Music Trade Review
Issue: 1946 Vol. 105 N. 5 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Established 1879
Vol. 105, No. 5
REVIEW
May, 1946
2796th Issue
THE PIONEER PUBLICATION OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Some Consumer Resistance to
New Piano Prices, Say Dealers
T has been more than two months
now since the piano industry was
released from price ceilings by
the Office of Price Administration. In
the meantime, retail piano prices na-
turally have increased anywhere from
ten to twenty per cent. As the music
industry was the first industry dealing
in high priced commodities to be re-
leased, it has been interesting to s'udy
the reaction to higher prices, not only
by the music merchants but by the
consumer.
THE REVIEW, therefore, has asked
dealers in various parts of the country
the following question: "Have you
found consumer resistance to new
prices enough to retard sales" To this
question the answer seems to be uni-
versally "NO" but with the reservation
that there would probably be more
resistance providing there was more
merchandise to sell. To the question
'"Do you find that people shop around
more than usual hoping to find more
moderate prices and if they do not
find them have a tendency to hold
off hoping for a break in prices? the
answer is "Yes" from some sections
of the country and "No" from others.
The third question brought a uni-
versal "YES." That question was "Do
you think that with piano and musical
instrument prices as high as they are
today, when other outside competi-
tion becomes acute and these com-
modities are plentiful it will materially
affect the sales of musical instru-
ments?" In fact to this question one
well known and successful retail
piano merchant in the East said:
I
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MAY, 1946
"When it is possible to go into an
automobile wareroom and pick out a
car and it can be delivered next day,
then I don't want to be in the piano
business." When asked when he thought
that would be. he said not for four or
five years. Another dealer, however.
says he has no fear of outside compe-
tition and no other piano dealer
should, if he will use the proper ad-
vertising and promotion. After point-
ing out that in his territory there has
been no consumer resistance so far
and no more shopping around than
usual he said: "I do not believe that
we are having any trouble with outside
competition and will not have if we
mind our own business. Of course we
must do as much advertising as our
outside competitor and we must call
attention to the merchandise we sell.
Quite a bit of this 'bunk' about out-
side competition conies from dealers
who do no advertising. It has been
my experience that the piano industry
as a whole does the most shameful
advertising done to promote any large
items. I think the music merchants
should discuss the importance of get-
ting the cooperation of the manufac-
turers to do adequate advertising."
Looks for Lower Prices Later
A New England dealer believes that
by the time outside competition will be
materially felt that prices will already
have been lowered but says: "At pres-
ent very few people have shown a
slight resistance to the new prices and
I find that the only shopping around
they do is to find a new spinet they
can purchase and have it sent home.
Of course there will be plenty of price
competition as soon as automobiles,
washing machines, oil heaters, etc.,
and other commodities are on the
market and can be purchased. When
that time comes the music store will
have to step on it to get its share of
the dollar, but by that time my guess
is that piano prices will be lower."
Customers Choosing Lower Grades
A dealer from the Middle West says
he has noticed that some customers
are choosing a piano a grade below
what they intended to buy. "Not wish-
ing to mention piano names," he said,
"I can best explain what I mean by
referring to automobiles. In other
words the Cadillac prospect is now
considering the Buick or Chrysler and
the Buick and Chrysler prospect is
considering the Dodge, while the
Dodge prospect is now looking over
the Ford or Chevrolet. We feel un-
questionably that when all other com-
modities are available the present
prices of musical instruments are
bound to become a factor. People
have only so much money to spend
and if they don't have the cash they
should not obligate themselves beyond
their ability to pay. Just now of course
we have not had any resistance to the
new prices, just a slight raising of the
eyebrows. Neither is there much shop-
ping around just now because mer-
chandise is scarce but when it be-
comes plentiful we expect people to
look around more."
Says Factories Should Protect
Dealers
Another Mid-West dealer says that
Established 1879
Vol. 105, No. 5
REVIEW
May, 1946
2796th Issue
THE PIONEER PUBLICATION OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Some Consumer Resistance to
New Piano Prices, Say Dealers
T has been more than two months
now since the piano industry was
released from price ceilings by
the Office of Price Administration. In
the meantime, retail piano prices na-
turally have increased anywhere from
ten to twenty per cent. As the music
industry was the first industry dealing
in high priced commodities to be re-
leased, it has been interesting to s'udy
the reaction to higher prices, not only
by the music merchants but by the
consumer.
THE REVIEW, therefore, has asked
dealers in various parts of the country
the following question: "Have you
found consumer resistance to new
prices enough to retard sales" To this
question the answer seems to be uni-
versally "NO" but with the reservation
that there would probably be more
resistance providing there was more
merchandise to sell. To the question
'"Do you find that people shop around
more than usual hoping to find more
moderate prices and if they do not
find them have a tendency to hold
off hoping for a break in prices? the
answer is "Yes" from some sections
of the country and "No" from others.
The third question brought a uni-
versal "YES." That question was "Do
you think that with piano and musical
instrument prices as high as they are
today, when other outside competi-
tion becomes acute and these com-
modities are plentiful it will materially
affect the sales of musical instru-
ments?" In fact to this question one
well known and successful retail
piano merchant in the East said:
I
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MAY, 1946
"When it is possible to go into an
automobile wareroom and pick out a
car and it can be delivered next day,
then I don't want to be in the piano
business." When asked when he thought
that would be. he said not for four or
five years. Another dealer, however.
says he has no fear of outside compe-
tition and no other piano dealer
should, if he will use the proper ad-
vertising and promotion. After point-
ing out that in his territory there has
been no consumer resistance so far
and no more shopping around than
usual he said: "I do not believe that
we are having any trouble with outside
competition and will not have if we
mind our own business. Of course we
must do as much advertising as our
outside competitor and we must call
attention to the merchandise we sell.
Quite a bit of this 'bunk' about out-
side competition conies from dealers
who do no advertising. It has been
my experience that the piano industry
as a whole does the most shameful
advertising done to promote any large
items. I think the music merchants
should discuss the importance of get-
ting the cooperation of the manufac-
turers to do adequate advertising."
Looks for Lower Prices Later
A New England dealer believes that
by the time outside competition will be
materially felt that prices will already
have been lowered but says: "At pres-
ent very few people have shown a
slight resistance to the new prices and
I find that the only shopping around
they do is to find a new spinet they
can purchase and have it sent home.
Of course there will be plenty of price
competition as soon as automobiles,
washing machines, oil heaters, etc.,
and other commodities are on the
market and can be purchased. When
that time comes the music store will
have to step on it to get its share of
the dollar, but by that time my guess
is that piano prices will be lower."
Customers Choosing Lower Grades
A dealer from the Middle West says
he has noticed that some customers
are choosing a piano a grade below
what they intended to buy. "Not wish-
ing to mention piano names," he said,
"I can best explain what I mean by
referring to automobiles. In other
words the Cadillac prospect is now
considering the Buick or Chrysler and
the Buick and Chrysler prospect is
considering the Dodge, while the
Dodge prospect is now looking over
the Ford or Chevrolet. We feel un-
questionably that when all other com-
modities are available the present
prices of musical instruments are
bound to become a factor. People
have only so much money to spend
and if they don't have the cash they
should not obligate themselves beyond
their ability to pay. Just now of course
we have not had any resistance to the
new prices, just a slight raising of the
eyebrows. Neither is there much shop-
ping around just now because mer-
chandise is scarce but when it be-
comes plentiful we expect people to
look around more."
Says Factories Should Protect
Dealers
Another Mid-West dealer says that
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