Presto
Issue: 1925 2007 - Page 9
PRESTO
January 10, 1925.
IT PAYS
TO BUY
TONK BENCHES
Take
Policy
Good Will
Insurance
Deciding
Tonk Benches
E. A. FRANCIS SCORES
ADVICE BANALITIES
Galesburg, 111., Music Dealer Also Pens Good-
Natured Lesson for Piano Manufacturers
and Dealers.
Piano manufacturers and dealers have, in common
with the rest of the piano trade and its allied indus-
tries, read and listened to many dissertations on the
uplift of the business and how to succeed, how to get
rid of trade-ins, what makes to push, what kind of
advertising to use, what kind of salesmen to hire,
what to pay them, etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Most of this advice and criticism is confined to
those whose business is in cities of the .first class,
such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc.
True, these centers are wonderful fields for such
criticism and are great marts in the piano and phono-
graph and now radio fields.
But what of the smaller cities and the "Main
Street" towns? The big dealer is, as a rule, capable
of solving his own problems financial and other-
wise, but the small merchant is practically depend-
ent on the manufacturer and trade paper for his
guidance and information, and the attitude of the
manufacturer has a lot to do with the making or
marring the success of the small dealer. Now to
suggest:
If he (the manufacturer) would confine the agency
of his product to men who know something of a
piano and not let men have it who handle it as a side-
line to coffins, picture framing or a cream station it
would help some.
Then the manufacturer might insist on a one-price
plan as the Gulbransen Co. does. He might also em-
ploy a salesman instead of a "traveling man," who
will spend at least three days in the year with each
dealer, helping him train salesmen and make sales,
instead of buying the dealer a dinner and telling him
a few stale stories. And manufacturers should not
allow branch houses to quote wholesale prices to re-
tail customers (name on request).
Now the dealer has his bit to do as well. If ever
the respect of the buying public is to be had, the
bad practice of leaving pianos and phonographs
around in homes for trial and storage, must stop.
The dealer should not leave the purchaser of a fine
instrument to the mercy of any itinerant tuner who
has no interest in the pianos other than getting a
few dollars and making a quick getaway.
We put these principles into practice and have
found that they have proven correct, giving us a nice
clean business and no grief. What we do and what
we don't do is conveyed to the public in a display in
the newspapers this week. This is said:
"We do buy our pianos, reproducing pianos and
phonographs direct from the factory. We do carry
in stock the late models of all these high class
makes—Packard, Ivers & Pond, Cable Co. products
and Gulbransen, Starr, Aeolian, Vitanola, radio
consoles, phonographs. We do give prompt service
and all our goods carry a double guarantee. We do
make the lowest price (quality considered) in the
state as our overhead is the lowest for the business
we do in the United States.
"We don't pay any commissions, or get our pianos
from the Chicago jobber. We don't hawk our in-
struments around from house to house, and finally
sell it for a new piano or phonograph, when it is
really a used one. We don't advertise pianos for
your inspection that we don't carry in stock.
"We have in our shops, rooms 4 and 20, Weinberg
Arcade, the finest display of pianos and phonographs
ever shown in Galesberg."
E. A. FRANCIS,
Francis Piano Co.
ANNUAL MEETING OF
SCHILLER PIANO COMPANY
Election of Officers and Other Important Business
Scheduled for January 13.
The annual meeting of the Schiller Piano Co., Ore-
gon, 111., will be held in that city on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 13. At this meeting a report of 1924, which was
a good year for the Schiller line, will be made and
other business transacted.
The Oregon, 111., industry has taken steps which
will increase the producing capacity materially and
facilitate service to dealers. In view of last year's
success and the widespread optimism of the new year,
the company expects a season of steady activity.
The election of officers for the new year will be a
big event of the meeting. The present officers are:
Edgar B. Jones, president; Frank M. Hood, vice-
president; Cyrus F. Jones, treasurer, and Benj. F.
Shelly, secretary.
FEATURES HARDMAN IN THEATERS.
The Hardman concert grand has been admirably
featured in eastern cities during the winter by Vilmos
Westony, who has been engaged to appear in vari-
ous Philadelphia motion picture theaters for six ad-
ditional weeks. This is his second appearance in
that city in similar programs this season.
Louis M. Sosna, dealer in musical merchandise,
Rock Island, 111., has opened a branch at 404 Fif-
teenth street, Moline, 111.
A POPULAR STODART UPRIGHT
1925
f
TONK MFG. CO.
1912 Lewis St.
Manufacturers
K-D 88
TONK BENCH
CHICAGO, ILL
Publishers
TONK
TOPICS
IT PAYS
TO BUY
THE BEST
Stodart Style 28 upright, made by the Stodart
Piano Co., New York, has a wide selling appeal based
oh an established reputation throughout the trade.
This popular instrument shown in the accompanying
illustration is made in mahogany, walnut and oak.
Stodart uprights as well as Stodart grands and
players are products of one of the oldest makers in
this country, the Stodart Company being established
in 1820.
The historical background and pioneer position of
this institution are evidenced by interesting facts.
There is a Stodart piano of 1832 in the collection of
musical instruments in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York. Another old Stodart instrument is
in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C.
A gold medal was awarded the Stodart by the
American Institute, New York, in 1835, one of the
earliest instances on record demonstrating the musi-
cal value and significance of an American-made
piano. Dealers are enthusiastic about the remark-
able combination of quality and attractive prices in
this line. The trade is invited to send for latest
Stodart literature and details. Address Stodart Piano
Co., Cypress avenue and Southern boulevard, New
York.
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/
January 10, 1925.
IT PAYS
TO BUY
TONK BENCHES
Take
Policy
Good Will
Insurance
Deciding
Tonk Benches
E. A. FRANCIS SCORES
ADVICE BANALITIES
Galesburg, 111., Music Dealer Also Pens Good-
Natured Lesson for Piano Manufacturers
and Dealers.
Piano manufacturers and dealers have, in common
with the rest of the piano trade and its allied indus-
tries, read and listened to many dissertations on the
uplift of the business and how to succeed, how to get
rid of trade-ins, what makes to push, what kind of
advertising to use, what kind of salesmen to hire,
what to pay them, etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Most of this advice and criticism is confined to
those whose business is in cities of the .first class,
such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc.
True, these centers are wonderful fields for such
criticism and are great marts in the piano and phono-
graph and now radio fields.
But what of the smaller cities and the "Main
Street" towns? The big dealer is, as a rule, capable
of solving his own problems financial and other-
wise, but the small merchant is practically depend-
ent on the manufacturer and trade paper for his
guidance and information, and the attitude of the
manufacturer has a lot to do with the making or
marring the success of the small dealer. Now to
suggest:
If he (the manufacturer) would confine the agency
of his product to men who know something of a
piano and not let men have it who handle it as a side-
line to coffins, picture framing or a cream station it
would help some.
Then the manufacturer might insist on a one-price
plan as the Gulbransen Co. does. He might also em-
ploy a salesman instead of a "traveling man," who
will spend at least three days in the year with each
dealer, helping him train salesmen and make sales,
instead of buying the dealer a dinner and telling him
a few stale stories. And manufacturers should not
allow branch houses to quote wholesale prices to re-
tail customers (name on request).
Now the dealer has his bit to do as well. If ever
the respect of the buying public is to be had, the
bad practice of leaving pianos and phonographs
around in homes for trial and storage, must stop.
The dealer should not leave the purchaser of a fine
instrument to the mercy of any itinerant tuner who
has no interest in the pianos other than getting a
few dollars and making a quick getaway.
We put these principles into practice and have
found that they have proven correct, giving us a nice
clean business and no grief. What we do and what
we don't do is conveyed to the public in a display in
the newspapers this week. This is said:
"We do buy our pianos, reproducing pianos and
phonographs direct from the factory. We do carry
in stock the late models of all these high class
makes—Packard, Ivers & Pond, Cable Co. products
and Gulbransen, Starr, Aeolian, Vitanola, radio
consoles, phonographs. We do give prompt service
and all our goods carry a double guarantee. We do
make the lowest price (quality considered) in the
state as our overhead is the lowest for the business
we do in the United States.
"We don't pay any commissions, or get our pianos
from the Chicago jobber. We don't hawk our in-
struments around from house to house, and finally
sell it for a new piano or phonograph, when it is
really a used one. We don't advertise pianos for
your inspection that we don't carry in stock.
"We have in our shops, rooms 4 and 20, Weinberg
Arcade, the finest display of pianos and phonographs
ever shown in Galesberg."
E. A. FRANCIS,
Francis Piano Co.
ANNUAL MEETING OF
SCHILLER PIANO COMPANY
Election of Officers and Other Important Business
Scheduled for January 13.
The annual meeting of the Schiller Piano Co., Ore-
gon, 111., will be held in that city on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 13. At this meeting a report of 1924, which was
a good year for the Schiller line, will be made and
other business transacted.
The Oregon, 111., industry has taken steps which
will increase the producing capacity materially and
facilitate service to dealers. In view of last year's
success and the widespread optimism of the new year,
the company expects a season of steady activity.
The election of officers for the new year will be a
big event of the meeting. The present officers are:
Edgar B. Jones, president; Frank M. Hood, vice-
president; Cyrus F. Jones, treasurer, and Benj. F.
Shelly, secretary.
FEATURES HARDMAN IN THEATERS.
The Hardman concert grand has been admirably
featured in eastern cities during the winter by Vilmos
Westony, who has been engaged to appear in vari-
ous Philadelphia motion picture theaters for six ad-
ditional weeks. This is his second appearance in
that city in similar programs this season.
Louis M. Sosna, dealer in musical merchandise,
Rock Island, 111., has opened a branch at 404 Fif-
teenth street, Moline, 111.
A POPULAR STODART UPRIGHT
1925
f
TONK MFG. CO.
1912 Lewis St.
Manufacturers
K-D 88
TONK BENCH
CHICAGO, ILL
Publishers
TONK
TOPICS
IT PAYS
TO BUY
THE BEST
Stodart Style 28 upright, made by the Stodart
Piano Co., New York, has a wide selling appeal based
oh an established reputation throughout the trade.
This popular instrument shown in the accompanying
illustration is made in mahogany, walnut and oak.
Stodart uprights as well as Stodart grands and
players are products of one of the oldest makers in
this country, the Stodart Company being established
in 1820.
The historical background and pioneer position of
this institution are evidenced by interesting facts.
There is a Stodart piano of 1832 in the collection of
musical instruments in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York. Another old Stodart instrument is
in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C.
A gold medal was awarded the Stodart by the
American Institute, New York, in 1835, one of the
earliest instances on record demonstrating the musi-
cal value and significance of an American-made
piano. Dealers are enthusiastic about the remark-
able combination of quality and attractive prices in
this line. The trade is invited to send for latest
Stodart literature and details. Address Stodart Piano
Co., Cypress avenue and Southern boulevard, New
York.
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).