Presto
Issue: 1925 2053 - Page 25
November 28, 1925.
25
PRESTO
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
MUSIC AT CHRISTMAS
Sheet Music Dealers Find the Holidays a Sea-
son of Great Opportunity When Means
to Sales Are Understood.
The opportunity to tie up with the Christmas spirit
is one the progressive sheet music dealer realizes and
it gives him a chance to show his ability to initiate
original means to draw the attention of the public to
his line. The desirability of sheet music and music
books as Christmas gifts is an obvious fact to the
dealer but it is up to him to make the Christmas
shoppers share his views in that respect. The classics
and books of instruction are always in season as the
average pupil is studying all through the year, never-
theless a gift for a student at Christmas may be of
one or the other.
Many sheet music dealers consider newspaper ad-
vertising too expensive and it may prove so if not
made use of judiciously. But the great trouble is the
average dealer does not make the experiment. If
there is any time propitious for the advertising ex-
penditure it is the holidays, the weeks before Christ-
mas. The dealer may set down the money so spent
as a salesman's salary.
In such advertising of popular music present only
the titles of hits, for these will prove trade bringers
and once the customer is within the store, salesman-
ship and an inviting stock will do the rest.
Of course no dealer need be reminded of the effec-
tiveness of tying up with musical organizations and
artists featuring particular numbers in the city.
Indeed no line of music goods affords so many
means of advertising as sheet music. Bands play in
the parks and playgrounds, orchestras in the theaters
and halls; there is music in the churches, the schools
and the homes. Every place has its dance halls and
is enthusiastic dancers and the hotels in a great many
instances provide music at meals with dancing as
an accompanying attraction.
In every instance they are presenting to the public
the desirability of the goods the dealer is offering.
Every musical performance demonstrates for the
sheet music dealer, but it is up to him to tie up with
the events.
famous in his concerts, was one of his best known
songs.
The net price system of selling music has been
declared a success by Carl Fischer, Inc., New York.
The Century Music Publishing Co., New York,
has announced a window dressing contest to close
December 31. It is a celebration of the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the company. It is open to all dealers
who may procure window dressing material by ad-
dressing the company.
Holiday business in Remick songs is a notable fea-
ture in the trade of Minneapolis, Minn., according to
Fred R. Strubel, manager there of the Remick Music
Service.
VIEWS SHEET MUSIC TRADE
Wholesale Distributor Compares Conditions of To-
day and Ten Years Ago and Sees Improvement.
One thing that tends to make the sheet music de-
partments of more importance today than ten years
ago is the increased efficiency of the managers in
both buying and selling. That was the substance of
a statement by a wholesale distributor of sheet music
and music books in Chicago this week. Ten years
ago the knowledge the managers of small music
stores possessed of purchasing to the best advantage
was lamentable and efforts to stimulate sales of what
was bought were negligible, he said.
But the experienced manager points to the gradual
improvement within that time, which he attributes to
a variety of causes. The greater favor for good music
occurring within the decade has been as much a fea-
ture of the sheet music business as the amazing fever
for the so-called populars. And both occurrences
have influenced conditions for the betterment of the
sheet music men and their methods.
But the greater profits possible within recent years
have been instrumental in spreading interest in sheet
music. The possibilities of an encouraging return for
money, time and labor expended in selling sheet music
have added to the numbers in the business as well as
to the enthusiasm of everybody concerned.
A prime factor in the improvement in conditions in
sheet music businesses is the placing of men in charge
of sheet music departments, according to the sheet
music man quoted, who added:
"While there are some exceptionally able young
women in charge of sheet music counters, most of the
girls stay but a comparatively short time, when they
leave to get married. Of course, the business suffers
A Few Items Interesting to People in Sheet Music while another marriageable young woman is getting
Department Are Printed.
the hang of the job. In time the inevitable happens—
A sheet music department has been installed in more wedding bells, more disruption to the sheet
the Seattle, Wash., branch of Sherman Clay & Co. music department."
The manager is Clayton Twing, who has had charge
of the music roll department for several years past.
F. A. FILLMORE DEAD.
Fred A. Fillmore, Cincinnati, O-, music publisher
Bernard Pollock has been made eastern manager
of the publishing department of Sherman, Clay & and founder of the house of Fillmore Bros., who died
November 16, aged 67, after an operation, also was a
Co., San Francisco.
very popular song writer. His sacred songs have a
Easthope Martin, English composer of ballads and big sale.
sacred songs, died recently at the age of thirty-eight.
"The Holy Child," which John McCormack made
The American Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa-
tion has brought charges before the U. S. Treasury
Department that vast quantities of hardwoods of
many kinds are being dumped on the American
market by Canadians at greatly reduced prices.
Manufacturers of
SHEET MUSIC TRADE NOTES
RADIO
Elgin Phonograph & Novelty Co.
Elgin, III.
To Piano Makers
and Dealers/
For best advertising Song Books for Grand
Openings, Special Occasions, Holidays, Quanti-
ties for Country Schools, Societies, etc., write
to the Illinois State Register, Dept. P, Spring-
field, Illinois.
ANALYZES MUSIC BUYERS
Psychology of the Sheet Music Counter Explained
by Manager of Department This Week.
Music may be broadly divided into classical, semi-
classical and jazz in talking about the psychology of
music selling, according to an observant manager of
a sheet music section in Chicago. And each kind
calls for a separate method of procedure. No phase
of the music business presents such interesting oppor-
tunities for customer analysis, is the observant man-
ager's view expressed this week.
"You cannot sell classics on the same basis as popu-
lar numbers, which I have grouped under the head
of jazz," he said. "The customer for classics knows
what he or she wants, asks for it by its correct name
and is disappointed if we haven't got it in stock. The
approach of the customers for the pop is different.
Sometimes they have the name correctly, but very
often they name something that only sounds like it.
"A peculiarity of the pop fan is that he or she is
not often disappointed at failure to find the song in
stock. Something as new or newer satisfies them as
a substitute. But they usually make an honest effort
to get the song the name of which they don't know
but the illusive tune of which they are quick to lilt
for the salesman.
"The buyer of classics honors the name of a com-
poser; the buyer of the popular very often is indiffer-
ent to that important means of identifying the num-
ber sought. "I don't remember the name of the fox-
trot or the guy who wrote it, but the tune goes some-
thing like this," and they hum it or whistle it as well
as they recall it since they heard it at the dance the
night before.
"It is difficult to force the sale of classics. The
musician knows what he wants and has a definite
reason for coming to the counter. Usually the in-
cident is closed when the classical number required
is not in stock. The salesman's cue in that case is to
show something in stock by the same composer and
as near as possible to the type of piece required. But
as a rule they will buy only that requested at
first. The best salesmanship is to offer to order the
piece and make an honest effort to get it to the cus-
tomer in the specified time."
CHICAGO TO SING CAROLS.
Harry Edward Freund, who is director of the Chi-
cago Christmas Carols Committee, of which Mayor
Dever is honorary chairman, has prepared for dis-
tribution leaflets of four carols, with words and music,
and which will be supplied from committee headquar-
ters at 165 E. Ontario street. "Carols will be sung
by the spectators before each performance in 350
motion picture theaters Christmas Eve," said Mr.
Freund. "Two hundred and fifty full-sized bill-
boards have been donated for the month of Decem-
ber by the General Outdoor Advertising Company, to
advertise the carol singing. When the Board of
Trade closes the day before Christmas the 1,600 mem-
bers will sing the carols on the floor. Chicago Ath-
letic Club and other organizations will furnish carols."
REMICK SONG HITS
Sometime
By the Light of the Stars
Sweet Georgia Brown
If I Had a Girl Like You
Got No Time
You Told Me To Go
Mother Me Tennessee
Oh Lovey Be Mine
On the Bam Bam Bamy Shore
Good Mornin'
I'm Going to Charleston, Back to
Charleston
Let's Wander Away
When Eyes of Blue Are Fooling You
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
Chicago
Detroit
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/
25
PRESTO
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
MUSIC AT CHRISTMAS
Sheet Music Dealers Find the Holidays a Sea-
son of Great Opportunity When Means
to Sales Are Understood.
The opportunity to tie up with the Christmas spirit
is one the progressive sheet music dealer realizes and
it gives him a chance to show his ability to initiate
original means to draw the attention of the public to
his line. The desirability of sheet music and music
books as Christmas gifts is an obvious fact to the
dealer but it is up to him to make the Christmas
shoppers share his views in that respect. The classics
and books of instruction are always in season as the
average pupil is studying all through the year, never-
theless a gift for a student at Christmas may be of
one or the other.
Many sheet music dealers consider newspaper ad-
vertising too expensive and it may prove so if not
made use of judiciously. But the great trouble is the
average dealer does not make the experiment. If
there is any time propitious for the advertising ex-
penditure it is the holidays, the weeks before Christ-
mas. The dealer may set down the money so spent
as a salesman's salary.
In such advertising of popular music present only
the titles of hits, for these will prove trade bringers
and once the customer is within the store, salesman-
ship and an inviting stock will do the rest.
Of course no dealer need be reminded of the effec-
tiveness of tying up with musical organizations and
artists featuring particular numbers in the city.
Indeed no line of music goods affords so many
means of advertising as sheet music. Bands play in
the parks and playgrounds, orchestras in the theaters
and halls; there is music in the churches, the schools
and the homes. Every place has its dance halls and
is enthusiastic dancers and the hotels in a great many
instances provide music at meals with dancing as
an accompanying attraction.
In every instance they are presenting to the public
the desirability of the goods the dealer is offering.
Every musical performance demonstrates for the
sheet music dealer, but it is up to him to tie up with
the events.
famous in his concerts, was one of his best known
songs.
The net price system of selling music has been
declared a success by Carl Fischer, Inc., New York.
The Century Music Publishing Co., New York,
has announced a window dressing contest to close
December 31. It is a celebration of the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the company. It is open to all dealers
who may procure window dressing material by ad-
dressing the company.
Holiday business in Remick songs is a notable fea-
ture in the trade of Minneapolis, Minn., according to
Fred R. Strubel, manager there of the Remick Music
Service.
VIEWS SHEET MUSIC TRADE
Wholesale Distributor Compares Conditions of To-
day and Ten Years Ago and Sees Improvement.
One thing that tends to make the sheet music de-
partments of more importance today than ten years
ago is the increased efficiency of the managers in
both buying and selling. That was the substance of
a statement by a wholesale distributor of sheet music
and music books in Chicago this week. Ten years
ago the knowledge the managers of small music
stores possessed of purchasing to the best advantage
was lamentable and efforts to stimulate sales of what
was bought were negligible, he said.
But the experienced manager points to the gradual
improvement within that time, which he attributes to
a variety of causes. The greater favor for good music
occurring within the decade has been as much a fea-
ture of the sheet music business as the amazing fever
for the so-called populars. And both occurrences
have influenced conditions for the betterment of the
sheet music men and their methods.
But the greater profits possible within recent years
have been instrumental in spreading interest in sheet
music. The possibilities of an encouraging return for
money, time and labor expended in selling sheet music
have added to the numbers in the business as well as
to the enthusiasm of everybody concerned.
A prime factor in the improvement in conditions in
sheet music businesses is the placing of men in charge
of sheet music departments, according to the sheet
music man quoted, who added:
"While there are some exceptionally able young
women in charge of sheet music counters, most of the
girls stay but a comparatively short time, when they
leave to get married. Of course, the business suffers
A Few Items Interesting to People in Sheet Music while another marriageable young woman is getting
Department Are Printed.
the hang of the job. In time the inevitable happens—
A sheet music department has been installed in more wedding bells, more disruption to the sheet
the Seattle, Wash., branch of Sherman Clay & Co. music department."
The manager is Clayton Twing, who has had charge
of the music roll department for several years past.
F. A. FILLMORE DEAD.
Fred A. Fillmore, Cincinnati, O-, music publisher
Bernard Pollock has been made eastern manager
of the publishing department of Sherman, Clay & and founder of the house of Fillmore Bros., who died
November 16, aged 67, after an operation, also was a
Co., San Francisco.
very popular song writer. His sacred songs have a
Easthope Martin, English composer of ballads and big sale.
sacred songs, died recently at the age of thirty-eight.
"The Holy Child," which John McCormack made
The American Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa-
tion has brought charges before the U. S. Treasury
Department that vast quantities of hardwoods of
many kinds are being dumped on the American
market by Canadians at greatly reduced prices.
Manufacturers of
SHEET MUSIC TRADE NOTES
RADIO
Elgin Phonograph & Novelty Co.
Elgin, III.
To Piano Makers
and Dealers/
For best advertising Song Books for Grand
Openings, Special Occasions, Holidays, Quanti-
ties for Country Schools, Societies, etc., write
to the Illinois State Register, Dept. P, Spring-
field, Illinois.
ANALYZES MUSIC BUYERS
Psychology of the Sheet Music Counter Explained
by Manager of Department This Week.
Music may be broadly divided into classical, semi-
classical and jazz in talking about the psychology of
music selling, according to an observant manager of
a sheet music section in Chicago. And each kind
calls for a separate method of procedure. No phase
of the music business presents such interesting oppor-
tunities for customer analysis, is the observant man-
ager's view expressed this week.
"You cannot sell classics on the same basis as popu-
lar numbers, which I have grouped under the head
of jazz," he said. "The customer for classics knows
what he or she wants, asks for it by its correct name
and is disappointed if we haven't got it in stock. The
approach of the customers for the pop is different.
Sometimes they have the name correctly, but very
often they name something that only sounds like it.
"A peculiarity of the pop fan is that he or she is
not often disappointed at failure to find the song in
stock. Something as new or newer satisfies them as
a substitute. But they usually make an honest effort
to get the song the name of which they don't know
but the illusive tune of which they are quick to lilt
for the salesman.
"The buyer of classics honors the name of a com-
poser; the buyer of the popular very often is indiffer-
ent to that important means of identifying the num-
ber sought. "I don't remember the name of the fox-
trot or the guy who wrote it, but the tune goes some-
thing like this," and they hum it or whistle it as well
as they recall it since they heard it at the dance the
night before.
"It is difficult to force the sale of classics. The
musician knows what he wants and has a definite
reason for coming to the counter. Usually the in-
cident is closed when the classical number required
is not in stock. The salesman's cue in that case is to
show something in stock by the same composer and
as near as possible to the type of piece required. But
as a rule they will buy only that requested at
first. The best salesmanship is to offer to order the
piece and make an honest effort to get it to the cus-
tomer in the specified time."
CHICAGO TO SING CAROLS.
Harry Edward Freund, who is director of the Chi-
cago Christmas Carols Committee, of which Mayor
Dever is honorary chairman, has prepared for dis-
tribution leaflets of four carols, with words and music,
and which will be supplied from committee headquar-
ters at 165 E. Ontario street. "Carols will be sung
by the spectators before each performance in 350
motion picture theaters Christmas Eve," said Mr.
Freund. "Two hundred and fifty full-sized bill-
boards have been donated for the month of Decem-
ber by the General Outdoor Advertising Company, to
advertise the carol singing. When the Board of
Trade closes the day before Christmas the 1,600 mem-
bers will sing the carols on the floor. Chicago Ath-
letic Club and other organizations will furnish carols."
REMICK SONG HITS
Sometime
By the Light of the Stars
Sweet Georgia Brown
If I Had a Girl Like You
Got No Time
You Told Me To Go
Mother Me Tennessee
Oh Lovey Be Mine
On the Bam Bam Bamy Shore
Good Mornin'
I'm Going to Charleston, Back to
Charleston
Let's Wander Away
When Eyes of Blue Are Fooling You
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
Chicago
Detroit
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).