Presto
Issue: 1925 2012 - Page 11
February 14, 1925.
PROBLEMS OF
THE PLAYERPIANO
That of Increasing the Sales Is an Insistent
One in Which the Solution Is Aided
by a Look Back on Player
History.
METHODS NEED REFORM
Its Worth as a Musical Instrument Rather Than the
Economical Price Inducement Should Be
Stressed.
The problem of increasing sales is one that con-
fronts every industry but every piano man believes
there is special urgency in his case. The piano and
player are in the peculiar position of having strong
competitors among other commodities in the music
goods line. And today radio is frankly conceded to
belong to the family of music goods. The piano and
the playerpiano are considered to be competitors so
the element of competition largely enters the scheme
of things.
The playerpiano is considered more attractive than
the piano by many dealers in that the prospective
buyers may be found among people with no piano
playing ability. Anyone can play the playerpiano,
so the interest in the instrument may be said to be
general. On the other hand only a musical person
or a musical family are supposed to be possible buy-
ers of the straight piano. Musical in this sense means
the enjoyment of and appreciation for music, piano
music, not essentially the ability to play the piano.
The Other Side.
But the piano might also be said to be less attrac-
tive than the playerpiano in that it costs less money.
This phase of the situation, however, may be viewed
in a comparative way. For the past ten years the
percentages of playerpiano production have been
steadily increasing in the aggregate of productions in
piano factories. Today the playerpiano divides inter-
est with the grand piano, which shows a steady
Jfj|| Onduring"
THE
11
PRESTO
^Hardman
The ZHardman £ine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally worthy instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
Jiardmanpeck &Co.
growth in favor. The playerpiano in all its forms is
an instrument with a future, the importance of
which depends upon the retail piano trade and the
music roll manufacturers.
Rut while the sales of playerpianos have been
steadily increasing the straight piano has preserved
a very satisfactory character of stability. And a mat-
ter of concern to the makers and sellers of player-
pianos are the reasons why the output of straight
pianos is so astonishingly stable. In view of the in-
crease in population the player sales should, consid-
ering the activity of the manufacturers, the dealers
and the roll manufacturers, sell more readily.
Review of History.
Enlightenment on any condition may be gained
by looking back along the years. That is one of the
great values of history. The great initial work of
introducing and promoting the playerpiano was per-
formed by the manufacturers. Perhaps the captious
might roll them of the credit by attributing selfish-
ness to their actions. But they worked well to make
the playerpiano as perfect as it was possible for them
to do and when they turned over the product to the
dealers it was as something with considerable possi-
bilities for sales.
But the results of the first ten or twelve years
were disappointing both in methods and results in
sales. And the results in sales may have been in-
fluenced by the methods. Instead of continuing the
campaign of clean exploitation started by the manu-
facturers, the dealers substituted a campaign of
bargain making. Not how worthy, but how cheap
was the war cry. Soon the quality idea was sub-
merged and the minimum price one flaunted. It is
only within recent years that the playerpiano was
really sold on the quality basis.
The Mistake of Dealers.
But the playerpiano in the early years never had a
proper show. True figures show that the result of
the dealers' methods of bargain price inducement
resulted in boosting the sales and increasing the pro-
duction of the factories. It is also a fact that the
novelty of the playerpiano wore off in time and the
price inducements failed to evoke the old eagerness
to buy. And as the volume of sales slackened the
dealers resorted to the old schemes to stimulate sales
long familiar to the selling of the straight pianos.
But as the schemes were all based on the stimulation
of alluring low prices they were demoralizing to the
instrument itself. People naturally began to think
of the playerpiano in terms of money instead of terms
of j-.rtistic worth.
The Reasons.
The analysts of the trade may find a reason in that
for the failure of playerpiano sales to keep pace in
ratio increase with the growth of the population.
The first five years or so following its first presenta-
tion by the manufacturers the playerpiano had ear-
nest exploitation, during which the instrument ac-
quired what prestige as a musical instrument it has
enjoyed during the subsequent years. Then came the
era of ballyhoo selling.
A frank review of the playerpiano's history sug-
gests a reform. If the playerpiano is to be properly
treated as a worthy commodity there must be a
return to the clean, ambitious ways of the early days
of playerpiano exploitation. There is a plain lesson
in the events. The salvation of the playerpiano busi-
ness is in a return to old principles of presenting the
instrument for its musical values not for its eco-
nomical sale features.
I. N. RICE TO SELL "BAUER."
It must interest piano dealers throughout the West
to know that I. N. Rice, popular traveler, has added
the instruments of Julius Bauer & Co., of Chicago, to
the line for which he is wholesale representative. Mr.
Rice has been very successful in introducing fine in-
struments to leading piano houses between Chicago
and the Pacific Coast, and no one will doubt his suc-
cess with the splendid Bauer line. Dealers who se-
cure it will be fortunate. Mr. Rice left Chicago west-
ward bound on Wednesday.
MOVES IN BEACON, N. Y.
New quarters are being selected by the Winterroth
Piano Co., Beacon, N. Y., which took over the busi-
ness of the Beacon Music Shop last December. The
store is under the management of Jack Altmann.
The old quarters at 459 Main street, Beacon, have
proved inadequate to the rapid increase of business at
this store, forcing a change to larger showrooms. A
full line of pianos and players is carried.
OPENS IN CORTLAND, N. Y.
A formal opening was held in Cortland, N. Y., last
week by the Hyde Music Co., of 9 Clinton avenue,
and visitors viewed the new warerooms during the
day and evening. A musical program included Stan-
ton'? orgrestra and Lloyd L. Walsh, baritone. The
new quarters include a piano and two talking machine
display rooms, and a large radio department.
"Built on Family Pride"
Doll & Sons
Represent the Artistic
in Piano and Player Piano
Construction
JACOB DOLL & SONS
STODART
WELLSMORE
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc.
Southern Boulevard, E. 133rd St.
E. 134th St. and Cypress Ave.
NEW YORK
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooms
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
STR1CH ft ZEIDLER,
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740*742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essential* of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
Tbla Trad* Mark Is oast
la the plat* and also ap-
pears upon th* fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all Inhincers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of Imitation* suoh as Schu-
mann £ Company. Schu-
mann * Son, and also
Shuman, as all stencil
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing a name In
Imitation of th* name
Schumann with th* Inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of th* law.
New Catalogue on Bequest.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, I1L
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/
PROBLEMS OF
THE PLAYERPIANO
That of Increasing the Sales Is an Insistent
One in Which the Solution Is Aided
by a Look Back on Player
History.
METHODS NEED REFORM
Its Worth as a Musical Instrument Rather Than the
Economical Price Inducement Should Be
Stressed.
The problem of increasing sales is one that con-
fronts every industry but every piano man believes
there is special urgency in his case. The piano and
player are in the peculiar position of having strong
competitors among other commodities in the music
goods line. And today radio is frankly conceded to
belong to the family of music goods. The piano and
the playerpiano are considered to be competitors so
the element of competition largely enters the scheme
of things.
The playerpiano is considered more attractive than
the piano by many dealers in that the prospective
buyers may be found among people with no piano
playing ability. Anyone can play the playerpiano,
so the interest in the instrument may be said to be
general. On the other hand only a musical person
or a musical family are supposed to be possible buy-
ers of the straight piano. Musical in this sense means
the enjoyment of and appreciation for music, piano
music, not essentially the ability to play the piano.
The Other Side.
But the piano might also be said to be less attrac-
tive than the playerpiano in that it costs less money.
This phase of the situation, however, may be viewed
in a comparative way. For the past ten years the
percentages of playerpiano production have been
steadily increasing in the aggregate of productions in
piano factories. Today the playerpiano divides inter-
est with the grand piano, which shows a steady
Jfj|| Onduring"
THE
11
PRESTO
^Hardman
The ZHardman £ine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally worthy instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
Jiardmanpeck &Co.
growth in favor. The playerpiano in all its forms is
an instrument with a future, the importance of
which depends upon the retail piano trade and the
music roll manufacturers.
Rut while the sales of playerpianos have been
steadily increasing the straight piano has preserved
a very satisfactory character of stability. And a mat-
ter of concern to the makers and sellers of player-
pianos are the reasons why the output of straight
pianos is so astonishingly stable. In view of the in-
crease in population the player sales should, consid-
ering the activity of the manufacturers, the dealers
and the roll manufacturers, sell more readily.
Review of History.
Enlightenment on any condition may be gained
by looking back along the years. That is one of the
great values of history. The great initial work of
introducing and promoting the playerpiano was per-
formed by the manufacturers. Perhaps the captious
might roll them of the credit by attributing selfish-
ness to their actions. But they worked well to make
the playerpiano as perfect as it was possible for them
to do and when they turned over the product to the
dealers it was as something with considerable possi-
bilities for sales.
But the results of the first ten or twelve years
were disappointing both in methods and results in
sales. And the results in sales may have been in-
fluenced by the methods. Instead of continuing the
campaign of clean exploitation started by the manu-
facturers, the dealers substituted a campaign of
bargain making. Not how worthy, but how cheap
was the war cry. Soon the quality idea was sub-
merged and the minimum price one flaunted. It is
only within recent years that the playerpiano was
really sold on the quality basis.
The Mistake of Dealers.
But the playerpiano in the early years never had a
proper show. True figures show that the result of
the dealers' methods of bargain price inducement
resulted in boosting the sales and increasing the pro-
duction of the factories. It is also a fact that the
novelty of the playerpiano wore off in time and the
price inducements failed to evoke the old eagerness
to buy. And as the volume of sales slackened the
dealers resorted to the old schemes to stimulate sales
long familiar to the selling of the straight pianos.
But as the schemes were all based on the stimulation
of alluring low prices they were demoralizing to the
instrument itself. People naturally began to think
of the playerpiano in terms of money instead of terms
of j-.rtistic worth.
The Reasons.
The analysts of the trade may find a reason in that
for the failure of playerpiano sales to keep pace in
ratio increase with the growth of the population.
The first five years or so following its first presenta-
tion by the manufacturers the playerpiano had ear-
nest exploitation, during which the instrument ac-
quired what prestige as a musical instrument it has
enjoyed during the subsequent years. Then came the
era of ballyhoo selling.
A frank review of the playerpiano's history sug-
gests a reform. If the playerpiano is to be properly
treated as a worthy commodity there must be a
return to the clean, ambitious ways of the early days
of playerpiano exploitation. There is a plain lesson
in the events. The salvation of the playerpiano busi-
ness is in a return to old principles of presenting the
instrument for its musical values not for its eco-
nomical sale features.
I. N. RICE TO SELL "BAUER."
It must interest piano dealers throughout the West
to know that I. N. Rice, popular traveler, has added
the instruments of Julius Bauer & Co., of Chicago, to
the line for which he is wholesale representative. Mr.
Rice has been very successful in introducing fine in-
struments to leading piano houses between Chicago
and the Pacific Coast, and no one will doubt his suc-
cess with the splendid Bauer line. Dealers who se-
cure it will be fortunate. Mr. Rice left Chicago west-
ward bound on Wednesday.
MOVES IN BEACON, N. Y.
New quarters are being selected by the Winterroth
Piano Co., Beacon, N. Y., which took over the busi-
ness of the Beacon Music Shop last December. The
store is under the management of Jack Altmann.
The old quarters at 459 Main street, Beacon, have
proved inadequate to the rapid increase of business at
this store, forcing a change to larger showrooms. A
full line of pianos and players is carried.
OPENS IN CORTLAND, N. Y.
A formal opening was held in Cortland, N. Y., last
week by the Hyde Music Co., of 9 Clinton avenue,
and visitors viewed the new warerooms during the
day and evening. A musical program included Stan-
ton'? orgrestra and Lloyd L. Walsh, baritone. The
new quarters include a piano and two talking machine
display rooms, and a large radio department.
"Built on Family Pride"
Doll & Sons
Represent the Artistic
in Piano and Player Piano
Construction
JACOB DOLL & SONS
STODART
WELLSMORE
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc.
Southern Boulevard, E. 133rd St.
E. 134th St. and Cypress Ave.
NEW YORK
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooms
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
STR1CH ft ZEIDLER,
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740*742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essential* of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
Tbla Trad* Mark Is oast
la the plat* and also ap-
pears upon th* fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all Inhincers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of Imitation* suoh as Schu-
mann £ Company. Schu-
mann * Son, and also
Shuman, as all stencil
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing a name In
Imitation of th* name
Schumann with th* Inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of th* law.
New Catalogue on Bequest.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, I1L
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).