Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1885 — The Way the Piano is Bought. [ARTICLE]

The Way the Piano is Bought.

“Now listen to me, and I will teach yon some points about the piano business. Yon see, every woman knows all about a piano. If she don’t someone else does, or thinks so, and is sure to tell her. There’s a cool SIOO profit to us on a S3OO piano, if we get it; but we don’t; there’s the trouble. We have so divide, , just the same as if we were politicians. A lady comes into the store and says she wants to buy a piano. After trying every instrument in the place, and having ns try them, and getting all the prices, she says: ‘l’ll not make up my mind to-day. I’ll get my daughter’s music teacher, who knows all about pianos, to come down and try them.”

“Next day along comes the music teacher, with a card wliioh says she is from the Conservatory of Music at Milan. Why, I’ve had cards enough from old Milaners here to fill the conservatory, let alone leave rootn for teachers and pupils. Says the teacher, after I’ve got over the paralyzing effect of the card, Til be down to-morrow with Mrs. Sorand-So to pick out a piano. Of course I expect the usual commission.’ ‘Yes, ma’am,’ I say, TO per cent,’ and away she goes? Next day the buyer and teacher come and pick out a piano. The music teacher doe* some heavy standing around, tries every one opened and gives her opinion as wise as an owL Of course she can't tell the difference between a good piano and a poor one. ’Cause no one but a maker and tuner can. A good toner will get ; <:> ' • *

the same sound out of a s£9o puma Ur any one canrout of the best instrument made. That is, he will ,in a place ol moderate sum, 1 “You can’t tell anything about a piano by playing on it; only whether it is in tube or not. And the more you know about playing the less you are likely to know about pianos. Yes, sir; a cheap piano will sound as well as a good one. But how long will it last? That’s the question. That’s where 'the music teacher’s fooled. She’ll nose all around inside and look at the hammers bobbing up and down, and poke her parasol at the wires and run her fingers over the keys, and that’s all she knows about it. When she’s got through wasting our time she’ll advise the lady to buy the one nearest the lady’s price, quarrel with me about getting a music stool thrown in, and that’s all We have to give her 10 per cent for doing that, and, besides, she’ll want a commission on every bit of music the lady buys.” —Piano Dealer in San Francisco Post.