The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-14
BUMoRs OF PIANO SELLING.
whims aud Queer Requirements OF lac xpert
Buyers.


whims aud Queer R-quirrments OF Iue xpert
Buyers.
you probably have an idea" said we'll
known piano manufacturer in this city. that all
| that is necessary to sell a plano is to play
Mendelssohn's Spring Song to show the pur-
chaser what n beautiful tone the instrume mt
has and thon sign q receipt for the money. But
bless your simple heart, when your man hos
got so far that he asks you to play on the
piano the sale Is half made. II could get one
visitor out OF every ten who come In hero in
torested In the tone OF the piano would retire
from business a millionaire In a few months.
Il have been a manufacturer OF pianos for
nearly thirty years and l have had many OK
periences OF many kinds and / have found
that nowhere are the idiosyncracies OF human
nature so much displayed as in a piano ware
room. People don't know what they want or
what they are getting. They como into the
wareroom suspicious and alert. without I'M
Outstanding exactly what IL Isl that they fear.
Yes We have some queer visitors here.
Several years ago big. rough miner. with q
diamond stud In his flannel shirt came in with
his wife and two little pale-iaced children. 1t
was a bitter cold day. and the snow was nearly
q foot deep in the streets
How much dye charge fer Yer best plan
ner p he asked.
"'Oh. We have them up to sixteen hundred
dollars 1 said.
jun ping Jerusalem he cried, and before
could stop him he had bolted out Of the store.
l told the Office boy to close the door and then.
laying my hands on the heads OF the children.
l said. Madam. what pretty children you
haver oh. yes.' said she. The little boy is
and the girl is Z. They had the measles last
winter and they're not looking as well
as they might Surprising play a
for
was greatly delighted when brought
out two piano stools and seated the children
on them. Presently the door opened and the
miner poked his head in. Hurry up. Mary
he cried. What's keeping yea She paid no
attention TO him. but listened with deep inter-
est while played all the popular airs OF the
day. Several times the miner stuck his head
in and urged her to hurry. At last he slouched
back into the room and listened to my playing
His eyes sparkled with pleasure as he said to
his wife: Gee Mary. that's great. isn't ii
When / assured him that his two children
would bs able to play Just as we'll as could
after a years practice on one OF our grand
pianos he was slightly molifed and after a
while said to him Now. see here: you've
got plenty OF money. and 81 900 is nothing at
all to you. II you get one OF these pianos
you'll have everybody In your State talking
about it, Well the upshot OF it was he bought
the most expensive piano In the store. and
their toes into 1t. he took me out and trest,d
me to a drink. saying; That wuz a pretty
the cold. Have one on me-
Another man who once came in TO pur.
about 1T. He WAS from the country, and he
had read In some newspaper that piano with
eight ostaves had been made somewhere,
After lot OF questions. and when the sales
man was about to make out bill he wanted
to- Know how May octaves the piano had
piano tho salesman said.
No. you don't. the man said very decided
TO pay for EN-. The man across the street
told me his planners had eight oetaves. n. by
We argued with him Tor half an, hour try
Ing TO explain that none OF the standard makes
Insisted on The extra tso-thirds of an Octave
and we had to let him go.
On another occasion a lumbsrman came in
piano. We told him and he sEed 10 see one,
When We showed him enc no took out foot
knowingly as though no had caught Us in an
ATTEMPT 70 cheat him. he said:
No. Stree. can buy plano next door
that's inches longer and costs $500 less,
But that is not the only kind OF people We
hays to deal with. Here is another class.
One afternoon "A thin little fellow with long
gray hair came ~ here and asked US for per
mission To come into the waTeroOm after bust
ness hours with pupil or two to plaI on our
~
hard luck. Ihaye a couple OF pupils aud II /
only can find a place where | can have the use
OF a piano to teach them know that will get
more IL you will give me the use OF your
wareroom after dark may in the near future
be OF some service to YOU.
Well. II was rather an unusual proceeding.
but gayo him the permission lie asked for.
Tie seemed very grateful About TWO months
later | was returning homo from the club
rather early one night and happened 10 pass
the corner below here j noticed quite a
crowd standing in front Of our store. aud fca.-
Ing that tho place might DO anre / rushed
down the street. As / neaTed the stors /
heard loud rambling sound which. becoming
chorus. PUSHED my way through the crowd
and unlocked tie door. Well. sir the scene
that heheld takes n:y breath away even nov
every time think Off
On one OF the desks in the room stood the
music teacher iranticallY waving baton with
one hand and brushing his long hair hack sX-
citsdly with he other At twenty OF our grand
our grandest-pianos. instruments costing
al least 81 600 each sat little boys, all
pounding out the same melody in one ear
splitting ehOrus- Well the music teacher had
thriysd, but ne never came back 10 our ware
room after that night.
Not laEE ago an old lady came In and asked
u We had piano that had the curve on the
lei. side; We explained that i Yss NECESSARY
90 have the curve on the right side, as the long
more room than the treble strings which we're
on the right
That's an very we'll she said but unless
the curve 1, % the left side the piano wont o.