Presto
Issue: 1927 2119 - Page 15
March 12, 1927.
15
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
SMALL GOODS, MUSIC ROLLS AND SHEET MUSIC
COLLECTING ACCOUNTS
Its Greatest Problem Is Not in Getting in the
Cash, But Keeping Customer
at Same Time.
The music dealer has the problem of collections to
bother him in this day of new, high-priced phono-
graphs under various names, and fancy band and
orchestra instruments represented by big figures on
the invoices. The amateurs are as anxious as the
professionals for the most perfect and, of course,
high priced brass, woodwind and stringed instru-
ments, and the transactions are not always cash on
the nail. And the bigger the business the greater is
the activity in the collection department.
Collecting cash is a far harder job than selling
tlie goods because of the considerations accompany-
ing the operation. Collecting the overdue accounts is
easy enough in itself, but to bring in the cash and
keep the customer is something else again. The law
will get the money for the dealer if that is all he
wants. • But he wants more. He wants the cash and
be wants to keep all of the customer's future busi-
ness. That's why the collection manager must be
schooled in diplomacy.
It is a very unwise collection manager who assumes
that every customer is a deadbeat if given a chance.
Most of the backward ones are merely procrestina-
tors. They may have many obligations and consider
the musical merchandise bill may be made the last
in the pile of bills.
But the dealer must consider himself. The secret
of successful installment selling lies in maintaining a
steady flow of payments promptly on due dates.
When any considerable number of accounts drop
behind, the house can easily lose money on this phase
of the business. But as cash has a way of not
coming in it is up to the dealer to make it come as
promptly as possible while at the same time retaining
the friendship of the customer.
NEW STIMULUS FOR RECORDS
Sales of Old-Type Phonographs to Foreign-Born
Customers Vastly Increases Record Sales.
A wideawake music dealer has developed a thriving
business in the old models of phonographs and inci-
dentally created a bigger field for the sale of talking
machine records. He always had a trade of a rather
steady character among the residents in three well
defined foreign sections in which talking machine
records were the principal items. Latterly he has
been developing a fairly lively business in the cheaper
radio receiving sets and in doing so found his oppor-
tunity for sales of the less expensive talking machines.
He found that natural love of music in the people
of foreign birth or extraction was his best aid to
sales. The opportunity to listen at any time to the
native songs and music of the old country quickly
allured them, so that they became eager prospects
for the really good machines at reduced prices. Many
who had heretofore only admired the music on some
neighbor's machine grasped at the new opportunity
which 'the more cheaply priced models afforded them.
The sales of the old models are beginning to have
sequels that are more pleasant than the first inci-
dents. Many people enamored by the native music
of the records are turning in the old models bought
a short time ago and buying the newest types. And
there is no problem in the store at an accumulation
of the old types. These are quickly resold and again
prepare another family to become a prospect for the
up-to-date models.
Not the machine itself, but the record, is the con-
sideration which most impresses the foreign pros-
pect. "Any of the old tunes at any time without
waiting for radio" is a very convincing appeal. The
music for 'the beloved native dances on tap for any
evening without waiting to plug in on this or that
station is an argument they readily understand. Not
only has the dealer cleaned off his own stock of old
models and other machines easily procured, but he
has vastly increased his record business and at the
same time led up to a market for the most modern
models.
MAKES WELTE MIGNON RECORDS
Musical Director of New York Well Known to
American Music Lovers.
The genius of Erno Rapee is now available to
music-lovers through the famous Welte-Mignon
Licensee Reproducing Action. Mr. Rapee's latest
recording is Christmas Fantasy. In speaking of the
Welte-Mignon Licensee, he says, "The Welte-Mignon
is the image of my playing."
Erno Rapee was born in Budapest and finished his
musical education at the Conservatory there in 1909.
Almost immediately he made his mark as a conductor
of rare ability of symphonic concerts and operas in
the principal cities of Europe. Coming
Rialto and Capitol Theatres in New York City, pio-
neers among the modern movie palaces which fea-
tured the excellence of their musical programs.
Recently when S. L. Rothafel was completing of
the personnel of the beautiful new theater which
bears his name, he secured Rapee as musical director.
The new Roxy amusement center seats six thou-
sand two hundred and fifty people and contains a
special broadcasting studio with its own pipe organ.
In addition to the organ there is to be a special
broadcasting orchestra and a jazz band.
FACTS ABOUT CYMBALS.
While no orchestra is complete without cymbals,
the cymbal seems to have either escaped the musical
inventor's attention, or defied him to obtain a patent
for it. Only one mention covering cymbals is re-
corded on the British Patent Lists, right from the
time when the Patent Office opened in 1617 up to
the year 1876, and even here it was only a provisional
patent, that is to say, no definite grant of Royal Let-
ters Patent was issued in connection with it. The
best cymbals, says a well-known authority, appear .to
be those used in Turkey and China. Attempts to
discover and imitate the composition of the metal
have failed, the nearest approach to it hitherto dis-
covered being an alloy of 80 parts of copper to 20
of tin.
MUSIC IN DENVER SCHOOLS.
The ratio of students in the schools of Denver,
Colo., now studying music is one in three, according
to J. C. Kendall, director of music of the schools.
Out of 1,746 students interrogated, 623 were studying
music under private instruction. Orchestra music is
preferred by 27 per cent .of the Denver children,
dance music by 20 per cent, instrumental music by
19 per cent, band music by 17 per cent and vocal by
14 per cent.
A WESTERN BAND CONCERT.
The Pacific Coast High School Band Contest will
be a prominent feature of the annual convention of
the Western Music Trades Association to be held in
July and a committee headed by E. J. Delano of
Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco, is now com-
pleting the arrangements. Others on the committee
are Daniel F. Miller, Conn San Francisco Co., Henry
Grobe, the J. H. Lee Music Co., Oakland; the George
J. Birkel Co., Los Angeles, and F. A. Sieberling,
Portland, Ore.
C. D. GREENLEAF, Pres.
•»• F. BOYER, Secy
World's largest manufacturers of High Grade Band and Orchestra Instruments. Employs 1.00P
expert workmen.
All of the most celebrated Artists use and endorse Conn Instruments.
Famous Bandmasters and Orchestra Directors highly endorse and recommend the use of the
Conn Instruments in their organizations.
Conn Instruments are noted for their sase of playing, light and reliable valve or key action;
quick response, rich tonal quality, perfect intonation, tone carrying quility, artisticness of design,
beautiful finish and reliable construction.
Conn Instruments are sent to any point in th U. S. subject to ten
DEPT. MS.
Effectiveness of Displays on the Inside of the
Store Also Acknowledged by-
Progressive Dealers.
The sight of a piece of music is often an incentive
to buy. And when the observer sees it on the music
store counter or display rack the incentive may be
immediately acted upon. In that way showing the
music prominently in the store has more direct effect
upon the prospect than newspaper advertising. Read-
ing about a certain song or piece of music may beget
the desire or intention to buy. Seeing it before one's
eyes for sale provides the opportunity to pay your
money and take the music home.
One of the prime needs for quickening sheet music
sales is effective display inside the store and in the
show windows. Progressive dealers now provide fix-
tures and racks for displays and a sheet music counter
is "paying its rent" when it is constantly covered
with music, every title of which is suggestive of the
buying desire to somebody.
Giving over show windows to displays of sheet
music is an acknowledgment of the importance of
music in the scheme of profits. Now the art and
ingenuity of window dressers are applied to the
presentation of the music in the manner that inspires
prompt purchasing.
Ed. Little, head of the sheet music department of
Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco, says that a new
publication can be made a "best seller" in a few days
by the window display process. He has often proved
it, too, with the company's own songs. And other
sheet music department managers are ready 'to verify
Mr. Little's statement that effective displays of sheet
music in show windows are powerful helps to quick
sales.
NO PLAYING CONTEST DINNER.
The Rally Meeting and Dinner called by the su-
pervising committee of the Greater Chicago Child-
ren's Piano Playing Tournament which was set to
take place in the Auditorium Hotel on Thursday
evening, March 10th, was called off. All notices re-
garding that affair may be disregarded.
Sing and Dance Real Music
That Red-Headed Girl of Mine,
That Dixie Band from Cotton Land
Let's Go, Roll Along,
It's Great to Be a Rooster—Cock a
Doodle Doo,
Meet Me Tonight in the Park Walt/
Piano Song copy 25c each
Orchestrations 25c each
Order Direct or of Local Dealer
ENGLEWOOD MUSIC HOUSE
516 Englewood Ave.
Chicago, 111.
THE FAMOUS
CLARK
ORCHESTRA ROLLS
of De Kalb, Illincufi
The Best for Automatic Playing: Pianos
Organs and Orchestrions
C. G. CONN, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind.
C. G. CONN, Ltd.
SHEET MUSIC WINDOWS
ELKHART, IND.
Whether you sell automatic playing in-
struments or not, it will pay you to
handle and be able to furnish
CLARK ORCHESTRA ROLLS
Monthly bulletins of new records. Write
for lists, folders and FULL PARTICU-
LARS.
Clark Orchestra Roll Company
Manufacturers — Originators — Patentees
De Kalb, Illinois
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/
15
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
SMALL GOODS, MUSIC ROLLS AND SHEET MUSIC
COLLECTING ACCOUNTS
Its Greatest Problem Is Not in Getting in the
Cash, But Keeping Customer
at Same Time.
The music dealer has the problem of collections to
bother him in this day of new, high-priced phono-
graphs under various names, and fancy band and
orchestra instruments represented by big figures on
the invoices. The amateurs are as anxious as the
professionals for the most perfect and, of course,
high priced brass, woodwind and stringed instru-
ments, and the transactions are not always cash on
the nail. And the bigger the business the greater is
the activity in the collection department.
Collecting cash is a far harder job than selling
tlie goods because of the considerations accompany-
ing the operation. Collecting the overdue accounts is
easy enough in itself, but to bring in the cash and
keep the customer is something else again. The law
will get the money for the dealer if that is all he
wants. • But he wants more. He wants the cash and
be wants to keep all of the customer's future busi-
ness. That's why the collection manager must be
schooled in diplomacy.
It is a very unwise collection manager who assumes
that every customer is a deadbeat if given a chance.
Most of the backward ones are merely procrestina-
tors. They may have many obligations and consider
the musical merchandise bill may be made the last
in the pile of bills.
But the dealer must consider himself. The secret
of successful installment selling lies in maintaining a
steady flow of payments promptly on due dates.
When any considerable number of accounts drop
behind, the house can easily lose money on this phase
of the business. But as cash has a way of not
coming in it is up to the dealer to make it come as
promptly as possible while at the same time retaining
the friendship of the customer.
NEW STIMULUS FOR RECORDS
Sales of Old-Type Phonographs to Foreign-Born
Customers Vastly Increases Record Sales.
A wideawake music dealer has developed a thriving
business in the old models of phonographs and inci-
dentally created a bigger field for the sale of talking
machine records. He always had a trade of a rather
steady character among the residents in three well
defined foreign sections in which talking machine
records were the principal items. Latterly he has
been developing a fairly lively business in the cheaper
radio receiving sets and in doing so found his oppor-
tunity for sales of the less expensive talking machines.
He found that natural love of music in the people
of foreign birth or extraction was his best aid to
sales. The opportunity to listen at any time to the
native songs and music of the old country quickly
allured them, so that they became eager prospects
for the really good machines at reduced prices. Many
who had heretofore only admired the music on some
neighbor's machine grasped at the new opportunity
which 'the more cheaply priced models afforded them.
The sales of the old models are beginning to have
sequels that are more pleasant than the first inci-
dents. Many people enamored by the native music
of the records are turning in the old models bought
a short time ago and buying the newest types. And
there is no problem in the store at an accumulation
of the old types. These are quickly resold and again
prepare another family to become a prospect for the
up-to-date models.
Not the machine itself, but the record, is the con-
sideration which most impresses the foreign pros-
pect. "Any of the old tunes at any time without
waiting for radio" is a very convincing appeal. The
music for 'the beloved native dances on tap for any
evening without waiting to plug in on this or that
station is an argument they readily understand. Not
only has the dealer cleaned off his own stock of old
models and other machines easily procured, but he
has vastly increased his record business and at the
same time led up to a market for the most modern
models.
MAKES WELTE MIGNON RECORDS
Musical Director of New York Well Known to
American Music Lovers.
The genius of Erno Rapee is now available to
music-lovers through the famous Welte-Mignon
Licensee Reproducing Action. Mr. Rapee's latest
recording is Christmas Fantasy. In speaking of the
Welte-Mignon Licensee, he says, "The Welte-Mignon
is the image of my playing."
Erno Rapee was born in Budapest and finished his
musical education at the Conservatory there in 1909.
Almost immediately he made his mark as a conductor
of rare ability of symphonic concerts and operas in
the principal cities of Europe. Coming
Rialto and Capitol Theatres in New York City, pio-
neers among the modern movie palaces which fea-
tured the excellence of their musical programs.
Recently when S. L. Rothafel was completing of
the personnel of the beautiful new theater which
bears his name, he secured Rapee as musical director.
The new Roxy amusement center seats six thou-
sand two hundred and fifty people and contains a
special broadcasting studio with its own pipe organ.
In addition to the organ there is to be a special
broadcasting orchestra and a jazz band.
FACTS ABOUT CYMBALS.
While no orchestra is complete without cymbals,
the cymbal seems to have either escaped the musical
inventor's attention, or defied him to obtain a patent
for it. Only one mention covering cymbals is re-
corded on the British Patent Lists, right from the
time when the Patent Office opened in 1617 up to
the year 1876, and even here it was only a provisional
patent, that is to say, no definite grant of Royal Let-
ters Patent was issued in connection with it. The
best cymbals, says a well-known authority, appear .to
be those used in Turkey and China. Attempts to
discover and imitate the composition of the metal
have failed, the nearest approach to it hitherto dis-
covered being an alloy of 80 parts of copper to 20
of tin.
MUSIC IN DENVER SCHOOLS.
The ratio of students in the schools of Denver,
Colo., now studying music is one in three, according
to J. C. Kendall, director of music of the schools.
Out of 1,746 students interrogated, 623 were studying
music under private instruction. Orchestra music is
preferred by 27 per cent .of the Denver children,
dance music by 20 per cent, instrumental music by
19 per cent, band music by 17 per cent and vocal by
14 per cent.
A WESTERN BAND CONCERT.
The Pacific Coast High School Band Contest will
be a prominent feature of the annual convention of
the Western Music Trades Association to be held in
July and a committee headed by E. J. Delano of
Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco, is now com-
pleting the arrangements. Others on the committee
are Daniel F. Miller, Conn San Francisco Co., Henry
Grobe, the J. H. Lee Music Co., Oakland; the George
J. Birkel Co., Los Angeles, and F. A. Sieberling,
Portland, Ore.
C. D. GREENLEAF, Pres.
•»• F. BOYER, Secy
World's largest manufacturers of High Grade Band and Orchestra Instruments. Employs 1.00P
expert workmen.
All of the most celebrated Artists use and endorse Conn Instruments.
Famous Bandmasters and Orchestra Directors highly endorse and recommend the use of the
Conn Instruments in their organizations.
Conn Instruments are noted for their sase of playing, light and reliable valve or key action;
quick response, rich tonal quality, perfect intonation, tone carrying quility, artisticness of design,
beautiful finish and reliable construction.
Conn Instruments are sent to any point in th U. S. subject to ten
DEPT. MS.
Effectiveness of Displays on the Inside of the
Store Also Acknowledged by-
Progressive Dealers.
The sight of a piece of music is often an incentive
to buy. And when the observer sees it on the music
store counter or display rack the incentive may be
immediately acted upon. In that way showing the
music prominently in the store has more direct effect
upon the prospect than newspaper advertising. Read-
ing about a certain song or piece of music may beget
the desire or intention to buy. Seeing it before one's
eyes for sale provides the opportunity to pay your
money and take the music home.
One of the prime needs for quickening sheet music
sales is effective display inside the store and in the
show windows. Progressive dealers now provide fix-
tures and racks for displays and a sheet music counter
is "paying its rent" when it is constantly covered
with music, every title of which is suggestive of the
buying desire to somebody.
Giving over show windows to displays of sheet
music is an acknowledgment of the importance of
music in the scheme of profits. Now the art and
ingenuity of window dressers are applied to the
presentation of the music in the manner that inspires
prompt purchasing.
Ed. Little, head of the sheet music department of
Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco, says that a new
publication can be made a "best seller" in a few days
by the window display process. He has often proved
it, too, with the company's own songs. And other
sheet music department managers are ready 'to verify
Mr. Little's statement that effective displays of sheet
music in show windows are powerful helps to quick
sales.
NO PLAYING CONTEST DINNER.
The Rally Meeting and Dinner called by the su-
pervising committee of the Greater Chicago Child-
ren's Piano Playing Tournament which was set to
take place in the Auditorium Hotel on Thursday
evening, March 10th, was called off. All notices re-
garding that affair may be disregarded.
Sing and Dance Real Music
That Red-Headed Girl of Mine,
That Dixie Band from Cotton Land
Let's Go, Roll Along,
It's Great to Be a Rooster—Cock a
Doodle Doo,
Meet Me Tonight in the Park Walt/
Piano Song copy 25c each
Orchestrations 25c each
Order Direct or of Local Dealer
ENGLEWOOD MUSIC HOUSE
516 Englewood Ave.
Chicago, 111.
THE FAMOUS
CLARK
ORCHESTRA ROLLS
of De Kalb, Illincufi
The Best for Automatic Playing: Pianos
Organs and Orchestrions
C. G. CONN, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind.
C. G. CONN, Ltd.
SHEET MUSIC WINDOWS
ELKHART, IND.
Whether you sell automatic playing in-
struments or not, it will pay you to
handle and be able to furnish
CLARK ORCHESTRA ROLLS
Monthly bulletins of new records. Write
for lists, folders and FULL PARTICU-
LARS.
Clark Orchestra Roll Company
Manufacturers — Originators — Patentees
De Kalb, Illinois
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).