Presto
Issue: 1925 2048 - Page 6
PRESTO
THE SMALL TOWN
DEALER'S TASK
To Keep the Prospects Among His Neighbors
From Making Music Goods Purchases in
Nearby Big Cities Is His Difficult
and Continuous Job.
IT CAN BE DONE
But Dealer Must Realize the Various Factors That
Give Him an Advantage Over His Large
City Competitors.
By ELMER E. EVANS.
In this day of easy travel, when the automobile,
the railroad and the interurban electric roads provide
quick and ready means for the customer of the music
dealer in the country town to look at the goods in
the stores in larger places, the problem of keeping
the home trade is a perplexing one. Where a great
city is within easy distance the competitive factor is
a more acute one for the dealer in the town con-
sidered a suburb. The competitive problem means
not only constant thought on the part of the dealer,
but never-ceasing activity as well.
It is a plain matter of self-preservation for the
small town dealer to keep impressing on his prospec-
tive customers among his neighbors that his store is
as modern as the big places an easy ride away. And
this is what the successful country store keeper does.
His publicity is of the kind that appeals to the loyalty
of his neighbors to their home town. By inducing
them in one way and another to visit his store he
overcomes the effect that impressive stores in the big
city may have upon them.
His Special Advertising.
His day-in-and-day-out advertising job is to prove to
them that the pianos he sells are identically as good
as the same pianos handled by the big city music
merchant. Also that the prices are equally alluring
or even more so. When it comes to the purchase
of a piano, for instance, his sensible neighbor is easily
convinced that he can buy as cheaply at home as in
the big city. That is really the vital thought to be
QUALITY
in Name and in Fact
TONE. MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION,
WORKMANSHIP, DESIQN—all in ac-
cord with the broadest experience— are
the elements which give character to
Bush & Lane Products.
BUSH&LANE PIANOS
BUSH ft LANE CEC1UAN PLAYER PIANOS
take higfi place, therefore, in any com-
parison of high grade pianos because of
the individuality of character which dis-
tinguishes them in all essentials of merit
ana value.
• D M t LANE PIANO 00.
HtinfM. M U L
SPENCER
The Intrinsic Qualities of This
Piano Command Attention
A High Grade Instrument at a
Moderate Price
Fir** Class Factory and Equipment
Ample Production and Service
SPENCER PIANO COMPANY, Inc.
FACTORY: Thirty-First St. and First ATC
OFFICES: 338 East 31st Strc-t, New York N. Y.
created and perpetuated in the minds of his pros-
pective customers among the home folk. Unfor-
tunately not every small town dealer attempts the
creation of that thought in the people at home. Only
occasionally does the local man continuously try to
make the desirable impression.
Transportation Phase.
New transportation conditions have affected the
business of the local store as it has that of the great
mail order houses. It is proved that the latter have
been the worst sufferers from the quicker and more
convenient methods of travel available to the aver-
age person in the small town. Observant and pro-
gressive music merchants in many so-called small
towns have found redemption from slow business in
their greater accessibility, due to the handy flivver
and the more pretentious car. It was a matter of
advertising locally in a new and more effective way.
They had to combat this fact: That the average
dweller in a small town finds a day in the city more
or less of an adventure. It is a glad change from
the everyday routine. For the women especially the
bigger city stores with their greater variety have an
appeal that cannot be disregarded. So the policy of
the home town dealer is to deliberately plan to meet
the natural appeal of the stores in the larger places.
The Dealer's Job.
How is the ambitious local music dealer to keep
the interest renewed in his store and his stock? The
men who are making good in the small places find
that big stocks are not a necessity in that happy con-
summation. But they must be of the kind to interest
the local music goods buyers, must be kept fresh and
must be well shown. And of course the demonstra-
tion is a potent aid to arousing interest in this and
that instrument and thereby leading up to sales.
A most important thing towards achieving success
in the local store is the element of good will. That
is induced by the feeling of confidence. The wise
music merchant in the small place is a mixer in musi-
cal affairs. He makes it his business to know the
people who love music; to belong to organizations of
a social kind where music is a part of the occasional
functions, and to take an active part in the promotion
of musical events. All the better if the local music
merchant is a musician, because he can better dem-
onstrate the instruments. He can doctor a sick fiddle
or banjo or knows where it can be skillfully brought
back to its original tunefulness.
Customers Are Friends.
It is possible for the local dealer to create the air
of old customer familiarity in the store that the
bigger city store cannot give the customer from the
small town. It is surprising how important is that
factor of the business. The people know the dealer
and all who work in the store and the personal
equation is an influential factor.
And their friend the dealer doesn't conceal the fact
that he can cut prices lower than the big city store
without cutting his own just proportion of profit. He
reminds his small town customer that the bigger
store in the bigger town must have proportionately
larger expenses. There are obvious advantages the
store in the small town can have and they are easily
made understood by the local prospect. It can have
a piano line for instance that fulfills every require-
ment as to degrees of quality and price. It is up to
the dealer to overcome the allurements of the bigger
places. It is a hard job, but it is being done. Among
the biggest distributors of pianos, fine ones among
them, are dealers in places you could hardly dignity
with the classification of village.
October 24, 1925.
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackson - - - Chicago
Builders or Incomparable
[PIANOS, PLAYEI&NREPR0DUCING WANGS
THE BALDWIN
CO-OPERATIVE
PLAN
will increase your sales and
solve your financing problems.
Write to the nearest office
for prices.
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOUISVILLE
INC ORPORATED
CHICAGO
DALLAS
ST. LOCIS
DENVEB
NEW YORK
8AN FRANCISCO
The Best Yet
Graceful lines, rugged construc-
tion, moderately priced. It's the
very best commercial piano from
every standpoint.
A TOPEKA PIANO PLANT.
According to the Topeka, Kans., Capital, arrange-
ments have been completed by the A. Weber & Sons
Co., of Lawrence, Kan., for establishing a piano man-
ufacturing plant in that city. W. M. Wilson, general
manager, has obtained the indorsement of the indus-
trial committee of the Chamber of Commerce. The
company was granted a charter last July. Officers
are: A. Weber, Lawrence, president; W. M. Wilson,
Kansas City, Mo., vice president and general man-
ager; H. C. Polamus, Lawrence, secretary; Henry Al-
baugh, Lawrence, treasurer; W. J. Rice, Lawrence,
treasurer; Paul Clayton, and J. C. Houk, directors.
SUPERINTENDENTS MEET.
The Superintendents' Club of the New York Manu-
facturers' Association, E. Voelckel, president, held
the first fall meeting of the club at the Building
Trades Employers' Association rooms, 34 West
Thirty-third street. New York, Wednesday evening,
October 21, following a dinner.
MANUFACTURERS MEET.
A meeting of the Musical Merchandise Manufac-
turers' Association (Eastern District) was held Oc-
tober 20 at the Hotel Brevoort, New York. Interest-
ing talks by experts on topics of vital interest to the
industry were given. The object of the officials of
the association is to make the meetings occasions for
the interchange of experience and information.
Style 32—4 ft. 4 in.
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell Readily—Stay Sold
Send to-day for catalogue, prices and
details of our liberal financing plan
Weser Bros., Inc.
520 to 528 W . 43rd St., 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/
THE SMALL TOWN
DEALER'S TASK
To Keep the Prospects Among His Neighbors
From Making Music Goods Purchases in
Nearby Big Cities Is His Difficult
and Continuous Job.
IT CAN BE DONE
But Dealer Must Realize the Various Factors That
Give Him an Advantage Over His Large
City Competitors.
By ELMER E. EVANS.
In this day of easy travel, when the automobile,
the railroad and the interurban electric roads provide
quick and ready means for the customer of the music
dealer in the country town to look at the goods in
the stores in larger places, the problem of keeping
the home trade is a perplexing one. Where a great
city is within easy distance the competitive factor is
a more acute one for the dealer in the town con-
sidered a suburb. The competitive problem means
not only constant thought on the part of the dealer,
but never-ceasing activity as well.
It is a plain matter of self-preservation for the
small town dealer to keep impressing on his prospec-
tive customers among his neighbors that his store is
as modern as the big places an easy ride away. And
this is what the successful country store keeper does.
His publicity is of the kind that appeals to the loyalty
of his neighbors to their home town. By inducing
them in one way and another to visit his store he
overcomes the effect that impressive stores in the big
city may have upon them.
His Special Advertising.
His day-in-and-day-out advertising job is to prove to
them that the pianos he sells are identically as good
as the same pianos handled by the big city music
merchant. Also that the prices are equally alluring
or even more so. When it comes to the purchase
of a piano, for instance, his sensible neighbor is easily
convinced that he can buy as cheaply at home as in
the big city. That is really the vital thought to be
QUALITY
in Name and in Fact
TONE. MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION,
WORKMANSHIP, DESIQN—all in ac-
cord with the broadest experience— are
the elements which give character to
Bush & Lane Products.
BUSH&LANE PIANOS
BUSH ft LANE CEC1UAN PLAYER PIANOS
take higfi place, therefore, in any com-
parison of high grade pianos because of
the individuality of character which dis-
tinguishes them in all essentials of merit
ana value.
• D M t LANE PIANO 00.
HtinfM. M U L
SPENCER
The Intrinsic Qualities of This
Piano Command Attention
A High Grade Instrument at a
Moderate Price
Fir** Class Factory and Equipment
Ample Production and Service
SPENCER PIANO COMPANY, Inc.
FACTORY: Thirty-First St. and First ATC
OFFICES: 338 East 31st Strc-t, New York N. Y.
created and perpetuated in the minds of his pros-
pective customers among the home folk. Unfor-
tunately not every small town dealer attempts the
creation of that thought in the people at home. Only
occasionally does the local man continuously try to
make the desirable impression.
Transportation Phase.
New transportation conditions have affected the
business of the local store as it has that of the great
mail order houses. It is proved that the latter have
been the worst sufferers from the quicker and more
convenient methods of travel available to the aver-
age person in the small town. Observant and pro-
gressive music merchants in many so-called small
towns have found redemption from slow business in
their greater accessibility, due to the handy flivver
and the more pretentious car. It was a matter of
advertising locally in a new and more effective way.
They had to combat this fact: That the average
dweller in a small town finds a day in the city more
or less of an adventure. It is a glad change from
the everyday routine. For the women especially the
bigger city stores with their greater variety have an
appeal that cannot be disregarded. So the policy of
the home town dealer is to deliberately plan to meet
the natural appeal of the stores in the larger places.
The Dealer's Job.
How is the ambitious local music dealer to keep
the interest renewed in his store and his stock? The
men who are making good in the small places find
that big stocks are not a necessity in that happy con-
summation. But they must be of the kind to interest
the local music goods buyers, must be kept fresh and
must be well shown. And of course the demonstra-
tion is a potent aid to arousing interest in this and
that instrument and thereby leading up to sales.
A most important thing towards achieving success
in the local store is the element of good will. That
is induced by the feeling of confidence. The wise
music merchant in the small place is a mixer in musi-
cal affairs. He makes it his business to know the
people who love music; to belong to organizations of
a social kind where music is a part of the occasional
functions, and to take an active part in the promotion
of musical events. All the better if the local music
merchant is a musician, because he can better dem-
onstrate the instruments. He can doctor a sick fiddle
or banjo or knows where it can be skillfully brought
back to its original tunefulness.
Customers Are Friends.
It is possible for the local dealer to create the air
of old customer familiarity in the store that the
bigger city store cannot give the customer from the
small town. It is surprising how important is that
factor of the business. The people know the dealer
and all who work in the store and the personal
equation is an influential factor.
And their friend the dealer doesn't conceal the fact
that he can cut prices lower than the big city store
without cutting his own just proportion of profit. He
reminds his small town customer that the bigger
store in the bigger town must have proportionately
larger expenses. There are obvious advantages the
store in the small town can have and they are easily
made understood by the local prospect. It can have
a piano line for instance that fulfills every require-
ment as to degrees of quality and price. It is up to
the dealer to overcome the allurements of the bigger
places. It is a hard job, but it is being done. Among
the biggest distributors of pianos, fine ones among
them, are dealers in places you could hardly dignity
with the classification of village.
October 24, 1925.
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackson - - - Chicago
Builders or Incomparable
[PIANOS, PLAYEI&NREPR0DUCING WANGS
THE BALDWIN
CO-OPERATIVE
PLAN
will increase your sales and
solve your financing problems.
Write to the nearest office
for prices.
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOUISVILLE
INC ORPORATED
CHICAGO
DALLAS
ST. LOCIS
DENVEB
NEW YORK
8AN FRANCISCO
The Best Yet
Graceful lines, rugged construc-
tion, moderately priced. It's the
very best commercial piano from
every standpoint.
A TOPEKA PIANO PLANT.
According to the Topeka, Kans., Capital, arrange-
ments have been completed by the A. Weber & Sons
Co., of Lawrence, Kan., for establishing a piano man-
ufacturing plant in that city. W. M. Wilson, general
manager, has obtained the indorsement of the indus-
trial committee of the Chamber of Commerce. The
company was granted a charter last July. Officers
are: A. Weber, Lawrence, president; W. M. Wilson,
Kansas City, Mo., vice president and general man-
ager; H. C. Polamus, Lawrence, secretary; Henry Al-
baugh, Lawrence, treasurer; W. J. Rice, Lawrence,
treasurer; Paul Clayton, and J. C. Houk, directors.
SUPERINTENDENTS MEET.
The Superintendents' Club of the New York Manu-
facturers' Association, E. Voelckel, president, held
the first fall meeting of the club at the Building
Trades Employers' Association rooms, 34 West
Thirty-third street. New York, Wednesday evening,
October 21, following a dinner.
MANUFACTURERS MEET.
A meeting of the Musical Merchandise Manufac-
turers' Association (Eastern District) was held Oc-
tober 20 at the Hotel Brevoort, New York. Interest-
ing talks by experts on topics of vital interest to the
industry were given. The object of the officials of
the association is to make the meetings occasions for
the interchange of experience and information.
Style 32—4 ft. 4 in.
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell Readily—Stay Sold
Send to-day for catalogue, prices and
details of our liberal financing plan
Weser Bros., Inc.
520 to 528 W . 43rd St., 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).