Presto
Issue: 1928 2163 - Page 3
MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1928
CHANGES IN CABLE
PIANO CO.'S FORCES
Theodore Lorenz Succeeds Geo. K. Dowd as
Chicago Manager—Harley Peters, Wauke-
gan Manager; C. E. Bailey, Ham-
mond Manager.
Theodore Lorenz has been promoted to the posi-
tion of Chicago city sales manager of the retail piano
department of the Cable Piano Company, to suc-
ceed George K. Dowd,. who has resigned to enter
into business with Leonard Davis in California. Mr.
Davis is a widely known piano man who held posi-
tions in New York and Chicago some years ago.
George K. Dowd, who resigned, has been retail sales
manager of the company at Chicago for the past
three years.
Mr. Lorenz, new sales manager, entered the em-
ploy of the Cable Piano Company as an outside
salesman fourteen years ago. His zeal, enterprise
and selling ability brought him promotion to the
place of floor salesman. Later his good work again
recommended him to promotion and he was made
floor sales department manager, and this last pro-
motion makes him sales manager of the city store.
As a token of appreciation of the man a banquet
was tendered him at the Chicago City Club, Plymouth
court, Chicago, and his associates there presented
him with a handsome gold watch as a souvenir of
the esteem in which they have regarded him during
the three years that he has been floor manager.
Roy J. Cook, general manager, announces some
further promotions. Harley Peters has become man-
ager of the Cable Piano Company store at Waukegan,
111., and C. E. Bailey has been given the management
of the company's store at Hammond, Ind. Both of
these men have had previous positions with the Cable
Piano Company.
HARRY T. SIPE FINDS TRADE
IMPROVED IN THE SOUTH
Adam Schaaf General Wholesale Man Tells of Suc-
cessful Three-Months' Trip.
There is no more cheer-
ful trade ambassador in
the United States than
Harry T. Sipe, who is
now serving in his twen-
ty-second year as whole-
sale traveler for Adam
Schaaf, Inc., of Chicago.
Mr. Sipe is not confined
in territory, being general
wholesale representative
for the company from
one end of the country
to the other. He returned
to Chicago late last week
from a trip extending
over more than three
months and he is looking
cheerfully at the larger
prospective business for
the next eleven or twelve
months.
"I left C h i c a g o on
HARRY T. SIPE.
the 16th of September," Traveler for Adam Schaaf,
said Mr. Sipe to a Presto-
Inc.
Times representative this week, "and traveled
through the southeast first. After calling on the
trade in Indiana, Ohio, the Virginias and the Caro-
linas, I went clear up into the Pan Handle of Texas,
and radiating outwardly covered the entire southwest
pretty thoroughly. In both the southeast and south-
west I found business better than it was the pre-
ceding year.
"And now in conclusion I wish to say that I be-
lieve the piano business is gradually and surely com-
ing back to its old prosperity. One reason why trade
is better than it was a year ago is that the farmers
are in a much better condition than they were a year
or two ago. They are getting good prices for nearly
$2 The Year
everything they have to sell. And you know when
the farmer and the small town man begin to prosper,
that prosperity is passed on until it finally reaches
the great cities, for the sources of vitality in the
cities is frequently traceable as existing far out in
the country."
SUGGESTIONS TO
HELP THE TRADE
STEINWAY & SONS TO
ENTERTAIN BOARD OF CONTROL
Frominent Music Dealer with Long Experi-
ence In Sales of Pianos and Other Instru-
ments Presents Course He Believes
Productive of Good Results.
Incidents of Meeting in New York Next Week Are
Luncheon and Concert.
A most interesting social feature connected with
the mid-year meetings of the Board of Control of
the National Association of Music Merchants, will
take place on Friday, January 27, when the members
of the board will be the guests of Steinway & Sons
at the invitation of Hermann Irion, president of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
Shortly before noon, the members of the board
will be taken to the Long Island City plant of Stein-
way & Sons, where they will have an opportunity to
go over the plant and will be entertained with a short
concert to be given by the Steinway orchestra and
the male chorus, made up of employees of Steinway
& Sons. The members of the board will also be
entertained at luncheon during their stay at the plant.
NEW PLANS OF NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF TUNERS
Work of Last Year Reviewed at Regular Meeting
and New Policies Outlined.
The regular meeting of the board of directors of
the National Association of Piano Tuners was held
this week in Room 804, Baltimore Building, 22
Quincy street, Chicago. All members of the board
were present. Work of the past year was reviewed
and plans and policies for the future of the associa-
tion were outlined, namely:
Definite plans for National Educational Campaign
on the Care of the Piano were considered. Com-
mittees were appointed to co-operate with the com-
mittee at Cleveland, Detroit and Toledo for the Tri-
State Convention to be held in Toledo, February
13-14. Also, a committee was appointed to co-operate
with the Cleveland committee on arrangements for
the Big Silver Jubilee Convention, which will be
held in that city August 13, 14, 15 and 16.
A membership committee was appointed to carry
out intensive drive for new members during the year
1928.
POOLE PIANO COMPANY'S CARD.
The Poole Piano Co., Boston, has issued a card
announcing its removal January 1 to the new factory
at 195 Albany street, Cambridge, Mass. This is said:
"In this modern building, equipped with the latest
electric power devices, and enjoying railroad side-
track service, we shall be better prepared than hereto-
fore to serve our many dealers and friends. A larger
and finer factory salesroom, showing the complete
Poole line will be maintained for the convenience
of our wholesale trade, and all Poole dealers are cor-
dially invited to avail themselves of these facilities
at all times."
F. F. STORY ON PACIFIC COAST.
F. F. Story, vice-president and treasurer of Story
& Clark Piano Company, 173 North Michigan ave-
nue, Chicago, is in California and has called on his
brother, E. H. Story, president of the company.
Both the Storys will be in Chicago toward the end
of January to attend the annual meeting of the big
manufacturing concern. Mr. Burke, of the office,
was at the factory at Grand Haven, Mich., when a
Presto-Times representative called at the office the
other day.
/ find that the men in the industries with zvhich
I am connected gain business in proportion to the
efforts they put forth and the ability they display
in getting it.—Herbert H. Simpson, of Kohler
Industries, New York.
TRADE=IN ALLOWANCES
Limitations Suggested in Particular Cases and Rigid
Scale of Commissions in Time Sales Also
Set Forth in Detail.
A letter to Presto-Times this week contained a
suggestion to music dealers which is printed in full
below. The writer, while desiring to see the sug-
gestions in print for the benefit of the trade, was
loath to have his name appear. But his prominence
in the music trade, his ability and, long years of
service in selling pianos and other music goods, en-
title his views to close attention.
Man of Experience.
The experienced piano man points out the ''extreme
gravity" of the music trade situation and exhorts
the trade to adopt corrective methods for "deplorably
bad habits." His suggestions cover all the processes
of the retailing end of the business and are interest-
ing even to those who may disagree with them. He
believes that there should be no exigencies that
would provide an excuse for a departure from a rigid
course framed from his suggestions:
T H E SUGGESTIONS.
Limit your trade-in allowances on nationally
known, nationally priced pianos, phonographs and
radios to 5% or 10% of the marked price of new
instrument for old phonographs, uprights and players
and 15% or 20% for grands. You can do it by screw-
ing up your guts to the tightness of a new drum-
head and tensing the rubber hose backbone to the
rigidity of an iron rod.
"Pay" salesmen on a fair plan T H A T REWARDS
FOR GOOD SERVICE AND PENALIZES FOR
MEDIOCRE OR POOR SERVICE. With present
" O V E R H E A D " dealers selling nationally known, na-
tionally priced pianos, phonographs and radios can-
not afford to pay over 10% commission on pianos or
over 8% commission on phonographs and radios for
first class or "PAR SALES." These percentages are
"top" including expenses and teachers' commissions.
Below Par Sales.
Each step below a par sale should cost the sales-
man 1% and where two salesmen work together on
a sale it should be split fifty-fifty.
A "PAR SALE" is one closed by the salesman
without assistance at regularly marked prices, for
cash within 30 days, nothing to be taken in trade, no
discounts, credits, premiums or expenses allowed, no
teachers' or dealers' commissions to be paid.
Other Features.
A "BELOW PAR SALE" is one where fa) a
T I M E SALE runs over 30 days; (b) OVER TIME
SALES are those exceeding 30 months on pianos, 15
months on phonographs and phonograph combina-
tions and 10 months on radios; (c) TRADE-IN OR
SPECIAL CREDIT ALLOWANCE SALES; (d)
OVER TRADE-IN or OVER CREDIT ALLOW-
ANCE SALES are those where the amount allowed
exceeds maximum trade-in percentages of ten per
cent (10%) for used phonographs, uprights and
players or twenty per cent (20%) for used grands,
provided the allowance figure does not exceed one-
half the resale price of the trade-in.
The weekly drawing account of a salesman should
be fair and liberal but not exceed one-half to two-
thirds of his probable earning capacity, because sur-
plus earnings should always be payable the 10th of
the month.
Bank clearings in December, as reported by Brad-
street's for 127 cities were 8.8 per cent over the pre-
ceding month, and 11.4 over the month a year ago,
and were the largest total for any month on record—•
$51,795,702.
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/
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1928
CHANGES IN CABLE
PIANO CO.'S FORCES
Theodore Lorenz Succeeds Geo. K. Dowd as
Chicago Manager—Harley Peters, Wauke-
gan Manager; C. E. Bailey, Ham-
mond Manager.
Theodore Lorenz has been promoted to the posi-
tion of Chicago city sales manager of the retail piano
department of the Cable Piano Company, to suc-
ceed George K. Dowd,. who has resigned to enter
into business with Leonard Davis in California. Mr.
Davis is a widely known piano man who held posi-
tions in New York and Chicago some years ago.
George K. Dowd, who resigned, has been retail sales
manager of the company at Chicago for the past
three years.
Mr. Lorenz, new sales manager, entered the em-
ploy of the Cable Piano Company as an outside
salesman fourteen years ago. His zeal, enterprise
and selling ability brought him promotion to the
place of floor salesman. Later his good work again
recommended him to promotion and he was made
floor sales department manager, and this last pro-
motion makes him sales manager of the city store.
As a token of appreciation of the man a banquet
was tendered him at the Chicago City Club, Plymouth
court, Chicago, and his associates there presented
him with a handsome gold watch as a souvenir of
the esteem in which they have regarded him during
the three years that he has been floor manager.
Roy J. Cook, general manager, announces some
further promotions. Harley Peters has become man-
ager of the Cable Piano Company store at Waukegan,
111., and C. E. Bailey has been given the management
of the company's store at Hammond, Ind. Both of
these men have had previous positions with the Cable
Piano Company.
HARRY T. SIPE FINDS TRADE
IMPROVED IN THE SOUTH
Adam Schaaf General Wholesale Man Tells of Suc-
cessful Three-Months' Trip.
There is no more cheer-
ful trade ambassador in
the United States than
Harry T. Sipe, who is
now serving in his twen-
ty-second year as whole-
sale traveler for Adam
Schaaf, Inc., of Chicago.
Mr. Sipe is not confined
in territory, being general
wholesale representative
for the company from
one end of the country
to the other. He returned
to Chicago late last week
from a trip extending
over more than three
months and he is looking
cheerfully at the larger
prospective business for
the next eleven or twelve
months.
"I left C h i c a g o on
HARRY T. SIPE.
the 16th of September," Traveler for Adam Schaaf,
said Mr. Sipe to a Presto-
Inc.
Times representative this week, "and traveled
through the southeast first. After calling on the
trade in Indiana, Ohio, the Virginias and the Caro-
linas, I went clear up into the Pan Handle of Texas,
and radiating outwardly covered the entire southwest
pretty thoroughly. In both the southeast and south-
west I found business better than it was the pre-
ceding year.
"And now in conclusion I wish to say that I be-
lieve the piano business is gradually and surely com-
ing back to its old prosperity. One reason why trade
is better than it was a year ago is that the farmers
are in a much better condition than they were a year
or two ago. They are getting good prices for nearly
$2 The Year
everything they have to sell. And you know when
the farmer and the small town man begin to prosper,
that prosperity is passed on until it finally reaches
the great cities, for the sources of vitality in the
cities is frequently traceable as existing far out in
the country."
SUGGESTIONS TO
HELP THE TRADE
STEINWAY & SONS TO
ENTERTAIN BOARD OF CONTROL
Frominent Music Dealer with Long Experi-
ence In Sales of Pianos and Other Instru-
ments Presents Course He Believes
Productive of Good Results.
Incidents of Meeting in New York Next Week Are
Luncheon and Concert.
A most interesting social feature connected with
the mid-year meetings of the Board of Control of
the National Association of Music Merchants, will
take place on Friday, January 27, when the members
of the board will be the guests of Steinway & Sons
at the invitation of Hermann Irion, president of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
Shortly before noon, the members of the board
will be taken to the Long Island City plant of Stein-
way & Sons, where they will have an opportunity to
go over the plant and will be entertained with a short
concert to be given by the Steinway orchestra and
the male chorus, made up of employees of Steinway
& Sons. The members of the board will also be
entertained at luncheon during their stay at the plant.
NEW PLANS OF NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF TUNERS
Work of Last Year Reviewed at Regular Meeting
and New Policies Outlined.
The regular meeting of the board of directors of
the National Association of Piano Tuners was held
this week in Room 804, Baltimore Building, 22
Quincy street, Chicago. All members of the board
were present. Work of the past year was reviewed
and plans and policies for the future of the associa-
tion were outlined, namely:
Definite plans for National Educational Campaign
on the Care of the Piano were considered. Com-
mittees were appointed to co-operate with the com-
mittee at Cleveland, Detroit and Toledo for the Tri-
State Convention to be held in Toledo, February
13-14. Also, a committee was appointed to co-operate
with the Cleveland committee on arrangements for
the Big Silver Jubilee Convention, which will be
held in that city August 13, 14, 15 and 16.
A membership committee was appointed to carry
out intensive drive for new members during the year
1928.
POOLE PIANO COMPANY'S CARD.
The Poole Piano Co., Boston, has issued a card
announcing its removal January 1 to the new factory
at 195 Albany street, Cambridge, Mass. This is said:
"In this modern building, equipped with the latest
electric power devices, and enjoying railroad side-
track service, we shall be better prepared than hereto-
fore to serve our many dealers and friends. A larger
and finer factory salesroom, showing the complete
Poole line will be maintained for the convenience
of our wholesale trade, and all Poole dealers are cor-
dially invited to avail themselves of these facilities
at all times."
F. F. STORY ON PACIFIC COAST.
F. F. Story, vice-president and treasurer of Story
& Clark Piano Company, 173 North Michigan ave-
nue, Chicago, is in California and has called on his
brother, E. H. Story, president of the company.
Both the Storys will be in Chicago toward the end
of January to attend the annual meeting of the big
manufacturing concern. Mr. Burke, of the office,
was at the factory at Grand Haven, Mich., when a
Presto-Times representative called at the office the
other day.
/ find that the men in the industries with zvhich
I am connected gain business in proportion to the
efforts they put forth and the ability they display
in getting it.—Herbert H. Simpson, of Kohler
Industries, New York.
TRADE=IN ALLOWANCES
Limitations Suggested in Particular Cases and Rigid
Scale of Commissions in Time Sales Also
Set Forth in Detail.
A letter to Presto-Times this week contained a
suggestion to music dealers which is printed in full
below. The writer, while desiring to see the sug-
gestions in print for the benefit of the trade, was
loath to have his name appear. But his prominence
in the music trade, his ability and, long years of
service in selling pianos and other music goods, en-
title his views to close attention.
Man of Experience.
The experienced piano man points out the ''extreme
gravity" of the music trade situation and exhorts
the trade to adopt corrective methods for "deplorably
bad habits." His suggestions cover all the processes
of the retailing end of the business and are interest-
ing even to those who may disagree with them. He
believes that there should be no exigencies that
would provide an excuse for a departure from a rigid
course framed from his suggestions:
T H E SUGGESTIONS.
Limit your trade-in allowances on nationally
known, nationally priced pianos, phonographs and
radios to 5% or 10% of the marked price of new
instrument for old phonographs, uprights and players
and 15% or 20% for grands. You can do it by screw-
ing up your guts to the tightness of a new drum-
head and tensing the rubber hose backbone to the
rigidity of an iron rod.
"Pay" salesmen on a fair plan T H A T REWARDS
FOR GOOD SERVICE AND PENALIZES FOR
MEDIOCRE OR POOR SERVICE. With present
" O V E R H E A D " dealers selling nationally known, na-
tionally priced pianos, phonographs and radios can-
not afford to pay over 10% commission on pianos or
over 8% commission on phonographs and radios for
first class or "PAR SALES." These percentages are
"top" including expenses and teachers' commissions.
Below Par Sales.
Each step below a par sale should cost the sales-
man 1% and where two salesmen work together on
a sale it should be split fifty-fifty.
A "PAR SALE" is one closed by the salesman
without assistance at regularly marked prices, for
cash within 30 days, nothing to be taken in trade, no
discounts, credits, premiums or expenses allowed, no
teachers' or dealers' commissions to be paid.
Other Features.
A "BELOW PAR SALE" is one where fa) a
T I M E SALE runs over 30 days; (b) OVER TIME
SALES are those exceeding 30 months on pianos, 15
months on phonographs and phonograph combina-
tions and 10 months on radios; (c) TRADE-IN OR
SPECIAL CREDIT ALLOWANCE SALES; (d)
OVER TRADE-IN or OVER CREDIT ALLOW-
ANCE SALES are those where the amount allowed
exceeds maximum trade-in percentages of ten per
cent (10%) for used phonographs, uprights and
players or twenty per cent (20%) for used grands,
provided the allowance figure does not exceed one-
half the resale price of the trade-in.
The weekly drawing account of a salesman should
be fair and liberal but not exceed one-half to two-
thirds of his probable earning capacity, because sur-
plus earnings should always be payable the 10th of
the month.
Bank clearings in December, as reported by Brad-
street's for 127 cities were 8.8 per cent over the pre-
ceding month, and 11.4 over the month a year ago,
and were the largest total for any month on record—•
$51,795,702.
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).