Presto
Issue: 1925 2013 - Page 7
PRESTO
February 21, 1925.
PLANNING AHEAD
FOR NEXT SUMMER
Wise Dealers, Profiting by the Experiences in
the Past Two Years, Make Preparations
to Give Old Precedent of Dull Sum-
mer Sales a Knock-out Blow.
HOARY IDEAS KILLED
every dealer
knew what
successful
SEEBURG
dealers know
about conduct-
ing and oper-
ating auto-
matic piano
businesses,
every dealer
would be en-
gaged in the
business!
Beliefs That Hot Weather Marked the End of De-
sires to Buy Pianos Completely
Shattered.
When spring is near, summer is not far away,
sounds like a line in a popular song, but it is all right
for a text about music trade activities in the pleasant
days ahead. It is a good text for the music dealer
determining the size of his stock during summer, for
instance, and also the number of salesmen in a season
that should be busy in sales notwithstanding the
hoary precedents of the trade. The music dealer
with a purpose to ignore the precedents and smash
the hoodoo, makes his preparations both as to goods
and the people to sell them and while he is making
plans for spring it may be wise to include plans for
summer. In fact he might make summer a continua-
tion of spring.
There are several considerations that should impel
the music dealer to prepare with assurance for a good
run of business in the summer months. Besides the
pleasure of smashing the ancient precedent there
should be the pride in rolling up a good record of
profitable sales at a time supposedly somnolent in
results. In 1923 during the summer months the vol-
ume of retail business handled throughout the coun-
try broke all previous records. The fact provided a
stimulative thought for dealers in the summer months
last year and the results were very cheering. The
old fallacy of summer dullness was disproved by the
music dealers with spirit.
The Happy Thought.
The sales organizations in the wideawake firms
everywhere kept right on working through the recog-
nized vacation season without a let-up of energy
and with results that fully justified the efforts. The
pepful salesmen proved that the so-called summer
slump was only a state of mind or that if such dull-
ness was a possibility it could be avoided and that
any old precedent can be controlled by earnest work.
The lessons learned in 1923' made a deep impres-
sion on the minds of dealers and when it came time
to prepare for the activities of 1924, they influenced
their actions. A large number of dealers made un-
usual efforts to accomplish more than they did in
1923. Special inducements to salesmen inside and
outside were offered by the dealers and sales depart-
ment heads. The old hoodoo of summer dullness was
ignored, the vagaries of thermometer laughed at,
retail advertising was maintained in a generous way.
In fact, the sales efforts were continued on a more
elaborate scale than usual and the most gratifying
results were brought about.
Significant Facts Learned.
The lessons learned were significant. The well-
organized and directed canvassing forces in the large
cities as well as in the country got excellent results
that well repaid the efforts. Besides the profits there
were the daily proofs that the hottest periods are not
barred to the enthusiastic salesman. And in addition
to the closed sales there were valuable lists of pros-
pects accumulated. These were later followed up to
further build up the sales volume.
Activity in Many Forms.
The activities of some of the energetic music houses
included the establishing of branch stores and agen-
cies to aid as centers of effort in sections somewhat
removed from the main stores. The plan gave a
more concentrated form to the campaign in the sepa-
rate districts and the local advertising was made
more effective.
The experiences of the energetic dealers during the
past two years should prove valuable lessons and in-
centives for the ambitious dealers during the ap-
proaching summer. Now is the time to lay plans
both as to stock and also as to securing the services
of enthusiastic salesmen convinced of the sales possi-
bilities of the summer season. And the dealers who
normally make spirited efforts in the spring should
be easily induced to continue their activities into the
heated term, notwithstanding poor business fears to
prompt a contrary procedure.
THOS. A. EDISON CELEBRATES.
Admitting that lie felt "fine, despite his wife's in-
sistence that he slept six hours a day instead of his
customary four." Thomas A. Edison today celebrated
his seventy-eighth birthday at his winter home at
Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday of last week. Ex-
cept for a deluge of congratulations from all over the
world and the giving of his customary birthday in-
terviews, which in recent years have become a na-
tional institution, the day was a quiet one. On his
birthday anniversary Mr. Edison and Henry Ford, his
next door neighbor, took a trip up the Orange River
in a small motor boat.
NEW ST. LOUIS MANAGER.
Theodore W. Maetten has been made sales man-
ager of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., St. Louis, suc-
ceeding E. T. Hammon, who becomes manager of
of the Ampico department. Others on the sales staff
are E. C. Johnston and Frank S. Roeder. A dinner
meeting of the sales organization will be held at the
City Club February 23, where hereafter monthly
meetings will be held in a private dining room.
IMPORTS FOR 1924.
The dutiable imports of musical instruments and
parts, including strings, during December, 1924,
amounted to $327,865. The twelve months' total,
ending December, 1924, shows importations valued at
$4,034,831.
UNTOLD.
"Dad, what do they mean by untold wealth?"
"Means the man hasn't filed a tax statement, son."
BENDING GRAND PIANO RIMS
J. P. SEEBURG
PIANO CO.
CHICAGO
"Leaders in the
Automatic Line "
General Offices: 1510 Dayton St.
Factory 1508-16 Dayton St.
How the shape of a grand piano is produced is
somewhat of a mystery to the general public, and
even dealers express surprise at the effectiveness of
the processes employed to effect the piano manufac-
turer's purpose. Visitors to the grand rim bending
department of the Baldwin Piano Co., Cincinnati, al-
ways say that they never have been able to imagine
how the shape of the grand piano is produced. The
mystery is easily understood when the workmen are
seen to bend the multiple layers of wood around the
sturdy forms. The operation is shown in the accom-
panying picture.
With powerful clamps operated by long levers the
plywood rim is held firmly till the glue between the
sheets of wood has set. The resulting rim is then
ready for the cabinet makers, a structure with con-
tinuous grain around the instrument, with all the
technical advantages of the built-up beam.
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/
February 21, 1925.
PLANNING AHEAD
FOR NEXT SUMMER
Wise Dealers, Profiting by the Experiences in
the Past Two Years, Make Preparations
to Give Old Precedent of Dull Sum-
mer Sales a Knock-out Blow.
HOARY IDEAS KILLED
every dealer
knew what
successful
SEEBURG
dealers know
about conduct-
ing and oper-
ating auto-
matic piano
businesses,
every dealer
would be en-
gaged in the
business!
Beliefs That Hot Weather Marked the End of De-
sires to Buy Pianos Completely
Shattered.
When spring is near, summer is not far away,
sounds like a line in a popular song, but it is all right
for a text about music trade activities in the pleasant
days ahead. It is a good text for the music dealer
determining the size of his stock during summer, for
instance, and also the number of salesmen in a season
that should be busy in sales notwithstanding the
hoary precedents of the trade. The music dealer
with a purpose to ignore the precedents and smash
the hoodoo, makes his preparations both as to goods
and the people to sell them and while he is making
plans for spring it may be wise to include plans for
summer. In fact he might make summer a continua-
tion of spring.
There are several considerations that should impel
the music dealer to prepare with assurance for a good
run of business in the summer months. Besides the
pleasure of smashing the ancient precedent there
should be the pride in rolling up a good record of
profitable sales at a time supposedly somnolent in
results. In 1923 during the summer months the vol-
ume of retail business handled throughout the coun-
try broke all previous records. The fact provided a
stimulative thought for dealers in the summer months
last year and the results were very cheering. The
old fallacy of summer dullness was disproved by the
music dealers with spirit.
The Happy Thought.
The sales organizations in the wideawake firms
everywhere kept right on working through the recog-
nized vacation season without a let-up of energy
and with results that fully justified the efforts. The
pepful salesmen proved that the so-called summer
slump was only a state of mind or that if such dull-
ness was a possibility it could be avoided and that
any old precedent can be controlled by earnest work.
The lessons learned in 1923' made a deep impres-
sion on the minds of dealers and when it came time
to prepare for the activities of 1924, they influenced
their actions. A large number of dealers made un-
usual efforts to accomplish more than they did in
1923. Special inducements to salesmen inside and
outside were offered by the dealers and sales depart-
ment heads. The old hoodoo of summer dullness was
ignored, the vagaries of thermometer laughed at,
retail advertising was maintained in a generous way.
In fact, the sales efforts were continued on a more
elaborate scale than usual and the most gratifying
results were brought about.
Significant Facts Learned.
The lessons learned were significant. The well-
organized and directed canvassing forces in the large
cities as well as in the country got excellent results
that well repaid the efforts. Besides the profits there
were the daily proofs that the hottest periods are not
barred to the enthusiastic salesman. And in addition
to the closed sales there were valuable lists of pros-
pects accumulated. These were later followed up to
further build up the sales volume.
Activity in Many Forms.
The activities of some of the energetic music houses
included the establishing of branch stores and agen-
cies to aid as centers of effort in sections somewhat
removed from the main stores. The plan gave a
more concentrated form to the campaign in the sepa-
rate districts and the local advertising was made
more effective.
The experiences of the energetic dealers during the
past two years should prove valuable lessons and in-
centives for the ambitious dealers during the ap-
proaching summer. Now is the time to lay plans
both as to stock and also as to securing the services
of enthusiastic salesmen convinced of the sales possi-
bilities of the summer season. And the dealers who
normally make spirited efforts in the spring should
be easily induced to continue their activities into the
heated term, notwithstanding poor business fears to
prompt a contrary procedure.
THOS. A. EDISON CELEBRATES.
Admitting that lie felt "fine, despite his wife's in-
sistence that he slept six hours a day instead of his
customary four." Thomas A. Edison today celebrated
his seventy-eighth birthday at his winter home at
Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday of last week. Ex-
cept for a deluge of congratulations from all over the
world and the giving of his customary birthday in-
terviews, which in recent years have become a na-
tional institution, the day was a quiet one. On his
birthday anniversary Mr. Edison and Henry Ford, his
next door neighbor, took a trip up the Orange River
in a small motor boat.
NEW ST. LOUIS MANAGER.
Theodore W. Maetten has been made sales man-
ager of the Kieselhorst Piano Co., St. Louis, suc-
ceeding E. T. Hammon, who becomes manager of
of the Ampico department. Others on the sales staff
are E. C. Johnston and Frank S. Roeder. A dinner
meeting of the sales organization will be held at the
City Club February 23, where hereafter monthly
meetings will be held in a private dining room.
IMPORTS FOR 1924.
The dutiable imports of musical instruments and
parts, including strings, during December, 1924,
amounted to $327,865. The twelve months' total,
ending December, 1924, shows importations valued at
$4,034,831.
UNTOLD.
"Dad, what do they mean by untold wealth?"
"Means the man hasn't filed a tax statement, son."
BENDING GRAND PIANO RIMS
J. P. SEEBURG
PIANO CO.
CHICAGO
"Leaders in the
Automatic Line "
General Offices: 1510 Dayton St.
Factory 1508-16 Dayton St.
How the shape of a grand piano is produced is
somewhat of a mystery to the general public, and
even dealers express surprise at the effectiveness of
the processes employed to effect the piano manufac-
turer's purpose. Visitors to the grand rim bending
department of the Baldwin Piano Co., Cincinnati, al-
ways say that they never have been able to imagine
how the shape of the grand piano is produced. The
mystery is easily understood when the workmen are
seen to bend the multiple layers of wood around the
sturdy forms. The operation is shown in the accom-
panying picture.
With powerful clamps operated by long levers the
plywood rim is held firmly till the glue between the
sheets of wood has set. The resulting rim is then
ready for the cabinet makers, a structure with con-
tinuous grain around the instrument, with all the
technical advantages of the built-up beam.
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).