Presto

June 23, 1928
11
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
UUIOS
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THE PACKARD PIANO COMPANY
3335 Packard Avenue
A LOOK AHEAD IN
THE PIAIW BUSINESS
(Continued from page 9)
real hard work on the part of the men promoting
these respective lines of business.
Piano Selling Too Easy.
In the average music business, strictly department-
ized, I do not hesitate to say that the men in the
other departments of the business work harder for
their money than do those in the piano end. The
piano dealer and piano salesman has had a soft
snap. Many of them resent having to get down to
real work.
The automobile business, comparatively a young
business, is and has for a number of years been up
against a real selling problem. The radio business,
comparatively only a few years old, is already faced
with a very acute selling pr-oblem. Here are these
commodities, new to the public and desired by them
for their homes and yet in a few years a problem of
selling has been reached. "Why, then, should the
piano business be any different? The only difference
is that it has run along successfully for so many
years, without being faced with particularly serious
selling problems except those dependent on condi-
tions of the World War.
The retail piano business did not require scientific
organization. The merchandise sold too easily. In
a comparative way the public came to the merchant
and took away his piano. Now that is all over
and the piano merchants who are surviving are those
who realize that it is over and that piano selling
calls for only as much energy and planning and
modern procedure as do other lines.
Money in Piano End.
The alert music dealer realizes that the money
end of his business is in the piano end. Other items
may come into the store to give the organization
something to sell, to get trade to drop in, to help
turnover, but the real profit is in the piano end.
The piano is one of the most satisfactory items
of merchandise sold to the public today. Compara-
tively there are few comebacks on account of defects.
There is very little service connected with the piano
as compared to other modern commodities. It is a
very satisfactory article to sell.
In the piano the public is given a greater dollar's
worth today than ever before in history. On a dollar-
for-dollar basis in comparison with any other com-
modity, the public is given something very won-
derful in the modern piano of today.
Signs of Come-Back.
A dealer who rejected the piano a year and one-
half or two years ago came in the other day and
stated that he wanted to get back into the piano
business, because he had Seen evidences of more
piano interest in the last thirty days than he had
seen in the last three years. Another man who
drifted from piano selling to the selling of real estate,
found the latter line a good deal harder and got
back into the piano business and in his first week
sold three instruments. Another merchant states
that he has more piano prospects than his salesmen
Fort Wayne, Indiana
are able to take care of. Still another says that he
has more piano prospects, more piano interest
in the last thirty days than he has previously seen
in nine months.
These arc encouraging signs, but it would be a very
unfortunate thing for the piano business if it were to
come back as quickly and as easily as all that. The
merchants who have gone along in an easy-come
easy-go fashion would continue in that same way.
There would not be the cleaning up that the retail
and wholesale piano business needs. Unprogressive
merchants, unprogressive manufacturers can continue
to hold back this business, and if renewed activity
comes too easily, it will again lull them to sleep in-
stead of forcing them to adopt more modern and
more aggressive tactics.
Developing Young Men.
It is my very earnest hope that the piano mer-
chants in the business today will give their atten-
tion to developing young men, No business can
be permanent unless new blood is being trained.
There seems to be a very foolish notion on the part
of some men in the trade that there is something
particularly accomplished about piano selling, and
that it is a hard task. There is a feeling that new
men cannot go out and put on concerts and do the
other things, particularly in connection with coun-
try selling, that bring about piano sales. This is a
very foolish notion. There are hundreds and thou-
sands of men to take the places of each and every
one of us. If we do not successfully develop and
train men it is not the fault of the young men that
we bring into the piano business, but out own fault.
We are the ones who have the responsibility. Young
men are being trained in much more difficult lines of
business. Men are being trained in lines where a
great deal more technical knowledge is required and
where the training process is one caling for years
and years of study and work, and good hard work,
at that.
There is no mystery in piano selling. Piano
merchants, even if they have had some measure of
success, are not superior beings. They are no bet-
ter than other folks. It is no compliment to them
that they have been unable to find others to carry
on their work. On the contrary, it is a reflection
upon their own ability to impart information and to
inspire others. This is a narrow, selfish view that
seems to be quite prevalent in the piano business.
I hope and believe that the piano business is on
the upgrade—that the low point in the cycle has
been passed. But I say that it will be very unfor-
tunate if the piano business conies back so quickly
that some of the unsound practices that still persist,
particularly in regard to the development of young
men, are not very greatly improved upon.
NEW GOLF ASSN. OFFICERS.
The new officers of the National Golf Association of
the Music Trades for the coming year are: President,
William J. Keeley, Kohler Industries, New York
City; vice-president, Hugh W. Randall, Bradford
Music House, Milwaukee, Wis.; secretary, Otto J.
DeMoll, O. J. DeMoll & Co., Washington, D. C ;
treasurer, Herbert W. Hill, 130 West 42nd street, New
York City; sergeant-at-arms, George W. Allen, Milton
Piano Co., New York City. The elections took place
at the Westchester-Biltmore Golf Club last week.
Adam Model-Bench to Match
IMPORTANT SALES OF
FINE KNABE PIANOS
Interesting Items From the New York Knabe
Warerooms Conclusive Evidences of Favor
for Fine Instrument by Musical People.
Two recent sales of Knabe pianos reported by the
New York Knabe Warerooms were to prominent
New York women's clubs, the Women's Town Club
purchasing a Style Y Knabe Grand in mahogany,
and the Women's Order of True Sisters, a well-known
charitable organization, selecting a Style B Knabe
Parlor Grand in ebony. Another sale reported by the
warerooms is that of a Knabe Ampico Grand, Style
B, in ebony, to Leon Errol for use in his New York
city apartment. Mr. Errol is at present starring in
"Yours Truly" and is especially well remembered for
his success with "Louie the Fourteenth."
In addition to those cited the New York Knabe
Warerooms report the following sales: A Knabe
Ampico Grand in walnut to Wm. B. Philips of J. W.
Seligman & Co., the well-known banker of 54 Wall
street. New York city. Mr. Philips purchased the
piano for use in his apartment in the Park Central
Hotel, New York, where he occupies an entire floor.
A Knabe Upright in mahogany to Mrs. Marshall
Field of 4 East 70th street, New York city.
The New York Knabe Warerooms report the sale
of two Knabe pianos to the Universal Chain Theatrical
Enterprises, New York city, one of the groups of
enterprises controlled by Carl Laemmle. This chain
builds and operates high grade movie houses in vari-
ous parts of the country. Both the pianos sold were
grands, Style A Mignon.
Recent visitors to New York Knabe Warerooms
were: O. H. Bowman and William G. Frederick of
Janney-Bowman, Inc., Detroit; J. T. Fitzgerald, presi-
dent, Fitzgerald Music Co., Los Angeles; William P.
Duff, proprietor, Duff Piano Co., Elizabeth City, N.
C ; Max Leichter, proprietor, Loomis Temple of
Music, New Haven, Conn.; A. D. LaMotte of Thearle
Music Co., San Diego, Calif.
OLD KNABE GOES STRONG.
A thirty-year-old Knabe Grand piano is still in use
in the Central High School, Kansas City, Mo. Al-
though over two thousand students are continuously
hammering at this veteran, the instrument is still in
good condition, according to D. B. Parsill of the
Kansas City Knabe Studio. The piano was pre-
sented by the Glee Clubs in Central High School,
April 28, 1897, the necessary funds having been raised
by a special presentation of the "Mikado." Although
the faithful old Knabe is used daily by the music
classes in Central High School, a newer piano has
replaced the older one on the assembly hall stage.
NEW A. P. CO. AGENCIES.
The American Piano Company, New York, an-
nounc the following additional list of dealers who
have been appointed sole agents for the American
Piano Company line: Hollenberg Music Co., Little
Rock, Ark.: Hutchinson Bros., Shreveport, La.;
Arthur Jordan Piano Co., Washington, D. C.
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