Fine Furniture; 1936-12

Notes:

Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It began publication in 1936. and DECEMBER • 1936 CHARLES ELMENDORF . His friends helped celebrate. (See page 28) Two dollars a year 20 cents a copy Grand Rapids, M i c h i g a n DISCRIMINATING DEALERS KNOW 3 for DlSTINCTIVENESS Founder member G. E. Furniture Makers' Guild TRUE GRAND RAl'IDS APID48 Wide range of decorative possibilities has been made avail-able in the new Fleetwood group, manufactured by Mueller Furni-ture Co. No discriminating demand will go unfulfilled if you stock Mueller groups, for we offer the finest in selected uphol-stered pieces in price ranges that insure customer satisfaction. In its traditional lines, Mueller will continue to show the dis-tinctly individualistic patterns which have made them recognized as masters of design. 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 f o r D E C E M B E R . 1936 A. Your inventory dollars/ TT h e l l / O U ^" ^°Ur ^°Pe °* pr0^itS/ • C. Your customer's satisfaction and influence, i n V I £ ! > l • • • D. Your executive time, E. Your salesmen's morale and earning power, you will be alert to knowingly seek satisfactory evidence of proven consumer interest which will be confirmed when you contact Federal American dining room ensemble, traditional of Colonial Virginia, consisting of 28 correlative pieces made of rare Cuban Mahogany. THE WARWICK 18th Century Dining Room group of 21 correlative units exactingly reproduced from master-pieces designed by those renowned artists, Chippen-dale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. Made of Cuban Mahogany, finished in a rich brown color with a velvety smoothness. THE CHARLESTON Bedroom ensemble of 18 correla-tive pieces, made of Cuban Mahogany, styled in the most romantic period of the romantic South. This group recaptures the gracious charm of Virginia Manor Houses of the days preceding and just after the federa-tion of the American Colonies. The three groups possess outstandingly the same fascination which a woman enjoys when she begins to buy a fine set of china in open stock pattern. In choosing the different units to furnish "her" dining room or bed-room, she experiences the thrill of a creator. This is fine furniture of the yesterdays, today and to-morrow — priced to capture consumer interest and desire to possess — today! Founder member G. R. Furniture Makers' Guild GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR COMPANY Showrooms at the factory only—Take any yellow Cab TRUE GRAND RAPIDS A ?ID48 We appreciate your mentioning vou saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE WHEN THEY^ASK FOR SOLID ~SHOW CHARLOTTE'S MAPLE AND WALNUT No. 217 dresser base and mirror in solid blonde maple, solid wood dust-proofing, wood pulls with chromium bandl Three pieces, $132. Four pieces, $192. Enlightened customers, cognizant of the importance of painstaking construction and durable materials/ are demanding the best in SOLID maple or SOLID walnut. Keen merchants with an eye to future profits based on customer satisfac-tion carry Charlotte suites, recognizing smartness of design and style as com-bined with faultless construction. Com-fortable stability is synonymous with Charlotte furniture groups. DISPLAYED IN AMERICAN FURNITURE MART CHARLOTTE FURNITURE CO. Charlotte Michigan FlN€ FURNITUR€ the Homefurnishing Magazine from the Furniture Style Center or* America VOLUME 1 1936 NUMBER 8 GEORGE F. MACKENZIE. President PHIL S. JOHNSON. General Manager ROD G. MACKENZIE. E d i t o r K. C. CLAPP, Merchandising Counsel DECEMBER-Boiling Wake 6 Page Nine 9 Building vs. Trailers, by Rod Mackenzie 18 Merchandise Illustrations 19, 35, 37, 46 Customer's Viewpoint on Buying Linoleum, by Ruth Mclnerney 20 Simplifying Stirs Sales, by J. J. Sherline 22 The Sketch Book, by William Hoffmann 24 Science Builds a House, by Virginia R. Ulrich . 26 Man on the Cover 28 Furniture Frolics, by Ray Barnes 29 Retailing Tips 30 Benbough's Remuneration 34 Why Veneers? by Harvey Kimerly 36 Your Ad Man Can Produce Business, By Joe Lynch 40 Shafer Confesses 42 Pageantry of Coronation 44 Metropolitan Pieces 45 Homefurnishing News and Reviews 50 New Stores 56 Published monthly by the Furniture Capital Publishing Co., 1S5 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 you saw tins in FINE FURNITURE f o r DECEMBER, 1936 A. Your inventory dollars, V T h e n # o u ^- ^our 'lope °^ pro^itS/ I C. Your customer's satisfaction and influence, I I • w ^ l • • • D. Your executive time, E. Your salesmen's morale and earning power, you will be alert to knowingly seek satisfactory evidence of proven consumer interest which will be confirmed when you contact Federal American dining room ensemble, traditional of Colonial Virginia, consisting of 28 correlative pieces made of rare Cuban Mahogany. THE WARWICK 18th Century Dining Room group of 21 correlative units exactingly reproduced from master-pieces designed by those renowned artists, Chippen-dale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. Kiade of Cuban Mahogany, finished in a rich brown color with a velvety smoothness. THE CHARLESTON Bedroom ensemble of 18 correla-tive pieces, made of Cuban Mahogany, styled in the most romantic period of the romantic South. This group recaptures the gracious charm of Virginia Manor Houses of the days preceding and just after the federa-tion of the American Colonies. The three groups possess outstandingly the same fascination which a woman enjoys when she begins to buy a fine set of china in open stock pattern. In choosing the different units to furnish "her" dining room or bed-room, she experiences the thrill of a creator. This is fine furniture of the yesterdays, today and to-morrow — priced to capture consumer interest and desire to possess — today! Founder member G. R. Furniture Makers' Guild GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR COMPANY Showrooms at the factory only— Take any yellow Cab TRUE GRAND RAPIDS A 21 We appreciate your mentioning you saiv this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE WHEN THEYJASK FOR SOLID ""'SHOW CHARLOTTE'S MAPLE AND WALNUT No. 217 dresser base and mirror in solid blonde maple, solid wood dust-proofing, wood pulls with chromium band. Three pieces, $132. Four pieces, $192. Enlightened customers, cognizant of the importance of painstaking construction and durable materials, are demanding the best in SOLID maple or SOLID walnut. Keen merchants with an eye to future profits based on customer satisfac-tion carry Charlotte suites, recognizing smartness of design and style as com-bined with faultless construction. Com-fortable stability is synonymous with Charlotte furniture groups. DISPLAYED IN AMERICAN FURNITURE MART CHARLOTTE FURNITURE CO. Charlotte Michigan FlN€ FURNITURC the Homefurnishing Magazine from the Furniture Style Center of America VOLUME 1 1936 NUMBER 8 GEORGE F. MACKENZIE. President PHIL S. JOHNSON. General Manager ROD G. MACKENZIE, E d i t o r K. C. CLAPP, Merchandising Counsel DECEMBER-Boiling Wake 6 Page Nine . . . . 9 Building vs. Trailers, by Rod Mackenzie 18 Merchandise Illustrations 19, 35, 37, 46 Customer's Viewpoint on Buying Linoleum, by Ruth Mclnerney 20 Simplifying Stirs Sales, by J. J. Sherline 22 The Sketch Book, by William Hoffmann 24 Science Builds a House, by Virginia R. Ulrich 26 Man on the Cover 28 Furniture Frolics, by Ray Barnes 29 Retailing Tips 30 Benbough's Remuneration 34 Why Veneers? by Harvey Kimerly 36 Your Ad Man Can Produce Business, By Joe Lynch 40 Shafer Confesses 42 Pageantry of Coronation 44 Metropolitan Pieces 45 Homefurnishing News and Reviews 50 New Stores 56 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: S4S 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 YOU saw this hi FINE FURNITURE To build (|ii;i!it\ in any product requires more Hum intention*. .Mersman sets high standards— sin;! meets them by caroful organization to check and <louhk< check all drtails of materials smd manufacture. All tables must pass rigid tests l>\ tlu> inspoclion de-partment alter each operation, lint, in addition. Meisman holds each plant foreimin fullj roponsihle for the quality of every piece of work done in his department. (heck and double check is the polic.\ that guards Mcrsinsin Qualit\. Mr. Herman Vielkind, Foreman Veneer Dept. ERSM AN We cordially invite you to visit our displays at the January Markets. We offer an unusually large variety of beautiful new table patterns in 18th Century and Modern. If you want quality tables at prices that only volume production can furnish, the most profitable anwser is MERSMAN. In Chicago — Space 924. New York —Space 1110-1116. ->•,. i • Chippendale Gallery Top Coffee Table No. 5469 with Glass. Swirl Mahogany Veneered Bed. Duncan Phyfe Gallery Top Coffee Table No. 5498% with Butt Walnut Veneered Bed. Also in Mahogany as No. 5498. Both with Glass. zu FINE FURNITURE QUALIFIED PRESTIGE .. Leader in quality, the John Wid-dicomb Company is synonymous with the best in furniture endeavor The acme of quality may be established only by those who are equipped for the distinguished art of cabinetmaking. Since 1865, we have built up our prestige by the artistic beauty, exquisite craftsmanship and enduring service which are embodied in John Widdicomb pieces. Illustrative of our aim to furnish the mer-chant with profitable and creditable mer-chandise is the bedroom group pictured. The beauty and chastity of design is en-hanced by the absence of ornament and by rare handling of woods. JOHN WIDDICOMB COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS Showrooms at factory, 601 Fifth St. MICHIGAN New York Showrooms, No. 1 Park Ave. We appreciate your mentioning you sazv this in FINE FURNITURE f o r DECEMBER, 1936 West Michigan of Holland will have the Largest Exclusive Exhibit of Bedroom Furniture at the Grand Rapids Market Signs indicate that we may be headed for another seller's market. With the memory of the last one fresh in the retail mind, the importance of establishing connections with a strong, experienced firm which can be relied on to maintain quality and keep goods flowing cannot be over-estimated. West Michigan has the resources and facilities to take care of the requirements of its dealers. The reputation we have in the trade for protecting our dealers is a source of pride. Come in and see us in the Waters-Klingman building. We have a broad line distinguished by a freshness of design and a smart use of woods. It fits into those price levels where the bulk of your selling is done. The trademark found on furniture in homc\ of good laste. The Half Century Shop of Dutch Craftsmen on the Shores of Lake Michigan We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE THE BOILING WAKE Prints Pull In your November issue you show illus-trations on page 26 of Currier & Ives prints. We are interested in knowing from what sources they can be obtained. J. R. W., Auburn, N. Y. Please advise us who publishes the Cur-rie & Ives prints illustrated in your Novem-ber issue. R. K., York, Pa. Hed-Faced Pages Bravo! Glad you had enough guts to admit a mistake. Your reprinting of the merchan-dise that was incorrectly priced in your October post-market story was a most com-mendable gesture. B. L. T., Davenport, la. Just finished reading your "Red-faced" pages in the November issue. Everyone makes mistakes but few admit them. D. K., Boston. 0 Shctfer Scores Admire Chet Shafer's spirit. He's a man of vigorous decisions. I'm proud of him— that he defied us readers, and I hope he goes down to Roody's when he gets damned good and "roody." C. S., Three Rivers, Mich. Worth While Congratulate you upon the good-looking publication you are turning out, which I read with interest. Grand Rapids certainly needs a furniture paper and you are giving them something decidedly worth while. G. D. C, Chicago. Ours is Readable . . . I got a kick out of your page nine, Octo-ber, where you referred to "furrowed brow . . . weary eyes . . . blinding 8-point of a pulp paper weekly." Took occasion recently to write said paper suggesting that they take pity on their readers and use a mechan-ical set-up that we could read. R. S., Oklahoma City. Clever Cartoons Ray Barnes' page is certainly very clever. After such information on my qualifications as a pianist has been disseminated, feel sure that my services will be in great demand for concert work. C. C. R., Knoxville, Tenn. 4-Market Complaint What are furniture markets for anyway but primarily to show new designs? If a buyer were not looking for something new and different, he would only have to re-order from his old stock; he certainly would not be liable to visit a market just to see what had been previously shown to him. It is obvious when manufacturers have to prepare new samples four times a year that they cannot do as good a job — and it is far too expensive a procedure for the average manufacturer. If there were only two major markets a year, there would be time to prepare something really worth-while. The designer would have time to do some study and research work after which he would confer with the manufacturer and carefully lay out plans for the new line, having ample time in which to make cor-rections or improvements. Probably the four markets a year, as now conducted, has done more to cause "close out" jobs and cut prices than any other one thing. It is placing unnecessary expense on both dealer and manufacturer, often making a pattern bought at one market obsolete before the dealer has it on his floor. When furniture markets are primarily to show new designs, why not make them worth while style shows and not markets for job hunt-ers? W. L. K., Grand Rapids. Market Habits We are in favor of one market in Janu-ary and one market in July and hope that you will enter our "vote" accordingly. Our opinion is based on long experience, and the fact that it is a mighty difficult thing to change "buyer habits." Here in New York as well as in Chicago, we have been sub-jected to any amount of experimentation over the past 25 years. This seems to be an age of experimentation anyway, so we are not surprised that the National Furni-ture -Manufacturers Assn. is trying to make over human habits once more. Your maga-zine is better than ever. D. K., New York City. Trade Masterpiece Each month I look forward with much interest to receiving FINE FURNITURE. It is a masterpiece in trade journalism. I par-ticularly like the profusion of photographs of such splendid examples of fine furniture. Such illustrations will help to train the eye of the uninitiated in design and advance the taste of the average consumer. Another excellent feature which I note you have added to the many others, is the page of Metropolitan Museum examples of fine furniture. This is a splendid idea and I hope that it will be continued with ex-amples from other American museums when you have fully covered those m the Metro-politan Museum. This feature offers an opportunity to the dealer to sell more readily the better style furniture on his floor. Though a woman might know little or nothing about period furniture, she is bound to be more interested in the authentic and adapted reproductions shown by the furniture merchant, providing he can show her museum specimens which inspired finer things that he displayed. There is always pride in owning anything which has a story or history back of it and certainly faithful reproductions as well as adaptations have an interesting story. P. F. C, Winnipeg, Canada. Wanted: Spanish Oak Please let me know where I can buy an oak dining room suite in Spanish oak with credenza buffet, refectory table and spring seat chairs. Also where I can get a good line of dinette suites in enamel finishes. J. A. W., Lacon, 111. Objects to Personalities As a designer of furniture and a contrib-utor to furniture magazines, I do not like your designer's page — the Sketch Book. It is all too terribly personal. L. M., New York. Enjoys Ribbing In reply to your communication of the 19th, will state that my attention has been called to the drawing you made of me and placed on one of your pages in the October issue. Many thanks for your kindness in this matter. H. C. C , Batesville, Ind. » More Bouquets We acknowledge receipt of your splendid magazine containing the article on Market Centers of the West. We appreciate very much the manner in which you covered the story of our operations and of our impend-ing expansion. The article, I think, was very well written. We will keep you posted as our program develops H. J. M., San Francisco. Supporting Salesmen Thanks for coming to the defense of the traveling salesman in your editorial on "Page Nine" for November. For too long, and especially during the past few lean years, have we been buffeted about by high-hat buyers, made to wait hours and then told the big shot was too busy to see us. Your anonymous manufacturer who realizes that the peddler actually is a clearing house for ideas, has every license in the world to be successful. He deserves it if for no other reason than appreciating the fact that his competitor may be able to teach him some-thing. Much obliged for the moral support. H. J. M, Tulsa, Okla. That's Our Aim Certainly enjoyed Harry G. Corot's article on building a medium-sized floor covering department. This is the type of article that really benefits the small fellow, or we who have ideas of becoming store operators our-selves some day. Material like this can be filed and kept for future reference. There are plenty swell ideas in your hook. H. H. M., Los Angeles, Cal. Picture Article Pleases I was glad to see the article in your November issue on pictures. This section has been giving me a headache for some time and I was glad to get a little dif-ferent slant on the merchandising of this article. By the way, who publishes the Currier & Ives prints illustrated in this article? Q Metropolitan Page Registers For those of us who have not been for-tunate enough to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, your page of Metropolitan pieces is of more than passing interest. It furnishes the salesman with authoritative ideas on correct furniture details. J. V., Seattle, Wash. Short and Snappy Was much amused by your editorial, "Pettifoggery," in the November issue, in which you took the promotional tactics of a certain big store for a ride. Such advertis-ing certainly gives rise to little but scepti-cism on the part of the customer and is more than disturbing to the smaller mer-chant. Your editorials are certainly short, snappy and to the point. Keep on making 'em readable and "meaty." V. R. M., Chicago, 111. f o r DECEMBER, 1936 ecreating Wlictorian No. 276 Chair, $74 base cover No. 283 Chair, $115.30 base cover I No. 358 Setlee, $137.60, base cover ,HE swing of the pen-dulum brings the vogue for the ele-gance that was Vic-torian. Decorators, usually the arbiters of furnishing styles, are leading the trend in the resurrection of this dignified old style of a former genera-tion. In the larger home-furnishing stores throughout the country complete Victorian rooms are recreating the atmosphere of this charming period. These designs are all reproductions from originals in the possession of the Michigan Furniture Shops. Representatives: A. L. Brackett E. C. Gamble G. R. Gamble R. D. Thomas W. C. Evans No. 275 Rocker, $51.10 base cover No. 273 Chair, $82.50 base cover MICHIGAN FURNITURE SHOPS, INC. GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN Displayed at the Factory Show Rooms of Grand Rapids Chair Co. We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNJTURE •;* OUTSTANDING FEATURE ON RETAIL FLOORS So enthusiastically has the new Berkey & Gay line been received on retail floors . . . so featured in hundreds upon hundreds of dramatic, aggressive retail newspaper advertising promotions . . . that active production has been started in plant No. 3 (augmenting plants No. 2 and No. 5 which have been running to over-time capacity) in order to assure for Berkey & Gay dealers large volume, prompt and satisfactory shipments for the coming year. New for January New for January will be a selection of suites in merchandising price brackets for volume promotion, as well as many others not shown in November. Promotion Program and National Advertising Presented, also, will be an outstanding promotion program backed with aggressive national advertising in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, TIME, THE AMERICAN HOME, and HOUSE AND GARDEN, a dramatic promotion and merchandising feature for Berkey & Gay Week, April 10 to 17. furniture's Proudest Coat-of-Arms f o r D E C E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 NINE PROSPERITY BOUND It doesn't take a person with physicist power to read the future of the furniture industry. Every home in America needs new furniture and with over thirty million homes big and little this constitutes an enormous potential demand. New home building in 1937 and 1938 will equal if not exceed this replacement demand according to all reliable predic-tions, and with these two large demand factors literally upon us, manufacturers should not find it difficult to keep the wheels humming for several years to come. And remember, there are only about 60% of the factories that were oper-ating in 1929 that are set to supply this great prospective demand. Statistics indicate that only about half of such factories have a capital structure making it possible for them to operate their plants to full productive capacity. If the furniture industry does not enjoy an unprecedented pros-perity for the next five years it will be the fault of the in-dustry itself. The manufacturer who goes after it is going to get all the production he can handle, but the tight and timid ones who are afraid to let the trade know what they manufacture, and try to remain incognito behind their rip saws, will not share in the golden harvest. From now on fhe assets and profits cannot be concealed and liberal spending will be the order of the day. The manufacturer who puts plenty of his dollars into sales promotions and advertising publicity will find their brothers will roll back into his coffers in droves. QUALITY YEAR ff The most hopeful factor the furniture industry has experi-enced since the beginning of the big wind some six years ago, is the demand for better standards of quality by the buyers. From now on, it won't be a matter of how cheap we can make it and how low we can get our prices, but how much quality we can inject and how far we can safely step up our prices. This will prove the turning point of the indus-try from profitless production and profitless merchandising, dissatisfied customers and a general low morale, to profitable manufacturing and merchandising. Ring in the new year at the January markets by making 1937 a year of black ink, with higher standards and more satisfactory returns. 12-MONTH'S PROMOTION ff Finally, retail members of the home furnishing industry are awakening to the fact that securing an increased represent-ation and a profitable portion of the consumer's dollar is not achieved by pitch and toss promotional methods. Conse-quently, and motivated primarily by the progressive thinking of C. Niss of Milwaukee, past president of NRFA, a year 'round promotional program is in the formulative stage; a program that will encompass the sales promotional efforts of ALL allied homefurnishing units and concentrate them under one banner carrying one word, "Home." Considering the numerous "Naturals" throughout the year in the line of homefurnishing events upon which the mer-chant can hang his special promotional flag, a time-tested, properly planned, twelve-month campaign, should pale past promotional now-and-then activities. The volume of ammu-nition released by such a program, simultaneously, in every sector of the country, would have a cumulative effect bound to result in attracting an increased flow of Johnny Q. Public's bucks to the homefurnishing merchant's coffers. 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. For unlike other industries of national importance, the makers of furniture extend an almost negligible amount of money on national advertising. This throws the burden of promotional activity directly upon the retailer. Therefore, if this weak link in furniture merchandising CAN be bolstered, such a plan as that proposed by NRFA should go far in doing the job. ff HAND-TO-MOUTH Generally speaking, the furniture industry is behind on deliveries. This situation is pathetically evident in the frantic pleas for merchandise emanating from department and fur-niture store buyers. A recent survey estimated that leading retail stores will lose about fifty million dollars volume due to the shortage of merchandise for Christmas selling. This situation does not, however, preclude red figures for the last quarter of 1936. To the contrary, profits for the latter part of this year are reported as being the best since 1930. However, this situation has a significance of great import to those engaged in buying and selling merchandise. It means that the period of hand-to-mouth buying that has existed for the past few years is at an end. A seller's market is inevitable. Buying practices will have to change. In the first place the rising power of consumer demand is just beginning to gather momentum. On the strength of this condition price increases will be accelerated. Continued and perhaps in-creasing delay in delivery is a foregone conclusion. Accord-ingly there is a definite tendency toward advanced buying and increased size of initial orders. This situation naturally gives rise to speculative buying which in turn creates a desire and a necessity on the part of the merchant to estab-lish a profit on his inventory. This is ever the picture in a rising market. This move from hand-to-mouth buying is naturally reflected in the manufacturer's activities as well. Increased manufac-turing programs have of necessity reduced cautious buying habits enforced during the depression. Pertinently stated, the National Association of Purchasing Agents recently said, in part, to its members: "Inventories are being increased whenever protection is needed against delays in delivery or transportation and in some cases as protection against price increases." Obviously a new era is at hand. The old order changeth. Prepare for a seller's market. ff SO WHAT? Evidently we're going to have to eat our words on no further editorializing on the W. K. market situation, because, up pops two-thirds of the 42 members comprising the execu-tive committee of NRFA with an endorsed resolution approv-ing two furniture markets a year to be held in May and November. Endorsements favoring the reduction of markets had been supported previously by two manufacturing asso-ciations. These groups, however, are championing the one-market season extending from May to July. But due to the fact that January and July have ever been the big markets for the bulk of the furniture dealers, the resolution of NRFA's executive committee is significant. Where now? ff T r ' • " - • - r r ; • • ; -1 ^ s •*' ?' l o r DECEMBER, 1936 11 Imperial Furniture Company cordially invites all of its many friends to trie house warming of its new • • • modern snowroom all during trie January market in Orand Kapids Imperial s complete new line or tables ror Spring 1937 will be on display 12 FINE FURNITURE t * 1 ! \ 5 I .: 1 \ \ \ nta//tte, a of h OPPORTUIIITY 1937 will be a big year for furniture merchants. The great forward sweep of national recovery is gaining momentum every day. And with it, the desire to re-plenish and refurnish homes with good furniture is being translated into active, cash-on-the line demand. That's why the kind of furniture for which the Grand Rapids Furniture Exposition is traditionally famous, is getting the call today. Thousands of progressive deal-ers can substantiate that fact. Right now, a greatly increased business in Grand Rapids exhibited furniture is being done on a nation-wide scale. And accord-ing to all reliable indications, this decided trend is bound to continue with greater impetus during 1937. At the January Market in Grand Rapids, you'll find the creative styling and quality construction that defi-nitely set the pace. And there will be an unprece-dented array of good promotional merchandise . . . furniture that will run your volume sales to new profit peaks during 1937. Attendance at the November mid-season Market in Grand Rapids showed a 100% increase over the cor-responding market for 1935. There must be a reason! Come to the January Market and make the most of a golden opportunity. Jan. 4th to 16th inclusive GRAI1D ROPIDS FURMTURE k&ji4A/ni6ukjL \^af2Mal erf •vrvnjzAACCi. Exposmon associflTion f o r D E C E M B E R . 1 9 3 6 13 invite you to see this superb rendering of the FRENCH PROVINCIAL January Market Bedroom Group Also in the Same French Provincial THIS is but one of the new things we are adding for January to our assembly of hun-dreds of historic oak pieces for the dining room, living room, bedroom, hall, library, private office, studio and club. A visit to the Carved Oak Galleries — and no trip to Grand Rapids is complete without such a visit — will reward you with a new conception of its merchandising possibilities. Thousands of families have an instinctive and inherited preference for Carved Oak. Its historic past, its cultural background, the splendor of its carving and the integrity of its mellow, fine-textured surfaces give it a matchless rating. It looks like a big year for Carved Oak — and for those stores who carry representative displays. GRAND RAPIDS BOOKCASE AND CHAIR CO. The Oak Masters of Hastings We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE 14 FINE FURNITURE THE ROMWEBER INDUSTRIES Products whose standard of excellence are nationally recognized. Quality and style are synonymous with our Productions j^-t Space 1722, Merchandise Mart, Chicago One Park Avenue, New York AMERICAN FURNITURE CO. BATESVILLE CABINET CO. BATESVILLE, INDIANA We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE t o r DECEMBER, 1936 15 THE ROMWEBER INDUSTRIES . . ': 'I '..-• i (* / ; m 11 11 . ' • ' ; • • - . Group of Scandinavian Masterpieces by Romweber on display in the Sterling & Welch Company store at Cleveland, Ohio. MASTER MADE FURNITURE by ROMWEBER The SCANDINAVIAN line of The Romweber Company consists of over 350 correlated pieces that offer a limitless opportunity for the most critical individual selection. In these lines will be found furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom, hall, boudoir and rathskeller in a selection of charming suites and pieces that instantly get customer attention. A group of these Scandinavian Masterpieces in your store will prove a distinct consumer attraction. Space 1727, Merchandise Mart, Chicago One Park Avenue, New York THE ROMWEBER COMPANY BATESVILLE, INDIANA We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNIT 16 FINE FURNITURE A GOOD CHAIR LINE by A GOOD CHAIR MAKER B. R. Smith, president and general manager of the B. R. Smith Chair Co. has been making good chairs for over fifty years and is thoroughly conversant with what constitutes good chair construction, finish and fabrics. "In my long years of experience in chair production," says Mr. Smith, "I have never produced a line that equals the new line of the B. R. Smith Chair Co. All frames are of solid mahogany and walnut, no substitute woods being used. No-Sag spring con-struction is used throughout the line and no more solid and comfortable spring units can be secured." The line is complete with occasionals, office chairs, rockers, diners, chairs for the bedroom and hall. ; 1—Martha Hixon rocker. No. 700, may be had in mahog-any or walnut, priced $25.90, 23.90 respectively. 2—Reception room chair No. 511 in solid walnut priced at $11.90. 3—"Magic Posture" hinged back swivel. No. 1936, in walnut, $63. 4—No. 506 in solid walnut is priced at $12. 1708 MERCHANDISE MART CHICAGO AT THE JANUARY MARKET SMITH CHAIR COMPANY INCORPORATED We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE f o r DECEMBER, 1936 17 THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY WILL GREET NATION'S BUYERS AT THE MERCHANDISE MART FURNITURE MARKET JANUARY 4-16 INCLUSIVE T tr V( P1 Pi tt N hi m r INTERNATIONAL HOMEFURNISHINGS MARKETS JAN. 4-16 „ THE MERCHANDISE MART • CHICAGO THE GREAT CENTRAL MARKET • WELLS ST. at the RIVER We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE Unloading part of the 200 truck-loads and 12 carloads of furniture that will be shown at this great event. 18 ! isbeing set for another of X I mauk e t ' b u t t h e tempo of the show has been accelerated ?mce January, 1936, and in m a ! ^stances roles have been r e V fW ^'here last year the merchant told he manufacturer that he wanted his or that suite, the manufacturer tins market will tell the merchant. ,uL i 1S a Vltahzing condition. It stimulates imagination, incentive and promulgates confidence in the popular belief that business i bet-off t h l Y ,? t h e r u b b e r b a n d oft the bank roll and indulging in longest-due necessities, even a ^ Buying Surge . A great t J b bi BUILDING vs. TRAILERS By ROD MACKENZIE Editor, FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE t i « J Uy/S beinS leased tice the crowds on the streets In the stores. And economic i Zll to f a c T n u e d and surge of purchasing Of maj0r i n t e r e s t t o t h g m e r c h of homefurmshmgs are the echoino-repom of a building boom, £ the Sanmgf a C r ° S S ^ count tfte tune of an estimated 25™0 0'0o0 residential units in 1936 Predic - it comes to furnishing than sitting tight until the 1' Vi v^aS r e a t0 turn on the ngnts, the modern-geared merchant architect J ° b . a b o u t a? s o ° * as the Madame on the advisabilitylof having two windows on that wall or runnmg a bank of them around the corner. In fact, manv progres-sive: dealers have instituted advisory bureaus, complete with architectural advice, decorators' service, et "l •I his service is of particular value i l l°-lt u COntemP1ate remodel-mj; with subsequent refurnishing, in • upon shooting the works in ^ complete new home" Such a s rvice estabhshes i n the minds of the p o- Ple thus served the dominant fact ino- }^°AT S t°r e 'S t b e homefurnish-t, leader in your immediate mm munity. "" Results Real . Sponsoring mcxH (s°eUeSeS ^ee _ pDaagee^ C12r 6^ of t^hi s ^ivssiudeu) a f s housing concerns such as General Houses, lnc., A r c y c ^ others has proven beneficial to par-ticipating merchants. Many a r e the sales of furniture, draperies, floor coverings, accessories and appli-ances that are traced directly 0 such combined promotions. ' Minus Furniture . An interesting and unusual demonstration house event was that of Frederick & Nel son Seattle, Wash., wherein the model home Was shown minus fur mshings for a limited time; first reason to permit study of architec-tural features; major reason to emphasize the fact that hom° aacctutaullayt Ttra' ns7foUr-mc h0as ehno. uaser ei ntwo haa\ withnd 1° k gOeS' T h e m e r c h a n t with f keen sense of promotional possib.ht.es in the home-boom tie' up, supplying complete home-makers service, is grabbing the bulk of this business. He is contacting owners persuing building contrac-tors and architects, rather than s.tt.ng m the back office, bewilder-mg himself with housing statistics. Johnny's Bucks . A terrific conflict !S bei,nf, waged for Johnny Q Pub-uc s dollar and the home'furnishin-merchant ,s soon to discover, provicf-o t h ^ - r y a W a r e o f i t ^ h a t othei mdustr.es are equally deter-mined to secure their share In this respect, the proposed resolution of 1NK1A t0 consolidate all home-turnishing industries under one ban- S f extend,:ng Promotional activ-ties from the scattered efforts now m vogue, to a concentrated 12- month p anned campaign, is timely andmevrtable. For ovef the h o S cl H T " m a k m g b u s i M s s looms a cloud. It, too ls a form Of home, Challenging Chariots . that within 20 years more t h a n S h population Of the United States will be hvmg m trailers, Roger W BabSon, nationally known economist and analyst, hurls a challenge at the home urnishing industry and £ younger brother, the prefabricated home. Asserting that his predictSn « not idle chatter but based on s u r K T of D n L atlonal conditions, Fore-boder Babson says: "The e x X from the American home creates a new manufacturing industry." ? f . Onf * J^t how severe a rthTis UinfranCt ifndlufsthry will be on homefurmshing industry is difficult to ascertain at this stagi Obviously, thousands of dollars are pounng into trailers at the present T [ 3 t ° ; d m a r l l y WOuld have Furniture Out . As far as the eqUlpment itself is concerned, small opportunity is afforded the home- ™ f ? ^duS,t ry t 0 benefit, aside trom the development of studio couches, bedding arrangements po" 'bly apphances. Fabricated after the m a n n e r of automobiles and Yachts, interior trim constitutes the nearest relationship to the manu-facture of furniture. Yet the popu-larity of the trailer presents a def-inite problem to the merchant and manufacturer of fumiture a n d a £ Z dr - R e " n t automobSe shows with great public interest in rolling homes, amazing increase in Srert6- °f ^ ^nSaS turers, obviate the slightest let-up ot relaxing of merchandising actiV ; i e s r ? p a r t of deai ^ me ? i n d u?t r i e s inevitably emerge depressions. The trailer, obvi-ously tracing its heredity to the ^ d f ^ t „ , ui ^uuuimi. travail rbbis?c SOrat°aUofaS-aChallengeto home. for DECEMBER, 1936 19 1 — Popular blond mahogany bedroom group featured by Tomlinson of High Point in their mer-chandise Mart dis-play. 2 — Modern walnut cocktail table with cigarette compart-ments at each end, by the K r o e h l e r Mfg. Co., is display-ed at the American Furniture Mart. 3 — Buffet, No. 315, by the Penn Table Co., Huntington, W. Va., is shown at the American Furniture Mart. 4 — Twin studio couch. No. 42, de-signed by F r e d a Diamond for Sleep-er, r e t a i l i n g at $52.50. 5 — Dinette in naut-ical d e s i g n is a charming group by Luce Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, and is displayed in their showrooms at the Merchandise Mart. 6 — Modern maple chair by Heywood- W a k e f i e 1 d Co., Gardner, Mass., and Modern maple table by Sandel Mfg. Co- Chicago, a r e dis-played at the Amer-ican Furniture Mart. 7 — Louis XV bed-room suite by Win-nebago Mfg. Co., R o c k f o r d. 111., is shown at the Amer-ican Furniture Mart. 8 — China cabinet, manufactured by the Penn Table Co., is exhibited at the American Furniture Mart. i l i M; : i 20 FINE FURNITURE CUSTOMER'S VIEWPOINT ON BUYING LINOLEUM by RUTH McINERNEY •"PHE lady was trying to buy linoleum. At least the X signs were unmistakable. She had said to the sales-man: "I'd like to buy a linoleum rug for my dinette." Therefore, we can assume that she wanted to buy linoleum. But the salesman was not as simple-natured. He had a choice set of obstacles which he always made it a point to place before each customer who tried to buy linoleum. If they hurdled these hazards, then he was ready to take them seriously. If they walked out, dis-couraged — well, the old law of the survival of the fittest customers may be a hard one, but it's all in the red among ledgers. Why waste time on a customer who didn't have the stamina to stand up and fight for the right to spend money in his store? So the lady asked, "What do you think would go nice in a dinette?" Sales Stops • The salesman led her to a department that was just a few degrees removed from an out-and-out stockroom. Rolls of linoleum stood around in a glum group on a bare wooden floor. There was a dusty piece of promotion on a post, "Newest patterns of 1935," but it hung on one tack, and the buyer's desk —well, was even more buyerish than usual, cluttered and frantic. "For a dinette? Oh, any of these patterns—marble, floral, Persian, blocked, modernistic." Said the lady, "Well, the room is furnished in rather modern style, blond woods and vermilion dado with beige upper walls. Would a russet rug be appropriate?" "If you like russet," replied the salesman. "Russet's nice. Sell a lot of it." "I wonder how vermilion and russet would look together?" she asked. "Is there any way you have for helping me tell how they would look together?" "They'll look all right." She questioned, "Maybe I ought to select a cooler color. Should I?" "Cool colors are nice. Sell a lot of them. Sell a lot of greens this year." "Why do some floor coverings cost more than others?" the lady wondered. "They all look the same." "Some are better quality," he replied. "Oh. Wear better?" "Yes. Wear better," said the salesman. "Oh. Do you think I ought to select inlaid instead of printed linoleum?" "It's up to you, lady. We sell a lot of inlaid." The lady trying to spend money, tried another ave-nue, one that looked as though it might be better lighted. "How do you think I ought to take care of linoleum in order to make it stay beautiful longer?" she asked. "Like ordinary floors," he replied. "Wax it or varnish it if you want." "Which is better?" But the salesman was too good an international dip-lomat to be cornered in an admission. f o r D E C E M B E R , 1936 21 "We sell a lot of both." And so the lady went home and painted the old floor over instead of buying a new floor covering. Display Appeal • Why one must have a warehouse feeling when one enters a linoleum department, re-mains one of the mysteries of the business. We are supposed to form a judgment of the goods as it stands upright in its narrow, close rolls. A man, purchasing a suit, usually trys it on for fit. How many linoleum rugs are tried on for desirability? To judge a piece of linoleum, a good-sized strip of it should be placed on the floor, next to a panel colored to resemble as closely as possible the walls of the room at home. It's very difficult to compare colors mentally; most of us need to have the colors right on hand to inspect. Sets of screens, painted in leading key colors used on rooms, could be shuffled around to aid the customer to visualize wall and floor combinations. Even before the customer thinks of price, she is puzzled about correct interior decoration technique. She wants smartness and correctness, with individu-ality. When in doubt, darker floors prevent a room becoming off-balance. Also, figured rugs for plain walls, plain rugs for figured walls are safe rules. To make a room look larger, and most customers want this, a wall to wall rug does the trick—also helps sell a larger rug. Rug-ed Individualism • People who sell linoleum floor coverings are now in the unique position of being able to offer custom-tailored rugs. Personalized floors is the biggest news buzz of the moment, one which dealers have yet to turn to real profit. We see the monogramed floors, the personal design of individual home-makers, at the home shows. We see a recreation room planned with a floor containing scudding sail-boats, flying fish and backgammon board designs—the particular hobbies of this home-owner. But we shrug and say, "Not for those of us with limited budgets. A personalized floor—why, it must be the ground floor of luxury!" And, of course, you dealers know it isn't at all, that we may have individual floor patterns of our own crea-tion with only moderate additional cost, that designs may be cut and set in the floor, neatly, fascinatingly. Tell us more about it. Make it the thing that will auto-matically out-date all the mediocre linoleums on our floors. New walls, too, of the linoleum type materials may be had. Square corners become round, dustproof; walls are different, easily kept immaculate, will not crack nor fade, always look fresh and come in such interesting patterns as knotty pine, natural wood, marble. We've been looking at them yearningly in model home shows. It's up to the dealers of the nation to put the informa-tion about new floor and wall personalities into every home. Dura-Beauty • The modern Scientific Shopping house-wife searches for dura-beauty. The old-fashioned housewife was contented with something that "lasted." But the present home-maker shops for beauty which lasts. We buy good inlaid linoleum because the pat-tern, going straight through to the back, mellows with age, grows old gracefully, will not chip off and harbor unlovely soil, will not make scrubbing harder, always looks better through the years. We buy good printed linoleum because its heavier weight resists tearing, be-cause its colors last longer, because its smooth surface will not harbor soil, because keeping it clean is easier. Poor linoleum is not only expensive, it is unbeautiful and a continual nuisance to have around. It tears easily, the colors wear off soon, soil collects in cracks, disfiguring the surface and making scrubbing more fre-quent and fruitless. A housewife will put up with a little extra cleaning effort if the work is repaid in aesthetic satisfaction. But no amount of scrubbing can restore poor linoleum; it is thankless. It makes your next sale of linoleum harder. It's part of the sales resistance of the indus-try. One rug of cheap linoleum is enough to under-mine linoleum good will in an entire family and its branches. Good inlaid and good printed types are the ask-the-woman-who-owns-one of the industry. Linoleum Lingo • How shall linoleum be laid? The selling job isn't over with the making out of the sales check. Besides, here is an opportunity to sell us dead-ening felt and waterproof cement. For what kinds of situations are the new adhesive-backed linoleums advis-able? Why bother with special laying methods? Be-cause if properly laid, the linoleum floor will be given greater resiliency with regard to the shrinking and swelling of the wood; it will not work loose or buckle or curl at the corners; greater quietness is added; its beauty is under-written by proper laying. Embossed pattern 5460, in canary yel-low and black, offset by plain walls, makes an attractive and liv-able room of this attic corner on the right. The copper kitchen on the left is en-hanced by a linoleum of dura-beauty in pattern 5520. * • - >' 22 FINE FURNITURE And Protection • How shall the linoleum be cared for? To avoid come-backs, to encourage renewed sales, help us to treat linoleum cor-rectly; explain the necessary avoid-ance of abrasive and alkali cleansing agents which scratch or destroy the linseed oil content; stressing the importance of using mild suds, rins-ing thoroughly, drying completely, and following with two thin coats of wax. The wax facial is necessary once a month for kitchens, every two months for other rooms. Rest-ing chair legs in bakelite cups, cuts down cleaning time and preserves the charm of the surface. A floor can take on a new uplook on life with intelligent sales help directing a customer's purchase. Dramatized Displays ON the opposite page are six floor covering and drapery ensembles, dramatizing ways in which retailers can stimulate holi-day business. The attractive corner setting, No. 1, is a diagonal cut upholstery, irregular striped velvet, made by Collins & Aiken Corp. No. 2 features yellow and white in the make-up table and modern chair by the Vogue Mfg. Co. "Put a price on the whole as a gift package with small budget payments," is the plan suggested for the modern bedroom ensemble. No. 3 emphasizes blond maple furniture with texture rug in mulberry color. Another novel dis-play is No. 4 in which a nautical setting by W. J. Sloane is featured. No. 5, a bedroom display, shows the Gainsborough pattern, recently developed by Witcombe, McGeachin & Co., in draperies and bedspread of DuPont rayon. The attractive Christmas packaging of rugs is par-ticularly well demonstrated in dis-play No. 6, in which a large rug in modern design serves as a striking background, furniture pieces pro-viding a home atmosphere. SIMPLIFYING STIRS SALES 'T'HE Globe Furniture Co., San i. Diego, CaL, has attempted to simplify their display methods by enlarging and rebuilding their floor covering department. According to manager J. J. Sherline, the)' now have 180 rug arms for displaying stock of large rugs, of which they carry over 360 patterns. In addi-tion to 16 broadloom racks of the roller type, a long platform is em-ployed for displaying approximately 1000 samples. Said Manager Sherline, "These samples are of the standard rug size •—27 x 54 inches, and give customers a better idea of patterns and color combinations than can be gained from smaller swatches. After these patterns are discontinued, we sell them as rugs, for, being standard rug size, they lend themselves nicely to small settings where we wish to show the rug with a piece or two of furniture and a drapery treatment." Samples are marked with full roll prices, cut order prices, and the widths in which they are available. All samples of a given brand are kept together, care being taken to keep all samples clean and neatly stacked. Salesmen may take sam-ples out to homes to aid in selection of pattern or color combination, signing for samples when taking them out, and being credited with them when they are returned. Added Sherline. "When a saks-man takes an order for one or more rugs, he immediately consults our Pacific Coast distributor's stock sheet—which we keep up to date— and finds if the rug is in stock on this coast. If it is not, he refers to Typical floor covering display at Globe Furniture Co.. San Diego, Cal. J. J. SHERLINE . . . Making rug selection easy for the customer eliminates lost sales. the mill sheet and finds if the rug can be secured at that point — usually it can. By doing this before the customer leaves the store, he can tell her whether or not he can secure immediate delivery or if it will be necessary for her to wait IS days for delivery from the mill. This enables her to make another selection, or, if not desiring this, it prepares her for waiting, and ex-plaining the delay thus, makes pleased customers and eliminates lost sales." By these methods, Manager Sher-line believes that they have invited the furniture salesman to the rug department by cooperating with him in putting every effort into the plan of helping him to make sales, and excellent results have thereby been obtained. f o r D E C E M B E R , 1936 23 24 FINE FURNITURE FAMILIAR DESIGNS, INTERPRETED By F A M O U S DESIGNERS Totnpeiian Wrought Metal by WM. HOFFMANN POMPEIIAN design and decoration lends itself ad-mirably to the fabrication of modern and traditional furniture in wrought metal. The artistry of the Pom-peiians and the early Egyptians has never been excelled. This is particularly true in metal work. Recognized as one of the foremost centers of Roman culture and basking in luxury, their artistic senses were highly developed. Discovery of the Roman city of Pompeii in 1754 stimulated an artistic interest that had a definite effect on 18th Century English furniture designers. The Adam brothers in England incorporated many of the Pompeiian motifs in their architectural renderings and furniture adaptations. In France the Pompeiian influ-ence was not discernable until the Louis XV period when people tired of the sensuous lines of this feminine style and sought a more enduring form of line. With the advent of modern manufacturing methods such as die-casting and the bending and shaping of tubular and flat chrome-plated steel, metal furniture embodying Pompeiian influence is being re-created, and production methods have brought this type of furniture within the reach of the average consumer's pocketbook and desires. The illustrations of the chair and the plant-stand on the opposite page, designed by William Hoffmann, are exquisite examples of modern adaptation of Pompeiian design. Furtherance of modern metal furniture devel-opment has been possible through the introduction of contemporary materials. New accents are permitted in a combining of wood, glass, copper, cork and chrome steel, and new discoveries in the fabrication of light weight metals allows many unusual and interesting forms to be developed. CAMOUFLEUR TO MEDALIST OOMEONE has said that it k_) isn't what men take in that makes greatness, but what they exude. Being a bashful soul, William "Bill" Hoffmann will probably not okay this brief biography. As a matter of fact, it's his retiring disposition that is responsible for the absence of his portrait, thus breaking a precedent established over a period of eight months with The Sketch Book. Beginning his career with architectural aspirations, Hoff-mann enrolled in the Cooper Union Institute, New York, in 1916. From there he moved to the Beaux Art Institute, and in 1920 and '21 achieved the dis-tinction of being a Beaux Art medalist. His experiences in the realm of furniture designing had their inception with that foun-tain head of furniture craftsmen, W. & J. Sloane. Following several years of in-tensive training in the designing of interiors and furnishings, Hoff-mann migrated to Grand Rapids, and for over a decade produced successful designs for Robert W. Irwin Co. Severing his connec-tions as staff designer with Irwin four years ago, "Bill" has since created designs for such concerns as Johnson, Handley, Johnson Co. and Berkey & Gay of Grand Rapids, and Saginaw Furniture Shops of Saginaw, Mich. Versatile, talented and tech-nical, Hoffmann is equipped with an understanding and knowledge of furniture design as related to modern production methods and merchandising perception, only possible to one thoroughly found-ed in design fundamentals. Hoffmann offers a rare sense of enthusiasm to any subject be-ing discussed, has a sense of hilarious humor, except at times when he draws to an inside straight — which he frequently does—unsuccessfully. Occupying his time with con-stant efforts to produce well-styled, saleable merchandise, "Bill" does manage to devote a few hours to his family, and his hobby, which is a cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan. How-ever, his work more than often follows him to his lakeside re-treat and it is with difficulty that his friends are able to secure his services in a horseshoe foursome, a sport at which he is particu-larly adept. During the war "Bill" exhibited his artistic wares in the creating of camouflage for the protection of AEFers, a serv-ice which substantiates our con-tention that Hoffmann is a retir-ing soul. l o r DECEMBER, 1936 25 PoMpFJAN ).•: I-To R u H. - - * MF •" '~ ': ff»- ' i '-IV 26 FINE FURNITURE SCIENCE BUILDS A HOUSE THEN WURZBURG'S BUDGET PLAN TURNS IT INTO A HOME FOR $1300 by VffiGINIA RUTH ULRICH IN 22 states, General Houses, Inc., is erecting model "over-the-counter" houses. In practically every in-stance, furniture merchants and homefurnishing de-partments of department stores are aligning themselves with the builder in some form of promotion. That homefurnishing stores are planning to take advantage of Federal forecasts predicting the erection of six mil-lion new homes in the next ten years, is evidenced by promotions of this nature being staged throughout the country. Macy's built a $9000 house, completely fur-nished, on its furniture floor; Wanamakers. Phila-delphia, furnished 17 model homes resulting m an approximate attendance of 500,000. Numerous other establishments are conducting similar enterprises with highly encouraging increases noticed in their furniture, drapery, floor-covering and accessory departments. Low-cost Homes • In the medium-priced class, the product of General Houses, Inc., appears to have the field to itself with prices ranging from $3500 to $9000, houses being available in arrangements adaptable to even the most Modern-minded home-maker. However, even a structurally modern house can have a tradi-tionally furnished interior, as is the case of a model recently erected in East Grand Rapids, Alich. Built by William D. Tucker, furniture designer and architect, and furnished in collaboration with Wurz-burg's (Grand Rapids department store), the house was furnished originally in contemporary tempo. Fol-lowing a two-week public display period, Tucker in-stalled his own furnishings which are completely traditional, effecting a transition so complete that the entire appearance of the house was altered. Said Tucker, "This house is not a house of the future. It is not a visionary ideal to be hoped for at some future day; it is a reality and can be had in this community by anyone who is seeking a modern, uo-to- date house. The unusual changes embodied are the Grand Rapids Lounge Co. supplied the dav-enport, r e t a i l i n g at $149.50; H a s t i n g s Table Co., the modern coliee table at $24, end table priced at $18; and the Thomas-ville Chair Co. manu-factured the walnut dining room suite. buffet retailing at $52,50; table. $29.50. for DECEMBER, 193b 27 Blond bedroom suite by West Michigan Furniture Co., retail price, four pieces, $193, has proved immensely popular. result of scientific application of present day materials to present day living standards. One of the outstand-ing features of the house is the almost complete elim-ination of waste space." In this respect the house, which is 48 x 32 feet, effects a saving of space equal to one large bedroom and two closets when compared to an ordinary struc-ture built of traditional materials. Asbestos cement board walls, sound-proof, insulated against winter cold and summer heat, prefabricated into panels that d fy time and labor in construction, account for the fact that only five weeks ensued between the time the first framework was erected until the decorator hung the last curtain. At a cost under $6000 for actual con-struction, including a complete heating unit with air-conditioning, water heater and double laundry tubs. and, in the kitchen, a cabinet-based sink, and including furnishings such as draperies, floor coverings, furniture, appliances, totaling slightly under $1300, the house is an inducement to the potential home-maker of mod-erate means. Financed under the Federal Housing Administration plan this type of residence is expected to figure prominently in the building boom now under way in many sections of the country. Decorator Maude Miller avers, "We have found a definite increase in sales in the homefurnishing depart-ment since the opening of the House of Science, many of them directly traceable to this promotion. This has been true, not only in direct sales from the furnishings displayed, but because seeing Wurzburg's name in connection with the decorating, has perceivably put me in the minds of people who desire an interior decora-tor. The first two days after the opening when several thousand visitors viewed the house, we had calls for various lamps which we had used and a goodly num-ber of draperies were sold, while the furniture depart-ment reported sales and inquiries regarding merchan-dise of that nature. Decoration • Credit should be given to Wurzburg's in their presentation of a charming and delightful interior in this five-roomed house, which has still been kept well within the limits of the average budget. The living room ceiling is beamed, breaking the severe wall effect and adding to the length of the combination living and dining room. Walls are a pastel pmk and the furnishings range from ivory to a deep rich brown with an occasional touch of green for contrast. The floors, which are cement throughout, have been covered by two layers of felt over which Amhaco Broadfelt Carpets (Clinton Carpet Co., Chicago), in a soft dull green have been laid. The davenport, Grand Rapids Lounge Co., is a coffee brown and beige curly mohair, in front of which stands a low coffee table manufac-tured by the Hastings Table Co. Opposite, is a mirror-flanked Benjamin Franklin fireplace, on one side of which stands a modern knee-hole desk (Charles R. Sligh Co.), and in the cozy corner of the other side, a light wine and beige chair from the Grand Rapids Lounge Co. is sided by an end table in modern style. Neither shades nor glass curtains are necessary at the corner windows in that sufficiently heavy embroidered casement cloth in brown and ivory has been employed. The decorative lamps, modern contrasts in dead white, green, and soft brown were manufactured by Max Horn & Bros.; Lightolier Co.; Rosenfield & Co.; Art Lamp Corp., and the Arton Studios, $50 covering all lamps in the house. Squared off from the living room is the dining room in which identical drapes have been used at the corner window and the carpet has carried through so that all can be converted into one large room if so desired. The Thomasville Chair Co. are the manufacturers of the modern dining room suite used, including buffet, table and chairs in light walnut. Blond Bedroom • In the master bedroom, the popu-lar blond furniture, West Michigan Furniture Co., has been used in a three-piece suite, including a full-sized bed, vanity and chest. The rug is modern in two-tone brown and pink beige, and pure white sheer drapes at 28 FINE FUBNITURE the corner windows increase the light effect of the room. A white tiled bathroom adjoining, is opposite the other bedroom which has been furnished in maple, the bunk-tiered beds made by the Grelick Mfg. Co., the vanity and chest having been manufactured by Jennings Furniture Co. The two beds plus a Cape Cod lamp, cost about $26.50 complete and many sales have been made on this attractive but economical room. Gray carpet forms an interesting contrast to the maple, and color has been em-ployed in the yellow, brown and gray of the drapes and in a wing chair spring rocker from the Thom-asville Chair Co., which is offered for $16.50. Kitchen Clicks • One of the most commented-on rooms in the house is the kitchen, which room has be-come increasingly important to the modern home-maker who seeks to combine both utility and beaut}*. Light and airy with many windows, it is completely white from the Magic Chef range, gas refrigerator, to the metal built-in cupboards. The only color accent is in the Kirsch \ enetian blinds which are taped in brilliant red. and in the floor-cover-ing of Armstrong linoleum. Con-veniently small, and with built-in equipment, this kitchen has been de-signed for step-saving economy. The utility room adjoining the kitchen, is conveniently handy, has built-in laundry tubs, modern gas heater and air-conditioner inclosed in a light green metal cabinet; may also be used as a store room. This room has been greatly discussed by house-wives and is making great appeal to them in that they feel it is a time and energy saver to have the "heart" of the house so conveniently located. A BIRD'S-EYE JUBILEE {The Man on the Cover) FLOWERS and blonds (with the blond being made of bird's-eye maple) constitute an appropriate background for a man who has spent the major part of his long and very active life in the manufac-ture of maple furniture. Charles ("Charlie" to you) Elmendorf, gen-eral manager of the Manistee Mfg. Co., Manistee, Mich., rates the cover position this month, because, during the Fall Style Show in Grand Rap-ids, fellow exhibitors in the Waters- Klingman Bldg. learned through the market grapevine that "Charlie" turned the three-quarter century mark November 7. With congratu-lations the order of the day, his friends staged a congratulatory re-ception in the Manistee space, pre-sented Elmendorf with a beautiful autumn bouquet. Wrapped in the stems of the flowers was an object that tinkled—but that's supposed to be a secret! "Charlie" Elmendorf for a num-ber of years has been regarded as the last of the Mohicans when it came to manufacturing bird's-eye maple furniture for the bedroom. Tomlinson of High Point made this bedroom suite, naming it for Su-sanna Allen who conducted one of the early taverns at Williamsburg, Va., in 1715. The architectural treat-ment is of espe-cial interest due to its marked Wil-liamsburg charac-ter. Displayed in the Merchandise Mart. In recent years, however, he has branched out and his line now in-cludes modern and traditional solid maple bedroom groups. His blond suites were outstanding features of the recent mid-season market. Long a hard worker, attentive to details, Elmendorf at 75 can review his business career with satisfaction, having directed its course in a sane and profitable manner. A great out-door enthusiast, playing a fine game of golf, "Charlie" expects to carry on indefinitely and die with his boots on. Breslaw's on the Air '"PHAT commercial radio adver- X tising had a future was realized by Jacob Breslaw, president of Breslaw Bros. Furniture, N. Y., in 1929, when he began an intensive radio campaign which has helped to make them one of the largest and strongest retail furniture stores. It was among the early concerns to sponsor a program over WGY, pioneer station in Schenectady, reaching an audience in up-state New York and western New Eng-land, Breslaw agreeing to a one-year contract, being willing to gam-ble on the results, necessarily un-certain at that time. His gamble was well founded. One announce-ment on the modest program with which they started the radio adver-tising drive, sold 87 porch gliders. Another sold 57 sets of dishes. Customers began to drive in from many miles away and patrons in certain sections became so numerous that additional stores were added. When the campaign began, the Breslaw organization had three stores doing the proverbial "nice little business;" today, it embraces seven stores doing a million dollar business. This phenomenal growth cannot be attributed entirely to radio ad-vertising, of course, but the fact that Breslaw Bros, not only re-mained on the air in a continuous seven-year campaign but gradually increased the amount of time pur-chased, is evidence of the impor-tance of this form of merchandismg. On all Breslaw broadcasts, specific items of merchandise and their prices are listed and repeated; three "radio specials" each week are usu-ally offered and frequently a "free offer" campaign is begun. Topical and timely slants are given to the advertising such as, "Get Your Bonus at Breslaw's" and "Buy at a £2,000,000 Merger Sale to Beat the Rising Market." J o r DECEMBER, 1936 29 FurnitureFrolics JOSEPH D&AH Of H.y, FUP-NITUP-E HE SHOWED HIS FAITH IN THE FUTUP-E B / OPEHIHO HI9 STOR-E THE MOP-NING OF 1HIOAY WHEN ALL £>ANK& THROUaHOUT THECOUHTli/ \A/£P-£ CLOSED - - ED.H. &EEN AT C E . M N A . C ' H I O . FOP-TIRELESS - FISHERMAN AND HUNTE.R-- • HE LOVES THE OUTDOORS, ESPECIAU.y IK HoRTHEP-M A/1)CH!6AN, DUP-lNCT THE HAY FEVE-R-LJR/ tnu t^APlDS „„ ANO C i v i c LEADER-. ACTIVE, IN ESTADLISHlNCi P&SIDN PIP-AC1/ PP-OTE-G-nON. . OUTDOOP-EN-THUSIAST. /4S A PU&LIC3PEAV-EP-HIS P-AN^INO IS H(OH - .DAVID L."PRETTY Boy' E-VAN5, FUP-HITURE D t - SIONER. ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING CP-EATOP-S OF THE PP-OFESSION. £-X- PP-ES. 6 . P ^ . FUP-HITUP-E CBSI6NER-S /45SN. HAS CREATED SUCH FAMOUS LINES AS C ENTURy AND "OUlDDlCCMB, EVEN FASHIONED SOME FURNITURE IN HIS HOME. " E.MCHAMAPA. BUYER- FOR THE MILWAUKEE BOSTON 5TORP. NATIVE OP CONNECTICUT. PLAYS LOTS OF CJOLF AND SOME z,P-\oot. WANTS TO PLAY MORE CiOL-F WHEN HE RETIP-ES. 30 FINE FURNITURE Designed by Robert Heller for A. C. Gilbert Co., this chrome-plated, black enameled base toaster re-tails for about $3. Low-Cost Posters T IBERAL use of multi-colored J i posters for furniture promotions is possible at low cost if the silk screen process is utilized in produc-tion, according to Robert S. Leo-pold, display manager at H. Leh & Co., Allentown, Pa. Leopold's strik-ing poster designs have done much to develop sales volume during special furniture promotions. Said Leopold, "When poster costs run too high, the display depart-ment is inclined to economize to the point that it does not get its mes-sage across. For a recent furniture sale we produced 100 seven-color posters in four hours with our silk screen equipment at a cost of less than $10. A year ago we had 100 similar posters made for us by a printing plant at a cost of $91. The screen method facilitates the use of a greater number of posters which results in better response to store promotions." Leopold uses a strong wood frame over which the screen silk is stretch-ed with thumb tacks. The silk used is very sheer with great tensile strength and a very fine mesh through which paint can be squeezed. The frame is hinged to a flat board of equal size and blank cards are later inserted between the screen and the board. The design outline is drawn on the silk, the space outside is covered with paint-impermeable glue, after which paint is applied over the design. The poster card having been inserted, a squeegee roller is employed whxh forces the paint onto the card. In the production of multi-colored posters, the same procedure is fol-lowed, one color being impressed on the poster card at a time; it being RETAILING TIPS . . . Low-cost Posters Possible—Valuable Names—Appliances Segregated-—Shack Spawns Sales—Unique Remuneration Plan—How Do You Say Frise? necessary to block out all remaining parts of the design with glue each time a color is added. The glue and pamt are removed with turpentine from the succeeding parts of the de-sign on the screen each time the new color is applied. This pro-cedure is followed until the design has been completely transferred. Leopold finds it convenient to have three different sized screens; the one used most frequently for store posters is about 30 by 50 inches; the larger screens are used for extra large cards and c.oth banners. Discounts in a Name ANOVEL, yet practical and profitable method of increasing sales for popular-price instalm nt furniture stores in reviving inactive accounts, was recently originated and copyrighted by Charles E. Coykendall, direct mail specialist in Chicago. This plan is in the form of a letter to be sent primarily to customers who have not been using their charge accounts as freely as might be wished. Letter Specialist Coykenda'il has worked out a percentage value of all the letters of the alphabet on a scientific basis and in his form letter asks the customer to figure the purchasing value of his last name according to this scale. A special discount is offered by the store according to what his last name is worth when computed on this basis. To figure the purchasing value of his name, the customer is first asked to figure the percentage value of each letter; secondly, to divide the total percentage by the actual num-ber of letters in his last name. The result will give the special discount entitled to the customer on any merchandise. Assuming, for in-stance, that the letters in the name "SMITH" have the following values —"S" 8%, "M" 13%, "I" 2%, "T" 9%, "H" 7%—the total would be 39%. The name "SMITH" con-tains five letters; thus, 39% is divided by five and "SMITH" will have a special discount of 7%. Fractions over equal divisions are not to be counted according to this plan. The customer is, of course, asked to bring his letter with him to serve as identification. A promotion of this type if used primarily as a direct mail propo-sition has the virtue that it re- - • • • • : • - ; : £ • This Modern dining group by the Grand Rapids Chair Co. is featured in the Masonite House at the Texas Centennial, Dallas. Decorative accessories and dining service by Arthur A. Evarts Co. carries out the simple dignity of this modern dining room. for DECEMBER, 193S 31 quires no large additional advertis-ing expenditure. When making in-quiries, the maximum discount which the merchant is willing to offer to a group of inactive cus-tomers should be stated. Further information concerning this plan can be obtained by writing FINE FURNITURE Magazine. — Ed. Note. Double-Store Plan SEPARATION of its appliance department in another store brought an increase of 40% in elec-trical sales to Chalker's Furniture Co., Huntington Park, Calif. At the same time furniture sales jumped 25%. "Furniture, we found," explains H. Vanderhook, manager of the appliance department, "detracted from appliances and appliances from furniture. Most larger stores have their electrical departments closely related to the furniture division. "Theoretically, this should pro-duce feeder business both ways. But for us it didn't. The furniture customer would see a new electrical appliance and waste our time and hers looking at it when she had not the slightest intention of buying it. The same principle worked in re-verse with electrical customers. Now there are no distractions." Vanderhook also points out that by having a seperate shop, appli-ances can constantly have window display space all their own. "They assume more importance than when displayed as mere accessories." A location near the main store is Blond mahogany bedroom suite by Tomlinson. with blended, hand-waxed lacquer finish which preserves natural beauty of the wood. necessary for success in this two-store selling, Vanderhook believes. It is only a half block from Chalk-er's main store to the appliance location so it is no task to exchange customers. Several large rugs hang m the appliance store, creating sales in that item. Small, occasional pieces of furniture take away the usual appliance store bareness and tie the store in with the parent furniture store. Shack Spawns Sales AN old shack remodeled as a . model home, set up in the busi-ness section of Salt Lake City, was visited by 63,000 people during the Bed by John Widdi-comb Co., with all carvings and mould-ings gold burnished, the head board cov-ered with blue silk. first ten days it was open to the public. A'lanager George A. Williams, Williams-Nibley, Inc., said, "We completely furnished the little house and it was the finest publicity we ever received. Total cost of reno-vating each room and cost of each item—furniture, rugs, drapes—was listed separately, so that whether a person wished to completely re-furnish a room or merely purchase a single article, the exact cost was immediately available. Explanatory folders were presented visitors as they departed. "Since we cater to a most exclu-sive trade in Salt Lake City and vicinity (one of our recent home refurnishing jobs amounted to $9000) many people were reticent in consulting us on small jobs for simply furnished homes, and it was to appeal to our citizens as a whole that the folder was issue. We said: 'Because this firm is patronized by people of distinction throughout the State, it is believed by many to be high-priced, exclusive, and catering only to a wealthy clientele. This is an erroneous idea. Many patrons have only limited incomes, but know that here they can have their homes decorated attractively at no great cost. Consider the furnishings in this house. The curtains in the bedroom cost only $8.75 per pair; the rug $15. The two-piece suite in the living room is covered in blue crushed mohair. This covering will last for years, and the suite is only $173.50.' Radio, sparingly, and newspaper advertising were employed in at-tracting attention of both old and new customers." 32 FINE FURNITURE heather i s BUT BE SURE IT'S EAGXE-OTTAWVl leather £as this quality. It is good leather because over a period of years the Eagle-Ottawa Leather Co. has kept apace of changing trends, they have given initial tests to new methods of production, tanning, coloring. When found practical they have been incorporated in the manu-facturing of BETTER leather . . . Mer-chants, leather-wise, INSIST upon Eagle-Ottawa's product because it insures customer-satisfaction and re-peat business. Leather today is unlimited in its scope when hand Jed by master designers. 1 raditional or Contemporary furni-ture finds the use of good leather ac-ceptable. Because it is more than a fad. GOOD leather is enduring, comforta-ble, stylish, practical. Top, leather Chippen-dale chair, by Baker Furniture Factories, Inc.; dining chair, Chippendale leather-seated by Century Furniture Co.; occa-sional leather chair (left), by Barnard <S Simonds and modern chair, covered with leather, by Mueller Furniture Co. EAGLE-OTTAWA LEATHER We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE f o r DECEMBER. 1936 33 IN DEMAND Good LEATHER Originally found only on seating pieces, furniture merchants visit-ing the various furniture market centers of the country find leather on head and footboards of beds, table tops, chairs and davenports, drawer and case fronts of dressers, chests, bookcases, desks, buffets. In a wide range of colors and tex-tures, the buyer is afforded unsur-passed opportunity for injecting eye-appeal into his furniture dis-plays. "There is nothing like leather . . . providing it is GOOD leather." Bridge set (at top), by Sikes Co., chairs leather covered; modern bed employing leather on head and loot boards, by Berkey <£ Gay Furniture Co.; leather top, drum table by Fine Arts Furniture Co. and leather covered bed by Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co. if-Atti Main Office: GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN Tanneries: GRAND HAVEN, WHITEHALL, MICHIGAN Branches: 912 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago 2 Park Avenue, New York City 1602 Locust Street, St. Louis 1012-14 Broadway Place, Los Angeles 615 Howard St., San Francisco Phillips-Davis, Inc., High Point, N. C. Mosehart-Schleeter, 211 Caroline St., Houston, Texas J. J. Smith, 123 8 N. W. Glisan St., Portland, Oregon > COMPANY WORLD'S LARGEST TANNERS OF UPHOLSTERY LEATHER We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE 34 FINE FURNITURE BENBOUGH'S REMUNERATION Plan Is Unique, Practical APLAN of sales remuneration which is not only unique and interesting but practical as well, has been devised by H. L. Benbough who established a furniture store in San Diego, Cal., 30 years ago on a capital of $500. He has prospered and grown until today his store occupies six floors and basement of a building 100 feet square; he em- H. L. BENBOUGH . . . "Our plan seems to average for salesmen and store in satisfactory manner." ploys 115 people, 14 of whom are furniture salesmen. Convinced that cooperation be-tween the employees of his various departments would be the keynote to success, Benbough has planned always with this end in view. The store is divided into five depart-ments, namely: Furniture, Carpet, Office Equipment, Drapery, and Electrical Equipment. The only de-partment in which the furniture sales force makes direct sales other than in its own is the Carpet De-partment. In the event of a furni-ture customer being interested in the purchase of merchandise in any of the other three departments, namely: Office Equipment, Drapery or Electrical Equipment, the cus-tomer is introduced by the furniture salesman to a member of the sales force in the particular department in whose merchandise he is inter-ested, and the salesman in that par-ticular department carries on. If a sale is made, both men receive full credit for the sale in volume. At the present time, Benbough has 14 furniture salesmen, each of whom is rated and re-rated accord-ing to the volume of his sales per month. Number 14, the lowest in the scale, is paid $100 a month; each succeeding man up to the top receives $12.50 more than his pre-decessor so that Number 1 receives $262.50 per month. When an addi-tion is made to the sales force it automatically increases every sales-man on the floor $12.50 a month as the low man still receives $100 and each man is increased as shown by the following schedule: Sales Remuneration Present 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14-. Schedule $262.50 250 00 237 50 225 00 212 50 200 00 187.50 175.00 ... 162.50 ... 150.00 13750 . 125.00 112.50 100.00 Add 1 . ? 3 4 5.. 6 1 ... 89 10 . 11 12 . 13.. 14.... 15 ing One Man $275.00 262.50 .. 250.00 237 50 225 00 212.50 200.00 187.50 175.00 . .. 162.50 150 00 . 137.50 125.00 112.50 1.0.00 If it became necessary to cut down on the staff, each salesman's pay would likewise be decreased $12.50 a month. Hence the incentive to aid new men in making sales. Says Benbough, "We find our present system to be working out in a highly satisfactory manner and all of our furniture salesmen are on their toes in an effort to either be top man for the month or as near to the top as possible. Wh'le our present plan benefits the salesmen when business is poor, the store benefits when business is good, so it seems to average satisfactorily." While this plan is not intended to be a competition, yet the salesmen consider it so and work hard to attain high ranking each month. Salesmen are paid twice a month. For the first half of the month each salesman receives $50. At this time the salesmen's ranking is posted so that each salesman may see where he stands and thus know his ap-proximate pay for the month. They are eager to help each other in the different departments due to the benefits received if a sale is made. The worry of repossessions is eliminated as Benbough believes that it is the duty of the credit de-partment to determine a customer's rating, not the salesmen's. Say What You Mean FRISE (pronounced "free-zay") is a fabric having a loop pile surface. The word is a French adjective indicating yarns looped, curled, or frizzled As applied to upholstery fabrics, common usage gives the term acceptance as the name of a cloth. Frieze (pronounced "freeze") is not a looped pile fabric but is a heavy woolen fabric having a nap produced by teazling, and is exten-sively used for overcoatings. Friezette is a flat weave and should not be confused with "frize." Friezette is a rep fabric, the rep weave being used so that when the fabric is woven, small ridges are formed. Benbough's store in the days of horse and and Golden carriage, "speedy" brass-lamped autos Oak sets. for DECEMBER. 1938 35 1 — Sofa. No. 1350. is made by Ralph Morse Furniture Co. and is shown at the Keeler Bldg.. Grand Rapids. 2 — One of Coch-ran's line of chair specials. No. 2808. in silk damask, is shown at the Wat-ers- Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids. 3 — This charming Early American maple group by W. F. Whitney Co.. Inc., South Ashbumham, Mass., is shown in the Waters - Kling-man Bldg., Grand Rapids. 4 — 18th Century wing chair by the S. J. Campbell Co.. Chicago; Duncan P h y t e mahogany table, A m e r i c a n Furniture Novelty Co.; and ivory table lamp, mahogany floor lamp by the Rembrandt Lamp Co., Chicago, are all displayed at the American Furniture Mart. 5 — Blond sectional pieces. No. 4587, in Modern s t y l e are manufactured by Weiner & Co., Mil-waukee, and are exhibited at the American Furniture Mart. 6 — Fireside chair. No. 40, made by the Grand Rapids Lounge Co., is ex-hibited in the Wat-ers- Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids. 7 — M a h o g a n y couch, by Schoon-beck Furniture Co., is shown in the showrooms of the Imperial Furniture Co.. Grand Rapids. 36 FINE FURNITURE WHY VENEERS? HOW often have your customers asked the ques-tion, "Is this furniture solid or veneered?" And upon being told that the flat surfaces are veneered, make some disparaging remark as if their intelligence, as a furniture buyer, had been insulted? The truth of the matter is that many of the buying public are obsessed with the idea that veneered construction is a sign of cheap, inferior furniture. One of the most dif-ficult problems confronting a retail salesman is that of reasoning with a customer who has already convinced himself that lamination is just another term for subordination of quality. They do not seem to realize that the salesman on the floor is trying to help and advise them in making the best possible selection for their money, rather than brow-beat or cajole them into purchasing an inferior grade of merchandise. They seem more inclined to take the word of an uninformed friend rather than that of an experienced manufacturer with years of study and experiment behind him. There-fore the entire issue narrows down to the fact that the salesman understands the conditions leading to the de-velopment and use of veneer, and that it is his job to convey that understanding to the consumer. Confidence vs. Cockiness • To gain the confidence of a customer in your ability and knowledge of furni-ture is of major importance in making a sale. They should be made to feel that they are talking with a person who has a thorough understanding of the busi-ness, rather than a robot merely repeating memorized words. by HARVEY KIMERLY How often have customers asked you, "Is this suite made of solid wood or is it veneered?" And immediately upon mentioning the word veneer have the prospect launch into a tirade censoring your establishment and everyone in it for handling such an inferior line of merchandise? Such a situation narrows down to the salesman's own ability to comprehend the use of veneer, and also the fact that certain types of furniture are more in keeping with their character and period when done in solid wood. Conveying this understanding to a veneer-complexed customer is an important part of your job as purveyor of furniture. Imagine, for example, the consternation of the young salesman just breaking into the game who, upon the arrival of a large, luxurious-looking sofa at the store, asked the question, "What style is that?" When told, with apparent seriousness, that it was a genuine Aphrodisiac, he decided to incorporate the term into his sales talk. Several days later a stately old couple entered the store, became interested in the piece and asked its style. Hoping to make an impression with his knowl-edge of furniture the young man stepped forward, and with a sweeping gesture said, "This is a GENuine Aphrodisiac." The story is old, but illustrates the ad-visability of using original and intelligent sales talk. Veneer—1000 Years B. C. • The arguments for the use of veneer are many, without disparaging fine fur-niture that is made of solid woods. Veneer itself is not a new development. It was known to the early Egypt-ians a thousand years before Christ, and those pieces of veneered furniture have stood the test of centuries. The eighteenth century masters, such as Chippendale and Sheraton, were also advocates of this laminated construction and their choice has never been bettered. The reasons for the use of plywood are not complex. Throughout the world are found many types and species of wood which may be used as a furniture material. However, only a few have all the properties desirable. The value of some woods lies in their char-acteristic color, figure and beauty of grain. Other types are valuable because of their physical requisites rather than decorative qualities. Therefore, combinations of these woods are used in order to produce furniture having both strength and beauty. It is the same method employed in the manufacture of fine jewelry. Platinum, for example, a very soft, ductile metal, is blended with irradium, which is known for its tough, durable qualities, thus producing an alloy with all the beauty and brilliance of platinum plus the service-ability of irradium. Consumer Skeptical • The method is the same in fur-niture. Hickory and ash both make excellent shovel handles or, in furniture, excellent frames for chairs and davenports. On the other hand, burl walnut and crotch mahogany, while unsuitable for shovel handles and frames, have beautiful figures suitable for smooth, flat surfaces where a fine texture is paramount. For this reason the practice is made of cutting the finely figured and more valuable woods into thin sheets of veneer, for DECEMBER, 1936 37 1 — Combination book-stand and table. No. 5-116, and the hanging bookrack. No. 5-103, are made by the Romweber Industries, shown in the Merchan-dise Mart. 2 _ No. 415 buffet is by the Bates-ville Cabinet Co. and is displayed in the Merchan-dise Mart. 3 — The American F u r n i t u r e Co. manufactured the modern bedroom group, twin-beds. No. 945V2- vanity No. 9451/4, which are shown at the Merchandise Mart. -rj 4 — Vanity, No. 221, retails at $40; mirror priced at $18, are made by the Charlotte Fur-niture Co. and are shown at the American Furni-ture Mart. 5 — No. D 785 chair, retailing at $58, by the Mich-igan Seating Co., is displayed in the Fine Arts Bldg., Grand Rapids, Mich. 6 — Modern chair No. 1284, outside width 33 inches, is by the Wolverine Upholstering Co. and is exhibited in the Waters- Klingman Bldg.. retailing at $63. Un-numbered mo-dem combination desk and cabinet by the B. P. John Furniture Corp., Portland, Ore. 4- 38 FINE FURNITURE which are then glued onto the less attractive but stronger wood. Obviously enough the consumer has probably never given thought to this line of reasoning and ma}- be satisfied with the explanation offered. However, a great many are unduly skeptical and suspicious. Why Veneer? • Of great importance to the buyer of household furniture is the lasting service made pos-sible with three- five- or more ply veneer. As an illus-tration, take a panel faced with a highly figured veneer. To begin with there is the core stock—a thoroughly dried piece of some tough, sturdy wood; then comes a layer of glue, and a layer of cross-banded veneer with the grain running at right angles to that of the core; there follows another layer of glue then the face veneer with its grain superimposed over that of the preceding strip. Cross-banding, or the superimposing of succeeding sheets of plywood gives the desired strength, as it tends to prevent the panel from warp-ing or changing its shape due to the absorption or giving off of moisture, for wood will naturally shrink or expand in varying degrees throughout the grain. The gluing together of the various sections with the grain running in different directions prevents distortion, for as one sheet starts to warp it is automatically checked by the cross grain of its adjacent sheets. This method of construction is especially valuable in the changing atmospheric conditions of the modern home. There is still another pertinent physical factor in favor of glued stock. Since the World War glues have been evolved which are as strong if not stronger than the wood itself. Quite often glued stock, when sub-jected to severe strain, will fail in the wood rather than the glue. A properly laid veneer panel is approx-imately 80% stronger than a strip of solid wood of equal thickness. To illustrate this point take two strips of plywood and place them together with the grain of each running in the same direction; they can be easily broken. Now superimpose these strips and you will find that twice the strength is required to break them. In late years a casein glue, made of sour skimmed milk, has been produced and has proved superior to the vegetable glue in that it is waterproof. The vege-table glue made from tapioca, is soluble in water if left submerged over a period of time; the casein glue is unaffected by water, retaining its original strength and preventing the veneer from springing apart. $15,000 per Log • To the manufacturer, and indirectly to the consumer, lamination offers yet another saving. Quite often wood, valued because of its beauty of fig-ure,, is too costly to be used in making solid furniture, for veneer logs have been known to sell on the London market for as much as $15,000. Therefore, the utility of these logs is greatly enhanced by cutting them into thin sheets rather than into lumber. Trees producing really excellent logs of this type are rapidly becoming scarce. The use of laminated construction also proves eco-nomical to the customer in that it helps save a great deal of breakage in small, finely built pieces. Also, in using other than veneered construction on a curved surface, the joints or ends may be exposed, thus spoil-ing the effect of a smooth flowing line. From the artistic or aesthetic point of view the use of veneer is responsible for many beautiful and unusual decorative effects, as it is possible to secure patterns of intricate design by the use of mottles, bird's-eyes and curly grains. The veneer may be cut as thin as 1/30 of an inch, enabling the strips to be matched accord-ing to grain and producing the exquisite swirls and crotches so treasured by manufacturers. "GO-GUTTER" SALESMAN HARVEY KIMERLY . . . believes that home portrays char-acter, personality oi individual. ^ 1 HATTING with a couple of re- \ / tail furniture salesmen recently, the subject arose of how to handle customers who believed that veneer-ed merchandise was inferior to solid wood pieces. Long a topic of dis-cussion on retail floors, we asked one of the salesmen to express his views. Hence this article by Harvey Kimerly, associated with Klingman Furniture Co., Grand Rapids. "Kim," with a background of fur-niture, based on his father's and brother's long activity as furniture designers, while he himself served an apprenticeship in a designing studio, is qualified to write intelli-gently on the subject. Deserting the production end of the business for the retail sales, Kim-erly feels that his former training is a genuine asset, as his thorough knowledge of historical influence on style changes equipped him with ammunition that should be included in retail salesmen's vernacular. Diversifying his hobby of collect-ing old coins by hunting and read-ing, versatility is exhibited in his musical selections, running the scale from the melodious waltzes of Johann Strauss, Jr., to the rousing "Song of the Vagabonds" and the inspirational religious march, "On-ward Christian Soldiers;" is an ad-mirer of Edward VIII; has covered the U. S. from coast to coast; and when retirement time arrives, wants to raise chickens. In listing his most interesting ex-perience with a customer "Kim" admits being somewhat of a "go-gutter" salesman. Having conducted some New York sophisticates on a tour of local exhibitions, the party was returning to the visitors' auto-mobile, when a traffic tie-up enforc-ed a temporary delay. Kimerly, while standing in the gutter, took advantage of the blockade, sold the party a bedroom suite they had just seen. f o r D E C E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 39 Done by Dutch Craftsmen ASSURES RELIABILITY OF WORKMANSHIP AND STYLE REPRODUCTIONS . . . Our line of 18th Century living room repro-ductions, exquisitely interpreted from carefully selected authentic sources, guarantees your most discriminating customers' accurate replicas of New England furniture. MERCHANDISING . . . "Biographical" sketches of historical interest have been attached to each individual piece, thus affording your salesmen assistance in selling this merchandise. DINING ROOM . . . New dining room groupings shown for the first time in November have been augmented and now include a comprehensive selection of Modern and traditional ensembles. DISPLAY IN WATERS-KLINGMAN BLDG. The 18th Century buffet above, Suite No. 87, is of mahogany veneer, mahogany construction. The cocktail table below, No. 125, of mahogany, is 44"x21", 17" high; the drum table, No. 120, also being of mahogany, is 30" x 30" across with a height of 29". DUTCH WOODCRAFT SHOPS, INC. ZEELAND MICHIGAN We appreciate your mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE . . . Says Joe Lynch YOUR AD MAN CAN PRODUCE BUSINESS IF— 7\ RETAIL merchant cannot ex-x i . pect his advertising manager to produce business-getting adver-tising unless it is based on a solid understanding of store arrangement, stock arrangement, advertising mediums, sales resistance and, most important of all, a thorough under-standing of buying nature. In order to create productive retail advertis-ing there must be co-operation from the president of the concern down to the delivery man. The entire organization must be sold on the idea of what the advertising is de-signed to accomplish and the part each one is to play in making the sales of the advertised merchandise successful. Buy Through Eye • A retail store advertisement may be beautiful to look at, it may carry an appearance of dignity, it may tickle the mer-chant's vanity, but, if it lacks the proper selling assets the advertising expenditure is wasted. Of what we learn, 95% comes through the eye; 95% of what we buy, we buy through the eye. The first aim of an advertisement must be to attract the eye. When that has been done the remaining selling assets that should go into it are as follows: Arouse curiosity, drive home econ-omy, create desire, use the proper merchandise in the advertisement and build up store prestige. Display Supports Ads • The next step is to back up the advertising by the proper display of the adver-tised merchandise, making it easy for the customer to buy and reduc-ing responsibility of inexperienced or indifferent sales people. Many good advertising men who have written excellent copy have been blamed unjustly because results did not come up to expectations, not due to the advertisement at all, but be-cause the organization itself was not properly sold on it, and because the merchandise was not properly dis-played in the store so as to get a volume of sales in accordance with the advertising expenditure and the possibilities of the advertisement. False Dignity • Few of our retail merchants are advertising and mer-chandising men. In contact with stores throughout the United States and Canada, we find that in too he has cooperation irom the president o£ the store on down, if the entire organi-zation is completely sold on his campaign. He can produce results if his adver-tising program is supported by a cooperative display scheme. He CAN'T build volume if the boss insists upon high-class advertising for cheap merchandise thus creating an atmosphere cf high-hattishness and establishing a definite sales resistance. Finally, says Lynch, "I would spend one month every year visiting as many retail stores in the same business as I possibly could, exchanging ideas, absorbing policies and methods." many cases the merchant dictates the advertising policy with no thought of building a large volume of business, but rather, in hiding behind a false dignity. In many of the stores that we operate, we find that the merchant in years gone by has been very successful, built up a large volume of profitable business in price lines and has arrived at a point where he is considered finan-cially and socially a leader. Then the thought occurs to him that his business is not in keeping with his social position, and immediately he installs new fixtures, new front and insists on so-called high-class adver-tising that is lacking in all selling elements, buys high-priced mer-chandise and attempts to compete with stores selling higher priced merchandise and practically, though wholly unintentionally, decides that the customers who built his busi-ness, made him his money and made his social position possible are not good enough to trade in his high-class store. In fact, he buys the type of merchandise that they cannot afford to buy, his overhead is increased, slack months come along, and he wonders what has happened to his business. 91 7/10% on D. P. Plan • He for-gets that the store using so-called high-class advertising with no selling assets, that buys and displays the highest priced merchandise rather than medium-priced and cheap merchandise, creates the impression of being a high-priced store, caus-ing a very strong sales resistance which is hard to live down even after the policy of lower priced merchandise has been adopted. He forgets that there are ten thousand buyers of cheap and medium priced merchandise to one of high-priced merchandise. If he happens to be in the furniture business he decides that he is going to do a thirty- or sixty-day charge account business. Here, again, he forgets that statis-tics show that actually 91 7/10% of the furniture business in the United States is done on a deferred payment plan of from nine to eigh-teen months. By actual analysis the long deferred payment plan is more satisfactory than the short thirty or sixty day charge account. 4-point Merchandising • Success-ful merchandising means, first, the writing of newspaper advertising that attracts the eye and advertis-ing merchandise of such a price that attracts the great mass of the lower and medium class of buyers; sec-ond, creating an atmosphere of friendliness in the store and dis-playing the merchandise so that it is easy for the customer to buy; third, adopting a policy of money refunded on any article that does not give satisfaction and fourth, selling of every advertisement and what it is to accomplish to the entire organization itself first. The advertising should be delib-erately designed to bring people to the store in great numbers for cer-tain advertised items. Experience has demonstrated time and time again that they will in addition, purchase items other than those ad-vertised. For instance, in a sale that we conducted for Brushaber's furniture store in Detroit, we used a double truck as a merchandise ad but did not advertise floor, bridge or junior lamps. Regardless of this, and because of the great number of people who came to the store for advertised items, and the fact that the lamps were properly displayed, we sold 268 lamps in one day. Visit— for Ideas • Finally, if I were a retail merchant, I would spend one month every year visiting as many retail stores in the same line of business, as I possibly could, absorbing as much of the different methods and policies as possible. Then I would return to my own store and make an analysis of my own business, based on what I had learned. TDWERinG ABOVE 16 • 1937 S\ \ !•. I i m i - . U H I i n f • 1 1 1 - \ | i \ r n i i c c / i i r ; i l i i i i r \ u i i r l u i \ i 11_•_• i n l l i i " \ i u c r i c . i M I- u M M i i i ! ' • • M ; i i l . . . l ) 1 | M T r c t i l o ! l l i i " i w i l i i n i ' . - I "II V <"I"r- t i n . I > u \ I I O I I I i h f i i m r c i l i i i n T'lil r \ h i l i i i m > w h o i p d i i i | i r i r - r iht-w o r l d r ; i i c ; i l c > l h o m e l i i n i i » l i - i iiu— m a r k i ' l . // rilr n.iii lur icliiiillniK <• I ' i i r n i t i i i c . . . l l d i i r r i i \ c r i i i i ; - . . . I it. • 11 [ »=— . . . l n \ - . . . i i | i | i l i . i i i n ' - . . . h d i i - r I u r i i i - h i i i u - . ; i l l 1 !•• — = - m i l l I M ; I N \ u l l i r r - w i l l l i e n i l i | ' ~ - I In U> P^^^^^^^^^^B:V-~ -•-^ -:'-9| isii 42 FINE FURNITURE SHAFER CONFESSES "LAZIEST HUMORIST IN THE WORLD" ADMITS DOWNRIGHT ORNERINESS Three Rivers, Mich., Dec. (Special dispatch to FIXE FURNITURE). I just got to thinking that maybe I did wrong in the November issue— by defying the Readers. After all — (I'm thinking out loud, now)—a reader has some rights — even if they ought to be of the last, sad variety . . . (spelled "rites"). It was a dull autumnal afternoon up here in the palatial, semi-arabesque headquarters of the City News Bureau & The Big-Link Sausage Company—when I got to thinking like this. What sky I could see through my window overlooking the back end of Mallabone's Hard-ware & Impl'm't Store was gray. The radio down in the Wittenberg- Boys' Newsstand — (advt) — was providing a sad orchestration of "Long, Long Ago." Sob Stuff • So a lump came up in my swan-like throat and I grew re-morseful and tears started to course down my case-hardened cheeks. I kept on thinking about how abrupt I had been—and how crude—and how downright ornery I still am— and probably always will be. And then in the gloaming I had a vision of all the stunned and bereft readers of FIXE FURXITURE —all the 480,000 Readers—and I leaped to my feet in a sudden re-solve to undo my wrong — and to henceforth lead a cleaner, purer and more upright life. Not only that, Mr. EDcutter, I determined that—come what may! —irrespective of the result of your nation-wide Scoop Poll on how the readers feel—regardless of any con-clusion— Do Tell • I WOULD GO DOWN TO ROODY CULVER'S! As I made my decision the patch of gray sky that I could see seemed to be suddenly a-glow. My step — though firm — was lighter. I breathed freer of the crisp air. My shoulders were back further than at any time since the signing of the Armistice—I fairly fled down the main street—down past the Old Snug Restaurant—down past Fred Rohrer's Cigar Store! At Last • Roody's sign, on its rusty hmges, was creaking on the iron standard out over the sidewalk. My goal was in sight! At last, I was nearing the end of my journey. I fairly ran. I surged up against the front door. I pressed down on the latch! But, Mr. Wooditor, the door didn't give a whit—NOT SO MUCH AS A HALF-WHIT! I peered inside—for the first time noting that the interior was dim. Just one one-fingered lamp was burning—back in the office—beyond the shadowy heaps of furniture. That was all. I rattled the door. "Hey, you. in there—ROODY!" There was no response. Foiled • I was about to crash my weight against the glass when I heard a still, small voice. I had heard the voice before. It was the voice of Nightwatchman Earl Houghtaling—one of six brothers— Earl being the oldest and the one who was thrown out of the surrey that time his mother drove up from where they lived down on Badger Island when their horse—Old Kit —shied at a chicken-wagon. "What's the idea?" asked Earl. "I want t' see Roody," says I. Then Earl said: "You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Roody don't keep open on Sunday." Tsk] Tsk! Chet . Now, Mr. Wood-seth, if you ask me, I'd say this was a pretty lousy piece of copy to send in for your December issue. If I was an edismith, I'd toss it back to its proud parent on its father's side. But there's no telling now how your vote will come out—and if there are more readers who would rather see me not go down to Roody's than there are who favor the trip—it is just as well that it was Sunday. yrs (sgd) CHET SHAFER. With another Hey-Nonny-Nonny! But not quite so much sody this time! The tabulation of balloting in the nation-wide Roody Culver poll was nearing a decision when word was received that Shafer had confessed—"The readers HAVE some 'rites.' I'll go to Roody's." With the strain of the eight months' campaign end-ing so dramatically, FINE FURNITURE'S staff relaxed, burned the ballots, indulged in a game of chess and a skittle of beer. f o r DECEMBER, 193 6 43 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 /iV— THE WATERS-KLINGMAN BUILDING" EXHIBITORS^ 5655* 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 CUYAHOGA FURNITURE & LAMP CO. 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. HEKMAN FURNITURE CO. HERRMANN LAMPS, INC. HOLLAND FURNITURE CO. ICOVE MFG. CO. JAMESTOWN LOUNGE CO. KOZAK STUDIOS KUCHINS FURN. MFG. CO. LENTZ TABLE COMPANY LOEBLEIN, INC. McKIM & COCHRAN FURN. CO. MANISTEE MFG. CO. MENTZER REED COMPANY MURRAY FURNITURE CO. F. A. NICHOLS CO. O'HEARN MFG. CO. A. S. PAYNE, INC. 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 STICKLEY BROS. CORP. THANHARDT-BURGER CORP. U. S. FURN. SHOPS, INC. WARSAW FURN. MFG. CO. WEST MICHIGAN FURN. CO. W. F. WHITNEY CO. WILLIAMS-KIMP FURN. CO. WOLVERINE UPHOLSTERY CO. WOODARD FURNITURE CO. We appreciate your mentioning you saw this xn FINE FURNITURE 44 FINE FURNITURE PAGEANTRY OF CORONATION COUPLED WITH EDWARD'S CONNUBIAL COUP PRESENTS KEEN MERCHANDISING OPPORTUNITIES DESPITE ABDICATION, CROWNING OF YORK NOW that the pressure is off David Windsor is no longer the unaatainable masculine ideal of several continents, secretly adored in numberless feminine hearts, erect-ed upon a hidden shrine as the epi-tome of perfection and acceptance in the eyes of the world's women, rich or poor, international calm and fine furniture will rule again. With the new king, George VI, a homelike family man, the pagean-try of the coronation, its attendant glamour, color and romance, will revive the spring promotional activi-ties in retail homefurnishing estab-lishments throughout the United States. The poignant drama of Ed-ward's abdication, his betrothal to Mrs. Wallis Simpson, American commoner, King George VI's pre-cipitous ascendancy to the throne, will all lend drama to merchandis-ing activities, opportunities to those able and eager to capitalize on them. Marketing Natural • Visualizing this intense interest in the corona-tion of the new King of England ..V The Gainsborough bedroom of the Berkey <£ Gay Coronation group. This, No. 1001. and its companion Coronation dining room. No. 2019, will be given powerful pro-motional push in newspapers and national magazines between now and next Spring. Both will be shown for the first time at the January market in Grand Rapids. Top, adaptation by Berkey & Gay of the true Prince of Wales plumes (be-low). This design motif embellishes both suites of the Coronation group. next spring, Berkey & Gay of Grand Rapids has consummated one of the marketing ten-strikes of the decade in its timely introduction of its Coronation suites . . . dining and bedroom. Seldom in the memory of merchandisers has such a "natural" fallen into the laps of furniture re-tailers, and it is expected these two groups, with any sort of advertising effort on the part of merchants will establish all-time selling records. Individual dealer-effort behind the groups is to be buttressed by substantial advertising in national publications, and stores will be fur-nished plenty of tie-in material such as suggested ad layouts, window cards and other aids. The suites comprising the group are the Coronation dining room and the Gainsborough bedroom, both all mahogany. A choice of two tables and two sideboards is available in the former. Spiral turnings on the legs of both the dining and the bed-room group are distinctive, special machines having been purchased by Berkey & Gay just to make them. In order to give the retailer an attractive profit, Berkey & Gay pur-posely has priced both suites to fall in medium rather than low or pro-hibitively high ranges. f o r D E C E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 45 HISTORIC EXAMPLES from the METROPOLITAN WITHOUT fear of contradiction we can state that there is no subject in the realm of furniture history that bears such a paucity of information as bedsteads. In fact, authorities state that 17th Century early American bedsteads have com-pletely disappeared. Reserved for the lord of the man-sion, beds were often built into the walls, placed in alcoves; frequently they had boarded sides and ends, with tiled roofs, indicating use out-of- doors. The wooden sides were replaced with tapestries and other fabrics, eventually being scaled to present day proportions. The bedsteads illustrated are (1) an English Charles II bed, about 1685, known as the Rushbrooke, made of oak, upholstered in velvet and embroidered in satin; (2) an American about 1800 from Salem, after the style of late Sheraton, with tester, carved and decorated with gilt and paint; (3) an early American bedroom in Haverhill, Mass., about 1818; (4) an early American bedroom from Hampton, N. H. •:.M (1)—Sofa No. 892, by the Lakeside Upholstering Co., Chicago, down-filled, all fine horsehair, covered with antique-figured velvet, with adjust-able arms, retailing for $220. (2)—Maple desk and chair No. 6012, by the H. T. Cushman Mfg. Co., N. Bennington, Vt., displayed in the American Furniture Mart. Desk re-tails for $59.50. (3)—Early American maple bedroom suite by Sikes Co., shown in the Merchandise Mart. (4)—A French provincial dining group, the "Picardy." by the Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co., Hast-ings, Mich. This group marks a de-parture in form or style of the firm's customary popular XVI and XVII Century English oak groups. Receiv-ing its inspiration from an imported French provincial table, the group-ing appears verbatim in motives and line. Shown in the Keeler Bldg. (5)—A mahogany 18th Century Eng-lish bed fashioned in the expert manner of John Widdicomb Co., displayed in the factory showroom. (6)—A commodious and fine piece of 18th Century English furniture, by the Colonial Mfg. Co., Zeeland, Mich., displayed in the Keeler Bldg. a ss HG» f o r D E C E M B E R , 193S 47 WINTER MARKET G. R. Entertainment Set Changing the pace of former market entertainment programs, the Grand Rapids Furniture Salesmen's Club, under the chair-manship of Edward Ransom, has scheduled a diversified ten-night show for visiting fur-niture buyers' amusement. Included m the round of festivities will be amateur boxing and professional wrestling, an old-time smoker with free lunch an i beer to lubricate throats long since rusted, but joining the famous Schubert Club in never-forgotten melodies. Sophisticates will find a well-balanced professional show equal in cal-iber to past market performances. Saturday evening, January 9, the annual Furniture Frolics Ball will hold the spot of honor, with dancing in the Pantlind Hotel supplemented by additional orchestration in the Black and Gold room of the Civic Auditorium. Ten door prizes will be awarded, including a bedroom suite, a dining room suite, living room ensemble and other pieces of furniture. Assistnig Ransom in directing various com-mittees, is Clark Beiriger, chairman in charge of the combined furniture industry and civic ball. Official opening of the mar-ket and greeting of the visitors will be con-ducted by civic officials and leaders in the furniture industry. McKay Obtains Englander Payments were made at a New York meeting early in December to all classifica-tions of creditors of the Englander Co. un-der a re-orgamzation plan so that the com-pany is now in a cash position. Thus did Frank D. McKay and his business associ-ate, Abe Dembinsky, complete details of the EDWARD HANSOM . . . Directs tun-making ior Furniture Frolics. acquisition of the Englander Spring Bed Co., Brooklyn, N.Y. Xewly elected officers and directors were: president, Max Englander; vice-presidents, Ben B. Englander, E. A. Kann and Joseph B. Englander; secretary, Abe Dembinsky; treasurer, PVank D. McKay; assistant secre-tary and treasurer, Benjamin Bachrach. The board of directors includes: Max and Ben Englander, McKay, Dembinsky, Bach-rach, Ivan E. Hull and 0. F. Beemer. A financing program essential to the man-agement's plans for expansion and national distribution was completed. Part of the plan includes a national advertising pro-gram and the return to national distribu-tion. Sales during 1936 totaled more than £1,000,000. Business in excess of £5.000,000 is anticipated by the management with the launching of the new expansion program. Present operations are concentrated in Brooklyn but as volume warrants, the firm's plant in Boston will be re-opened. McKay announces that the new line will be also displayed in Grand Rapids at the January market. The Englander Co. produces springs, mattresses, studio-couches, metal beds, porch and sunroom furniture, metal hospi-tal beds and institutional merchandise. The company has been in continuous operation since it was established in 1885. Witman Joins Bechtold Charles T. Witman, Grand Rapids free-lance furniture designer, recently announced his association as staff designer with Bech-told Bros. Upholstering Co. of Grand Rap-ids. In addition to his duties of developing the line, he will be in charge of sales in the company's exhibition space in the Waters-Klingman Bldg. Landstrom Resigns from B. & G. Edgar A. Landstrom presented his formal resignation as general manager of the Ber-key & Gay Furniture Corp., to officials of the company on December 4th. As Landstrom has been with the com-pany since it started operations under the new reorganization by Frank D. McKay and Abe Dembinsky, his resignation came as a decided surprise to furniture circles throughout the country. When questioned concerning his future plans, Landstrom said, "I have three very definite propositions. I am considering and expect to be in position to make an an-nouncement within the next thirty days. I will probably remain in Grand Rapids." Thornquist Heads Designers Russell Thornquist, designer for the Grand Rapids Fancy Furniture Co., End Aulsbrook Jones Co., Sturgis. Mich., was elected president of the Grand Rapids Fur-niture Designers Ass'n. at a dinner meet-ing of 25 members in the Mertens Hotel Dec. 8. Mr. Thornquist succeeds David L. Evans. Other officers elected were: vice-president. Henry Warren, Hans Berg Studios; secre- EDGAR A. LANDSTROM . . . Resignation surprise to industry. tary, Lambert Mulder, Kirkpatrick & Kirk-patrick Studios; and treasurer, William Kimerly, associated with the Wolverine Up-holstery Co. Committee chairmen appointed were: Clayton Hawks and A. Bevelacqua, enter-tainment; Charles T. Witman, memberships and Rod Mackenzie, exhibits. Plans were discussed for the second fur-niture designers exhibition which would be a feature of the July furniture market. A Waters-Klingman Bldg. Filled The following new exhibitors in the Waters-Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids, will make their initial showing in the Winter Market January 4th to 16th inclusive: Cuyahoga Furniture & Lamp Co., Cleve-land, Ohio; Icove Mfg. Co., Cleveland, Ohio; McKim & Cochran Furniture Co., Madison, Ind.; O'Hearn Mfg. Co., Gardner, Mass.; A. S. Payne, Inc., North Bennington, Vt.; U. S. Furniture Shops, Inc., Hoboken, N.J. H. H, Masten, manager of the building, reports all space will be occupied in the forthcoming market, and that record sales were recorded in the Fall Style market in November. 0 Bethlehem in Keeler Bldg. The Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids, Mich., through its manager, James J. Ryskamp, announces that J. S. Goodman, of the Beth-lehem Furniture Corp., Bethlehem, Pa., has leased footage on the third floor of their building for the January market. They will show a high grade line of bedroom and din-ing room furniture during the coming win-ter market season. B & G Personnel Changes With the opening of plant No. 3, the early part of December, the activity of Berkey & Gay has been enlarged. Due to 48 FINE FURNITURE Homefurnishing News and Reviews re-allocation of personnel responsibilities Frank D. McKay, chairman of the board, avers a sincere and intense interest in build-ing steadily for the furniture success of the business. Arthur Gommesen has been appointed head of the B & G designing staff, will be responsible for the creation and styling of the line. Augmenting the staff will be Wil-liam Hoffmann and Leonard Fuller. From time to time other prominent free-lance de-signers will contribute. Arthur Bowen, experienced in B&G cost and production, will have charge of these departments. Veteran superintendent, George Vander Laan, will have charge of all manufacturing, assisted by Frank Berquist as superintendent of re-opened plant No. 3. In charge of merchandising activities will be experienced Walter Fulton, also man-ager in direct charge of sales. ''Extensive plans have been developed for 1937," states W. J. Wallace, president. "Xot only will shipments be greatly accel-erated by expanded production facilities but our national advertising program will stimu-late the demand for Berkey & Gay furni-ture." A Western Exchange Grows Members of the Western Furniture Ex-change Assn. are unanimous in anticipating that they will act as hosts to an even larger group of dealers and buyers of the West at the Spring Market, San Francisco, Feb. 1 to 6, 1937, than that which attended the record-breaking market of last August. This belief is based on the fact that in recent weeks business has surged forward in all sections of the country; a booming stock market, wage increases, year-end bonuses. and extra dividend payments being released by the nation's leading industries, which assures a greater purchasing power in 1937 than has been enjoyed for many years. The Spring Furniture Market will be the 42nd consecutive semi-annual event of its kind, again to be enhanced by the ever improving Floor Covering Opening, Radio and Appliance Show, Curtain and Drapery Show and Lamp and Giftwares Show. Educational events of proven value will also be provided for Market visitors. Auerbach Heads Furn. Club Designated as president of the Furniture Press Club, which will hold its annual meet-ing Jan. 4, is Alfred Auerbach, editor of Retailing, Home Furnishings edition. Southern. Retail Assn. Meets Taxation as applied to the furniture store was the subject of a speech given at a dinner meeting of the Charlotte, N. C, Re-tail Furniture Assn., by John A. Gilmore, secretary of the Southern Retail Furniture Assn. Following an informal discussion of the Social Security Act, problems of the retail furniture trade were studied at the monthly meeting at which 75 furniture dealers were present. The next meeting will be in High Point, N. C, in January. Bigger Buyer Attendance Considerable increase in buyer attendance at the Los Angeles Furniture Mart for the first ten months of this year as compared to the same period for 1935 is shown by the records, according to A. V. MacDonald, managing director. Among October buyers were listed foreign retailers who had made their initial visit. Max Levy, buyer for Quigley. Ltd.. Auckland, New Zeeland, showed considerable interest in chrome fur-niture which, he said, has not been popu-larized in Xew Zeeland. A. Baird, manager of Hudson's Bay furniture department, Van-couver, B. C, and J. S. Adair, manager of the furniture department for Hudson's Bay, Victoria, B. C, were interested in Early California furniture, wishing to introduce it in their respective stores. United Reorganized Recently, B. C. Philpott and associates, former owners of the United Furniture Co., Lexington, N. C, which was destroyed by fire on May 1, announced the purchase of the Elk Furniture Factory, Lexington, which will go into operation under the United Furniture Corp. banner on Dec. 1. An entire new line of bedroom furniture will be shown at the American Furniture Mart in January. Philpott has been connected with the fur-niture industry 32 years and was president of the United Furniture Co. from 1921 until the time of the liquidation this year. Two sons. H, C. and B. C, Jr., who were connected with the old company, will also be members of the new organization. "Stuffed Flats" Out Through the efforts of the Chicago Retail Furniture Assn. and the Chicago Better Business Bureau, leading Chicago news- Izolin Process papers have agreed that all ''stuffed flat" advertising must be designated by the word "dealer.'' Use of such terms as ''Home Furniture Sales" or other misleading descrip-tions of the "stuffed flats" will be pro-hibited. Herman Schoonbeck upholstery line, also contains foyer, oak-paneled 17th Century English tavern dining room, pantry, kitch-en, lavatories, coat rooms, powder room for ladies. The fourth floor is entirely storage space. Other facts concerning the new exhibition building: Air conditioned and heated by Carrier Co.; ten-inch well, 326 feet deep, supplying 32S gallo

Date Created:

1936-12-01T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Collection:

1:8

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/72