year to see what can be phenson's as well as to other dealers.
had in the second-hand market. Nor
Good Hammond Organ Demand
does he neglect local leads. He dili-
During the time in which the Ham-
gently follows up every lead or whis- mond sales were confined to the serv-
per of a lead in Eastern North Caro- ice forces, Stephenson's installed a
lina, but, as badly as he wants pianos, large number in chapels at the vari-
he won't take an instrument that can- ous military posts throughout North
not be put into first-class condition.
Carolina. For the record, the com- .
And for every piano that Stephen- pany installed 23 at Fort Bragg, six
son can obtain there's an almost four- at Camp Lejeune, and 11 at Camp
fold demand. This is especially true Butner. There was a big demand in
of larger size spinets and small up- this section for home organs just be-
rights, for Eastern North Carolina fore the war, and Mr. Stephenson be-
purchasers, like those in other sections lieves that the demand will still be
of the country, particularly like and here after the war is over.
want these types.
Lack of merchandise cut tremen-
The same situation, however, does dously into Stephenson's prewar sell-
O
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER. 1945
ing force. In prewar times the store
had a force of 24 salesmen, seven of
which traveled continuously through-
out 37 Eastern North Carolina coun-
their !>O1h AVe«lillii|( Anniversary
ties. But war conditions contracted
the sales' force until today WLB will
permit Stephenson's to have only eight
employes for the entire store—and
that total includes the owners, jani-
tor, and the piano tuner and repairer.
The single piano repairer now on
the company's payroll is constantly
confronted with a huge back-log of
orders, a back-log that never decreases
no matter how hard he works, but, on
the contrary, is continually on the
upgrade. According to Mr. Stephen-
son, the repairman has been so busy
with outside orders that he scarcely
has had time to repair the company's
merchandise. Under the present sys-
tem, the repairer alternates a week on
the road with a week in the store.
(Turn to next
page)
Established 1879
Vol. 104, No. 9
REVIEW
2788th Issue
September, 1945
THE PIONEER PUBLICATION OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Dual Display and Recital Hall
Builds Good Will for Dealer
NE of the chief builders of not pertain to Hammond organs. Ex-
"good will"—that intangible cept for a brief period directly after
quality that is a source of the war began, new Hammonds have
tangible profits—for the C. H. Ste- come through in limited quantity,
phenson Music Co. of Raleigh, N. C ,
is the company's practice of turning
its piano display room on the main
floor of the store into a recital hall
for the use of piano teachers.
All during the war, the practice
produced rich dividends in sales of
supplies to the teachers and their pu-
pils and, figuratively speaking, in the
sale of pianos. The piano business
being what it is these days the term
"figuratively speaking" is an apt
phrase because Stephenson's, like all
other music dealers, is absolutely un-
able to get new merchandise—in this
Mr. and Mrs. C II. S<«'|>honsort nt
case, Steinway, Knabe, and Story &
Clark pianos.
their sales being limited to the armed
As a result, Charles Stephenson, forces only. Now, however, they have
Jr., beats his way to New York five been released for civilian sale and
or six times a year, and to Chicago they're beginning to trickle into Ste-
about twice a year to see what can be phenson's as well as to other dealers.
had in the second-hand market. Nor
Good Hammond Organ Demand
does he neglect local leads. He dili-
During the time in which the Ham-
gently follows up every lead or whis- mond sales were confined to the serv-
per of a lead in Eastern North Caro- ice forces, Stephenson's installed a
lina, but, as badly as he wants pianos, large number in chapels at the vari-
he won't take an instrument that can- ous military posts throughout North
not be put into first-class condition.
Carolina. For the record, the com- .
And for every piano that Stephen- pany installed 23 at Fort Bragg, six
son can obtain there's an almost four- at Camp Lejeune, and 11 at Camp
fold demand. This is especially true Butner. There was a big demand in
of larger size spinets and small up- this section for home organs just be-
rights, for Eastern North Carolina fore the war, and Mr. Stephenson be-
purchasers, like those in other sections lieves that the demand will still be
of the country, particularly like and here after the war is over.
want these types.
Lack of merchandise cut tremen-
The same situation, however, does dously into Stephenson's prewar sell-
O
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER. 1945
ing force. In prewar times the store
had a force of 24 salesmen, seven of
which traveled continuously through-
out 37 Eastern North Carolina coun-
their !>O1h AVe«lillii|( Anniversary
ties. But war conditions contracted
the sales' force until today WLB will
permit Stephenson's to have only eight
employes for the entire store—and
that total includes the owners, jani-
tor, and the piano tuner and repairer.
The single piano repairer now on
the company's payroll is constantly
confronted with a huge back-log of
orders, a back-log that never decreases
no matter how hard he works, but, on
the contrary, is continually on the
upgrade. According to Mr. Stephen-
son, the repairman has been so busy
with outside orders that he scarcely
has had time to repair the company's
merchandise. Under the present sys-
tem, the repairer alternates a week on
the road with a week in the store.
(Turn to next
page)
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