Music Trade Review
Issue: 1954 Vol. 113 N. 2 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
e
February, 1954
REVIEW
2,887fh Issue
Established 1879
Vol. 113-No. 2
75th Year
THE
PIONEER
PUBLICATION
75th Year
O F T H E MUSIC
I N D U S T R Y
Where NAMM Stands on Trade Practices
and What Dealers Can Do About Violations
Executive
By WILLIAM R. GARD
Secretary, National Association of Music
trade practices and problems
S OME
seem to annoy music merchants far
out of ratio to their actual importance.
I say this primarily to emphasize that
too many retailers pay too much atten-
tion to the negative activities of their
competition. As you might surmise. I
have been on the receiving end of some
very sharp letters over the past few years
pertaining to all sorts of things which
the complainants believed to be unfair
trade practices. More often than not the
dividing line between fair and unfair
trade practices, competition and free en-
terprise is of a hair's breadth. A per-
son's own opinion, or viewpoint does
not in fact, establish an unfair trade
practice.
Where NAMM Stands
For a long time I have felt the neces-
sity of trying to clear the air on where
the National Association of Music Mer-
chants stands on the subject of trade
practices, and laying down in black and
white-—for all to see and understand—
just what NAMM can and cannot do. I
consider it an "unfair practice" for peo-
ple to ask NAMM to act in contraven-
tion of federal laws. These people ei-
ther don't understand or are unwilling
to understand the limitations of any
trade association imposed by federal
laws in the broad field of trade prac-
tices.
Federal laws preserve freedom within
the laws, free enterprise and competi-
tion; and improper actions on the part
of groups or individuals can very eas-
ily subject free enterprise and competi-
tion to abuses that run afoul of the
laws.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1954
Merchants
and he bought from you for any num-
ber of reasons. Therefore competitors
benefit from each other. No one store
can make every sale.
Fundamentally, the American way of
doing business is founded upon the eco-
nomic philosophy of free and wide open
competition, with no holds barred ex-
cept unethical ones. Any merchant who
fears or resents honest and ethical com-
petition has no right to be in business—
for he is not doing a job worthy of the
retail fraternity.
Competition the Life of Trade
Good merchants welcome competition.
They share their successful promotions
WILLIAM R. GARD
with fellow merchants. One of the func-
The fight against monopoly in the tions of NAMM is to act as a clearing
business system is endless. Nobody likes
house to disseminate such information.
monopoly with the exception of he who
Men have a right to be proud of their
has it. Monopoly is un-American for it accomplishments and it is a privilege,
favors a restricted few and damages the
typically American, to share their suc-
vast majority. Most importantly, mon-
cess with others.
opoly breeds stagnation.
Selling by means of unfair or mis-
We should all be thankful for our leading methods is a weakness and a
disease. Those who resort to unethical
competition. Competition is the life of
merchandising do so because they are
trade and because of it we do a greater
not mentally or financially equipped to
business than we could without it. If
sell any other way. By using snide and
you were the only music merchant in
deceptive tactics to sell their goods, they
your city or your state, you would be
injure the customer, their industry, their
the only one to advertise your products,
competitors and themselves. Trade prac-
the only one to promote them and the
tice rules have been written to protect all
only one to sell them. Your own inabil-
these groups from the predatory indi-
ity to do more than you do now would
vidual-—to require him to conform to
restrict your trade. You can prove this
accepted standards of merchandising be-
by recounting the sales you've made
havior or cease operations.
through no particular pre-sales develop-
ment on your own part. It may have
The American business man rallies to
been your competitors' advertising—his
the banner of free and merciless com-
own promotional work which put the petition. He does not wish to be told
customer in the frame of mind to buy—
how he will merchandise—yet when his
e
February, 1954
REVIEW
2,887fh Issue
Established 1879
Vol. 113-No. 2
75th Year
THE
PIONEER
PUBLICATION
75th Year
O F T H E MUSIC
I N D U S T R Y
Where NAMM Stands on Trade Practices
and What Dealers Can Do About Violations
Executive
By WILLIAM R. GARD
Secretary, National Association of Music
trade practices and problems
S OME
seem to annoy music merchants far
out of ratio to their actual importance.
I say this primarily to emphasize that
too many retailers pay too much atten-
tion to the negative activities of their
competition. As you might surmise. I
have been on the receiving end of some
very sharp letters over the past few years
pertaining to all sorts of things which
the complainants believed to be unfair
trade practices. More often than not the
dividing line between fair and unfair
trade practices, competition and free en-
terprise is of a hair's breadth. A per-
son's own opinion, or viewpoint does
not in fact, establish an unfair trade
practice.
Where NAMM Stands
For a long time I have felt the neces-
sity of trying to clear the air on where
the National Association of Music Mer-
chants stands on the subject of trade
practices, and laying down in black and
white-—for all to see and understand—
just what NAMM can and cannot do. I
consider it an "unfair practice" for peo-
ple to ask NAMM to act in contraven-
tion of federal laws. These people ei-
ther don't understand or are unwilling
to understand the limitations of any
trade association imposed by federal
laws in the broad field of trade prac-
tices.
Federal laws preserve freedom within
the laws, free enterprise and competi-
tion; and improper actions on the part
of groups or individuals can very eas-
ily subject free enterprise and competi-
tion to abuses that run afoul of the
laws.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1954
Merchants
and he bought from you for any num-
ber of reasons. Therefore competitors
benefit from each other. No one store
can make every sale.
Fundamentally, the American way of
doing business is founded upon the eco-
nomic philosophy of free and wide open
competition, with no holds barred ex-
cept unethical ones. Any merchant who
fears or resents honest and ethical com-
petition has no right to be in business—
for he is not doing a job worthy of the
retail fraternity.
Competition the Life of Trade
Good merchants welcome competition.
They share their successful promotions
WILLIAM R. GARD
with fellow merchants. One of the func-
The fight against monopoly in the tions of NAMM is to act as a clearing
business system is endless. Nobody likes
house to disseminate such information.
monopoly with the exception of he who
Men have a right to be proud of their
has it. Monopoly is un-American for it accomplishments and it is a privilege,
favors a restricted few and damages the
typically American, to share their suc-
vast majority. Most importantly, mon-
cess with others.
opoly breeds stagnation.
Selling by means of unfair or mis-
We should all be thankful for our leading methods is a weakness and a
disease. Those who resort to unethical
competition. Competition is the life of
merchandising do so because they are
trade and because of it we do a greater
not mentally or financially equipped to
business than we could without it. If
sell any other way. By using snide and
you were the only music merchant in
deceptive tactics to sell their goods, they
your city or your state, you would be
injure the customer, their industry, their
the only one to advertise your products,
competitors and themselves. Trade prac-
the only one to promote them and the
tice rules have been written to protect all
only one to sell them. Your own inabil-
these groups from the predatory indi-
ity to do more than you do now would
vidual-—to require him to conform to
restrict your trade. You can prove this
accepted standards of merchandising be-
by recounting the sales you've made
havior or cease operations.
through no particular pre-sales develop-
ment on your own part. It may have
The American business man rallies to
been your competitors' advertising—his
the banner of free and merciless com-
own promotional work which put the petition. He does not wish to be told
customer in the frame of mind to buy—
how he will merchandise—yet when his
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