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April 15, 1925
THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD
149
71V
Representative Stock and Intelligent
Merchandising Necessary, Says Dealer
The Musical Merchandise Department Can Be Made a Real Profit-Producer if Right Sales Promotion Methods Are Practiced, According to B. A. Rose, Who Has Built Successful Business
With the ever-growing popularity of musical merchandise and band instruments with the public, the opportunity afforded talking machine dealers to develop this department of their business is a golden one. It is needless to mention the place which orchestra and band instruments hold in public favor, because the vast strides which dance orchestras have made in the past few years are a matter of common knowledge. Throughout the entire country and in many European countries American dance orchestras are daily performing for the entertainment of millions. Naturally this has its influence on the youth of the country and the dealer who is loath or hesitant about encouraging the interest in music with the young folk of his community is overlooking a source of constant sales and revenue.
Wide Field for Sales
In addition to this natural growth of public demand for musical merchandise and band instruments, countless civic associations and public school boards have interested themselves in the formation of musical organizations, with the resultant building of an additional avenue of sales for the dealer. These factors, in conjunction with the vast interest which has been engendered by radio programs on stringed and fretted instruments and harmonicas and what not, all help the dealer in making his musical merchandise department a live source of revenue.
B. A. Rose Gives Selling Hints
It might be interesting in this connection to quote the words of B. A. Rose, Conn dealer of Minneapolis, Minn., who in a statement to The World gives the reasons for his success in the musical instrument field. Mr. Rose is one of the leading retailers of musical instruments in the country and his methods of mer
chandising should carry weight. In part Mr. Rose says:
"There is no short cut to success in any line and particularly in the instrument game. The main reason we are coming into our own, after many years of struggle, is from the fact that I have been in one line of business thirty-four years, and in the same locality all that time.
"In early years I made the band and orchestra business a study so that when I went in the small goods game I not only knew the theoretical but the practical side. I was one of the first violin teachers in Minneapolis and had charge of the University band for twenty-four years. Have been closely connected with music ever since. I have been very fortunate in selecting the best agencies in all lines and have had wonderful help in all departments.
"If we receive an inquiry, and after one letter we do not get the party in the store, we go after him personally, and the prospect goes in the waste basket. We either sell him or lose him. It's the personal contact in our line that brings the business.
Carry Large Stock
"We carry an immense stock and never cut down to the minimum just before inventory. We always try to have what the customers want. One of the greatest assets in our line is one little point. We try to follow the Golden Rule and whenever a proposition is put up to us do not think first whether it will pay us in dollars and cents. In other words, it has always been our practice to furnish the property men in all the theatres with anything they want at all times. If anything happens to any of the musicians' instruments, they know they can run into our place and we will gladly help them out, and many, many times we have taken new instruments right from stock and loaned
PUNO
The Oldest and Largest Musical Merchandise House in America
Exclusively Wholesale
ESTABLISHED 1634
CBRViYO 6yS0N,lNC. 351-53FovrthAye.NewYorkCity
them until they can get theirs fixed, no matter whether they are using our make or not. I think as much of the good will of our professional people as I do of newspaper publicity."
The pertinent points of Mr. Rose's statement are few but they are important. He stresses location, practical knowledge of the products which he is selling, the merit of the lines carried, the value of personal contact with prospects, and, last but far from least, the good will of the people with whom he deals.
Bacon Banjo Go. to Own
Buildings It Occupies
Decision to Purchase Recently Made at Meeting of Board of Directors — President Bacon Broadcasts From Boston Station
Groton, Conn., April 7.— The Bacon Banjo Co., Inc., of this city, at a recent meeting of the board of directors, decided to purchase the land and buildings which it now "occupies. These buildings are admirably situated for both manufacturing and shipping purposes and the decision to own the property was made with the idea in mind of making additional improvements to take care of the growth of the business.
Fred J. Bacon, president of the company, was in Boston on March 28, and in a comparatively short period of time contributed much to the promotion of interest in the Bacon banjo in that city. In the afternoon Mr. Bacon, who is acknowledged one of the country's best banjoists, played at the headquarters of the Oliver Ditson Co., on Tremont street. In the evening he broadcast from the Boston Traveler Station, WGZ, one of the most powerful stations in the East.
David L. Day, vice-president and general manager of the company, reports unabated demands for the Bacon line, and he is energetically at work on further sales promotion plans.
Keach & Greene Open a
Baltimore Retail Store
New Establishment Located in Heart of City's Retail and Wholesale Music District
Baltimore, Md., April 7.— Keach & Greene, manufacturers of the Velvatone saxophone, who have long conducted retail musical instrument warerooms on Market street, Philadelphia, Pa., have recently opened a store in Baltimore. This new store is situated on North Howard street in the heart of the wholesale and retail music section of Baltimore. In addition to carrying a complete line of musical merchandise, this company will also wholesale from the Baltimore warerooms a complete line of Conn brass instruments.
Progressive M. I. Corp.
Announces Edwards' Ukes
The Cliff Edwards' ukuleles are now ready for the trade, announcement being recently made by the Progressive Musical Instrument Corp., New York. This model ukulele is the same as the instrument used by Cliff (Ukulele Ike) Edwards in his recording of Perfect records and in the show, "Lady Be Good." Ben Landay, vice-president of the Progressive Corp., commented on the popularity of the handpainted ukuleles, stating that this novelty has become so popular that the painted models are selling in a proportion of three to one over the regular models.