New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-16
STRAY NOTES ON THE PIANO.
METHODS OF MAKING MONEY WITH 1T.
SOME TRICKS OF THE TRADE AND POINTERS



obligng friend let him casually mention among
knot Of his acqualntances that his wife wants piano.
and he IS thinking seriously OF buying IT, len cn@hcs
to he will be surprised at the fcrvor WIN wnlcn
some one Of them will sympsuze with hin III h''
thoughfulness for his wlfes pleasure, ana VIII onee
and even insist first speaking to man no hpo"s
In the piano trade, right good fellow, VINO out OF
friendship for him will you have piano at rocA
bottom prices, first cost In fact, away down oei""
what II Will cost you II you go uDlntroducca among
the piano dealers and display your ignorance OF "has
good plano IS really worth You may have known
Jack for years without discovering his obging NATURE
but you regret you did not get better acqualnteh
with him before and yon think less, perhaps, OF your
former chum, who says "you would be frstcia's
chUmp TO put a lot Of good money into iangnhs
plano, TO destroy your own peace and that of your
neighbors.' You go homo and tell your wife what
knowing fellow Jack IS. and how by hts aid you can
got her the piano, much sooner than you expected.
she suggests that shc 90 along too. TO examine 10
before buying. This seems reasonable and the thing
Is settled
The next day Jack meets you, saws he's fixed tho
matter with his Intimate friend the piano dealer, who.
on OF obligations he IS under to Jack, viii
let you have a $500 piano for 300. You must como
over right and see him while he's In the humor.
You suggest that your wife wants to examine
first. Jacks bright face clouds al once. No! no
women - he answers. "They always spoil things.
Offend the man az once by looking what Is as good As
gift horse I'm the mouth. Never know when one -
doing him downright favor. II you want your wifs
along. you must 90 alone and pay fun price. us
now or never before the dealer has time 10 repent
OF his generous folly" 20 you go TO show your aD-
precaton OF Jacks kindness, and before you got away
have bought an Instrument you know nothing IN the
world about but assured IS tremendous bargain.
few days after It Is IA your house your high opinion
Of Jack changes. But he IS enjoying the fat COM
mission The piano dealer paid him for selling cheap
piano at a good figure.
WHAT COMPETITION DOES.
The only way for you TO get IS By going ard
doing likewise, IL you mean enough. Plano deal
will give you a big commission sales, for COM
petition among them is close So close in fact is IL.
that the renting Of pianos by the month forms largo
part OF the trade Of many dealers This plan Of rent
ing IS also powerful factor in the sale Of the nsrr
ment for many father OF family who could not b.
coaxed into laying out a big lump Of money for one
will allow himself 10 be persuaded into renting one for
his daughter at say - a month. After f. has been in
tho house eighteen months, he begins 10 think II IS
costing too much and talks about returning f. Vow
is the time for the young people 10 set upon him. They
have just grown fond Of II; their education surely
ought 10 count for something. and must not be neg
ected and above all, what would the neichbors
If they IL being taken away; they would be sure
to spread the that II mad been seized for debt
This last argument generally staggcrs the head Of 10
house, and that moment IS taken impress his
mind the advantageous terms that the piano agent
olfers-a liberal reduction the first price. all to
paid far 10 be considered the first payment
and tho rest to be paid in easy instaments without
interest
Tho Inevitable result IS that he comes 20 think
IL would be money saved to buy the instrument, his
daughters vote him dear, good thing and the
piano agent goes his way rejoicing to get the thin
edge Of his wedge into other family with tho
nows that "ncighbor Jones has bought plano for
u iris and v-ou ar IN horne
yours Dealers are. Of course. sometimes defraudol
by INSCRIPTIONS customers who rent pianos or buy
them long instaments but Il IS difficult 10 hide
largo article and it generally BE- tracei.
Sometimes attempts are made to hide them IN storage
warehouses, the prophetors Of which Will seldom
tell whose goods they have I'm store. In such case
a writ of rcpevin solves the doubt, but at somo
expense and trouble. It speaks well for the pros
perity Of NewYork worhngmen, Ill for their
economy, to sec the large numbers Of pianos and
organs in tie flats Of mechanics and even lab0rny
men, most Of which owned by them. ha' INK been
bought the nsament plan with the little savings
they have been able to make, In spite Of their much
abused captalistic employers who popuaily
credited with being employed most Of tho time in
concoctng schemes 10 suck the life blood7 Of tho
aforesaid unsteady inclined wase-earncr
AT PRICES TO SUIT CUSTOMERS.
Ono Of the remarkable things about piano IS ths
amount Of the reduction which a stubborn customer
the first price asked and another remarkable
thing the number of statesmen, saleswomen. shops
and factories that maintained by the sale %
article, which costs much money. lasts long has
been long before the public that there novelty
about IT, and which, II would seem first thoughts.
almost everybody must be supplied with who Intends
buying But perhaps the lack Of knowing
toner's the tendency Of most people to pay about what
they askeL and the empowering manner Of tho
urbsne salesman, who jnges tho keys with the air of
o for Ia
missions must be paid. and II dealer get S1 900
for 500 piano. Il IS good for trade. Moreover
purchasers like 70 boast Of how much their furniture
costs and why should they be denied thai little luxury
T. is claimed that tho best pianos In the world
now made in New York. and more than $4,000 ~
them were turned out last year Undoubtedly sonis
of the worst pianos in tho world made here, TOO
These thrash are not, AZ rule, marked with tho
makers real name, but receive a name which viii
appeal to local pride prejudice in the district
where they to be sold-such as "The Arhansaw
Traveller Company The Lone star Company etc,
which so materially aids in their sale that plano
worth about $50 under any other name will bring
several hundreds if a GLIB salesman properly Pc
sent the duty OF supporting home industries. Every
thing that goes 10 make up the piano is low manu-
featured In America, and the number of people who
live by making. selling and teaching the of IT, Is
legion. II Is estimated that there close to 1000
music teachers alone In New-Yegk and is suburbs
Upright pianos are all the fash on now, square
and grand proving too cumbersome for most house,,
and a. result a grand piano may be purchased at
remarkably low figures after n short and generally
harmless service Tor concert usn. Prices of course
range widely, according To make and finish. but when
$3.50 on long time II buy fairly seryccahe in-
sruncnt twenty years rs about the 2V"Iag" life of
nianoi IL would seem II almost one might hays
It. Even a dry goods sales Won docs not ind no
possession OF one SO far beyond her reach soma
of her ghhOr, mi GIN wish. along toward midnight
And then again there IS scarcely any limit IN rho
money that be spent upon decorating the outside.
fow wealthy people In this city own pianos for
which they paid from two to four thousand dollars,
but the best piano that is made may be bought in
plain case for STOO
4 CAREFUL COCK.
From The Pail Mall Gazette
Another cores rondsnt writes: Some f.w YEAR,
ago, when a boy, pair of black banams
ID. mn Lid fr.AlN nlf