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- Fine Furniture; 1936-11
Fine Furniture; 1936-11
- Notes:
- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It began publication in 1936. and NOVEMBER • 1936
V
JESSE BENESCH. SR.
. . . Publicly acclaimed No. 1
Furniture Merchant. (See page 30)
Two dollars a year
20 cents a copy
Grand Rapids,
M i c h i g a n
"Proof
IS IN THE MERCHANDISE
-TVV3
Federal American Junior Dining-
Living Room Ensemble
Features:
1. Cuban Mahogany, the finest known cabinet
wood used exclusively in this group.
2. Styled to meet the need of the most formal
occasions and traditionally from the most romantic
period of the South, it has a beauty and dignity
that serve a dual purpose — a beautifully
appointed dining room and by slight re-arrangement an artistic living
room.
3. No. 93 drop leaf extension converts into a din-ing
table 78" long by 38" wide, by using two 13"
center leaves. As a console table with mirror (as
illustrated) it makes an attractive wall piece.
4. No. 175 drop leaf desk table can be used as a
serving table when required.
5. No. 175 buffet serves useful purposes as a living
room piece. It was originally called a Charleston
Chest.
6. No. 175 chair may be used in living room,
dining room, bedroom or hall.
7. No. 933 corner cabinet solves the serious corner
problem.
8. By the addition of a few comfortable upholstered
pieces the perfect two-purpose room materializes.
GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR COMPANY
Showroom at Factory Only
T A K E A N Y Y E L L O W C A B
appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
FOR THOSE WHO DISCRIMINATE
MUELLER OFFERS DISTINCTIVENESS
<•=>
All furniture merchants who cater to discriminating clientele distinguish their
offerings of selected upholstered pieces with MUELLER'S distinctive line of
18th Century adaptations and Modern. The FLEETWOOD Group (Modern)
has both seating and case pieces, tables, desks, bookcases, this group being
distinctive in itself in their exclusive treatment of styling and design. Thoughtful
planning allocates this entire line in price ranges that insure consumer interest
and demand.
Founder member
G. R. Furniture
Makers' Guild
TRUE
GRAND
RAPIDS
A ?!D43 MUELLER FURNITURE CO.
6 0 0 M o n r o e A v e . , G r a n d R a p i d s , M i c h .
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
FINE FUHNITURE
DEALER PROFIT
-~\
• >.
f.v_ - - • - -
BECAUSE. . .
WOLVERINE
PRODUCTS ARE
STYLED RIGHT -
PRICED RIGHT -
AND BUILT RIGHT
Dealers who invested in WOLVERINE
UPHOLSTERY CO. line in the July
market have reordered in an un-precedented
manner. Our 18th Century
and Modern pieces, both, are being
received by the trade because they
are right—in style, price and construc-tion.
The No. 1282 chair, illustrated, is
an example. Loose down pillow back
and seat, with the latest fabric. And
of generous proportions. It retails for
$67.50.
WOLVERINE
UPHOLSTERY CO.
• GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN
FlN€ FURNITUR€
the Homefurnishing Magazine from
the Furniture Style Center of America
VOLUME 1 1936 NUMBER 7
GEORGE F. MACKENZIE. President
PHIL S. JOHNSON, General Manager
ROD G. MACKENZIE, Editor
K. C. CLAPP, Merchandising Counsel
NOVEMBER-Boiling
Wake 6
Page Nine 9
One Season With Two Markets, by Rod Mackenzie . 10
Furniture Frolics, by Ray Barnes 13
Floor Covering Manual, by Harry G. Corot 14
Merchandise Pages 15, 17 and 27
New Family Needs 24-Hour Rooms, by Ruth Mclnerney . 18
The Sketch Book, by Margaret P. Seagren 20
Retailing Tips 22
3 Factors Make Newspaper Advertising Pay, by Joe Lynch 24
Pictures for Unusual Places 25
Metropolitan Pieces 28
Shafer Defies Readers 29
For Distinguished Service 30
Homefurnishing News and Reviews 32
Published monthly by the Furniture Capital Publishing Co., 155
Ottawa Ave., N. W., Grand Rapids, Mich. Acceptance under
the Act of June 5, 1934, authorized April 30, 1936. FINE FURNI-TURE
copyright, 1936. Eastern office: 545 Fifth Ave., New York
City, phone Murray Hill 23909, S. M. Goldberg, representative,
Chicago office: 307 N. Michigan Ave., phone CENtral 0937-8,
Bassler & Weed Co., representatives. Subscription rates: $2 per
year in the United States and American Colonies; $3 in Canada
and foreign countries; single copies, 20 cents.
We appreciate your mentioning yo« saw this in FINE FURNITURE
f o r N O V E M B E R . 193G
Increase in orders-JULY
GRAND RAPIDS-96%
FURNITURE INDUSTRY-52%
These figures, recently released by Seidman
& Seidman, certified public accountants,
supply impressive evidence of the outstand-ing
leadership of the Grand Rapids Furniture
Market.
A constantly growing number of progressive
furniture and department stores find at the
Grand Rapids Market, the furniture that
meets their requirements exactly and profit-ably
. . . furniture that sets the standards in
quality and saleability . . . that definitely
leads in styling and craftsmanship . . . and
that is priced to attract both class and mass
markets.
The present mid-season Grand Rapids Mar-ket
promises to be the most important since
1929. In this market you will find the "best
buys" in furniture, whether it be for promo-tional
volume, or exclusive trade. It will pay
you handsomely.
GRAND RAPIDS FURNITURE EXPOSITION ASSOCIATION
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
FINE FURNITURE
OUTSTANDING QUALITY VALUES
• • • in MODERN KNEEHOLE DESKS • • •
No. 97
No. 101
No. 96
No. 97 — Willow-finished Walnut, five-ply Walnut top,
38 x 2 1 ^ inches, retail priee $24.70
No. 101 — All surfaces selected Walnut veneer. Three
drawer pedestal, one center drawer, top 42 x 24 inches,
retail price $47.50
No. 96 Willow-finished Walnut, five-ply Walnut top,
40 x 22 inches, retail price $29.50
No. 95 — Willow-finished Walnut, three drawer pedestals,
full center drawer, five-ply Walnut top, 42 x 23 inches,
retail price - $35.90
No. 66 — Five-ply Walnut top, ends, front and back.
Curved corner, chrome and black hardware, top 43 x 22
inches, retail price - $59.50
No. 95
No. 66
BAY VIEW FURNITURE COMPANY
HOLLAND MICHIGAN
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
3k;
•ft?
^
. « • *
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$ . $
44
. i
FINE ARTS BUILDING
Newest and Most Modern Exhibition Building hi Grand Rapids
Directly Across the Street from Pantlind Hotel
Y E A R ' R O U N D E X P O S I T I O N S DAY o r N I G H T
Your product shown in the FINE ARTS BUILDING, Grand Rapids, is on display in a "hotel" for
merchandise. Constructed for furniture display, it is the only building in Grand Rapids devoted exclusively
to turn.ture exhibits. Floor arrangement, lighting, ventilation and the hightest type of general service is
conducted m the interest of the furniture and house-furnishing exhibitors
The FINE ARTS BUILDING is in step with Three-quarters
of a Century of Progress of the Grand Rapids Exposition.
FINE ARTS CORPORATION
operating
FINE ARTS and PANTLIND EXHIBITION BUILDINGS
FINE FURNITURE
THE BOILING WAKE
Barnes, the Magician
After the liberties that nature has taken
with my physiognomy I cannot conceive
how Mr. Barnes can inflict further injury.
J. B. H., Grand Rapids.
That October Odyssey
I want to commend you highly for the
splendid article in the October issue of FINE
FURNITURE devoted to our Southwestern
Pilgrimage.
We appreciate the manner in which you
wrote this up and trust that it will show
to the furniture trade in general that this
is a group who is giving the retailers the
finest kind of cooperation in the merchan-dising
of their product.
F. H. M, Grand Rapids.
A Belated Inquiry
On page 31 of your September issue you
show a juvenile group which interests me.
Will you please have the manufacturer of
this line mail me a description of this group
with prices. E. A. B., Jr., Philadelphia.
With Pleasure
In your October copy, page 43, there is
a picture of a No. 1237 coffee table. We
would like to have more information about
this. Will you please either forward our
inquiry to the manufacturer or tell us the
manufacturer's name and address so that
we may get in touch with him ourselves.
I. C. L., Baltimore.
Customer is ALWAYS Right!
We have gone through your publication
and think it is very fine. We appreciate
your showing one of our vanities.
A. V. B., Batesvillc, Ind.
Stormy Weather
We'd appreciate more photos of furniture
and not so many faces. It will improve
your magazine immensely. Your October
number is a terrible example. Omit Shafer
also. Anon, New York.
Good Ol' Pricin' Slip
I regard your pricing slip idea as a very
excellent plan. Keep it up.
C. M. A., West Lafayette, Ind.
We certainly favor the pricing slip idea.
A. F. C, Des Moines, la.
A
Helpful Hints
The lead article in the October issue by-
Ralph Spangler of the Harbour Longmire
store, was certainly helpful. This is the
kind of material we like to get in our busi-ness
papers, as it comes from practical men
and can be adapted to our own stores. Let's
have more of them. A. B. K., St. Paul.
"Read" Hot
Dealers seem to be telling you what a
great magazine FINE FURNITURE is. Well,
I am a salesman on the road and don't
mind telling you that FINE FURNITURE
never gets old when I receive it, because I
finish it the minute I lay hands on it.
It is written in such an interesting man-ner
and so many facts of the day are cov-ered
that I find it very interesting and
necessary in my sales work. Have given
many dealers good ideas from your book.
Keep up the good work!
O. G., Cleveland.
Barnes in Again
We are in receipt of your very fine maga-zine.
After reading through it and some of
the fine articles we could not help sending
in your card for a three-year subscription.
We also noticed our cartoon on your
"Furniture Frolics" page and you might say
to Mr. Barnes that cartoons like that won't
do any harm, and that we would like to see
more of them in the coming issues of FINE
FURNITURE. G. A. S., Omaha.
Acclaim for Authenticity
Glad to see the introduction of a page
of authentic designs, taken from historic
examples in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York. I am of the opinion that
this feature is of great importance to all
factors m the furniture industry, m helping
us acquaint ourselves with correct details in
furniture design. There surely was a lot of
good meat m the October issue.
M. M. W., Los Angeles.
A
We Stand Corrected
There are two points in the Los Angeles
market story that appeared in your October
issue, which due to some misfortune, are
misstatements. These may have occurred
from misunderstanding the material sent
you.
In your first paragraph on the Los Ange-les
Mart you state: ''Owned, operated and
controlled by 300 members of the Los Ange-les
Furniture Manufacturers Association
. . . " The Mart is in fact owned and
controlled by the local manufacturers who
make up the "active membership" in the
Association. The second point to which I
refer is in the fifth paragraph under sub-head
"How Income Is Spent." It reads,
"Forty-five per cent of all rental fees is
applied to paying for the Mart. . . " The
correct statement here is "Forty-five per
cent of local rental fees is applied to paying
for the Mart."
The last issue of FINE FURNITURE as well
as other recent numbers have shown a
marked improvement over your first issues.
May we congratulate you on your magazine
which is certainly coming to the front in
the furniture publishing field.
L. B. W., Los Angeles.
Likes Ruth's Writings
That green-eyed gal that conducts your
Customer's Viewpoint section certainly
knows her women and pounds a wicked
typewriter at times. We are heartily in
sympathy with her comments in your Octo-ber
issue about the average housewife not
taking any interest in cheap, circular matter.
If a direct mail piece is worth sending out
at all it is worth the necessary time and
expense to make it attractive mechanically
and in an illustrative and copy way. Mer-chants
sending out cheap circular matter, in
our opinion, reap a very meagre return.
R. H., Thomasville, N. C.
Wheeling-Home Wail
On your "Page Nine" for October you
had an editorial entitled "Trailer Threat."
I certainly agree that this new highway
menace is also a not-far-distant voodoo for
the homefurnishing industry. How are we
going to interest people in furnishing homes
when most of the population is on wheels?
What sort of furniture are you going to be
able to carry in your store? What will the
procedure be for selling furniture in a few
years? Will a family back up to the store
in a deluxe outfit on wheels and ask you to
furnish it complete? Of course, if it's a cash
deal, that won't be so bad. But even so, I
can't see where wheeling-homes are going
to be of much help. P. J. T., Duluth.
We Want Prices
Why all the manufacturers advertising in
your interesting magazine cannot see the ad-vantage
of pricing all the suites and pieces
they illustrate is beyond our ken. When
we buyers see a piece of furniture attrac-tively
pictured in your paper, if it appeals
to us, the vital thing that interests us is
the price. In our very humble opinion the
price should be shown with every illustra-tion
and we hope you can influence all your
advertisers to use your price listing plan in
future issues. H. J. C, Houston, Texas.
Canned Releases Tabooed
Just want to compliment you on the floor
covering and fabric displays illustrated in
your October issue. This type of material
is infinitely better and of more value to the
smaller dealer than a lot of hooey issued
by wordy publicity men in the employ of
floor covering manufacturers. There were
plenty of ideas presented in those four
pages. A. G. M., New Bedford, Mass.
Those Market Dates
All this agitation about confining furni-ture
markets to one season a year doesn't
register with the buyers in the smaller
communities. Attending a market is an in-spiration
to the dealer in the smaller store
who is his own buyer, merchandise man and
general store factotem. Upon returning from
a market, and with new merchandise on the
way, he stirs up his little organization to a
high pitch of activity and increased sales
result. If manufacturers who control this
matter cut the markets down to one each
year they will find a distinct falling off in
volume from the furniture stores in the
smaller communities. Let's have at least
two market periods each year and fix the
dates so they are best suited to the con-venience
of a majority of the buyers.
H. R. L., Bowling Green, Ky.
Puff for Portfolio
Thanks for the portfolio of floor covering
and fabric displays in your October number.
These are the kind of practical ideas we
like in our business papers. And it's dif-ferent,
too, than the usual run of floor cov-ering
departments, which are so standard-ized.
Why not give us an article on floor
coverings by some man who knows what
it's all about? B. H. F., Louisville.
Pages 13 and 14 in this issue carry the
answer to B. H. F.'s question.—Ed.
l o r NOVEMBER, 1936
Readers
OF THE QUALITY GROUP •
IN the Grand Rapids Furniture Exposition the John Widdicomb Co. is recog-nized
as the leader of the quality group. This prestige has been established
over a period of fifty years, because, we believe in the purity of design, in
workmanship and that our merchandise is a definite contribution to the livable
American home.
In reviving the charmingly simple French Provincial style, the John Widdicomb
Co. has once again asserted its leadership. The integrity with which this group
has been developed •— the dresser is herewith illustrated — is typical of this
concern's craftsmanship. Beauty, meticulous in every detail, this group is sym-bolical
of our desire to furnish the merchant with merchandise that is profitable
and that will continue to be a source of credit to his store.
JOHN WIDDICOMB COMPANY
New York Showrooms, No. 1 Park Ave. Showrooms at factory, 601 Fifth St.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
FINE FURNITURE
GRAND RAPIDS' MOST POPULAR EXHIBITION BUILDING
Here you will see the lines that represent the cream of the furniture
industry. In the Waters-Klingman Building are housed FIFTY PER-CENT
of all the exhibits in the Grand Rapids Market. EVERY
BUYER who has attended the last two Grand Rapids markets has
paid at least ONE VISIT to the Waters-Klingman spaces. Why ?
Because only in the Waters-Klingman Building can he find a complete
assortment of decorative home furnishing merchandise to meet his every
requirement.
« YOU'LL FIND IT
THE WATERS-KLINGMAN BUILDING"
EXHIBITORS
ALLEN CHAIR CO.
ARCADIA FURNITURE CO.
AMERICAN AUTO-FELT CORP.
BARTON FURNITURE CO.
J. BART UPHOLSTERY CO.
BECHTOLD BROS. UPH. CO.
BOBB FURNITURE CO.
BROWER FURNITURE CO.
BROWN BROTHERS CO.
COCHRAN CHAIR CO.
CONANT-BALL COMPANY
DA VIES FURNITURE CO.
DOEZEMA FURNITURE CO.
DUTCH WOODCRAFT SHOPS
EAGLE-OTTAWA LEATHER CO.
ESTEY MFG. CO.
FALCON MFG. CO.
FICKS REED CO.
FINE ARTS FURNITURE CO.
GRAND LEDGE CHAIR CO.
G. R. FANCY FURNITURE CO.
G. R. BEDDING CO.
GRAND RAPIDS LOUNGE CO.
GUNN FURNITURE CO.
HART MIRROR PLATE CO.
HERMAN FURNITURE CO.
HERRMANN LAMPS, INC.
HOLLAND FURNITURE CO.
JAMESTOWN LOUNGE CO.
KOZAK STUDIOS
KUCHINS FURN. MFG. CO.
LENTZ TABLE COMPANY
LOEBLEIN, INC.
MANISTEE MFG. CO.
MENTZER REED COMPANY
MURRAY FURNITURE CO.
F. A. NICHOLS CO.
O'HEARN MFG. CO.
PIAGET-DONNELLY CO.
RAND-McNALLY & CO.
RED LION FURNITURE CO.
RED LION TABLE CO.
ROCKFORD CHAIR & FTJRN. CO.
SHAW MFG. CO.
SKANDIA FURNITURE CO.
CHARLES R. SLIGH COMPANY
THANHARDT-BURGER CORP.
WARSAW FURN. MFG. CO.
WEST MICHIGAN FURN. CO.
W. F. WHITNEY CO.
STICKLEY BROS. CORP.
WILLIAMS-KIMP FURN. CO.
WOLVERINE UPHOLSTERY CO.
WOODARD FURNITURE CO.
We appreciate your mentioning you saw tins in FIXE FURNITURE
f o r NOVEMBER, 1936
NINE Though other pages bare the minds
Of many men, the credit or
The blame I'll bear for what one finds
On this, Page Nine.—The Editor.
PRICES vs. PROFITS
The price situation in the furniture industry is becoming
acute and some producers appear jittery about it. Since the
July market price advances (wholesale) have ranged from
nothing to 25% and on competitive merchandise that per-centage
represents a sizeable spread. Most manufacturers
realize that for the past several years the profit column has
been so diminutive that a magnifying glass was necessary to
distinguish the figures, if any.
Prices on any type of manufactured article must con-sistently
be based on cost plus a normal profit. The idea of
arbitrarily advancing prices on furniture without those two
essentials is hardly ethical. Advancing costs of materials,
labor and overhead justify advancing prices, but such
advances must be kept under control and not be sky-rocketed
above the normal necessity.
Manufacturers who merely guess at the situation and mark
above a merited and justified advance are quite likely to
find themselves out on a limb when their merchandise and
prices are judged by competitive lines in the Markets.
ff
COURTESY, AT LEAST
Once upon a time there was a furniture manufacturer who
talked with every salesman who entered his front office,
whether he sold veneers or varnish, mouldings or muslin,
advertising or apricots. We know, because the boys who
called on him told us. So we asked the F. M. how he man-aged
to accomplish this feat during the hectic hours we
knew he kept. Readily he replied: "I can't afford not to
see these fellows. They cover a lot of territory. Meet a lot
of people. Call on my competitors. They're itinerant clear-ing
houses of ideas. Often they're responsible for creating
new styles that sweep the country. If only for a few minutes,
I see them. They're vital to my progress."
Eminently successful, this producer is no different than
thousands of other buyers. Except, that he doesn't keep men
sitting on the mourner's bench for two hours only to send
out word that he's "Not interested today."
To a salesman, time is money, bread and butter. At its
best, selling is a battering job, tough on mind, body and
soul. Those who have wallowed through the past few years
and retained a few precious ounces of guts and a smile, are
entitled to an accolade. And at least, a chit of courtesy
from the nation's buyers.
ff
X EQUALS MARKET
The Furniture Market situation has resolved itself into a
complicated mathematical equation. During the last two
decades the processes of addition and multiplication have
been potently in evidence. Now subtraction is coming into
its own and the reducing machinery has been set in motion.
It reminds us of the handsome but portly lady, who, upon
the advice of her physician, subjected herself to a very rigid
and unsatisfactory diet for three months. At the end of
that period she tipped the scales at exactly five pounds more
than when the diet went into effect. Said she: "From now
on 1 am going to eat anything my appetite craves. I believe
the Good Lord intended some of us to be fat and others
thin and far be it from me to attempt to alter His intentions."
Precedents are strong factors to contend with, trends are
generally uncontrollable. We are sitting on the side lines
intently watching the game but holding our bets in abey-ance.
Our only hope is that the decision of the referee (the
buyer) will work out for the best interests of the industry
as a whole.
ff
ADVERTISE ADVERTISING
If it can be brought home to the dealer that national
advertising is HIS advertising, that he can use it to increase
HIS profits, it will have increasing effect and value. Featur-ing
nationally advertised products conspicuously in the store
will step up sales profits and result in more advertising.
The individual dealer is generally too concerned with his
own profits to take a broad view of any advertising cam-paign
conducted in a large, national way. He is prone to
feel that the money spent in the town 100 miles distant is
wasted. He has not been sold convincingly on the idea that
national advertising, if it helps increase his profits in his
town, is bound to have the same result in stores carrying
similar products in other cities. His cue is to display his
nationally advertised products attractively, conspicuously,
thus securing attention of the consuming public.
Results are what count in advertising and sales. Principally,
what is needed are pertinent facts about the value and
power of advertising in disposing of merchandise, rather
than what it costs. If there is ten cents worth of food value
in a loaf of bread and you pay a dime for it you have
received good value and your money's worth. If a line of
newspaper or business paper advertising at two dollars pro-duces
enough in inquiries and sales to justify this expense
on a sales and advertising basis, the money is well invested
and will show on the profit side of the ledger when the
annual audit is completed.
ff
PETTIFOGGERY
IF, in these days of grading-up, super-merchandising and
rising prices, the sight of one of the country's outstanding
homefurnishing establishments promoting a "2-piece, home-spun
covered, beautifully-tailored, reversible-cushioned, carved
hardwood paneled" living room group for TWENTY-FOUR-FIFTY,
does something to our calloused carcass, imagine
what it does to the potential customer. Visualize the ebbing
faith, the surging scepticism, regardless of the fact that the
merchandise is available for "Monday only, C.O.D. orders,
limit one group to a customer," and sold in the basement
store.
Picture the dither it throws smaller competitive merchants
into, perhaps modestly patterning their policies after the big
store. Not to speak of producers of living room furniture
who know full well that such a 2-piece living room suite
can't be manufactured and sold at a profit for $24.50. What
chance has the medium-sized merchant to grade-up if his
influential big brother insists upon injecting pettifogging,
pop-gun tactics into his merchandising scheme?
10 FINE FURNITURE
ONE SEASON WITH TWO MARKETS
GOING on record with a unanimous vote favoring
a single market season extending from May 1
to August 1, divided into two periods, purported to
meet the needs of two classes of buyers, the National
Furniture Manufacturers Association closed its eighth
annual convention in Chicago last month. With the
possible exception of NRA Administration days the
1936 meeting surpassed previous ones in enthusiasm,
interest, accomplishment; sole low-note perceptible
was the small percentage of association members
attending, there being about 40% representation.
Cooperation • High-note of the two-day convention
was the adoption of the resolution reducing the num-ber
of furniture exhibitions from four to one a year.
In presenting the resolution hard-working Charles
Kirchen (West Michigan Furniture Co.), chairman of
NFMA's market committee, outlined the plan, rec-ommending
that it be adopted.
Said Kirchen: "We have worked in close harmony
with the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Associa-tion
and are assured of their support. Morgan Sim-mons
(chairman of SMFA) and James S. Lynch
(president of SFMA) have worked industriously in an
effort to achieve this change. We now have a list of
335 manufacturers who have indicated their approval
of the plan. . . . A questionnaire sent out by the
National Retail Furniture Association shows 90%
favoring a reduction in markets and 82% favoring
two markets a year, preferably January and July."
One Season—Two Shows • Kirchen pointed out
that the two types of buyers who visit the mid-season
and regular markets will receive similar consideration
under the new plan, which in reality is a two-market
system.
The resolution asks the SFMA and market associa-tions
in New York, Jamestown, Grand Rapids, Chi-cago
and High Point to take action not later than Feb-ruary
1, 1937. (Since the annual meeting the James-town
association has advised the NFMA of their
intention to cooperate in the reduction of the number
of markets.) Kirchen declared that only one manu-facturer
in the Grand Rapids area had not signed the
petition, but that this member was in favor of one
market season with two periods to be held from
November to January.
Four-show Evils • In tackling what Kirchen and his
committee calls "the furniture industry's largest
barnacle—four major markets a year," he enumerated
major reasons for discarding the present market set-up:
(1) Impossibility of designers to develop more
than a few hurried attempts at "something different"
hoping that one or two of the patterns click; (2)
Impracticality of showing new patterns before last sea-son's
numbers have reached the merchant's floor; (3)
"Closeouts" are an inherent part of furniture manufac-turing.
One market a year should reduce this evil by
at least 75%; (4) The accumulation of "close-outs" on
dealer's floor due to the manufacturer's inability to
supply necessary "fill-ins," resulting in the sacrificing
of odd pieces at ridiculous prices, forcing the dealer to
make his original mark-up high enough to cover this
loss; (5) More designs, more "close-outs," force the
By ROD MACKENZIE
Editor. FINE FURNITURE
manufacturer to produce "fill-ins" at a cost which is
practically indeterminable; (6) The making of sam-ples
is a tremendous expense and in addition retards
production.
Samples and Showrooms • Stated Kirchen: "We
aim to recognize one market a year—the date to be
determined later. This would not prevent any manu-facturer
from getting out samples as often as he chose,
nor would it exclude buyers from visiting factories or
showrooms at any time. And we do not want to give
the impression that we are trying to regulate the other
fellow's business."
Enthusiastic was the response accorded Kirchen
following the adoption of the plan. "Best move the
furniture industry has made in 25 years," shouted
ONE-MARKET RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the committees appointed by the National
Association of Furniture Manufacturers and the Southern
Furniture Manufacturers Association have adopted a plan
for reducing the number of markets a year and which reads
as follows:
"BE IT RESOLVED by the Market Committee
of the National Association of Furniture Manufac-turers
and the Southern Furniture Manufacturers
Association at a meeting held in Chicago, July 7,
1936, we recognize that the present schedule of
furniture markets is working a tremendous hard-ship
upon the entire furniture industry, both man-ufacturers
and dealers, and in response to insistent
demands of furniture manufacturers in all parts of
the country, we pledge ourselves to cooperate in
reducing the number of market seasons.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that as a solution
of this problem, the furniture industry should adopt
one market season per year, between May 1, and
August 1, divided into two periods, so as to meet
the needs of the two classes of important furniture
buyers, and
FURTHER, that the Chairman of the two above-named
committees are hereby instructed to canvass
the industry to secure an expression from furniture
manufacturers as to their willingness to cooperate
in making this resolution effective."
THEREFORE, these committees having secured the ap-proval
of the above resolution by the signatures of 335
furniture manufacturers, which number includes most all of
the leading exhibitors in the several markets, we hereby
approve of this action and recommend that such action be
taken by the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Association
and the various market associations of New York City,
Jamestown, High Point, Chicago and Grand Rapids, not
later than February 1, 1937, to make this plan effective as
of that date, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Associa-tion
of Furniture Manufacturers and the Southern Furniture
Manufacturers Association should conduct an educational
campaign, pointing out the many advantages and economies
to both dealers and manufacturers that this plan will effect.
f o r NOVEMBER. 1936 11
IS ADOPTED BY MANUFACTURERS
PURPORTED TO MEET DEMANDS OF TWO CLASSES
OF BUYERS, AFFORD ECONOMIES IN PRODUCTION—
LEADING BUYERS COMMENT ON SUGGESTED CHANGE
0. C. Hatch, Standard Furniture Co., Union City, Pa.
L. S. Foulkes, of Indian Splint, elaborated on the
economies that would be effected, which could be
handed on to the merchant and ultimately to the con-sumer,
"who we know feels the retail price of furniture
is too high."
Realizing the necessity for an educational program
among producers and retailers demonstrating the ad-vantages
of the one-market plan, a campaign of this
character was included in the resolution.
Buyers' Answer • Viewing the permutations of the
market situation from the sideline, FINE FURNITURE
asked a group of buyers for their opinions. On the
basis of returns thus far 64% are in favor of NFMA's
resolution adopting one market season yearly, 36%
show preference for a continuation of the May-
November dates, and discontinuing January and July.
Only one vote was cast approving the present four-market
system. Evidence of the interest in a change
of market dates is exhibited in four buyers' letters re-printed
here:
May — July
/ have before me your letter of October 23rd, regarding
the number of furniture markets to be held during the year.
I am greatly in favor of reducing the number of markets
and I believe one line a year is sufficient.
I notice that you advocate one market to last from May
1st to August 1st; that would mean a ninety-day market,
which is too long. I think no market should last over three
weeks at the most and two weeks would be preferable. What
you should have would be a market from May 1st to the
20th and then show the same merchandise again from July
1st to the 20th. It would be one line shown at two different
times. The May 1st to 20th market to accommodate the
large buyers; the July 1st to 20th to accommodate the
smaller buyers.
If that is not found to be practicable then I would advo-cate
two markets a year—one on May 1st and one on
November 1st. Whatever plan is adopted I believe we should
do away with four markets per year, which are a nuisance
and a hardship to everyone, to say nothing of the expense.
One Show — Better Designs
We are most pleased to reply to your letter of October
24th. We believe one market as outlined is sufficient. This
should reduce the manufacturer's selling costs considerably,
and also the dealer's costs woidd be somewhat decreased not
only in his expenses to market, but desirable furniture would
be continued in lines a longer time, thereby reducing the
close-out loss on odds and ends that too frequently has to
be taken. If a design is worth making it is worth keeping
in the line longer than is the practice at this time. We
believe both manufacturers and distributors should reduce
their costs to as low amount as is consistent with good
merchandising thus keeping furniture within reach, of the
consumer who at this time is becoming more interested than
for a long time.
May — November
In reply to your questionnaire of the 24th; the writer has
been attending the markets for over thirty years and has
always advocated two markets instead of four—one in May
and the other in November.
A large portion of the time in the present January mar-kets
is spent by the buyers in selecting summer furniture.
We hardly see how this can be done the date you mention
between May first and August of the previous year. Or how
you could drag along a market for three months, as
obviously all the live buyers would complete the work dur-ing
the first two weeks of May.
I do not think the time they have decided upon will work.
One Market
Replying to your questionnaire of October 24th relative
to the number of markets to be held each year.
1st. Four markets each year are a nuisance and more
than that work a hardship on both dealers and manufac-turers.
Furniture dealers never get much of a chance to
cash in on sales efforts, because of the rapid changes in de-sign
promulgated by the manufacturers.
2nd. The mid-season markets, that is the old May and
November markets, are good for but little except the de-partment
stores, who buy odds and ends, sub-standard mer-chandise,
to offer in August and February sales. Dealers in
furniture should oppose such sales if for no other reason.
3rd. If the manufacturers cut out so many markets, they
would need fewer designs, and if they did not change de-signs
so frequently, would not have this sub-standard mer-chandise
which they have to sell.
However, one market each year would seem like going at
it too suddenly. Perhaps we should have at least two mar-kets,
for the time being. Later, I feel sure we can go to
one market very consistently.
I am unable to see what the idea is of a market season
extending from May to August. Would the manufacturer
keep his salesmen off the road, hanging around the various
markets during that period? fVotdd I for instance, be com-pelled
to drop in any time during that period and do busi-ness
with someone I never saw, and who did not cover my
territory?
With these thoughts I want to go on record as opposing
MORE THAN TWO markets each year.
Opposing any stick uSeason" as the manufacturers desire.
Favoring, as soon as possible or practical ONE market
each year, either late June and July, as now, or in January.
NFMA Officers He-elected
President—F. H. Mueller, Mueller Furniture Co., Grand Rapids.
Vice-President—Harry C. Canfield, Western Furniture Co., Bates-ville,
Ind.
Secretary—Roy J. Miller, American Chair Co., Sheboygan, Wis.
Treasurer—Frank J. Seng. The Seng Co., Chicago.
Managing Director—Alfred P. Haake.
Assistant Secretary—J. C. McCarthy.
NFMA Directorate
KE-ELECTED
Embury Palmer—Palmer & Embury Mfg. Co., New York, N. Y.
Harry C. Canfield—Western Furniture Co., Batesville, Ind.
Robert W. Irwin—Robert W. Irwin Co., Grand Rapids.
Leo Karpen—S. Karpen & Bros., Chicago.
P. E. Kroehler—Kroehler Mfg. Co., Chicago.
E. H. Mersman—Mersman Bros. Corp., Celina, Ohio.
Nathan J. Anderson—Empire Case Goods Co., Jamestown, N. Y.
NEWLY ELECTED
G. A. Anderson—Rockford Republic Furniture Co., Rockford, 111.
Allan T. Crutcher—F. S. Harmon Co., Tacoma, Wash.
Charles Kirchen—West Michigan Furniture Co., Holland, Mich.
Allen P. Page—Williamsport Furniture Co., Williamsport, Pa.
12 FINE FURNITURE
PROMINENT SPEAKERS EXPOUND AT NFMA MEET
Included in the two-day NFMA session were several
prominent speakers:
Editor • Merle Thorpe, editor of Nation's Business,
emphasized the necessity for a better understanding
between "business" and the consumer.
A forceful speaker, Editor Thorpe declared: "In a
depression the average man seeks some concrete
'villain' to blame for events he cannot understand. It
is always possible to find some business leaders who
are unscrupulous, some wealth which is "'predatory,'
some employers who are oppressive; it's a simple mat-ter
to convince the whole business group by exposing
a few selected examples. This is especially true when
business itself remains silent, and it is folly longer to
ignore the fact that there is m this country a funda-mental
misunderstanding of business, its functions, its
philosophy, and its contributions to society.
"It is unsafe to rely upon returning prosperity or a
political change to correct that misunderstanding. That
misunderstanding will continue and will grow so long-as
business fails to speak in rebuttal. Business must
keep before the public a constructive interpretation of
itself."
Analyst • John C. Gall, associate counsel of the
National Manufacturers Association, outstanding
analyst of federal legislation as affecting business, dis-cussed
the much-disputed Robinson-Patman Act, ex-plained
its purpose.
Pointed out Counsellor Gall: " . . . In a statute
aimed at price discrimination the word 'price' is not
even defined. In a statute making differences in 'cost'
of manufacture or sale a test of legality, the term
'cost' is not defined. In a statute arising directly out
of alleged discriminations between classes of customers,
such as wholesalers, jobbers, retailers, chain stores.
mail order houses, not one of these terms is defined.
. . . The common law rule of caveat emptor—'Let the
buyer beware' has been changed to 'Let the seller and
buyer beware.' "
Illustrating the manner in which the act may be
enforced against both seller and buyer, Gall called
attention to a recent complaint filed by the Federal
Trade Commission against Montgomery Ward & Co.
and Bird & Son, linoleum manufacturers, wherein an
alleged price discrimination was involved. Designated
as apparent violation were special discounts given
members of buying syndicates who actually buy indi-vidually,
in many instances not purchasing as much
merchandise as other customers who are charged reg-ular
prices.
Sociologist • Principal address at the annual banquet
was delivered by Dr. Allen D. Albert, eminent sociol-ogist,
lecturer, vice-president of Chicago's Century of
Progress Exposition. Eloquently, Dr. Albert reported
on social changes occurring in the world, rebuked fur-niture
industry for passing up a golden opportunity
available at the Century of Progress for tying-up with
the unit-home industry, which he averred will be one
of the country's industrial leaders during the next
decade.
Appealer • Pleading for increased membership in
NFMA, and extolling its subsequent value to mem-bers,
H. T. "Tom" Griffith, Udell Works, Indian-apolis,
brought the banqueteering manufacturers to
their feet with the sincerity of his plea.
Accountant • "Social Security 'contributions' are going
to cost furniture manufacturers at least 1/4% of net
sales during the next 13 years," said Louis J. Bosse,
NFMA'S accounting chief. "Expenses involved in col-lecting
and making these payments should be added
to this amount and will increase the total cost of each
article produced. These expenses cannot come out of
profits or surplus and must necessarily be figured as
cost items, and included in the price of the article."
Dealer Aids • Reporting on a survey conducted by
the association relative to furniture merchants' interest
in dealer-aids produced by manufacturers, J. C. Mc-
Carthy, NFMA's assistant-secretary, urged producers
of furniture to give more attention to selling aids of
this type. Quoted McCarthy: "Analysis of furniture
stores show an estimated average total store business
of 39% in furniture, 15% floor covering, 12% bedding,
stoves and ranges 6%, radios 6% and electric refrig-erators
5%. Dealers are not unmindful that 'Furniture
Store' appears on the sign above their entrance. They
want to see the 39% of furniture sales boosted to a
higher percentage."
HOW - MANY - MARKETS - A - YEAR ?
July FINE FURNITURE carried an editorial on
"Page Nine" entitled, "How Many Markets?"
Once regarded as good "filler" we remarked, per-haps
with a bit of facetiousness, that as far as
we were concerned, we'd covered it for a lifetime.
But that was in July, now it's November and
we're recanting. Since then we've consulted man-ufacturers
and dealers, designers, salesmen and
doormen, regarding the correct number of mar-kets,
the most advisable months in which they
should be held.
With the National Furniture Manufacturers
Association going on record as being in favor of
a change from the present system (See resolution
on page 10), supported by a poll of the National
Retail Furniture Association, we are interested in
ascertaining how those persons feel who have not
been solicited on the subject.
The question is vitally important. Its solution
will affect every person connected with the man-ufacture
and sale of furniture. What's the
answer? Your opinion will help those who are
sincerely attempting to unsnarl this oldest of all
furniture marketing problems.
-The Editor, Tine Furniture Magazine, 155 Ottawa Ave., N. W., Grand Rapids, Mich.
f o r NOVEMBER. 1936 13
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14 FINE FURNITURE
SOIL, SOISSONS & SALES
DID you ever hear about the
salesman who sold the man-ager
of a competitive furniture
store a major appliance at regu-lar
retail price: That was Harry
G. "Adman" Corot. Then there's
the story that won a prize for
the most interesting contact with
a customer, being in effect the
sale of a complete home outfit
totaling $1500 to a woman who
lived 8000 miles distant. That.
too, was Corot. But it was also
smart selling.
Seller Corot is sales and adver-tising
manager of Rosenbaum's
furniture store, Cedar Rapids,
la.; has an ancestral background
of two sea captains, one printer.
Corot himself climbed from farm-ing
to printing, to retail furniture
selling, his first job in the later
classification being advertising
manager with Jones - Luberger-
Pratt Co., Cedar Rapids, la., m
1915, rising to buyer of floor
coverings, radio, refrigerators,
ultimately becoming vice-presi-dent
in 1927. Prior to his advent
at J-L-P Co. he had become
acquainted with furniture through
association with the furniture
publication business in Grand
Rapids.
The World War and the Sixth
Marines pulled him out of the
furniture business temporarily
and dumped him into Belleau
Woods, Soissons, Marbache, St.
Mihiel, Champagne, Argonne-
Meuse, from where he was final-ly
evacuated with slight scratches,
light gassing and a record of
having been A. W. 0. L. more
than any man in the outfit, with-out
"decoration."
Corot was born in Grand Rap-ids,
Mich., November 18, 1890,
married a Budapest girl, belongs
to the American Legion, K. C,
Ad Club, hopes to own a small
estate and live as a country gen-tleman
when and if he ever re-tires.
Hunting and fishing, how-ever,
will be "out" as far as
Country-Gent Corot is concerned,
having learned what it meant to
be "hunted" during the War,
albeit his favorite tune is "When
the Caissons Go Rolling Along."
Alexander Dumas is his choice
of authors, Rudolph Friml ap-peases
his musical fancy, while
sirloin steak fits his gastron-nomical
needs. Advocates knowl-edge
of furniture history, con-struction,
interior decoration.
Facetiously he recalls early
memories of the days of "Golden
Oak," (mis) matched dmmg
HARRY G. COROT
. . . Sold $1500 order to customer
8000 miles away.
suites, birch-mahogany "Parlor
Sets" and misnamed "Colonial
Scroll" bedroom suites. He be-lieves
that the homefurnishing
business is a social and educa-tional
force because it so inti-mately
serves the home, has a
direct influence on the social
standing of its inmates, can be
made a factor in the artistic de-velopment
and art-appreciation
of the home-makers.
MEDIUM-SIZED
FLOOR COVERING M A N U A L for DEPARTMENTS
by HARRY G. COROT
Sales and Advertising Mgr., Rosenbaum's, Cedar Rapids. la.
FOR the small or medium-size
store the matter of establishing
a floor-covering department is not
as difficult nor as much a financial
hazard as it might appear. It is one
venture that does not require an
investment demanding, in propor-tion,
an amount equal to contem-plated
sales; a large proportion of
the business can be done on the
wholesaler's investment, as "cut-order
selling" looms large in its
operations.
First of all, the dealer must not
only be sold on the possibilities
existing for direct added income,
but must recognize the profit accru-ing
to the general business by the
stimulus such a department will
give to it. The sale of floor-cover-ings
is the entering wedge into the
new home wherein new or addi-tional
furniture is a foregone con-clusion.
Closer Mark-up • He must be sold
on the policy of a closer mark-up
in the merchandising of floor-cover-ings
as compared with that of
furniture. He must realize the neces-sity
for educating some one mem-ber
of the sales force to take execu-tive
charge of the department; or
rather, encourage someone to study
floor-coverings and to make a hobby
of it, so that he can buy and sell
as intelligently in this section as in
his furniture department.
A floor-covering department can-not
be expected to run itself with
every furniture salesman attempt-ing
to sell its offerings; someone in
the organization must take the
infant under his personal care if it
is to thrive. And after you get him
interested and enthusiastic about
floor-coverings, do something in the
way of extra remuneration to keep
up that interest and enthusiasm.
Carpeting • Growing demand for
carpeting is cutting into the sales of
conventionally sized rugs to a
serious extent, and the alert merch-ant
who has been stocking only rugs
in standard sizes is missing a real
opportunity to convert this seeming
f o r N O V E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 15
1 — 18th Century
dining room group
by Colonial Mfg.
Co., Z e e l a n d ,
Mich., displayed
in the Keeler Bldg.
2 — Chippendale,
mahogany dresser,
No. 7 3 6, Holland
Furniture Co., dis-p
l a y e d in the
Waters - Klingman
Bldg.
3 — French chest
by Kittinger Co.,
Buffalo, shown in
the Keeler Bldg.
4 — 18th Century
English bedroom
g r o u p in crotch
m a h o g a n y by
John Widdicomb
Co., Grand Rap-ids,
exhibited in
factory showroom.
5 — Oak dinette.
No. 102, designed
by Percival Good-man
for Kamman
Furniture, Inc.,
Philadelphia, five
pieces, $29.90.
6 — Modern van-ity.
No. 890, by
West Michigan
Furniture Co., Hol-land,
four pieces,
$193.
7 — Twin double-deck
beds. No.
GC5000, by Gre-ilick
Corp. Chair,
No. GC7100; lamp,
GC8010; end table,
GC8011, by same
firm.
16 FINE FURNITURE
loss into increased volume of profit.
The demand today is for carpeting,
wall-to-wall, and carpets in rug
form, with the majority of style-wise
shoppers insisting upon wide-width,
seamless broadlooms.
Investment Small • The economy
of investment from stocking on a
"cut-order basis" is readily appar-ent.
No huge investment in endless
rolls of carpeting in both wide and
narrow widths is necessary. Aside
from actual selling samples a nom-inal
investment in 9 x 12 samples to
give atmosphere and adequate dis-play
is all that is needed in the car-pet
section. A complete line of
samples covering all types is not a
large investment, and much busi-ness
can be done from them. In
this connection it is suggested that
samples be large enough to show
the pattern repeat, to visualize the
space effect and to give the right
impression of weight and quality—
in other words, to stock 27" x 54"
samples and not the 9x9 and
27x18 vest-pocket swatches too
often "stocked" in the past because
of their cheapness. Rug samples are
never a loss in any event; when
they are discontinued or soiled,
they can always be sold readily as
throw rugs at a price sufficient to
cover their cost.
The small operator should have
at least two groups of wool wilton
carpets, numbering approximately
twelve to a group, showing Modern
and conventional patterns, retailing
around $4.50 and $5.50 a square
yard.
Three Frise Lines • Frise weaves
are in vogue and should be repre-sented
by three lines of samples—
a quality line employing a nine-wire
velvet construction, with a
three-and-three cotton and jute
stuffer content retailing around
$6.50 a square yard; a medium
quality eight-wire velvet with a
four-jute and two-cotton thread
stuffer back construction retailing
around $5.50 a square yard; and a
popular-priced line employing an
eight-wire, four-jute stuffer thread
construction, retailing at around
$3.95 a square yard.
Plain, solid color velvets in three
grades similar in construction to
the frise velvets, comprising about
twelve colors to a set, and retailing
at $3.50, $4.50 and $6.00 a square
yard, should adequately take care
of this popular fabric.
Figured velvet broadloom in two
qualities—one a quality fabric sell-ing
at $4.25 a square yard, the
other a printed velvet of jute stuf-fer
fabrication retailing at $1.75 a
linear yard—give sufficient coverage
for the existing demand.
"Texture'' effects in velvet con-struction
are needed to round out
the plain carpet showing. One or
two sample lines retailing at $5.00
and $8.00 a square yard are ade-quate
for this novelty weave.
Prestige Line • For a "prestige"
line a showing of a "washed" fabric
in a high pile velvet or wilton is de-sirable,
and gives to the department
a "Metropolitan completeness" that
is worth its low cost. Such quality
fabrics can be retailed from $6.50
to $11.50 a square yard.
And now for the money-makers
in the moderate price field — the
colorful axminsters! In this day
and age the lowly axminster has be-come
a beautiful fabric with prac-tically
unlimited colorings, and you
will find a large part of your sales
in this ever-popular weave. An
adequate stock would consist of one
or two lines, twelve or fifteen pat-terns
to a line, of heavy seven-wire
fabrication retailing around $4.50 a
square yard; a medium grade line
of five and two-thirds-wire con-struction
retailing around $3.75 a
square yard, and a four-and-two-thirds
"price weave" at $2.95 a
square yard.
A small stock of six or eight rolls
in the three-quarter width for in-stant
delivery in stair and sewed
carpet requirements is advisable.
Popular selling qualities are plain
and figured velvets and axminsters
retailing at $1.50, $2.00, $2.50 and
$3.00 a linear yard. Higher priced
qualities are more economically sold
and presented from the cut-order
samples m great variety.
Display • Where space is at a
premium its most economical use is
to pile folded rug samples one
upon another in racks or on tables,
rather than attempting to store
them in "display arrangements;"
obviously display arrangements
cannot be kept in presentable form
when used in selling. They are
usually left in disorder. The idea
should be to avoid attempting to
show the entire line with one sweep-ing
vista, but rather to dramatize
each presentation of a sample much
as the vendor of Oriental rugs un-folds
each gem in his collection —•
one at a time — for inspection and
admiration. A space not exceeding
500 square feet is adequate for your
cut-order floor-covering department.
If rugs are stocked, larger space is
necessary of course, and their phy-sical
requirements are too well
known to require comment here.
Patterns • In the selection of pat-terns,
both for rugs and wall-to-wall
carpeting, the most popular types
are the borderless creations. Border-less
creations in Modern designs,
hooked rug designs, plaids, leaf and
scroll forms—with Modern straight-line
small-repeat patterns taking the
lead in popularity and sales.
One of the noticeable trends is the
falling off in demand of the so-called
standard sizes. The 9x12
size does not today adequately fit
the living rooms of the newer Amer-ican
small homes. More carpets are
being sold now than ever before in
9x15, 9x18, 12x15, 12x18 and
12x22 rug forms satisfactorily to
cover space requirements of newer
homes.
Because every wall-to-wall carpet
job means more carpet yardage than
a rug for a given room, it is to the
financial advantage of the mer-chant
to convert prospective rug
customers into wall-to-wall buyers.
To do this requires a knowledge on
the part of the salesman of the prin-ciples
of interior decoration, and
the ability to convey that knowl-edge
to his prospect. Of course,
wall-to-wall installation implies per-manent
ownership more or less,
they are harder to sell, and the field
is restricted, but they are more
profitable where they can be sold.
Coordination • It is suggested that
all sections of the store cooperate
and coordinate their efforts in the
sale of each department's units, but
when it comes to the actual selling
of carpeting it should not be a
matter of everybody's business, all
salesmen "taking a shot at it." The
danger is that because of a lack of
detailed floor-covering knowledge
the sale will be agitated by the fur-niture-
minded salesman, but not
closed. The first carpet man that
gets the customer will turn her in-terest
and desire into buying action!
Some one person in the small fur-niture
store must study, master and
sell the floor-coverings, or at least
be available for T. 0. when a fur-niture-
minded salesman is flounder-ing
through the mire of measure-ments
and entangled in the mazes
of yardage, pattern repeat, color
harmony and style suitability.
A parting word about establish-ing
the new department. Make it a
distinct floor-covering section, sep-arate
and isolated from other unre-lated
merchandise.
for NOVEMBER, 1936 17
8 — Modern bed-room
group. No.
217, by Charlotte
F u r n i t u r e Co.,
Charlotte, display-ed
in American
Furniture Mart.
9 — Solid walnut
vanity. No. 194, by
Aulsbrook & Jones,
Sturgis, Mich.,
priced at $246 for
lour pieces, dis-played
in Mer-chandise
Mart.
10 — M o d e r n
dinette group de-signed
by Donald
Deskey f o r Estey
Mfg. Co., Owosso,
Mich., shown in
the Waters-Kling-man
Bldg.
11 — Bleached
English harewood
and leather Mod-e
r n bedroom
group designed
by Herman De
V r i e s for Sikes
Furniture Co., Buf-falo,
exhibited in
t h e Merchandise
Mart.
12 — W. F. Whit-ney
Co. of Ash-burnham,
Mass.,
c r e a t e d this
charming maple
bedroom group, de-signed
by Clayton
Hawk.
13 — Mahogany
toilet t a b l e . No.
3024, from Robert
W. Irwin Co. and
displayed in the
factory showroom.
14 _ Myrtle burl,
walnut and maple
Modern buffet
(and chair). No.
2119, by l a n d -
Strom Furniture
Corp., Rockford,
III., displayed in
American Furni-ture
Mart, priced
eight p i e c e s ,
$249.50.
18 FINE FURNITURE
THE CUSTOMER'S
VIEWPOINT
by
RUTH McINERNEY
Double-duty room in fur-niturp
department of
Kresge Store, Newark,
N. J., a pioneer in move-ment
to moot needs of
small family. The twin
studio couch by Sleeper,
Inc., shown in American
Furniture Mart is an
i m p o r t a n t factor in
"scaled-down" homes.
NEW FAMILY NEEDS
24-HOUR ROOMS, DOUBLE-DUTY UNITS
IT was one of their first evenings at home. The
honeymoonlight was still shining brightly in the
newly furnished three-room apartment.
"Dinner," she said, "is ready."
"Where?" he started to say, but remembered in time
that tvro should now live as peacefully as one. No
doubt, with practice he would learn how to climb into
his chair at the table without pleating himself into the
radiator, falling over the rug, collapsing against a
knick-knack rack and knocking down the drapery rods.
By Jetting out all his breath he could slide into the
chair without doing more than upsetting the water
tumblers and tipping the bowl of peas into the butter.
You see, _the folks who had designed and sold this
room's furniture still had the old idea that a castle is a
man's home.
Three families—one roof • Now then, trip along with
us to the domicile of Mrs. Wed-Many-Years. The
lady's married son and married daughter are "living
in" with her, due to the depression. Now, three fam-ilies
under the one roof mean just two roofs too few.
It is with the tact of a European diplomat and a de-partment
store floorwalker that Mrs. Wed-Many-Years
is endeavoring to keep the home fires from burning
things up. The big generous bedroom suites of furni-ture
take up all the bedroom, of course, leaving no
sitting room space. The young couples' assorted guests
may not be entertained here without feeling crowded
out. And the family living room is like a hotel lobby
as far as privacy is concerned.
Tearing ourselves away from this touching scene,
let's meet Junior, who is in high school, beginning to
feel his years, and wishes like fury that he had a den
to call his own, where he might have the fellows in
for an evening without the rest of the family sitting in
on things, where he may even serve some he-man food
when and if he chose, as he chose.
What to do • A recent survey of the families in an
f o r N O V E M B E R , 1936 19
average metropolitan area of residences and apart-ment
buildings showed that 51% of the families had
only one to three members each. About 23% of the
families were "doubled up"—another family "living in"
with them. And the rest had the problems of the
modern family of today—-grown-up sons and daughters
with desires for their own quarters in the house, free
from family influence; the guest problem and the prob-lem
of needing an extra room for recreation and game
activities.
What to do?
Scaling down • The furniture merchant has the solu-tion
in helping us plan furnishings scaled down to
modern needs—little family size furniture for little
homes, double-duty rooms, double-duty furnishings.
And so, the newest verse to home "suite" home is to
furnish the small house with small house things—
small sofa, smaller upholstered chairs, dinette sets,
smaller china cabinets, smaller bedroom suites and the
working equipment of a kitchenette all selected for
size. Space is precious in the one, two or three-room
apartment.
Storage space is even more at a premium. That's
why we appreciate plenty of drawer space for linens
below the china cabinet and bookcase-desk. That's
why even the pair of shelves and the drawer on each
end table is regarded with gratitude by any house-keeper.
Corner cabinets, hanging shelves and all kinds
of cabinets assume new importance especially if they
have versatility and may adapt themselves to different
quarters. Small families are a floating population, and
their furnishings must be able to take to a moving van
easily, too. Moving problems are tiresome enough
without having to worry about how to get the sofa
through the door. The idea of having to move over-stuffed
furniture through the windows by means of
block and tackle, a not unfamiliar occurrence in
crowded city districts, is something a housewife takes
weeks to get over. And once she recovers, does she
pass a furniture display of massive sets without a
shudder? Does she soon hurry to a furniture store to
buy furniture? Not if she's a normal homemaker.
Double-duty • And just as furnishings that mold
themselves to new rooms, genially, are prized pos-sessions,
so are those double-duty pieces regarded with
affection. I mean, tables that can produce a drop-leaf
in a hurry and seat guests comfortably, later, return-ing
to a console table role. The book-case-linen-chest-desk
unit is a worthy element, too. Sofabeds play a
prominent part in the set-up. In fact, they are indis-pensable
for the one-room, man's den, girl's room,
boy's room, and guest facilities. Sofa-beds permit us
the use of an extra room without actually having that
room. A dinette or a recreation room, with a cleverly
concealed night-time personality by means of a sofa-bed
is just helping us put one over on the landlord who
charges by the room, and not by the room-use.
Do you ever hear your customers comment in this
manner: "Oh now really, we couldn't use a great big
chair like that. We move around so much." Or —
"We're not buying our own home yet, Mr. Mer-chant.
We're just renting an apartment. Haven't you
something suitable for an apartment?"
"I have a married son living in with me. I dunno—
I was hoping you might have some ideas on the
subject —"
We come to you, dazed without end, bewildered. And
because most of us do not have a too ready imagina-tion,
model room set-ups help us visualize furniture,
more easily.
24-hour rooms • There's need for a series of "Little
Home" arrangements in which you will rave a chance
to show off your merchandise in the language of the
person furnishing a small menage — small-sized things,
plenty of storage space, double-duty pieces, considerate
use of room space, lightweight graceful pieces. Remind
us of the features of each. These mean sales points
to you — convenience features to us.
You've an excuse for staging a whole showing of
"24-hour rooms" such as one-room apartment, man's
den, boy's room, girl's room, recreation room, dinette—
all with subtle slumber identities.
Knowing that one out of the four homemakers pass-ing
your store may be puzzling about how to maintain
a house-within-a-house at home, you've a chance to
display ideas for the sitting room-bedroom, the
kitchenette.
And that's a part-portrait of the New Family and
its home furnishing problems.
Modern furnishings lend
themselves ideally to 24-
hour rooms, one-room apart-ments
and small family
arrangements. This group-ing
by Herman Miller Fur-niture
Co., Holland, Mich.,
is typical.
20 FINE FURNITURE
FAMILIAR DESIGNS, INTERPRETED
By F A M O U S DESIGNERS
Swedish ^Peasant
BECAUSE furniture of Swedish trend is enjoying
increasing popularity, this month's Sketch Book
presents a 17th Century Swedish cabinet, its commer-cial
adaptation designed by Margaret Page Seagren,
Swedish by marriage. Produced in maple, oak and
chestnut, many of the simpler forms have pieces with
painted panels, brownish yellow backgrounds with
such vivid colored decorations as red, green, blue and
yellow, the blue and yellow of the Swedish flag pre-dominating.
Outdoor people, the Swedes farmed during the sum-mer,
spent the long winter building furniture by hand.
They cut their own logs, for the most part oak and
nutwood, whipsawed them, dried them in the lofts of
their crude homes and barns, acquired great skill in
handcarving, inlaying, hammering iron.
Decorative motifs range from barbaric to biblical.
By nature peasants, often wanderers, fighters, foreign
influence is frequently traced in the varied ornamenta-tion,
including classical Greek and Roman, tudor rose,
fleur de Us. Most outdoor folk are deeply religious,
hence the carving in solid wood of biblical quotations,
prayers.
Originating source for Mrs. Seagren's inspiration is
in the Northern Museum, Stockholm, Sweden, dated
during the 17th Century, has strong French Renais-sance
influence, despite Tudor rose on pilaster bases,
with marqueterie, mitred moulding, heavy cornice.
The paneled doors and lower drawer front, carved
top drawer of the illustrated commercial buffet should
be antiqued, carrying painted ornamentation around
wrought iron pulls, while carved top drawer, structural
parts, top, take a natural brown finish with worn high-lighted
edges. Entire group should consist of credenza
board, drawtop table, hutchtype cabinet, server, chairs
with colorful upholstery. The estimated retail price on
this group would approximate $250.
TALENT & CHARM AUGMENT "WOMEN IN FURNITURE" GALLERY
MARGARET Page Seagren's
early memories of the furni-ture
business include a scarcity of
women in the industry, plus a
necessity for better commercial fur-niture
design. Joining FINE FURNI-TURE'S
gallery of "Women in Fur-niture,"
Merry Margaret brings an
enviable background of furniture
and business training.
Attending Riccardo Iamucci's and
Mathais Alten's drawing classes in
Grand Rapids she made contacts
with furniture designers, studied de-tailing
and rodmaking at night
school. Dissatisfied with the pace of
her progress, accepted position with
John D. Raab, outstanding designer
and manufacturer, who presently
encouraged her to start on her own.
Following a course in Decorative
Design at the Chicago Art Institute,
where she met George Seagren,
furniture designer skilled in archi-tectural
modeling and hand carving,
she returned to Grand Rapids and
entered the free lance business,
ultimately associating with Seagren,
c >
MARGARET PAGE SEAGREN
. . . enjoys horseracing, Hugh Walpole,
broiled lobster.
and marrying him in 1918. Three
years later he died, suddenly. From
that time on Margaret Seagren has
assiduously attended to her design-ing
business, maintaining an office
in Grand Rapids until 1932, then
locating in Lenoir, N. C.
Margaret's philosophy on which
she avers her career has been built
is that effort is always rewarded,
sooner or later. She has a daughter,
age 16, talented in drawing, who is
being trained to follow her mother's
vocational footsteps.
Like most women Mrs. Seagren
refuses to divulge her age but ad-mits
being born January 5. She is
5 feet 4 inches high, weighs 150
pounds, would rather travel and
paint portraits than design furni-ture,
despite the fortunate fact that
she has traveled extensively here
and abroad, calls horseracing her
favorite sport, Hugh Walpole her
favorite author and broiled lobster
her choice dish.
Says Mrs. Seagren: "Regardless
of the fact that I am Swedish by
marriage and my daughter has the
map of Sweden on her face, I am
sorry to say I am unable to read or
speak the language."
22 FINE FURNITURE
RETAILING TIPS .
Canvassing by Definite Leads—Sales Response to "Dressed"
Beds—Violin-Shaped Cabinet Eliminates Vibrations—First
Baby Wins—Linoleum Sold by Sample—Treasure Hunt
Promotion.
Follow-up Only
OUTSIDE effort on appliances
and other items usually iden-tified
with canvassing is now con-fined
by Harbour-Longmire to the
follow-up of definite leads only, as
advocated in the September issue of
FINE FURNITURE. Yet the Okla-homa
City store has found its sales
in departments which might employ
outside promotion to have enjoyed
healthy increases. Says J. F. Har-bour,
"Under the canvassing sys-tem,
we had too many joy riders!
Then, too, canvassing in our city
had been overdone to the extent
that it has aroused the antipathy of
housewives."
Now departmental sales groups
build carefully on leads obtained
from other customers already sold.
Clerks demonstrating washing ma-chines,
for instance, ask housewives
for the names of friends and neigh-bors,
which they invariably seem
willing to give if they are pleased
with the product they have bought.
"This gives us a basis for friend-ly
approach with the new prospect,
which is much better than if we
apply from door to door," Harbour
points out. "Salesmen can refer to
the fact that they understood from
Mrs. So-and-So that they might be
interested in a washer, and ask if
they might make a demonstration."
Most of these "approaches" of
other customers obtained through
leads are made over the telephone.
"Calls are by the sales people indi-vidually,
upon their own personal
customer list," says Harbour. "We
do not use a regular caller, but find
it best to make such calls as per-sonal
as possible as between sales
persons and customers."
The electric appliance depart-ment,
particularly the small appli-ance
"shop" recently installed on
the homewares department floor,
With inspired foot-ball
teams driving
toward the Rose
Bowl and National
recognition, Satur-day
afternoons
find the air filled
with drama. Stew-art-
Warner's No.
1731 compact,
magic-dialed table
unit will bring
these t h r i l l i n g
moments with
amazing distinct-ness.
benefits most heavily from the tele-phone
campaign. Coupled with the
fact that small electric goods were
isolated in a separate unit and that
radio and newspaper advertising
promotion were employed, the tele-phone
calls trebled small appliance
sales during the season just past.
Show Beds "Dressed"
IT pays to show beds, in adver-tising,
fully equipped! R. A.
Cuvilke, advertising manager of the
American Furniture Co., Denver,
Colo., tell why:
Recently, in a display advertise-ment,
five distinct types of beds
were shown, each fully equipped.
Copy stated definitely that only the
beds were offered at a sale price.
Response to the advertisement
was excellent, a large number of the
beds being sold. But, not a single
one was sold without mattress and
springs. Thus was each sale raised
from $15 to around #40!
Cuvilke is convinced that had the
sale bed been shown stripped,
appeal would have been limited to
the comparatively few who wished
to replace an old bed with a new
one, while continuing to use the
same old springs and mattress.
Seeing the bed complete aroused
desire for a complete new bed.
Linoleum Sold by Sample
ANOVEL platform designed for
showing linoleum samples in
proper relation to border strips is
one of the most important features
of a linoleum department modern-ization
job which has stimulated
sales on custom-built floors for Nor-ton's
Furniture Co., Fort Wayne,
Ind.
Use of the platform is dependent
on the sample display plan adopted.
Like most other departments, this
one formerly carried a stock of
complete rolls for display purposes.
Experience proved that they unnec-essarily
took up a lot of room and
were not effective from a selling
standpoint.
The large rolls were moved to
the stockroom and one-yard square
samples substituted in the depart-ment.
They are kept in wall cases
each about one foot wide. The sam-ple
is bent so the two ends come to-gether,
leaving a rounded surface at
the front which gives the appear-ance
of a small roll and shows the
pattern to good advantage.
This plan increases display space
so it is possible to show almost ISO
f o r NOVEMBER. 1936 23
\
Skilled workers lift new Grunow violin-shaped cabinet irom press which
has bent rotary cut walnut into cabinet form.
patterns. The danger of a heavy
roll falling and injuring someone
has been eliminated. Formerly it
was impossible to show a pattern to
good advantage. Under the new
plan it is shown as it looks on the
customer's floor.
The platform is an estimated 18
inches wider on each side than the
yard square samples shown on it.
In this additional space an attrac-tive
border strip shows up to good
advantage with a majority of pat-terns.
The top of the platform is
completely covered with linoleum, a
square in one popular pattern being
laid in the center and the stationary
border designs laid around it.
This provides an individual set-ting
for patterns and borders shown.
They are removed from competition
with the floor linoleum and patterns
arranged in the shelves. The plat-form
is so placed that in examining
it the customer looks away from all
other linoleum.
Vibrations Eliminated
7\ PHENOMENAL discovery, a
Z i . "Violin-Shaped" radio cabinet,
used exclusively by General House-hold
Utilities Co., manufacturers of
Grunow radios, has been made by
Peter J. Nordby, Sheboygan, Wis.
The shape of the cabinet eliminates
wood vibrations through its circular
tone chambers, thereby solving a
baffling engineering problem.
As remarkable as the innovating
design is the efficient and speedy
production method used. Since the
inception of radio, designers, engi-neers
and craftsmen have sought a
process of bending wood in such a
manner that it would not break nor
crack. Under this new patented
method, a single operation includes
the wood bending and application
of top, bottom, ribs and corner
blocks of the radio.
Nordby's creation not only proved
to be revolutionary in the radio in-dustry
but in the furniture business
as well. At present several national-ly
known furniture manufacturers
are seeking licenses to build chairs,
tables and cabinets under this new
process. One, the Landstrom Fur-niture
Co., of Rockford, 111., has
been granted a license.
In previous attempts to manufac-ture
circular cabinets and furniture,
expensive patterns and machinery
were necessary and manufacturing
processes were slow and costs were
high. Now, factory executives say,
because of the efficient and inex-pensive
production methods a
marked reduction in radios can be
effected. This also holds true in the
manufacture of furniture.
Nordby, a craftsman who has plied
his trade in 47 foreign countries and
has been acclaimed an outstanding
furniture designer, has solved the
problem through a rotary cut wal-nut,
which, even without the opera-tion
which bends the walnut panel
into shape, naturally would assume
its original circular or "log shape."
Treasure Hunt
"TNESIRING something new to
J ' arouse general interest in fall
openings, the Redondo Furniture
Co., Redondo, Cal., and IS other
local firms, offered a free theatre
party and treasure hunt. Based on
the theory that people have more
money to spend than they did a
year ago and desiring them to view
the good qualities of the new lines,
the participating firms ran full page
ads for three successive days, giving
details of the plan. The stores were
given a supply of tickets, and with
each purchase amounting to 50c or
more, the patron was given a free
ticket to the leading motion picture
theatre of the city.
As the guests entered the theatre,
each one was given in exchange for
her ticket a numbered card. In
each of the stores were several
articles of merchandise with num-bers
corresponding to those on some
of the tickets. Whenever a person
found a number on any merchan-dise
that corresponded to the ticket
he held, he could claim it free of
charge. All the merchants also
offered a number of good bargains
in their stocks so that whether a
person found his number or not a
reward was received.
Said the manager of the Redondo
Furniture Co., "Crowds milled
through the stores and up and
down the streets, comparing num-bers,
laughing, looking, and the new
lines appearing both in the windows
and in the stores were excellently
publicized. The crowds that came
the opening day told their friends
with the result that the following
day, without any special inducement
except good values and up-to-date
fall stocks, the crowds were larger
and the volume of sales greater."
First Baby Wins
ADVERTISING in the smaller
JTi. community is often made more
profitable by using a personal touch
that will arouse human interest.
New babies hold a universal appeal
and contests always invite interest.
Realizing this, the Richardson Fur-niture
Co., Chico, Cal., developed a
"First Baby of 1936" contest by
which they called attention to their
line of nursery furniture. An offer
was made of a free baby jumper
for the first baby of 1936 to be born
in Chico and thereby capitalized on
this interest in advance, only re-striction
being an affidavit from
attending physician and proof that
parents reside in Butte county
where Chico is situated.
24 FINE FURNITURE
JOSEPH P. LYNCH
. . . Advertising ceases to function when
the customer enters the store.
T^HREE things are absolutely
X necessary to make retail news-paper
advertising pay.
First. To draw attention.
Second. To hold that attention
until you have told your story.
Third. To tell your story so well
that you persuade your reader to
put your suggestions into action.
Just how well this must be done
can be judged by the fact that the
life of an average morning news-paper
is 29 minutes and an after-noon
paper 45 minutes. We have
proven conclusively by a systematic
check that unless merchandise is
purchased the day after it is adver-tised,
time, money and newspaper
space are wasted.
Impel desire • In other words, re-tail
advertising must be written to
create a desire to purchase at once,
and when you stop to realize that
you must sandwich your message
between the front page news, edi-torials,
sport page, financial page,
society page, etc., all of which takes
the reader from 29 to 45 minutes
for a complete reading—the atten-tion-
compelling force of your adver-tisement
is a big factor.
Appearance • With the current
news, prize fights, football news,
society news, special feature pages,
want ads, etc., your message must
have an appeal by its appearance
that compels the reader to stop and
immediately cement his attention on
your advertisement. If this happens
you have accomplished the first
step in creating interest. This can
be accomplished by illustrations and
art-drawn headings.
Again that veteran of innumerable sales salients, foe Lynch, contributes
from his fathomless font of experience. With an increase in newspaper
advertising space reported, Joe reminds us that the life of the average
morning paper is 29 minutes and that the afternoon journal consumes
only 45 minutes of the average reader's time. Says Lynch: "Unless
merchandise is purchased the day after it is advertised, time, money
and newspaper space are wasted." Smothered and sandwiched between
editorials, sports, society and scandal, the attention force of your ad is a
tremendous factor. Reduced prices do not necessarily assure successful
sales, even coupled with good advertising, because, as Lynch points
out, "Advertising ceases to function the moment the customer comes
into the store."
3 FACTORS
MAKE NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING PAY
. . . Says Joe Lynch
Attention • This next step is to
hold this interest. This can be
accomplished by connecting the art
cut or headline with your caption.
The cut and caption should be so
designed as to be part of the edi-torial
in a long, unbroken sentence
so that the reader will be carried on
to a complete reading of your ad-vertisement.
As an example: In a
campaign we conducted for a large
furniture store in a city of 600,000
people we used $5020 in daily news-paper
space over a period of nine
days. Of this amount $1379 or 729
inches of newspaper space was de-voted
to art-drawn cuts made espe-cially
for the campaign. The adver-tising
expense was 2/^% of total
sales.
Here's how • Now let's see if the
campaign paid. This furniture store
sells in the neighborhood of $1,500,-
000 in one year, having been estab-lished
for 42 years and recognized
as the largest exclusive furniture
house in the country.
On the opening day of our cam-paign
with the above advertising
we sold $53,073.34 or at the rate of
$15,000,000 a year. In a nine-day
campaign we sold $206,574.48 or at
the rate of $6,800,000 a year.
On the opening day of the cam-paign
we sold 101 of a certain make
washing machine before 2 p. m. We
devoted three columns, two and one-half
inches deep, to the item in a
big double-page advertisement. In
this same advertisement we devoted
two columns wide, two inches deep
to stoves and ranges. On the open-ing
day we sold 65 stoves. You
might say that the prices were re-duced.
We admit quite frankly that
prices were reduced from 5% to
10%, but that together with the ad-vertising
would not have made this
sale a success, because advertising
ceases to function the moment the
customer comes to the store. The
selling of the merchandise adver-tised
is up to the display of the
merchandise and salesmanship with-in
the store.
SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING
MEN KNOW
Successful advertising men who
through actual experience know the
ways of gaining public confidence,
apply certain definite principles to their
advertising. They tell their story from
the reader's viewpoint—they put them-selves
in the background, and tell their
story clearly, simply, convincingly and
truthfully.
They know that they, like the reader,
are an average customer. They know
that if the advertising does not create
interest, confidence and action within
themselves that it is not good adver-tising.
They know that the purpose of
advertising is to create demand—to sell
goods — to build good will — to make
profits — and not merely to inform.
EVERY RETAILER should study his
advertising — the ideas behind it — its
costs in percentage to sales volume —
and to blend it with window display—
merchandise displays — and see to it
that before it appears in print its
purpose and what he expects to accom-plish
with it has been explained to
every employe of the store. For, remem-ber,
the greatest selling asset, business
builder and profit maker is your adver-tising,
and it should never be considered
as anything but a good and necessary
investment in insurance for immediate
and future profits. J. P. L.
f o r N O V E M B E R . 1 9 3 6 25
PICTURES
for
UNUSUAL
PLACES
^
Nationally known artist dis-plays
a creation at the Amer-ican
Furniture Mart. Water
colors for wall decorative pur-poses
aio gaining in popu-larity
and sales and have
been greatly increased by
suggesting such pictures for
use in kitchens, bathrooms,
door-panolK and other over-looked
places.
EVERY wall in every room, how-ever
humble, is entitled to
respect!"
With that theory, the Broadway
Department Store, Inc., Los Ange-les,
has greatly increased the sale
of pictures for use in unusual
places.
A. H. Randall, buyer for the pic-ture
department, sees volume in
picture sales through this broaden-ing
of the use of pictures.
For instance, behold the kitchen!
Few people have thought of kitchen
walls as places for pictures, but in
various demonstrations houses fur-nished
by the Broadway, pictures
are featured conspicuously in all
kitchens.
"Personally," says L. G. Shatney,
the store's interior decorator, "I do
not favor great splashes of color in
kitchen linoleum, nor do I care for
colorful decorative tile in the kit-chen.
I want a plain background.
I put in color through the use of
curtains, contrasting shelving, china
and other dishes, utensils, and more
important yet, pictures!
"The kitchen usually is not a
place for large pictures, but I use
two 8x10 above the sink in many
instances, and the recess between
the upper and lower sections of the
cupboard gives space for two small
pictures, say 3 or 4 inches square.
"In most kitchens there is the
narrow perpendicular space between
the stove and the broom closet.
Why let this space remain plain
and unattractive? I have used as
many as nine pictures, each 3 inches
square, one above the other in a
symetrical, perpendicular row. We
have had many compliments on this
little idea ! People like it immensely
once they get used to it and once
the real purpose of pictures comes
home to them.
Themes • "As to themes for kitchen
pictures we do best with florals and
cut-outs. Pictures of famous pieces
of china done in natural colors,
usually 3-inch, work in splendidly.
On Door Panels • Shatney believes
in using pictures on door panels—
that is, on doors that lead into
closets and do not have two-way
traffic. "Such a door," he declares,
"is little more than an ugly square,
unattractive unit! On such doors I
like to place from two to four
botany prints, say 15 inches wide.
Can anyone tell me why not? In
my own home all such doors are so
improved and in our demonstration
houses we have won many compli-ments
and incidentally made many
sales by this plan.
In Bathrooms • "We are selling a
good many pictures for bathrooms
nowadays following such displays
in demonstration houses and in
model rooms. For this purpose I
first of all prefer colorful maps,
framed and glazed. I might say
that these may be of various sizes
and should, I think, have a definite
meaning to the owner of the home,
preferably maps of places he has
visited."
Living Room Mantels • Getting
back to the living room, Shatney
finds several overlooked uses for
pictures. The fireplace to him is a
magic spot and theme pictures have
a place there as well as smaller
florals.
"I often find it wise to place a
horizontal row of small oval pic-tures
just below the shelf of the
mantel and just above the line
where the detail work begins. There
is a vacant space there and it is at
the eye level of a person seated be-fore
the fire.
"We have no hesitancy about
grouping a large number of pictures
on a wall. W7e place as many as
nine in a group. Such groups admit
of different arrangements. They
sometimes are placed in conven-tional
straight rows — sometimes
diagonally. Straight perpendicular
rows are good when the space per-mits
of such treatment.
"From the merchandising angle
the idea is pictures and more pic-tures.
There is no excuse for an
ugly space on any wall. Every wall
is entitled to respect."
26 FINE FURNITURE
New appreciation • As evidence
that the American public has learned
to appreciate good pictures during
the past few years, witness the
phenomenal increase of etchings in
the department stores. Smart buy-ers
search endlessly for suitable pic-tures
and frames to tie in with the
new trends in American home dec-oration.
Not so long ago, good
pictures were not within reach of
the average customer, but due to
improved methods of reproduction,
color fidelity and satisfactory tex-ture,
decorations of this nature now
are available to the most modest
pocketbook.
Your picture section can be made
a profitable member of your store,
providing it is not left to run itself.
It requires merchandising, adver-tising
and selling just as any other
department.
Profitable possibility • In selecting
stock for this department select
regular sizes, avoid irregular shapes.
Keep a well-balanced stock of ovals
as they are important factors m
Early American or Victorian set-tings,
when used for old photo-graphs
and prints, silhouettes and
needlework. For the Modern sophis-ticate
carry a supply of narrow
white or silver framed, wide matted
items, suitable for displaying con-temporary
decorative prints. And
check constantly with woods and
finishes in prevailing furniture
styles, occasionally displaying fur-niture
in your department demon-strating
the relationship between the
materials in the furniture and pic-ture
frames, affording the salesman
an opportunity to promote new
ideas in frames.
There's a genuine opportunity for
profit in a well-handled, correctly-stocked,
merchandised picture de-partment.
MERCHANDISE ILLUSTRATED ON PAGE 27
Six interesting Currier &
Ives prints, in full color,
10% x 16% inches, pack-ed
in attractive box,
suitable for Christinas
selling, retailing at $1.
15—Cabinet-stand, No. 1321, by Imperial
Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, top
14 x 20, 26 inches high, shown in
factory showroom.
16—Kneehole desk. No. 1476, leather
drawer fronts, top 23 x 46 inches,
manufactured by the Colonial Desk
Co., Rockford, 111., displayed in Mer-chandise
Mart, priced at $82.
17—Bookcase cabinet. No. 7278, 19x11,
54 inches high, by Ferguson Bros.,
Hoboken, N. J., exhibited in Amer-ican
Furniture Mart.
18—Triangular, piecrust table, top 14x22,
18 inches high, carved legs, brass
shoes, in mahogany or walnut,
priced at $11, made by Wood Prod-ucts
Corp., Grand Rapids, displayed
in the Keeler Bldg.
19—Mahogany and maple or walnut
and maple nest of tables. No. 1860,
top 22x14, 24 inches high, priced
at $15.50, made by the Hekman
Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, dis-played
in Waters-Klingman Bldg.
20—Drum table in mahogany. No. 3649,
by Brandt Cabinet Works, Hagers-town,
Md., priced at $23, shown in
Merchandise Mart.
21—Corner group. No. 4585, by E.
Weiner Co., Milwaukee, displayed
in American Furniture Mart.
22—Type-table Winthrop secretary. No.
524, with portable typewriter com-partment
in top drawer of base, 33
inches wide, 80 inches high, priced
at $48, made by Northwestern Cab-inet
Co., Burlington, la., displayed
in Merchandise Mart.
23—Ralph Morse Furniture Co., Grand
Rapids, makes the Modern chair.
No. 13581/2. displayed in the Keeler
Bldg.
24—Nest of tables by Brandt Cabinet
Works, No. 3582, priced at $19.50.
displayed in the Merchandise Mart.
25—Wolverine Furniture Co., Grand
Rapids, makes the davenport. No.
385, shown in ihe Waters-Klingman
Bldg.
26—Georgian kneehole desk by Bay
View Furniture Co., Holland, No.
83, top 48V2 x 25y2 inches, priced at
$79.50. displayed in American Fur-niture
Mart.
i o r N O V E M B E R . 193G 27
•Hi?
28 FINE FURNITURE
HISTORIC EXAMPLES from the
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
AS an aid to the stimulation of interest in American
furniture and an appreciation of historically correct
details, FINE FURNITURE inaugurated this page of
Metropolitan pieces last month through the courtesy
of Richard F. Bach.
While much of the 18th Century American furniture
was adapted from prevailing styles in England, many
cabinetmakers and upholsterers were plying their
trades in various manufacturing centers in this country.
The pieces illustrated represent (1) a mahogany
sideboard, early Georgian period, 1730-40; (2) a
mahogany mixing table, Sheraton influence, inlaid with
satinwood, Baltimore about 1800; (3) mahogany on
pine sideboard, oval handles of Sheffield plate, 18th
Century American; (4) mahogany sideboard, Sheraton
influence, American 18th Century.
f o r N O V E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 29
E X T R A ! SHAFER DEFIES READERS
"LAZIEST HUMORIST IN THE WORLD" DEFENDS SOVERIGN RIGHTS
out and demanded:
"Now, when are you goin' t'
down t' Roody's I"
git
CHET SHAFER
. . . "I'll get down to Roody's when—"
Three Rivers, Mich., Nov. (Special
dispatch to FINE FURNITURE). The
other day in an unguarded moment
I visited Grand Rapids to discover
that there are certain disgruntled
readers of FINE FURNITURE who are
siding in with Edcutter Mackenzie
—and are demanding that I shake
a leg and get down to Roody Cul-ver's
Undertaking Parlors & Furni-ture
Emporium.
Wooditor Mackenzie told me this
himself in the privacy of his new
editorial sanctum and he came right
Irk-Irk • For a moment or so I
was a little bit abashed and then
I began to get irked. I could feel
the irks rising—one by one. The
scruff of my neck got red and even
my bald and furrid brow flushed a
deep crimson. Then I gave my
answer to the great editor—in clear,
crisp Pennsylvania Dutch patois!
And it's my reply to all those
who are on his side of the fence:
"I'll get down t' Roody's when I
get damned good and ready — an'
not b'fore."
I've been conscientious. I started
to go down to Roody's along last
April — or whenever it was — and
I've been starting down there every
fiscal month since then.
But I just never got there be-cause
I always ran into somebody
who had some particularly pithy
and important message of interest
to the tycoons of the furniture in-dustry.
Bunting boas • Here the other day
—before I went to Grand Rapids—
I started down there again—and I
ran into Bill Duke. And what did
Bill have to offer: Just this—Bill
was in a funny business fifteen
years ago selling boa constrictors to
zoos. He sold boa constrictors that
wouldn't bunt because he said, at
that time, that a boa constrictor
would bunt—-and the best thing to
do when you are around a boa
constrictor is not to get in front of
it so it can bunt you. And now—•
although Bill hasn't been selling boa
constrictors for IS years — he just
gets an order for one of his bunt-less
boa constrictors.
I didn't go any further when Bill
told me that because I knew right
away that the 345,000 paid-in-advance
subscribers of FINE FUR-NITURE
would draw a lesson right
to themselves from Bill's experience.
And that's just the way it's been
every time I started for Roody's.
My intentions were honorable—my
motives were exemplary — I fully
expected to carry out my assign-ment
— then Fate intervened a
horny hand.
Defiance • But the intolerant read-ers
now stand up and insist—insist
that I brush right by Bill Duke and
all the others—and bust right in on
Roody!
They would force — compel —
coerce — and jam this duty right
down past my full-floating, valve-in-
head Adam's Apple!
SCOOP!
Roody Culver was slumbering.
C , cajolery, the threat of
V^ public exposure and even the cor-rupting
of his headless female wooden
Indian having failed to get Correspond-ent
Shafer down to Roody Culver's, we
tackled the assignment ourself. That we
weren't 100% successful can be attrib-uted
to the fact that Roody was slum-bering
at the exact hour of our advent.
However, WE refused to accept defeat.
We whetted our woodcutting adz and
carved a portrait, herewith reproduced.
NOW what we want to know is
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THIS
ROODY BUSINESS? We want to
know. Shafer wants to know. And
according to our readers, many of them
want to know.
VOTE!
1—Who wants Shafer to get down to
Roody Culver's?
2—Who don't?
3—Who don't give a tinker's damn?
VOTE! . . . and give Shafer a chance
to defend himself. It's the least we can
do for him—The Edcutter.
30 FINE FURNITURE
They would club me into it.
But I defy 'em!
I may get down to Roody's some
day. I may saunter in and emerge
with some priceless gem of com-mercial
philosophy that will elec-trify
the furniture industry from
spindle to spindle an' cornish t'
cornish!
But I'll never allow myself to be
driven down there by any reader or
any editor of FINE FURNITURE!
I'll get down there when I get
distinctly good and ready and not
an iota sooner.
I'm irked. And with me an irk's
an irk.
"They shall not pass" • I fling
down my gauntlet! My brown
work-pants and my finuncular
fedora are in the ring! My back is
against the wall! And I will defend
my sovereign rights and inalienable
privileges until I sink at the base of
Fred Rohrer's wooden Indian under
the blows and thrusts of my adver-saries.
But get on down to Roody's!
No! By Crack}'! Xot until I get
damned good and ready!
yrs (sgd) CHET SHAFER.
Nature's priceless heritage — and
let Woe Betide!
FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
for buying, displaying and advertising homefurnishings
(The Man on the Cover)
T ONG a leader in the furniture
l_i and homefurnishing business,
Jesse Benesch, Sr., of Gomprecht &
Benesch, Baltimore, was publicly
acclaimed during National Furni-ture
Week (October 2-10) as "No. 1
Furniture Man," an honor awarded
him by popular vote of 9000 dealer
members of the National Retail
Furniture Association in Chicago
during the July furniture market.
No. 1-Man Benesch was presented
by Baltimore's Mayor Jackson with
the Cavalier trophy, a five-foot sil-ver
column emblazoned with etch-ings
symbolic of furniture construc-tion,
design, merchandising, offered
by the Tennessee Furniture Corp.
in recognition of the furniture mer-chant
performing the most distin-guished
service to the furniture
industry.
Gomprecht & Benesch, in which
Benesch is a partner, is one of the
outstanding retail furniture estab-lishments
in the country, handling
a wide range of homefurnishings.
In awarding this signal honor the
judges took cognizance of Benesch's
sagacity in purchasing merchandise,
methods of display and the char-acter
of advertising put behind it.
Commented the judges of the
award: "Partner in a fine store;
father of two competent sons who
are helping in the business; a power
for good in Baltimore and the
country as a whole—he served the
National Retail Furniture Associa-tion
as president during the hectic
NRA days—he is a man who well
deserves the honor."
A native of Baltimore, "All-
American" Benesch attended the
JESSE BENESCH, SR.
. . . A power for good.
local public schools, grew up in the
furniture business with his father,
is active in NRFA affairs, Jewish
charities, real estate, untiring in his
efforts for cooperative civic activ-ities.
Assisting him in the business are
Jesse, jr.; buyer and Ad-man Ed-ward,
artist and writer, winner of
numerous advertising awards during
the past three years.
In second position for this unique
award was R. L. Mehornay, Sr.,
North-Mehornay Furniture Co.,
Kansas City, Mo., followed by B.
F. McLain, Hart Furniture Co.,
Dallas, Tex. (FINE FURNITURE,
July, 1936). Others named "All-
American" were Godfrey Baum,
Spear & Co., New York; David
Levenson, Reichart Furniture Co.,
Wheeling, West Va.; Arthur Gug-genheim,
Spear & Co., Pittsburgh;
Mike Monroney, Doc & Bill Furni-ture
Co., Oklahoma City; W. L.
Longmire, Harbour-Longmire, Okla-homa
City; John M. Smyth, John
M. Smyth Co., Chicago; Clarence
Niss, C. Niss & Sons, Milwaukee
and C. C. Rutherford, Sterchi Bros.
Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
Feature of National Furniture
Week was the presentation of addi-tional
trophies to the "All-Amer-icans,,
in their home communities
with fitting programs.
Supervised
Specialized Selling
1 I 'HE manner in which the per-
J_ sonnel is handled is a prime
factor in the appliance merchandis-ing
success of Frederick & Nelson,
Seattle. All appliance departments
are in one location, the basement,
including electrical refrigeration,
radios, records, washers, ironers,
stoves, ranges, heaters, oil burners,
sun lamps and vacuum cleaners.
Each of these departments is sub-headed
by a supervisor; in some in-stances
more than one supervisor is
assigned to a department, there be-ing
one head for every four sales-men.
While each supervisor works
selling-wise within departmental
boundaries only, he gains valuable
sales help from other supervisors
through sales meetings for all.
These are staged in addition to
the regular sales meetings of each
department personnel. They are
experience meetings for exchanging
ideas on how to handle men and
sales problems that are common to
all selling in the department, and
this results in a co-ordinated selling
group that still preserves the impor-tant
factor of specialization.
New Mahogany Book
p Mahogany Book, by George
J. N. Lamb, is a recent publication
of the Mahogany Association, Inc.,
which gives information relative to
mahogany and mahogany products
in story form. It traces the history
of the wood—carrying through from
the first cutting stages to the finish-ing
touches of the completed article,
including a comparison of the vari-ous
periods of design.
l o r NOVEMBER. 1936 31
IT'S TAILORED
No. 303 Sofa
TO WIN FASHION'S FAVOR
and impel purchase by discriminating customers
MICHIGAN
FURNITURE
SHOPS, INC.
GRAND RAPIDS
MICHIGAN
Justifying our belief that close study of consumer-preference
in purchases of upholstered pieces
should precede even the sketching of a new
piece, merchants report that their generous
orders during the July market were repeated
again and again on their floors . . . that the
desires of their customers were fully met by the
beauty and obvious superiority of MICHIGAN
FURNITURE SHOPS' chairs and sofas.
Our Eighteenth Century groupings will be aug-mented
by many new creations at the November
market. They are priced to sell at the figures
which are distinctly in line with consumer-preference.
Display at the showroom o£
the Grand Rapids Chair Co.
Representatives:
A. L. Brackett . E. C. Gamble . R. D. Thomas
G. R. Gamble . W. C. Evans
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
32 FINE FURNITURE
Homefumishing News and Reviews
Acquire Englander Co.
The Englander Spring Bed Co., Inc.,
Brooklyn, N. Y., was acquired by Frank D.
McKay and Abe Dembinsky, Grand Rapids,
Mich., when their plan of reorganization for
the bankrupt company was approved by the
District Court.
The Englander firm maintains showrooms
in Xew York City, is one of the oldest bed-ding
firms in the East, having maintained
plant operations in Brooklyn, Boston and
Chicago for nearly 40 years.
Said McKay, "Although the nucleus of
the company will continue to remain m the
East, it is expected that the marked gain
in volume which should result from an
aggressive sales promotion program, will
necessitate the establishment of a branch
factory m Grand Rapids."
Despite the financial difficulties of the
Englander firm, it has continued operations
throughout the reorganization proceedings
and at present is reported doing a business
in excess of $1,000,000 a year. McKay said
that prior to depression, the Englander firm
volume ranged between #4,000,000 and
£5,000,000 annually.
The company will be refinanced and re-organized
and an intensive program of
national advertising inaugurated so as to
take full advantage of current business up-turn
and provide a volume of business com-mensurate
with the quality of the company's
products, according to McKay.
He explained that the Englander Spring
Bed Co. will m no way be identified with
the Berkey & Gay Furniture Co., in which
McKay and Dembinsky also have an in-terest,
but will continue as a separate entity.
He concluded, "The purchase of assets of
the Englander concern includes the machin-ery,
equipment, accounts and notes receiv-able
and all the Boston and Brooklyn real
estate subject to the $190,000 lien.
Furniture Museum Plan Grows
Preparations for the opening of the Grand
Rapids Furniture Museum are going for-ward
rapidly. William Millington has been
appointed chairman of a committee of fur-niture
designers to rule on antiques: John
M. Brower will be in charge of furniture
manufacturers who will exhibit a display of
processes of manufacture. A committee has
also been appointed to exhibit the history
of Grand Rapids furniture manufacture and
Robert W. Irwin is chairman of a "house
of today" committee which will have charge
of the unusual current furniture exhibits.
Mape Leaves West Michigan
Resigned from West Michigan Furniture
Co., Holland, Mich., Vance C. Mape joins
the Wurlitzer Products Co., San Francisco,
as manager of sales and distribution for
northern California, Washington, Oregon.
— o —
Suggests Designers' Show
In Grand Rapids, last month, Stewart
Beach, associate editor of House Beautiful,
seeking material relative to the furniture
industry, dined and spoke with a group of
Grand Rapids furniture designers. In Ed-itor
Beach's notebook were several pertinent
questions that he hoped to exchange for
answers, dominant question being "Where
do furniture styles originate?"
Designer Evans and colleagues disclosed
for Editor Beach several sources of furni-ture
style origination: in order of impor-tance
being, Xew York decorators, impor-tant
store furniture buyers, furniture manu-facturers,
designers themselves and combina-tions
of the factors mentioned.
Beach suggested as a stimulus to fresh
designs an annual furniture designers' exhi-bition
devoted to the display of original,
innovational designs; predicted editorial and
illustrative cooperation in consumer maga-zines
and compared such an exhibition to
the women's fashion shows conducted in
Paris and Xew York which indicate the
style trend in dresses, shoes and hats.
Brooks Heads Conant Ball
Remarkable success has been achieved by
the Conant Ball Co.. makers of popular
blond maple pieces, with the marketing of
its new Colonial pieces known as the
Gloucester group. The rush of orders has
been so great that on some lines delivery
cannot be promised before December.
Reorganization of the company and the
transfer of its Boston sales and credit offices
to Gardner, Mass.. will be accomplished this
month, with Herbert Brooks as president,
succeeding Richard Eaton of Boston.
B & G Re-open Plant 3
Unable to keep pace with production de-mands
despite much overtime work in the
various plants. Berkey & Gay Furniture Co.,
Grand Rapids, will rc-open plant Xo. 3 to
meet its need for additional manufacturing
facilities. It is proposed to have everything
ready to begin operations and place the first
orders m cutting by Xov. 1 or as soon there-after
as possible. The most modern motor-ized
equipment will be installed. Frank D.
McKay, chairman of the board, announced.
Mahogany Demand Up
Responses to a questionnaire sent out by
the Mahogany Association, numbered ap-proximately
80% of the total mailed.
Twenty-seven states were represented, 155
manufacturers finding that mahogany was
increasing in demand. 17 that the demand
was decreasing and 21 reporting there was
no change.
In finishes, the manufacturers preferred
the dark red above all others with the "Old
World'' type second, dark brown third.
Xatural finish took fourth place and not
one manufacturer specified full bleach or
fruitwood among the first selection for fin-ish.
Fruitwood finish took third place in
second choice with brown first. "Old World"
second, dark red, fourth. Bleached finish
was first among third choice, with "Old
World" second and fruitwood third.
In dining room furniture. Hepplewhite led
in style choice with Chippendale. Sheraton.
Modern, Eighteenth Century English and
Duncan Phyfe styles evenly divided as to
popularity. In unupholstered living room
furniture. Chippendale again led the parade
with Colonial American and Modern sharing
similar positions. Chippendale was way in
the lead of popularity in upholstered living
room furniture, with Modern second, 18th
Century third, Phyfe fourth, Queen Anne
fifth, and an even number selecting Colonial
American, Sheraton and Louis XV.
Among the manufacturers canvassed, 76
said their lines were more than 50% ma-hogany
and 116 said their lines were under
50%.
Fulton Returns to B & G
Walter Fulton has been named sales man-ager
of Berkey & Gay Furniture Co., Grand
Rapids, Mich., the position being a new one,
created in order to properly service dealers
m view of the detail growing out of the re-cently
announced expansion program.
"The position of sales manager at Berkey
& Gay," Edgar O. Landstrom said, "is a
new one which we have found it necessary
to create in order to property service our
dealers under the rapidly growing volume
of business and particularly in view of the
detail growing out of the recently announced
expansion program."
Mr. Fulton was with Berkey & Gay in
1920 as advertising manager and as sales
manager from 1922 to 1924. Thereafter
until acquisition of the company by the
Simmons company he was assistant to the
president of Berkey & Gay and one of the
last executives to leave the organization
under the Simmons management. In recent
years he has been associated with several
Grand Rapids furniture factories.
Dealer-aid Program
Announcement is made by Tomlinson of
High Point of a most comprehentive pro-gram
of dealer aid to be developed around
their Williamsburg Galleries, Kensington
Shop, and other Tomlinson lines. C.
Carroll Cooper, prominent East Coast retail
furniture executive, has been selected to
head the new department which will be
placed in cooperation with several retail
functions, including merchandising, advertis-ing,
planning and review, display and sales
motivation.
Armstrong's Spring Show Set
Showing of the spring line of floor cover-ings
of the Armstrong Cork Products Co.,
will be held at the company's showrooms,
295 Fifth Ave., New York City, on Mon-day,
Dec. 14, according to an announce-ment
by C. J. Backstrand, general manager
of Armstrong's floor divisxm.
Armstrong's New York opening will fol-low
immediately after the 19th annual con-vention
of Armstrong wholesale distributors
to be held at the general offices of the com-pany,
Lancaster, Pa., on Friday and Satur-day,
Dec. 11 and 12, and Armstrong will
hold its Chicago showing at the Merchan-dise
Mart on January 4.
"Armstrong feels that there are a number
of advantages to be desired by advancing
the date of its New York opening to Dec.
14," Backstrand said. "A New York show-ing
in early January conflicts with the taking
of inventories and final closings for 1936, as
well as with the holidays. Insofar as the
Armstrong line is concerned, wholesalers
will be spared the difficulty and inconveni-ence
of simultaneous openings in New York
and Chicago and on Jan. 4 Armstrong will
repeat its Xew York opening with the full
line on display. This will also enable Arm-strong
to plan its manufacturing operations
for the spring to greater advantage, there-by
eliminating inconveniences and inade-quate
representation."
It is believed that the earlier showing of
the company's line will be welcomed by
Armstrong wholesalers and that the step
will have the support of retailers as well,
because it will enable the company and its
distributors to give them better service.
f o r NOVEMBER. 1936 33
PROVEN PROFITABLE
. . . new blond Modern
At the summer market ESTEY presented
Prinzwood as a solution to the problem of
the blond wood trend. Its wide acceptance
has proven its merit. In the November
market ESTEY will add another blond wood
group. Different, beautiful and sophis-ticated.
You can not afford to miss seeing
this recent development of ESTEY'S crafts-manship
in modern interpretation.
. . . promotional Sheraton
ESTEY'S exquisite 18th Century collection
has also been augmented for the November
showing. The "Cripplegate" series, that in
July offered the merchants something finer
in the upper price brackets of late 18th
Century designs, will include two smart
Sheraton groups. The new suites, however,
will enhance the interest already exhibited
in this collection, as they will come in a truly
promotional price range.
AT THE GRAND RAPIDS MARKET
FIRST FLOOR
WATERS-KLINGMAN BUILDING
ESTEY MANUFACTURING
COMPANY
OWOSSO MICHIGAN
SUPER BLEACH
THE ULTIMATE
IN WOOD BLEACHES
GRAND RAPIDS WOOD FINISH-ING
COMPANY'S SUPER BLEACH-ING
SOLUTIONS now used by
leading cabinet manufacturers are
STANDARD of QUALITY by which
other bleaches are measured.
With SUPER Bleaching Solutions
you are assured of the utmost in
bleaching satisfaction in the produc-tion
of Platinum-Blond Mahogany,
Maple and Pine; Pickled Pine and
Mahogany; Harewood Mahogany
and all modern bleached finishes.
Hard-to-bleach woods such as Bra-zilian
Rosewood, Bubinga, Cuban
Mahogany, Vermilion Wood, re-spond
to these SUPER Wood
Bleaches with amazing results.
Work bleached with this outstand-ing
product STAYS bleached, and
with no loss of the original character
of the wood.
EVERYTHING
FOR
V FINISHING , '
• WOOD '
Be INSURED against
bleaching hazards by
adopting the process of
SUPER BLEACHING Solu-tions.
Manufactured by
GRAND RAPIDS
WOOD FINISHING
COMPANY
Grand Rapids, Mich.
IV e appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
34 FINE FURNITURE
Resinous Wins Award
In the awards for decorative design an-nounced
by the first annual Modern Plastics
competition, the second prize was won by
the home of Morris Sanders, New \ ork
architect, in which outstanding use was
made of Formica in tables, shelves, buffets
and wall panels, the light colored and mot-tled
Formica panels made by the Formica
Insulation Co., Cincinnati, being produced
from Uformite, a molding resin of the urea
formaldehyde type. This is supplied by the
Resinous Products & Chemical Co., Inc.,
Philadelphia, and both companies will par-ticipate
in the award.
The Resinous Products & Chemical Co.
have manufactured urea formaldehyde for
more than a decade, and an important field
of application of their products is the lam-inating
industry. Recently, under the name
of Uformite F-224, a new resin was an-nounced
belonging to this class, particu-larly
adapted for use in the paint, varnish
and lacquer industries. It is anticipated that
this new resin will find extensive use in
baking finishes where color, light and sol-vent
resistance are of particular significance.
Long known to the paint and varnish in-dustry
is the Resinous Products & Chemical
Co. as suppliers of the Amberol resins, the
Duraplex resins and the Paraplex resins.
Recently this range was further increased
by the addition of Aquaplex—a water
emulsion of a snythetic resin — and by
Acryloid—polymerized acrylic acid eater—
which heretofore had not been available for
use in coatings.
In addition to resins for coatings indus-tries,
the various products of the Resinous
Products & Chemical Co. are used in a
number of miscellaneous fields, notably as
adhesives and binders. Of great importance
are Tego Glue Film (a phenol formalde-hyde
resin in sheet form for the production
of waterproof plywood) which is rapidly
effecting an important change in the ply-wood
industry, and the Uformite resins, for
which the present award was made.
A
Asco for Polish
Asco polishing paste wax for cleaning,
polishing and preserving furniture, wood-work,
leather goods, parquet and linoleum,
is manufactured by the Asco Chemical Co.,
Brooklyn, N. Y. Made of imported waxes
and pure turpentine, it is an excellent polish
for delicate surfaces.
Chicago Prices Rise
The principal factor affecting market
attendance being, of course, the volume of
retail sales, officials expect a tremendous
attendance Nov. 9 at the fall market open-ing
of the American Furniture Mart, Chi-cago,
111., based on the fact that retail sales
have been remarkably successful this year.
Prices prevailing at Chicago in November
are expected to be from 5% to 8% higher
than in July—which most observers believe
to be merely a prelude to still another rise
effective in January. The price situation is
considered sure to spur active buying and,
with nearly all furniture factories well
stocked with unfilled orders, production fail-ing
to keep pace with incoming orders, the
time is, obviously, advantageous for bring-ing
prices up to the point where a fair
profit may be made. Furniture, statistics
show, largs far behind most other commod-ities
in the extent of price advance.
Chromsteel Furn. Catalogue
A 36-page catalogue on modern Chrom-steel
furniture has been issued by the Howell
Co., St. Charles, 111., a full color presenta-tion
of their latest designs for homes, offices,
stores, theatres, club rooms and other types
of public and business institutions.
Business 35% Better
Business is 359r better than last year at
S. Karpen & Bros.. Los Angeles. Cal., and
September saw the best business over a
five-year period, according to Michael
Karpen.
Triple-Purpose Love Seat
The Simmons Co.. Los Angeles, has
brought out a triple-purpose studio love seat
which contains two inner-spring mattresses
which opens part way into a double youth
bed or full length into a double adult bed.
It is also being sold in
fireside groupings.
groups of two for
umiminimnmimmmimnmiimmin
Myers Transferred
Charles W. Myers, formerly with Sealy
Mattress Co.. Kansas City, has been trans-ferred
to the Los Angeles factory, represent-ing
the company in a sales capacity.
Kulp with Cowen
Vice president in charge of designing and
production for Cowen Furniture Co.. Chi-cago,
111., is Leo B. Kulp. formerly con-nected
with the Weiman Co.. Rockford, 111.
Bauman Adds Popular Line
Owing to the increasing popularity of
Early California Furniture, Bauman Bros.
Mfg. Co., Los Angeles, are adding it exten-sively
to thcii line. New suites will be
brought out at the
January market by
the company, the
most salient features
of which include in-
White Oak « • •
Split-Bottom Chairs
No. 1 Split-Bottom, per doz. - $45
Rush-Fibre Bottom, per doz. - $55
Prices F. O. B.
CULPEPER, V A .
M. F. BLANKENBAKER
« » • » « • • » •
terestmg
ishes.
n c w fin-
Nesco Broil Rack
wire broiling rack for
wire boiling rack for
the NESCO electric
roaster is now on the
market and will be
sold with the roaster
to retail complete for
$26 or as a separate
unit for #3.50, ac-c
o r d i n g to the
National Enameling
& Stamping Co.,
Milwaukee. Wis.
Troy Radio Bar
A walnut radio bar, now on display at
Los Angeles Furniture Mart, has been
brought out by the Troy Radio Mfg. Co.,
Los Angeles, who claim that it will retail
for £150. About four feet in height, it has
shelves for liquor, a five-tube super-hetro-dyne
radio.
"5 Markets in I"
The week of Feb. 1-6, 1937, has been
designated by the Board of Directors, West-ern
Furniture Exchange, as Spring Market
Week in San Francisco. The Western Home
Furnishing Markets sponsored by this or-ganization
will include in addition to the
43rd Western Furniture Market, four major
markets; Floor-covering Opening, Radio and
Appliance Show, Curtain and Drapery Show,
and Lamp and Giftware Show, to be classi-fied
as "5 Markets in 1." Each of these
enjoys separate billing and contributes to
the complete marketing facilities available
to Western retailers of all items of home
furnishings.
Kittenger 18th Century Book
The Kittinger Co. has issued a new cata-logue
featuring 18th Century furniture that
supplements this firm's larger catalogue
which includes many 16th, 17th and 19th
Century reproductions. The book includes
well defined photos of furniture, usually
against a suggestive background, also Kit-tenger's
new "heirloom finish" is featured.
New Assn. Officers
Newly elected officers for the Winston-
Salem, N. C , Furniture Dealers Assn. are:
L. F. Herndon, president; A. E. Fowler,
vice president; F. C. Disher, secretary; J.
J. Gray, treasurer. Elaborate programs are
being planned for the Thanksgiving and
Christmas seasons.
New Wood-ware Line
A new line of wood cheese trays, salad
bowls and hors d'ouvres trays, manufac-tured
by the Posey Mfg. Co., Hoquiam,
WTash., has been introduced by H. W. John-son
Co. at the Los Angeles Furniture Mart.
It includes mosaic, nautical and Mexican
designs and is being merchandised as a gift
line for Christmas deliveries.
A
Three-in-One Store
A "three store in one" idea has been
effected in the new home of the Rosenthal
Furniture Co., Fort Worth, Tex., by add-ing,
at either extreme, an economy base-ment
and a line of fine period furniture,
showing complete furniture groups in three
price classes. Rosenthal's recent move to
Fifth St. marks its fourth expansion of its
34-year establishment and will necessitate
an increase of 25% in the store personnel.
To Represent Nesco
The Wm. Volker Co., Los Angeles, will
represent the National Enameling & Stam-ing
Co., Milwaukee, Wis., as furniture job-bers.
The latter company has its western
headquarters at the Los Angeles Furniture
Mart where the Volker Co. also displays
and will distribute NESCO electric broilers
and cookers.
Cellophane House
An unusual feature at the Los Angeles
Furniture Mart exposition will be a house
of cellophane with studding, wiring and
connections showing through transparent
walls.
f o r N O V E M B E R , 1 9 3 8 35
C L A S S I F I E D ADS
Classified rates: Undisplayed, 5 cents
per word. Minimum charge $2. Display
rate, $5 per column inch. One inch
minimum. Minimum display advertise-ment
accepted, 2 inches. Classified
charges payable in advance. Ten per
cent discount for three or more insertions.
Do you have calls for unusual fur-niture?
Are you looking for sales-men,
wholesale or retail? FINE
FURNITURE'S classified ads bring
results.
SALESMAN WANTED to cover Eastern
and New England states for high-grade,
medium priced upholstered line made in
Grand Rapids. Must be experienced. Straight
commission. Box 100.
WANTED • Experienced salesman to cover
Southern states for a Grand Rapids line of
upholstered furniture. Box 110.
WLKIMERLY
— STl/DI O —
WATERS-KLINGMAW BLD,
Gr«MVt>
COST MAN who has had several years
of experience in factory office. Woodworking
experience especially desirable. Knowledge
of rods and time study helpful but not
necessarily essential. Must have a working
knowledge of general accounting, also of
overhead distribution. Not over 30 years
old and free to travel. Apply in own hand
writing. Supply all details you believe a
prospective employer should have. Address
Box 51, care of FINE FURNITURE.
WANTED • Floor covering, drapery,
lamp and housefxirnishing departments
for one of foremost furniture stores
in thriving Ohio city of over 100,000.
Box 115.
BUYER with many years' experience in
some of the biggest stores in the Middle
West is seeking a new connection. Capable
of handling duties of merchandise manager.
Address Box B-131, FINE FURNITURE.
William
Furniture
42 East
New
w. Flusser
Representative
32nd
York
Street
City
PLYABLE-LAK-ER-FIL
(Patent Pending)
Sixty glazes in natural and colon for
furniture, boat bungs, canvas decks, im-perfections
in wood} metal and concrete*
Fast drying, non-shrinking* stainable;
water, alkali, lacquer and highly acid proof.
Sample ean parcel post 15c anywhere in
the U.S.A. (Give color and purpose. >
PLYABLE-LAK-ER-FIL COMPANY
LANSING, MICH.
POSITION WANTED • Upholstery fore-man,
25 years' experience with largest man-ufacturing
concerns in the country, is will-ing
to locate anywhere in the United States
or Canada. Married and 47 years old.
Box 120.
Long Distance Hauling, Packing
and Crating.
Large Trucks, Guaranteed Ser-vice,
Reasonable Rates.
Biodgett Packing & Storage Co.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
•."-.JHT
1 1
Ai- ". ^ . : \G L--T;..:. ." -
V
r
.. j ,
\ • • - -r
We a-p-prec'xate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
36 FINE FURNITURE
SPECIAL
FOR FALL SELLING
The Grand Rapids Lounge Co. is featuring this handsome lounging chair and
ottoman as a special number for merchants desiring to stimulate their fall selling
events. It is an outstanding value when the price is considered for the features
included.
ONLY $41.50 for the Chair —$9.00 for the Ottoman (crated)
With these features:
• Strong construction • Water stain with lacquer coating
• Super sagless base, 8-way tie • Attached seat cushions with 81 coiled springs
• Birch frame, mellow mahogany finish • Form-fitting back
• Plain or figured velours, blended friezes, mohair cloth any shade.
GRAND RAPIDS LOUNGE CO.
GRAND RAPIDS EXHIBITING AT WATERS-KLINGMAN BUILDING MICHIGAN
Crecfi/s and LYON
MERCANTILE
AGENCY
ARTHUR S. LYON, General Manager
Est. 1876—Publishers of LYOIS-RED BOOK
The nationally recognized
CREDIT AND COLLECTION AGENCY
of the FURNITURE INDUSTRY
and trades kindred—Carpet—Upholstering—Baby
Carriage — Refrigerator — Stove — Housef urnishing
and Undertaking
BOOK OF RATINGS—CREDIT REPORTS—COLLECTIONS
OFFICES
New York, N. Y. 185 Madison Ave.
Boston, Mass North Station Industrial Building
Philadelphia, Pa 12 South 12th St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 6 E. Fourth St.
Chicago, 111 201 North Well. Street
Grand Rapids, Mich, Association of Commerce Bldg.
High Point, N. C .Wachovia Bank Bldg.
Los Angeles, Cal - 12th St. at Broadway
RADIO LOUD SPEAKER
CIRCULATING ICE WATER
TUB BATH OR SHOWER
In Every Room
. . With Direct
Entrance to Hotel
$2.00 Single
$3.00 Double
HARRISON
HOTEL
HARRISON STREET
(Just OH Michigan Blvd.)
ANDREW C. WEISBURG, President
EDWARD W. JACKS, Manager
I L L U S T R A T E D B O O K L E T S E N T U P O N R E Q U E S T
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FIXE FURNITURE
f o r NOVEMBER. 1936 37
The MOST
ECONOMICAL
ROOM HEATER
MULTIGLO ELECTRIC HEATER
The MULTIGLO is unlike any heater you have eyer seen
before. It is the first genuinely practical device ever
created for auxiliary heating needs.
The MULTIGLO is only 15" high, weighs but 5>2 pounds.
It is round and contains six heating elements with a
convex chromium reflector behind each.
The MULTIGLO represents an entirely new departure
in room heating devices and does not throw a beam in one
single direction. It heats the entire room.
Plug into a wall socket and immediately the cold air is
absorbed, heated and diffused in every direction. This
constant diffusion and air replacement causes a natural
circulation of healthful warmed air that penetrates every
part of the room.
The MULTIGLO can be placed anywhere or used any-where
with no possibility of damaging fine furniture.
A handle on MULTIGLO, which folds snugly away when
not in use, makes it possible to conveniently carry the
heater to any part of the house where heat is needed
GUARANTEE. The MULTIGLO is guaranteed for two
years against defective workmanship or parts. The
company agrees to replace or repair any defective parts
which may develop under normal use provided the MUL-TIGLO
is used on the voltage circuits marked on the
name plate.
Quick heat when you
want it, in any room.
Warm floors to protect
the children from
drafts.
No room is "hard to
heat" if you have a
Multiglo. Easily car-ried
from one room to
another.
Handsome appearance adds beauty
" to any room. Harmonizes with any
color scheme.
The perfect heater for trailer and
'{ the home. Can be used in both.
Retail price $16.50 — subject to regular discounts as indicated in this Magazine.
Patented and Manufactured by
C. T. ELECTRIC CO., Div. J. C. Mfg. Co.
Jackson, Michigan, U. S. A.
We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITUKK
38 FINE FURNITURE
IMPROVED BUSINESS AND PROFITS
Through Ethical Sales
Events In Your Store
The Joseph P. Lynch plan of success-fully
merchandising furniture and
housefurnishings merits your very
careful consideration, for the follow-ing
reasons:
JOSEPH P. LYNCH
. . . president of the Joseph P. Lynch
Sales Company, who personally
supervises all sales plans of his
successful sales company.
I You will convert merchandise into cash, with a satisfactory
- margin of profit, more quickly than by any other method.
2 At the same time that you are reducing inventories and build-
- ing up your cash balances you will be increasing the popu-larity
and prestige of your store in your community.
3 Your sales-people will rec
- Date Created:
- 1936-11-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 1:7
- Subject Topic:
- Periodicals and Furniture Industry
- Language:
- English
- Rights:
- © Grand Rapids Public Library. All Rights Reserved.
- URL:
- http://cdm16055.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16055coll20/id/40