Presto

March 26, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
gree of satisfaction he gives to his employer. ket, in which the Estey figured somewhat largely
l.iut without any direct bearing upon the New York
That is so in all lines of work.
piano industry.
Nor is this any denial of the fact that occa-
* * *
The American Music Trade Weekly
Favorable comment is being made of the advertis-
sionally a piano dealer may be found who is
ing pages which have been prepared by the piano
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn neither liberal nor fair as an employer. That publicity committee of the Music Industries Chamber
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
is an individual matter to be adjusted by the •for the purpose of still further stimulating business.
salesman himself. And usually the man cap- The trade should soon feel the effects of the manu-
C. A. O A N I E L L and F R A N K O. A B B O T T -
• Editor*
able
of winning a living by commission selling facturers' enterprise. * * *
Telephones. Local and Long Distance, Harrlaon 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
is also sufficiently self-reliant and capable to
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
The Rev. Dr. Shannon can get off a good story, as
secure what is lawfully and morally his due. well as a fine sermon. His latest, about Fritz Kreis-
Entered ag second-class matter Jan. 29. 1896. at the
is retold on another another page and it suggests
Post Office. Chicago. Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Nevertheless, the article in which is told in ler,
wonderment at the lack of understanding of the music
Subscription. %2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
detail the experiences of Mr. E. C. Landon, as store clerks in Hamburg.
Payab'6 l n advance. No extra eharee In United States
M i
R t f for advertising
d t i i on
a commission piano salesman, is filled with
ba and d Mexico.
Rates
p ssessions, Cub
application.
useful suggestions to both employer and em-
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if ploye. But we can not quite accept the im-
WHAT WE WERE DOING
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen pression which is seemed to be conveyed, that
And Saying When the Trade
in the smaller cities are the best occasional covre- it is common to find either piano manufac-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Was Young
turers or piano dealers so unfair as to resort
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the to oblique methods for the purpose only of
editorial or news columns of Presto-Times.
retaining either the earnings or the advantages
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of pro- to which the commission salesmen are entitled.
45 YEARS AGO IN THE TIMES
duction will be charged if of commercial character,
(From Musical Times, March 26, 1882.)
The arraignment is too broad.
or other than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is
requested that their subjects and senders be carefully
indicated.
THE ADVERTISER'S ATTITUDE
Music dealers are showing by their methods
of presenting the instruments that they have
forgotten the old idea that music is a luxury
and that musical instruments are purchased
only when all other appropriations are made.
Music is a necessity in the daily lives of the
Address all communications for the editorial or business people and the attitude of the public is that
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
music is something it must have.
The automobile industry is selling trans-
SATURDAY. MARCH 26. 1927.
portation, the radio industry selling entertain-
ment and the music industry is selling the cul-
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press tural enjoyment that makes living more worth
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur- while. That is the basic thought on which all
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that the slogans are founded.
is not strictly news of importance can have
The more forceful attitude of the music
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they goods advertiser shows that an old fallacy
concern the interests of manufacturers or
dealers such items will appear the week follow- which permeated the music industry is no
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the longer an influence. The music industry no
current issue must reach the office not later longer considers itself a purveyor of luxuries
than Wednesday noon of each week.
appreciable by a comparatively few. Today
everybody is the music dealers' prospect and
the music goods advertiser's task is confined
THE COMMISSION SALESMAN
An article in this week's Presto-Times sug- to talking for specific instruments.
gests the complications which not infrequently
The musical instrument dealer in his adver-
arise from the commission system of selling tising shows that there is a healthy demand on
pianos. The article referred to was written by the part of the public for musical instruments
a salesman whose experiences have run and his attitude expresses the conviction that
through almost every phase of the piano busi- musical instruments have no competition with
ness. He has sold for the manufacturers and automobiles, radios, clothing, or any other line
for retailers. What he says is not altogether or commodity, because the desire for music
creditable to some of his employers and, in exists everywhere.
several incidents, his experiences may imply
misunderstanding on the part of both employe
It isn't easy to understand the law of patent rights
and employer. In any event, the recital of the by which distinction is made between similar names
salesman's career as a worker in the piano employed in trade. For instance, registration of the
name "Electrola" was denied last week because it
business seems to present the basis for caution seemed
similar to "Victrola." But a New York elec-
all around.
trical concern is doing business under the name of
"Walthal," whereas "Waltham" has been the name of
It is not easy for anyone who has had long a widely advertised piano for a great many years.
association with the piano business to believe
* * *
The item in this week's Presto-Times, in which is
that such a run of ill luck, in a vocation usually
quotation from the "Ballou's Pictorial" of 1850, is
so pleasant as that of piano selling, could be a very
suggestive at a time when we occasionally read
altogether due to the employers. As a rule the about the "saturation point" with reference to pianos.
piano dealers are fair and more than anxious It is the old habit of repeating things, and it proves,
always, that the present is largely an echo of the
to do the right thing by workers who display as
past, just as the future will be a duplication of the
adaptability and energy.
present.
* * *
.. If a piano dealer finds a salesman who.
In this inventive day nothing creates much sur-
whether on a salary or commission basis, prise.
The latest wonder in music teaching is told
makes a success of it, he is usually more than this week. It is the electrically lighted piano key-
glad to insure the continuation of the sales- board, designed to flash tiny lights to indicate the
to be struck. New York experts believe that
man's services. The commission salesman is notes
the "Yisuola" will revolutionize piano teaching.
of all workers about the most independent. He
may also be the best paid. Whether his rela-
It is fair to say that the rumors about the Estey
tions with the house are pleasant and profit- Piano Co., which have been running around in Chi-
trade have little foundation and probably sprung
able or not, must depend largely upon the de- cago
from the recent flurry in' the Philadelphia stock mar-
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Henry Tucker the well-known song-writer, died
Feb. 11 at his home in Brooklyn, N. Y. His death
was the result of brain effection. Among his success-
ful songs were "When This Cruel War Is Over,"
so popular in the early stages of the rebellion, "Sweet
Genevieve," and others.
The Shore Line Railroad from New York to Bos-
ton may appropriately be called the "Organ Route."
There are no less than seven towns on the way in
which organ-making is a leading interest.
Trade journals that have been insinuating that the
house of Church & Co. would retire from the piano
and organ trade will discover that there is a volcano
of life in the old thing yet.
35 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
(From Presto, March 24, 1892.)
Col. Levi K. Fuller, of the Estey Organ Co., looms
up strongly as a candidate for the governorship of
Vermont.
Of the W. W. Kimball Co, Mr. W. W. Kimball is
in Florida and Mr. A. G. Cone is in California, while
Mr. E. S. Conway attends to business at the old
stand and keeps a sharp eye on politics.
In these days, when many men are seeking office
with all their might and main, an instance where an
office is running around clamoring for the man, is
extremely rare. Stranger still is an instance where
the man has been pursued by an office until his breath
is exhausted, refusing it. But once in a while this
happens, and it is rare enough to warrant recognition.
A few days ago Mr. E. H. Story was nominated for
Village Trustee of the thriving burg of Riverside, but
the modest gentleman positively refused to accept,
although his election was assured.
25 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(From Presto, March 26, 1902.)
The late General Julius J. Estey, of Brattleboro,
Vt., carried life insurance policies aggregating $160,-
000 and was credited with being the most heavily
insured man in his state.
Kranich & Bach, of New York, have sent the six
pianos recently manufactured as an experiment, the
boxes of which are a light shade of green, to various
parts of the country; one to Boston, one to Syracuse,
another to Denver, and still another to Pittsfield,
Mass., where they are being exhibited.
It has been estimated that during the present year
no less than 175,000 new instruments will be placed
on the market by American piano manufacturers; the
same authority is responsible for the statement that
160,000 pianos were manufactured in the land of the
Stars and Stripes during 1901.
A CASH SALE.
I made a sale the other day,
'Twas easy as a boy at play,
Of course I thought it would spread out
To crack of doom, without a doubt.
My prospect seemed to know his mind,
And sought some minor faults to find,
Till I decided 'twould be lost
If short the time and long the cost.
Prepared for "nothing down," at last,
And getting weary very fast,
1 told how easy were our terms,
Unmatched by all the rival firms.
'Oh, well," I said, "fix your own way,
And name the price you want to pay,
I've made it low and you may buy
On any terms 'twixt earth and sky."
"That's good," he said, and pulled a roll
That looked much like a totem pole;
'Here, son," he said, "you are some dash
At selling pianos—here's the cash!"
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/