Presto
Issue: 1920 1774 - Page 9
PRESTO
July 24, 1920.
QUAKER PIANO ROW
YET UNDISTURBED
GULBRANSEN
REPRESENTATION
An Excuse for Living
If we put ourselves up as a Doctor without
knowing anything about doctoring, we land in
jail. That's the law.
In other pursuits where lives and public safety
are not at stake, the law does not intervene.
But, as we see it, the only good excuse a man
can have for being in, say, the Player-Piano
business, is that he is possessed of certain special
knowledge, certain facilities and the willingness
to render his community a service as a Player
man.
Of course, every Dealer selling the Gulbransen goes into the
business primarily to make money; and does make money.
But there is what might be called the grateful type of
merchant, who feels that the people who pay him this money
were not brought into the world for his especial benefit but
are entitled to the best he can give them in goods, values,
assistance and information.
That is the type we want as Gulbransen Distributors.
A Dealer of this sort equips. H e gets a good line, a good
stock, a good store, a good organization, and keeps them
good. He informs himself on Players—not merely on values
and selling points, but also on construction and operation;
information usable after the sale as well as before it. In the
matters of adjustments, tunings and repairs, he is prepared
to render prompt and efficient service, though not necessarily
free service. He carries a well assorted stock of music rolls,
realizing that the instrument without rolls is useless. He
and his salespeople are informed upon music, including music
not listed in the monthly bulletins. They are capable of
making suggestions on the use of the Player in home
entertainments; likely, they can d o a little entertaining if the
opportunity comes up. They are, you see, specialists in
their line—experts.
This kind of Dealer naturally appreciates the Gulbransen. Efficiency
in distribution shakes hands with efficiency in manufacturing!
By way of experiment, we have occasionally dene business with
dealers who confessed to knowing nothing and caring nothing about
players, and seemed to take pride only in an ability to "throw and
tie" a prospect against odds. But the results were not satisfactory.
The Gulbransen is not so hard to sell that it requires rough-rider
methods. It is a poor line for the special sale artist, the mule-tiader
and the gypsy. It produces best in the hands of the true merchant.
GULBRANSEN-DICKINSON CO.
CHICAGO
Philadelphia Dealers Occupying Stores in Old
Girard Estate Building on Chestnut
Street Allowed to Remain But
With Bigger Rentals.
Occupants of "Piano Row," on the north side of
Chestnut street, between Eleventh and Twelfth,
Philadelphia, who have agreed to pay larger rents,
will not be forced to vacate to make way for the
erection of a large office building, according to a
statement made last week by Francis Shunk Brown,
chairman of the Girard Estate committee of the
board of city trusts.
The board met last week to take definite action
on the matter, but lacked a quorum, and the action
of Mr. Brown's committee will be acted upon at a
special meeting of the board this week.
"The Girard Estate committee decided to permit
those occupants of 'Piano Row' who are willing to
pay more rents to remain," said Mr. Brown, after
the commitee meeting. "The talked-of new office
building, which was to have been built on the site
of the piano stores, will not be built. I have no
doubt but that the board of city trusts will confirm
the action of the Girard Estate committee when the
board meets."
The Owners.
'Piano Row" is owned by the Girard Estate, and
recently there has been much talk of the removal of
the present old-fashioned structures on it and the
erection of a modern office building. The site has
been suggested for the proposed city hall annex,
but the action of the Girard Estate committee re-
moves the possibility of its being used for such
purposes, members of the board agree. When the re-
moval of the present buildings was first mentioned,
the piano dealers, the present tenants, offered to pay
more money for the privilege of remaining in the
present locations.
Scare an Old One.
This office building scare has for many years—
about every five—caused commotion in Philadel-
phia's "Piano Row." Piano dealers began locating
in the old residences between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets—owned by the Girard Estate—back in 1876.
The Bellaks, Heppes, Schomacker and Blasius con-
cerns were among the first. The buildings were
gradually remodeled to suit the increasing business
and other piano firms were attracted to the locality
until nearly every property was occupied as a piano
store, and the block became generally known as
"Piano Row."
One Man's View.
"It might be a real blessing in disguise to Phila-
delphia piano merchants if forced to seek other mod-
ern quarters," said a piano man in comment this
week, "for the buildings are old and not especially
equipped for the purposes of the piano business as
conducted to-day."'
Some years ago a special building for the piano
trade was advocated in Philadelphia. It was to be
a building, centrally located, which would accom-
modate all the dealers, contain music halls and
studios, thereby centralizing the music trade and
profession. But thus far no one has v.ppeared to
actually start and carry out the project.
ALLEGED PIANO PLOT.
Although he confessed he made off with four
pianos, Benjamin Walldren, Chicago, insistently de-
nied last week that he knew anything about the oth-
er eighteen his father accused him of stealing. Wall-
dren was arrested at the request of his father,
Edward E. Walldren, head of the Walldren Stor-
age Warehouse at 3316-24 West Division street.
Three other employes of the company, Charles Mey-
er, Albert Krischke and William Geiger, also were
arrested. The elder Walldren claims they have
stolen $50,000 worth of musical instruments in the
last three years.
A PENNSYLVANIA VETERAN.
Three counties of Pennsylvania are covered by
C. Luther Lowe of Dubois in that state. They arc
Clearfield, Jefferson and Elk counties and there the
veteran dealer has thousands of piano owners who
are his friends. Mr. Lowe has been in the piano
business in Dubois since 1878 and the Lowe Build-
ing there is a good indication of his energy and
triumphs.
Germany need not be counted as a piano exporter
this year, according to U. S. Attache Grady, at The
Hague. Germany has no stocks of these instru-
ments.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
July 24, 1920.
QUAKER PIANO ROW
YET UNDISTURBED
GULBRANSEN
REPRESENTATION
An Excuse for Living
If we put ourselves up as a Doctor without
knowing anything about doctoring, we land in
jail. That's the law.
In other pursuits where lives and public safety
are not at stake, the law does not intervene.
But, as we see it, the only good excuse a man
can have for being in, say, the Player-Piano
business, is that he is possessed of certain special
knowledge, certain facilities and the willingness
to render his community a service as a Player
man.
Of course, every Dealer selling the Gulbransen goes into the
business primarily to make money; and does make money.
But there is what might be called the grateful type of
merchant, who feels that the people who pay him this money
were not brought into the world for his especial benefit but
are entitled to the best he can give them in goods, values,
assistance and information.
That is the type we want as Gulbransen Distributors.
A Dealer of this sort equips. H e gets a good line, a good
stock, a good store, a good organization, and keeps them
good. He informs himself on Players—not merely on values
and selling points, but also on construction and operation;
information usable after the sale as well as before it. In the
matters of adjustments, tunings and repairs, he is prepared
to render prompt and efficient service, though not necessarily
free service. He carries a well assorted stock of music rolls,
realizing that the instrument without rolls is useless. He
and his salespeople are informed upon music, including music
not listed in the monthly bulletins. They are capable of
making suggestions on the use of the Player in home
entertainments; likely, they can d o a little entertaining if the
opportunity comes up. They are, you see, specialists in
their line—experts.
This kind of Dealer naturally appreciates the Gulbransen. Efficiency
in distribution shakes hands with efficiency in manufacturing!
By way of experiment, we have occasionally dene business with
dealers who confessed to knowing nothing and caring nothing about
players, and seemed to take pride only in an ability to "throw and
tie" a prospect against odds. But the results were not satisfactory.
The Gulbransen is not so hard to sell that it requires rough-rider
methods. It is a poor line for the special sale artist, the mule-tiader
and the gypsy. It produces best in the hands of the true merchant.
GULBRANSEN-DICKINSON CO.
CHICAGO
Philadelphia Dealers Occupying Stores in Old
Girard Estate Building on Chestnut
Street Allowed to Remain But
With Bigger Rentals.
Occupants of "Piano Row," on the north side of
Chestnut street, between Eleventh and Twelfth,
Philadelphia, who have agreed to pay larger rents,
will not be forced to vacate to make way for the
erection of a large office building, according to a
statement made last week by Francis Shunk Brown,
chairman of the Girard Estate committee of the
board of city trusts.
The board met last week to take definite action
on the matter, but lacked a quorum, and the action
of Mr. Brown's committee will be acted upon at a
special meeting of the board this week.
"The Girard Estate committee decided to permit
those occupants of 'Piano Row' who are willing to
pay more rents to remain," said Mr. Brown, after
the commitee meeting. "The talked-of new office
building, which was to have been built on the site
of the piano stores, will not be built. I have no
doubt but that the board of city trusts will confirm
the action of the Girard Estate committee when the
board meets."
The Owners.
'Piano Row" is owned by the Girard Estate, and
recently there has been much talk of the removal of
the present old-fashioned structures on it and the
erection of a modern office building. The site has
been suggested for the proposed city hall annex,
but the action of the Girard Estate committee re-
moves the possibility of its being used for such
purposes, members of the board agree. When the re-
moval of the present buildings was first mentioned,
the piano dealers, the present tenants, offered to pay
more money for the privilege of remaining in the
present locations.
Scare an Old One.
This office building scare has for many years—
about every five—caused commotion in Philadel-
phia's "Piano Row." Piano dealers began locating
in the old residences between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets—owned by the Girard Estate—back in 1876.
The Bellaks, Heppes, Schomacker and Blasius con-
cerns were among the first. The buildings were
gradually remodeled to suit the increasing business
and other piano firms were attracted to the locality
until nearly every property was occupied as a piano
store, and the block became generally known as
"Piano Row."
One Man's View.
"It might be a real blessing in disguise to Phila-
delphia piano merchants if forced to seek other mod-
ern quarters," said a piano man in comment this
week, "for the buildings are old and not especially
equipped for the purposes of the piano business as
conducted to-day."'
Some years ago a special building for the piano
trade was advocated in Philadelphia. It was to be
a building, centrally located, which would accom-
modate all the dealers, contain music halls and
studios, thereby centralizing the music trade and
profession. But thus far no one has v.ppeared to
actually start and carry out the project.
ALLEGED PIANO PLOT.
Although he confessed he made off with four
pianos, Benjamin Walldren, Chicago, insistently de-
nied last week that he knew anything about the oth-
er eighteen his father accused him of stealing. Wall-
dren was arrested at the request of his father,
Edward E. Walldren, head of the Walldren Stor-
age Warehouse at 3316-24 West Division street.
Three other employes of the company, Charles Mey-
er, Albert Krischke and William Geiger, also were
arrested. The elder Walldren claims they have
stolen $50,000 worth of musical instruments in the
last three years.
A PENNSYLVANIA VETERAN.
Three counties of Pennsylvania are covered by
C. Luther Lowe of Dubois in that state. They arc
Clearfield, Jefferson and Elk counties and there the
veteran dealer has thousands of piano owners who
are his friends. Mr. Lowe has been in the piano
business in Dubois since 1878 and the Lowe Build-
ing there is a good indication of his energy and
triumphs.
Germany need not be counted as a piano exporter
this year, according to U. S. Attache Grady, at The
Hague. Germany has no stocks of these instru-
ments.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).