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- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It began publication in 1936. and SEPTEMBER • 1936 MORGAN C. ALDRICH . . . promising career dedi-cated to the proposition that furniture advertising can be better. (See page 26) Two dollars a year 20 cents a copy Grand Rapids, M i c h i g a n •••" - * * : ;; .?• * • . " ' *- • "!-!-- "'• • : ' " ' • ' „ " " , " ' . --'-4 ""• ^^'^Z- <.*-':? •• *** V v * * ^ •''*, V V . . ^ 1 •<v^-%.;- **# 1fifc ppmuuuj o ^ Sl" ., ..' ' • - , ; ••-'•'% '^9$i.y}'s:"\ , '"': ' s3J|i, ,-g . '. ,|j;'- \*SlsS '5iV "'..-—"•'-*" CA-VEL T new line of Ca-Vel Upholstery Fabrics, on the furniture you sell, presents new weaves, new textures and new colors that reduce "sales resistance" to a minimum! In addition, they help you trade up your customers. You get the better profits that result from the sale of quality items. Go into your regular selling season with a better styled, more attractive line—well equipped to take advantage of the easier sales and better profit produced by furniture covered with these fabrics bearing the Ca-Vel label. COLLINS # AIKMAN CORPORATION 200 Madison Avenue, New York, N. V. Weavers of Ca^Vel Fabrics All Mohair Fabrics Guaranteed Against Moth Damage for 5 Years! Announcing GRAND RAPIDS FALL STYLE SHOWING Thursday, November the Fifth TO AND INCLUDING Friday, November the Thirteenth A1COMPLETE SHOWING of household furniture by all manufacturers of Grand Rapids and many other important makers rep-resentative of the furniture centers of the country. Hundreds of new designs in all furniture class-ifications await your inspection. For reservations or further information write Charles F. Campbell, Secretary GRAND RAPIDS FURNITURE EXPOSITION ASSOCIATION Grand Rapids, Michigan We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE OFFER NEW HIGHS OF VALUE AND SALEABILITY Reaching out to new highs of excellence is more than a fixed policy with HEKMAN . . . it is a confirmed habit. Response to HEKMAN values at the July Market proved anew that past achievements are used only as stepping stones to ever higher standards of saleability. Cur-rent HEKMAN creations offer wonderful oossibilities for stepping up Fall business . . a fact you can easily check by writing for particulars. HEKMAN FURNITURE CO. KLINGMAN BLDG" GRAND RAPIDS FlN€ FURNITUR€ the Homefurnishing Magazine from the Furniture Style Center of America VOLUME 1 1936 NUMBER 5 GEORGE F. MACKENZIE, President PHIL S. JOHNSON, General Manager ROD G. MACKENZIE, E d i t o r K. C. CLAPP, Merchandising Editor SEPTEMBER-The Boiling Wake 5 Page Nine 9 Pictorial Review of the Summer Markets, by Rod Mackenzie 10 Give Us Glamour, by Ruth Mclnerney 23 Furniture Frolics, by Ray Barnes 25 Yes, Direct Mail Stirs Up The Folks, by Morgan C. Aldrich 26 The Sketch Book, by Marie Kirkpatrick 28 Merchandising Colonialism 30 Ten Guides, by K. C. Clapp 31 Tendency Not To Pull A Tendon, by Chet Shafer 33 Homefurnishing News and Reviews 34 New Stores 38 Published monthly by the Furniture Capital Publishing Co., Asso-ciation of Commerce Bldg., 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. Southern office: 114J-2 West Washington St., High Point, N. C, phone 21S2, C. C. Prince, representative. Subscription rates: $2 per year in the United States and American Colonies; #3 in Canada and foreign countries; single copies, 20 cents. for SEPTEMBER, 1936 Paying DIVIDENDS in STEADY PROFITS for STORES MERCHANTS who invested in our sparkling new line of Eighteenth Century upholstered pieces at the Midsummer market are reporting substantial dividends in rapid and steady sales. They tell us our Modern chairs and sofas likewise are being well received by their trade. . . . Naturally! . . . We have built our line primarily FOR DEALER PROFIT, and that is predicated upon right price lines, carefully selected fabrics and excellent con-struction — a combination that insures customer-acceptance and customer-satisfaction. Please write us concerning your upholstered furniture requirements. WOLVERINE UPHOLSTERY CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. • • • • • • . j ^ . • YOU BUY VALUE...When You Buy PAALMAN Tables -!-^.;:; .___ When your customers are concerned with appearance and econ-omy, PAALMAN'S diversified line of occasional tables affords a satisfactory selection. Established for over 20 years as a builder of quality merchandise, PAALMAN FURNITURE COMPANY is in line with today's upward trend in consumer preference for better furniture. . . Fresh designs executed with superb skill, priced to enable you to realize a profit—these are the reasons you buy VALUE when you buy PAALMAN tables. For years our Tea-wagons have been unexcelled in character and as profit-making items. Our display in the Keeler Build-ing includes a variety of these and other occasional and novelty tables, dinnettes and music cabinets. No. 2805 Cockiail Table No. 101 Hospitality Table 20th Anniversary Year Order Now for Your Holiday Requirements PAALMAN FURNITURE CO. GRAND RAPIDS *• / MICHIGAN Display in the Keeler Building We appreciate mentioning you saw this m FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE Clean Selling and Merchandising based on 25 Years of Successful Merchandising IN the Leading Furniture and Department Stores of the United States and Canada is what makes the Joseph P. Lynch Sales Company the Leading Sales Organization in America. There is no secret about the Joseph P. Lynch Special Sales Methods — nothing spectacular — mark up is practically normal — and there is nothing about this plan •which can possibly reflect on the policy, honesty, good will or reputation of the store using it. Instead — it makes friends, increasing the buying radius, opens up hundreds of new accounts. It builds business with sound, legitimate merchandising, advertising and display methods. They are effective because of the wide experience of over 25 years, keen analysis in its application, and thorough attention to details in the proper coordination of all departments and employees toward a definite sales and profit making goal. The operation of a Joseph P. Lynch Selling Event runs so smoothly and everything is so well organized that merchants say they cannot understand how the Joseph P. Lynch Sales engineers can move so much merchandise profitably and so easily in such a short time. Better still — every Joseph P. Lynch plan has a vitalizing, beneficial effect on the entire store organization and on future sales, as there are no reactions after the sale. Instead, there is an increasing daily sales total compared to the previous year. Write or Wire Now for Our Free Plans Space in this advertisement per-mits our giving you only a brief idea as to the intimate details of the Joseph P. Lynch Sales Plan. Our complete outline goes thoroughly into detail — tells you exactly what we do — how we do it—'and what it costs you for our services. This is gladly sent you without obligation upon request, and we urge you to write or wire us Immediately. Surely if some of America's largest and most reputable stores place their confidence in us why should you hesitate? Send for it today. We promise you will not be disappointed. Joseph P. Lynch of the Joseph P. Lynch Sales Company, who personally supervises all sales plans, is rated by Success maga-zine and other national publications as being one of the outstanding retail mer-chandising experts in America. Joseph P. Lynch Sales Co. General Office, 148-154 Louis St. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. INVESTIGATE the Joseph P. Lynch Plan TODAY It May Mean the Greatest Sales Volume for 193 6 in Your History By writing us you will secure the actual appli-cation of this plan in 25 leading retail stores the size of yours, advertising and overhead cost and other interesting figures. Past records show that this plan has sold in every case not less than 15% of the yearly sales volume in 15 days — and this regardless of the size of the store or the season of the year ~ in many cases far exceeding this amount. Would you like to sell 15% of your yearly volume in 15 days — at your own prices — and at an advertising expense of about 2!/2% in department stores and about 3^2% to 5% In furniture stores? Let us outline to you the workings of tWs merchandising plan so that you will under-stand thoroughly its application to your store and approximately how it would affect your volume of business and profit. Write for this information at once, so that we can place this confidential outline in your hands without delay. We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE l o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 PAGE NINE FACTORY WAITING ROOMS This properly belongs in the "Boiling Wake", but so ably does it express the editor's own too-often suppressed opinion, that we are running it here. It's a letter from the buyer of a Metropolitan store and is the written expression of many a similar conversation heard over a period of years. "At the last market . . . I had occasion for the first time to visit the Grand Rapids market. Curious to see the factories where so much of the nation's finest furniture was manufactured, and to meet the men who directed their destinies, I visited several of the plants. I wish I hadn't . . . that I had confined my Grand Rapids sojourn to the show-rooms, from which I probably never should have wandered. "What a surprise! To say that I was shocked at the re-ception and waiting rooms in the various factories is put-ting it mildly. Dirty little cubbyholes equipped with hard ugly chairs of the Golden Oak period . . . cheerless, dingy coops where I sat and was peered at through a round hole in a glass partition by a bored telephone operator . . . no carpets on the floors . . . dingy chairs and un-upholstered, backless benches to accommodate at the most three or four visitors . . . in two factories, an arduous climb up rickety stairs to a barren upstairs office . . . fully seventy per cent of your factories' waiting rooms are less attractive than the offices of a garage or a boiler-factory. "Why is this? These plants make beautiful furniture, and what better place to be proud of it than in the places where the visiting public and even the visiting customer can see it? "It's beyond me " ff PROFIT IN FOOD SCARCITY How can a furniture merchant make capital out of the drought and the consequent increase in food prices? Food will be a very valuable commodity and so, by ac-centuating the food-conservation theme in the merchandising of electric refrigerators, you have a selling point that's a natural . . . more so this season than at any time that this line became a furniture-store item. Without an electric refrigerator, no home can dodge the inexorable loss of food through spoilage . . . through in-ability to buy in quantities that effect a savings, to buy in advance of daily requirements. The higher the cost of food, the easier it is to prove your selling point, the more readily the prospect will listen to your sales story. And the story is a true one, proven over and over again. Savings of $10 to $15 a month by means of adequate domestic refrigeration are conservative. Electric refrigerator sales the rest of the year may well be boosted to an all-time peak. It all depends upon the ability of merchants to visualize new sales approaches and to take full advantage of their natural advantages of dis-play, prestige in the community, extensive advertising and superior credit-extension facilities. RUG SALES LAB. ff Commendable is the helpful activity of the Carpet Insti-tute of America and the considerable contribution it has made to the better promotion of wool floor coverings. Commendable, too, is the co-operation extended the In-stitute by many furniture merchants in the furtherance of better merchandising in floor-covering departments. 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. This Fall, 50 such alert furniture stores in selected cities are acting as "test labs" for trying out certain basic mer-chandising principles in order to stimulate sales on regularly priced wool-pile rugs and carpets. These stores will chart increased sales on better priced merchandise, trace such other factors as influence on sales in all home furnishings, customer reaction, awakening of style interest among salesmen. Particularly will the plan evolved by the Institute stress ensemble showings, accent style im-portance of floor coverings in relation to furniture, draperies and wallpaper. After these tests have been made, all the impracticalities weeded out, they will be presented to hundreds of furniture stores all over the country. The results will be enlightening in the extreme. More power to any plan that will further the interests of floor-covering departments, too often a neglected department in furniture stores. ff SHABBY STORES A sad commentary on the appearance of furniture stores as a whole was the recent study made by the U. S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. To half of the 267 stores surveyed was given a rating of poor appearance, interior and exterior. Needing improved display windows and entrances were 40% of the group. Refinishing or re-painting of store fronts was indicated in about a fifth of the stores. A fourth of the group needed reconditioned floors, 30% required new or improved lighting, 40% needed to be painted or re-decorated inside. Department stores and women's apparel shops have made praiseworthy progress during the past year in remodeling. A furniture store has no business to be shabby, either. Urg-ing homes to doll themselves up, furniture merchants should set a better example in modernization. ff PUBLICIZING PRICE RISES Up against certain price advances, dealers are wondering how much longer to delay announcing and passing these increases on to their customers. Some believe it will curtail sales; others think it will stimulate them. Still others plan to keep mum about increased prices, to quietly put in force a small but store-wide markup on all home-furnishing lines, old and new stock alike. With good current sales volume generally reported, the latter course would seem sensible. The individual merchant knows best his own customers and his policies should be governed by that knowledge. However, it should be remembered that public buying power is not materially increased and too-sharp price-advances are there-fore not advisable. ff OCT. 2 — 10 Engrossed in Fall ready-to-wear fashions and a variety of other typical dry goods promotions, most department stores in the past have seen fit to neglect the opportunity afforded by National Furniture Week. They haven't had time for it. They don't like to expend the effort and have no "budget" for it in their overhead. All of which affords the furniture store added opportunity to make the Week a spectacular success in volume and profits. National Furniture Week is well conceived, has been proven profitable for participants and will break all sales records this year. Remember the dates . . . Oct. 2 to Oct. 10! Put it to work for you! 1C FINE FURNITURE PICTORIAL REVIEW OF THE SUMMER T""1 HE song is ended, but the melody lingers on . . . X the thrilling symphony of buying acclaim that arose under the batons of manufacturers at the July markets is echoing and re-echoing in ready consumer acceptance of new merchandise that is finding its way to retail floors . . . repeated in reorders of style-right, price-right furniture that presages a record last quarter sales volume for stores and factories alike. From many fronts come reports of sales volume in-creases for summer furniture events that bid fair to establish 1936 as the banner year since—. Ranging from 20 to 50% the gains prove interesting from several angles. First, they outstrip 1935. Secondly, the department stores apparently put on the pressure and outdistanced the furniture store, due undoubtedly to the fact that the latter as a rule hold the heat of their At the top left is a radio chair by Southern Furni-ture Co., Conover, N. C. displayed in American Furniture Mart, with a 5-tube radio built into the arm of the chair. The living room group at the left is by the Kroehler Mig. Co., also shown in American Furniture Mart and is Spanish Mission. The Victorian chair No. 1930 is by the Charlotte Furntiure Co., shown in Fine Arts Bldg. To the lower left is one of the many blond suites in the recent market, this one by Tomlinson of High Point, dis-played in Merchandise Mart, No. 150 buffet, eight piece suite retails at $225 without chair coverings and with top-grain leather for $261, in blond walnut, regular walnut or rosewood finish. . . Johnson, Handley, Johnson makes the Queene Anne suite above, in walnut and shown in factory showrooms. f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 II FURNITURE MARKETS By ROD MACKENZIE Editor. FINE FURNITUHE advertising fire until the more lucrative fall months. Other indications substantiating, some gainsaying, previous predictions are; Modern, disdaining the efforts of manufacturers to shelve it, still is the lead-ing style in the popular price ranges. However, 18th Century is making a valiant attack and in medium price fields is showing progress, supported by the efforts of several manufacturers who are supplying additional ammunition in the form of special displays and ensembles. The trading-up movement appears to be in a very embryonic state as yet, what with prices of $59 to $98 for bedroom suites, being reported in many sectors. Many execs, however, foreseeing increased prices, are energetically attempting to instill their sales forces with the germ of selling better merchandise. The first of the year should show some definite results. And mayhap, National Furniture Week, which incidentally gives promise of running roughshod over last year's event, will provide the needed stimulus, only, of course, if it is properly presented. From the manufacturers' point of view July was the first month for several years that this phase of the industry could honestly report an increase over that month in 1929. July also presented a 52% increase over the corresponding month in 1935. More people were employed, more unfilled orders were on the books, shipments were better and cancellations were prac-tically extinct. As promised in the August issure of FINE FURNI-TURE the staff herewith presents a pictorial survey of style-right, price-right merchandise, gleaned from the recent summer markets. We're confident that this re-view will be of assistance in refreshing market memories befogged by summer vacations. It is easily understood that it is impossible to completely cover the thousands of furniture and homefurnishing dis-plays, exhibited in the various market centers, and the staff, in presenting this panaroma realize that there are many worthy contributions that were omitted. As the old maestro would say — "Fo'give us, fo'give us." At the left is a Mod-ern vanity by the American Furniture Co., Batesville, devel-oped in English hare wood with enamel trim. At the right is a bridge set by Sikes Co., Inc., with Wynd-wood top t a b l e , chairs with leather covering. Table, No. 801, retails at $39.50 and the chairs are No. 134-10 at $40. Cushman Mfg. Co., displayed in American Furniture Mart, makes the group above 9 Above is an Old Hickory Furniture Co., chestnut davenport, shown in the Merchandise Mart. The three pieces sell re-tail for $45.50. Note the one chair has a book stand attached. 12 FINE FURNITURE After many years' absence, gilt furniture was shown tentatively by some manufacturers. At the left is a group of living room pieces by American Wood Carving Co., Chicago, exhibited in American Furniture Mart. At the left below. Provincial bedroom in bleached walnut by the Kittinger Co. of Buffalo, exhibited in the Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids. Herman DeVries designed the Modern bedroom shown above for the Sikes Furniture Co., Buffalo, exhibited in the Merchandise Mart. The suite is veneered in oyster-white leather with contrasting corner bars of maple. Below (left), a Modern bedroom in blond finish by Estey Co. of Owosso, showing in Waters-Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids. No. 640 davenport, by Grand Rapids Lounge Co., displayed in Waters-Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids, shown at right below. Left, Dunbar Furniture Co.'s penthouse apartment room. Davenport No. 1747 in lime-green chenille, $99.30; table in bleached mahogany. No. 1842, $16.80; lounge chair. No. 1595, plaid novelty cover-ing, $39.55. Exhibited in Merchandise Mart. Walnut spool bed. No. 3625, by Springfield Furni-ture Co., shown in American Furni-ture Mart. Four pieces—bed, chest, vanity, night table, retail at $78.50. for SEPTEMBER. 1936 13 Ralph Morse's Old English Club sofa. No. 1360, retails at $154.50 in damask cover-ing shown. Outside meas-urements, 34" high x 41" deep x 82" long. Exhibited in Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids. Above, Modern dresser. No. 1937-2, by Kamman Furniture Co., Philadelphia. Exhibited in Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids. Below, open stock American Colonial dining room by Kit-tinger Co., Buffalo. Displayed in Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids, Right, a Chippendale book-case. No. 376, with leather drawer fronts, by Colonial Desk Co.. Rockford, 111. Retails for $29. Exhibited in American Furniture Mart. Antique oak dining room by G. R. Bookcase & Chair Co., exhibited in Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids. Note armor-and-shield carving on legs. In contrasting daintiness is the delicate Chippendale group. No. 71, shown at the right. This is by Tomlinson of High Point, and is finished in blond mahogany. Eight pieces retail at $172.15; ten pieces, $262.90. 14 FINE FURNITURE .?•-•<•*.••- No. 110 wall desk from a Chippendale group by the Wabash Cabinet Co., Wabash, Ind.. is mahogany- Width, 32V2"; depth, 17"; height, 55". Ex-hibited in American Furniture Mart. No. 4038y2 chair by E. Wiener & Co., Milwaukee, Wis., exhibited in Merchan-dise Mart. Height, 38V2"; width, 28"; depth, 36". Retail price, $25. Above, one of Cochrane Chair Co.'s line of chair specials. No. 2806, Chip-pendale design, in silk damask. In lots of eight, it is priced to retail at $12.50. Exhibited in Waters- KUngman Bldg., Grand Rapids. Below, No. 85 Georgian secretary in Old World mahogany, by Bay View Furniture Co., Holland. Mich., exhibited in the American Furniture Mart. Top, 34" x 18". Height, 83". 00 Maple living rocm group by H. T. Cushman Co., N. Bonnington, Vt. Note 0110-armed chaii-side tables and modernistic tendency of diowcr fronts in lamp-table. Exhibited in American Funiituro Mart. f o r SEPTEMBER. 1936 15 Century Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, made this Eighteenth Century chciir. No. A-800'-.:. Height, 12"; width. 30". Exhibited at Century Furniture Co. factory. Grand Rapids. Crane £ McMahon, Si. Mar-.-'ri Ohio, exhibited this suite, the Mary Loy, No. IGZO, in the American Furni-ture Mart. li is bird's-eyi' curly maple, blond finish. Four pieces retail at S126.75. Below, Romweber Industries group exhibited in Mer-chandise Mart. Leather-covered chair in oak. No. 5192, retails at $60; lamp. No. 5240. $16; wood basket. No. 5245, $16. Heywood-Wakeiield, Gard-ner, Mass., showed these among their extensive line of maple pieces upholstered in colorful fabrics. Dis-played in the American Furniture Mart, New York Furniture Exchange, Los Angeles Furniture Mart. Left (below). No. 246 chair by Michigan Furniture Shops, upholstered in vel-vet. Height, 32"; width, 32". Exhibited in factory s-how-roora, Grand Rapids. An end tublo with adjustable top can bo converted into a reeding table, sewing table. music stand. Made by A. Rob-ineau, Chicago, and exhibited in the American Furniture Mart. 16 FINE FURNITURE No. 3051 dresser in walnut and blond rosewood by the Robert W. Irwin Co., Grand Rapids. Mirror, No. 160. gold frame. To sell in medium price range. One of Irwin's standard line, exhibited at iactory showroom. • ! • "«,' Davis Furniture Corp., exhibiting in the American Furniture Mart, featured a Modern suite No. 200 of which this is the dresser (Below). Four pieces retail for $84. Left, Chippendale dresser by Aulsbrook & lones. Sturgis, Mich., from their suite No. 555. Four pieces retail at $194. Exhibited in the Merchandise Mart. Right, dresser from the No. 189 mahog-any bedroom group by Sterling Furni-ture Co., exhibited in the Merchandise Mart. Four pieces retail for $139.50. Showers Bros., Bloomington, Ind., show-ed this maple bedroom below. No. 1152, of which this is the vanity. Top, 18"x45"; mirror, 22"x30". American Furniture Mart. i i-. Left, B. F. Huntley. exhibiting in the American Furniture Mart, showed as one of their popular-priced suites this No. 150 dresser. Top, 46"x20"; mirror, 32" x 24". i o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 17 Shown below is No. 121-2 bureau base and No. 121-62 mirror by Kindel Furni-ture Co.. Grand Rapids. A distinctive suite oi Chinese Chippendale design, mahogany finish. Four pieces retail ior $107. Exhibited in Keeier Bldg. Left, a Modern dresser. No. 5000, featured by the Ramseur Furniture Co., exhibiting in the Merchandise Mart. Wood is light finish maple. Top, 19"x42". Mirror, 20" x 28". tr Right, a highly ornate Provincial suite by the Groenleer Vance Co., Grand Rapids, shown at their factory. Suite retails for $425. Right, the Catherine Schuyler bed. No. 787, by Wheeler-Okell Co., Nashville, Tenn. Crotch mahogany veneer. Retails at $34.80. Exhib-ited in Merchandise Mart. Below, one of the many distinctive Colonial bedrooms. No. 2001, displayed by the Colonial Mfg. Co. of Zeeland in the Keeier Bldg. Poster bed and all cases are faithful reproductions of museum pieces. Modern dresser in blond maple. No. 890. by West Michigan Furniture Co., Hol-land, exhibited in Waters-Klingman Bldg., Grand Rapids. Four pieces retail for $96.50. 18 FINE FURNITURE Unique, useful desk by Western Furniture Co., Batesville, Ind., exhib-ited in Fine Arts Bldg., Grand Rapids. Has hid-den compartment hold-ing bridge table. Retails complete at $35. Modern design. Left, mahogany Pembroke table. No. 1223, with drop leaves and drawer, made by Wood Products Corp., Grand Rapids, and exhibited in the Keeler Bldg. It is a $12.25 retailer. Right, another Wood Products Corp. table. No. 1237, is solid walnut. With glass top, it retails for $9.75; without glass top, S8.95. "Type table," No. 1140, by the Northwestern Cabinet Co., Bur-lington, la., showing in Merchan-dise Mart. Available in walnut or mahogany. Top, 44"x22". Retails at $24.50. Right, Modern overstuffed chair. No. 167, by Wolverine Upholstery Co., Grand Rapids, exhibiting in the Waters- Klingman Bldg. Height, 34"; width, 33"; depth. 37". Nest of tables. No. 1381, in mahogany, by Hekman Furniture Co., Grand Rap-ids, shown in Waters-Klingman Bldg. Top, 22" x 14". Retails at S7.75. Below, No. 1239 Georgian table of unusual contour by Wood Products, Inc., Grand Rapids, shown in Keeler Bldg. Retails at $12.25. Top, 21"x2I"; height. 26". Left, mahogany crotch-top table, with two drawers, made by Ferguson Bros., Hoboken, N. J., and exhibited in Amer-ican Furniture Mart. Retails at $30. f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 19 ^~.S Lcmdfitrom No. 651 occasional chair in a variety oi coverings. Priced to sell in the populcii price ranges, it is a 317 retailor. Exhibited in American Furni-ture Mart. Above, dium table. No. 1710, by Hekman Furniture Co., Grand Rap-ids, exhibited in Wators-Klingman Bldg. Mahogany or walnut with magnolia wood. Brass feet. Retail price, S10.75. i i i -V, - Right, coffee table. No. 3333, in solid Philippine mahogany with glass bottom tray. Also available in walnut. By Brandt Cabinet Works, shown in Mer-chandise Mart. Retail price, $4.75. Above, No. 3527 dropleaf table by Brandt Cabinet Works, Hagers-town, Md., of Federal American design and priced to retail for $10. Shown in Merchandise Mart. il Above, Modern drop-leai table. No. 65, walnut, by Charles R. Sligh Co., Holland, Mich., exhibited in Waters-Klingman Bldg. Top, open, 41" x 54"; height, 30". Left, Mersmcm's Sheraton walnut console. No. 5397, m a h o g a n y veneer over selected gum. Retail price, $8.25. Exhibited in American Furniture Mart. Above, distinctive Eighteenth Cen-tury occasional table, No. 963, by Imperial Furniture Co., Grand Rap-ids, and exhibited in their factory showroom. Top, 24" x 24"; hoight. 27'. Retail price, SI8.50 Below, drum table. No. 5384, stripe mahogany veneer over selected gum, by Mersman Bros, of Celina, Ohio, and shown in the American Furniture Mart. Retails at $7.95. * % • * • • • . • 20 FINE FURNITURE 1936 SENSATIO1S BE ONE of the SUCCESSFUL STORES USING IT/ facts about HOME BEAUTIFUL £ PRINTED beautifully on 70-pound enamel stock, 8 pages, with an average of thirty-five 133-screen halftone cuts. Your store signature on front and back covers. Among FURNITURE STORE MAILING PIECES °°ea Your Home W«ed a Desk? N Typical pages from Home Beautiful (actual page size 6" x 9") £ TIMED to reach your trade just prior to heaviest selling seasons, publication months being September, November, January, March, May and July. A PREPARED by retail experts in order to help stores through a necessary trading up period and of establishing or re-establishing desirable prestige in the eyes cf your customers. "Home Beautiful" is mostly pictorial but contains enough keenly interesting editorial text to make the housewife r®ad it all the way through. Q PRICED far below the lowest figure at which any store publication was ever offered . . . from $25 a thousand for 5,000 or over to $35 a thousand for the minimum quantity of 1,000. In other words, this high grade pictorial presentation costs about trie same as a first-class letter in the hands of your customer or prospect. PLUS->\ Definite, Workable Supplementary Merchandising Plan 0 To each subscriber we send a supplementary bulletin which tells concisely how to get the greatest possible benefit out of the distribution of HOME BEAUTIFUL . . . how to tie it in with newspaper and radio advertising, window displays and newspaper publicity. This bulletin also analyzes your own potential trading area and logical mailing in each neighboring town. f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 21 ACCLAIMED by the EADING MERCHANTS and MANUFACTURERS APPLAUD Home ^Beautiful entire furniture industry THB i.LCB FraiXITITRK COHPORATION MiCIIJGAN CHMR CO. THE FUM-NITURE SHOPS If you want HOME BEAUTIFUL exclusively in your trading area, or if you desire additional details, please check the coupon below and mail it as soon as possible. AUTUMN ISSUES OF HOME BEAUTIFUL ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED! FURNITURE CAPITAL PUB. CO. STORE PUBLICATION DIVISION 912 Assn. of Commerce Bldg. Grand Rapids, Michigan Please reserve for me the territory within 40-mile radius of my store for exclusive distribution of HOME BEAUTIFUL, and send me order blank immediately. Please furnish me additional information about HOME BEAUTIFUL and send without charge your Supplementary Dealer Bulletin showing my trading area. Store Address 22 FINE FURNITURE An Eighteenth Century living room group by Barnard & Simonds, Rochester, N. Y., displayed in the Keeler Bldg., Grand Rapids. -f Charlotte Chair Co. exhibited this grace-ful chair. No. 1986, at the Fine Arts Bldg., Grand Rapids. It is birch with mahogany finish, flexible sagless spring seat. Victorian chair by S. Karpen & Bros.. displayed in the Merchandise Mart. mahogany frame. L *v Mahogany drum table. No. 672, by Fine Arts Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, and exhibited in the Waters-Klingman Bldg. Sheraton design. Top is 27" x 27", and it is 29" high. I s Modern nest of tables. No. 7186, by Ferguson Bros., Hoboken, N. J. Has black glass tops with silver striping. One large table and four small ones; group retailing at $30. Exhibited in American Furniture Mart. Eighteenth Cen-tury bedroom. No. 901, by Colonial Mfg. Co., Zeeland, Mich., retailing in the medium price brackets. Exhib-ited in Keeler B l d g . , Grand Rapids. f o r S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 3 6 23 The Customer's Viewpoint Photo, Courtesy N. Y. Times give us GLAMOUR/ T THOUGHT of a Cape Cod cot- X tage. Chintz curtains, seeming to rustle in a breeze with the salt still in it. Old fashioned flowers. White sails in the sunset beyond the win-dow. Brass, pewter, maple. A New England Nook. A Cottage on the Cape. But do you know the way the dealer called it to the attention of his customers r '"See our Model Home. Open for Inspection. Special sale on occasional chairs and tables this week." Down to earth with a slam. Building his merchandise up, then letting it down with a bang. A home is more than just a col-lection of specially priced occasional chairs and tables. Consult any volume of poetry. Listen to the favorite songs. Is it "There is no place like home, because-I-bought-all- the-furniture-at-a-sale.".? There ought to be peep holes behind the walls of all the room displays. Station furniture merchants there, and let them watch, unobserved, the expressions on the faces of the people who come to review interior decorations. It's the Ideal Home, to each, and the melancholy monody of price is very far away indeed. At this moment, business people in other lines are discovering the value, the hidden profits in mer-chandise that is given a build-up, and kept there. Beige vs Bedouin • Appropriate names for various items. Named merchandise not only makes news, but five, twenty times more busi-ness. A shade of beige hosiery is by RUTH McINERNEY dramatically called Bedouin; ten times more women buy it than be-fore. A new hat design for a man is called Tyrolia and the sales life of what was mostly just a fedora is trebled. A department store, find-ing itself with an overstock of women's smocks on its hands, re-names them Bubble Smocks, then Butcher Boy, then Market Boy, each time infusing new sales spirit into the item as the name is changed. A million Chin Chukkers were sold last year; they're really only little triangular mufflers, often only dress-makers' scraps, neatly hemmed -— glamorously named. Phoenix Hosiery reports as high as 2000% sales increase in hosiery sold around a dramatic campaign where smart 24 FINE FURNITURE names are used for shades. Worth & Worth, the coast-to-coast hat people, say that a man's hat, romantically named, sells three to five times better than an unnamed one. There's glamour in a name, and if you believe even a furniture store can get along without glamouri-zation, consider the gales of glamour pouring out of Hollywood daily, the deluges of drama drip-ping from the modern magazines and the advertisements, the rush of romance exuding from every radio in the land. Pretty hard for a cus-tomer of today to act like the sensible soul of grandmother's era. In fact, it's almost impossible to tell where reality leaves off, and glamour begins — thanks to the efforts of people who have things to sell us. Where Glamour Belongs • All of which makes quite inconsistent the idea that a person will be able to step out of this land of illusion long enough to plan home modernization for his house. No indeed! The glamour must come right along, for home planning is at least one legiti-mate place for it. We have every right to feel the sentiment con-nected with arranging a new domi-cile, or re-arranging an old one. And that emotional appeal is one of the greatest sales incentives the furniture merchant can use in sell-ing us new furnishings. Stream-lined down, it's nothing else than glamour. A few years ago it was called personality, two years ago, charm. Next year — what? Take one of those sale chairs the merchant above was vending. It comes into a home and is placed beneath a painting called "Sym-phony in Blue". It's sat in by a lady wearing one of the Follow-the- Sun Frocks, Winged Sandals, a shade of hosiery called Myth. Underneath is a silk slip called Caress, and under that, a filmy lace brassiere known as Shhhh! Can furniture dealers hold out in the face of such glorification of the humdrum? It's Practical • There's plenty of practicality in the business of giv-ing your merchandise a build-up. Variety is the spice of the success-ful merchant's life. Add new sales interest to familiar items by chang-ing the names of them, at intervals. They're also easier to ask for when named. "You illustrate goods in ads, place merchandise in the window so that we will see it and want it. But sometimes, it is very difficult to ask for what we want. We often see what we want but do not ask for it — because it's too much trouble. Not, "I'd like to see that little white lamp next to the tall yellow one to the left of the right in the middle." But "May I see that Taj Mahal' lamp?" The sale is speeded up. A definite per-sonality is given the merchandise. It's not just a lamp among a dozen others. Part of the sale can take place before the display window outside, or while the customer is reading your ad in the evening paper. Complete labels and names will help. Then sum up the infor-mation about the merchandise with an attractive name. Not only will a well-chosen name and explanation stimulate and speed up the sale, but will also help to justify a higher price. A name takes the edge off price, draws at-tention away from it. A name sug-gests that the retailer or manufac-turer thought enough of the goods to give it a name. It removes the stigma of mass production from the item. A homemaker wants indi-vidual charm in her house. Mer-chandise must suggest originality, the professional interior decorator's touch. Alike, but different. It is remarkable the subtle difference which may be achieved. There is one large Eastern city built up of homes almost exactly alike — thou-sands and thousands of them—yet, inside, the housewives manage a diversity that proves a man's home is his castle, at least within. Pride in a Name • Unnamed goods give the impression that the pro-ducer or retailer does not value the goods enough to give it a name. It's like unpackaged goods — the cracker barrel idea. The public can scarcely be expected to get excited over something that even the maker looks upon with a listless eye. Furthermore, customers remem-ber names long after nameless goods are forgotten. A name will group items naturally, and provide opportunity for a larger unit sale. It's time to pension off such words as "ensemble" and "set", or at least to put them on a five-day week. Here's a radio group — radio, chair, lamp, smoking stand. Call it "Station E A S E , the Voice of Contentment". Another group — desk-bookcase, chair, lamp go as "The Three R's — readin', 'ritin' and relaxation". Every home, too, is in the market for a "Game Group" — card table, four chairs, bridge lamp. And while we're re-naming fur-niture, why not "Hide-away" for a folding cot — "Old Port Comfort" for an overstuffed chair — "Snuggle Sofa" for a sofa. Every new radio model deserves a name. Not "Model A-6-Series B-1169", but "The Stratosphere", "Empress of the Air", or "Tone Troubadour". And what a wealth of drama in rugs and draperies that may be converted to sales interest. For American Orientals, "Laughing Waters", "Ripe Wheat". For mod-ern rugs "Broadway After Dark", "Saga of the Skyscraper", "Squared Circles". Flowered chintz drapes "Garden in Wales", a rough-fabriced green and cream line, "Tamarack in the Dunes" — a heavy dull rose and blue damask, "Baronial Hall" — a grouping of dishes "Table Talk"^ Sell more lamps under a cam-paign called "The Light that Flat-ters" — and push the sale of chair-lamp- table groups under the pro-motion "Little Evenings". If we like to smile while we're buying wearing apparel, why not home furnishings? Mister Merchant, is it FUN to spend in your store? Holding up a pitiless mirror in which the retail furniture store can see itself as its customers see it, Miss Mclnerney is evoking a swelling tide of comment front the trade. Next month she tells, as a typical woman customer, what type of advertising is most appealing to the feminine eye; what is most apt to make her buy. Many a merchant is due for a surprise or two when he finds how effective is the bundlle of dough he's spending every year in the newspapers. f o r SEPTEMBER. 1936 25 FURNITURE FQOLICI by J-M- WALLACE-PETAILEP-, TP-EASURER, BIRMINGHAM FURNITURE DEALERS' ASSN, . HEVEP—ARGUES WITH HIS CUSTOMERS, FOLLOWS BASEBALL, FOOTBALL-LOVES FISHING - - _ « AND FRIED CHICKEH. A LATENHESSEE • Manqaret Paq S E A Q B E M FUP-NiTUP-E DESICJHEP- , BoPH AND EDUCATED IN GRAND RAPIDS, L1M-ES HOPSE R.ACINO, BP-OILED LOBSTER AND KlNG EDWARD Vlll. - , _ . _ . STEM, PP-ES-G-R.BOOKCASE.,,-, CHAIR.Co, HASTINGS, MICH, AND VICE-PP-ES . G.P.FURNITURE EXPOSITION ASSH . HAS A PET HOBBy Of SWIMMIN6 ACROSS GrUNN LAKE, mMlCH, OH HtS BACK., AND KEEPING HIS P\P& LIT ALL THE WAY J-Samuel WHITE. MEe?ANEr. H.C. IS P-I0IM6 THE GOP ELEPHANT, AS A CANDIDATE FOR. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOP- - - IN NORTH CAP-OLINA. 28 FINE FURNITURE don *t ever play poker with him! (the man on the cover) AMILD, blond little feller sat in a poker game a dozen or so years ago, regarding his paste-boards with a pout and wistful blue eyes. The five other wolves in the game took time off from their ante-mg and boosting to encourage and console him . . . that is, at first they did. But, as the evening waned into night and the night faded before the dawn-ing, the five wolves were no longer sympathetic and helpful. In fact, the five were merely former wolves, having had their teeth neatly extracted and their hides shorn. But the little feller remained wistful and round-eyed. He still does. The stranger meeting Morgan Aldrich for the first, second or third time is not cognizant of the fact that he is in the company of a placid keg of potential dynamite equipped with a high-geared thinking ma-chine that is constantly in mesh. Beneath a solemn and some-times sanctimonious mien,"Aldy" really possesses a robust, almost Rabelaisian sense of humor re-vealed only occasionally to his best friends. His wit seldom creeps into his advertising copy which is, incidentally, among the best and most compelling furni-ture ad copy being written. Ad manager for the Flint- Bruce Co., Hartford, Conn., for the past five years, Aldrich is also counsel for the Century Associates, a syndicate of better Eastern stores. Before joining Flint-Bruce, he was service man-ager of the Periodical Publishing •Co. of Grand Rapids, now de-funct. Here he acquired much of his present skill at retail copy and layouts, having prepared a furniture mat service each month and edited three store publica-tions — Homes Charming, Home Furnisher and Within the Home. In addition, he acted as adver- "ALDY" . . . smokes too-big cigars constantly. tising counsel for several stores. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was car-toonist for the Michigan Gar-goyle, Aldrich began his business career as a newspaper advertis-ing solicitor and stepped natural-ly from that job to the service department of Furniture Record in 1925. The young feller isn't so young now. His brow is creeping up to a bald spot at the back of his head, despite his scant 37 years. But the ideas beneath grow as luxuriantly and rapidly as ever. He doesn't take the boys at poker as often as he used to, simply because most of his spare time is spent fooling around the garden of his meticulous white New England home at Windsor, where with his good wife he is rearing a daughter of five years. The Aldriches are both rabid collec-tors of Early Americana, and they're in a swell spot to indulge fully their joint hobby. Aldy revels in detective fiction, his favorite author being S. S. Van Dine and his favorite char-acter in history Sherlock Holmes. His musical risibilities respond most readily to the compositions of \ ictor Herbert. "It Happened One Xight" is his idea of the decade's best movie. Capable of stowing away an amazing amount of food at all times, Morgan's favorite dish is steak and mushrooms. Smokes too-big cigars constantly. YES, DIRECH \V"ES, K. C, you're right . . . JL direct mail is back with a bang! Thrown more or less into the discard during the depres-sion because it couldn't be turned out quickly enough, to cut prices fast enough, direct mail is being yanked off its dusty shelf to be given a fine and fond polish. Perhaps, after all, pigeon-holing direct mail was a good thing . . . for direct mail! Absence, you know, makes the heart grow fonder. And direct mail, our memory tells us, was a great thing for stirring up the folks out yonder. Do you get it . . . "folks" . . . not public? That's why direct mail is back with a bang. We'd almost forgotten it was the most personalized and highly selective bolt in a retailer's salvo. Direct mail, you know, comes in, sits down and chats with the prospective customer. Contrasted with the loud "heys" and "yoo-hoos" of newspaper clamor, that is just refreshing enough to gain interested and active attention. A sincere and abiding love for his work is one of the chief rea-sons Aldrich has won to an enviable and highly respected position in the furniture trade, for teamed up with the hard-headed, smart merchandising ability of George Butler, Flint- Bruce executive, furniture retail-ing and furniture advertising throughout New England have been decidedly affected for the better. Says Aldrich, '"Because no other institution touches the lives of individuals more closely than the home, it is increasingly ap-parent to me that ours is a pro-fession to be proud of—one that is an outstanding educational and social influence. "What would I counsel anyone learning the furniture advertising business? Only this—learn furni-ture, study the psychology of people, start writing and keep on writing and writing and writing!" f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 27 1AIL STIRS UP THE "FOLKS by MORGAN C. ALDRICH Advertising Manager. Flint-Bruce Co., Hartford. Conn. Papers Aren't Enough • But don't get me wrong! I still believe news-paper advertising is the main and dominant medium of retailing to-day, because people have formed the habit of reading newspapers daily. But it takes more than gas to keep an auto running, and many a store has learned it takes more than newspaper advertising to keep a cash register humming. You suggest in the August FINE FURNITURE that a store paper, mag-azine or house organ is a mighty slick way of supplementing a furni-ture store's newspaper advertising. And you're right. I'll certainly agree to that . . . migosh, I ought to. I must have turned out nearly 200 of them the five years I was with the old Furniture Record! And don't forget, I've learned things the past five years, on the firing line in a furniture store. Yes, you're right . . . as far as you go with your counsel. But that's the trouble — you don't go far enough. In the small-to-middle size furni-ture stores, and that takes in the majority of them, newspaper adver-tising gets preference because it is easily and quickly prepared, and can be closely and quickly checked on results. Direct mail, especially a store magazine, takes a different kind of copy, takes more time and labor to turn out and distribute. For a store that doesn't have the required time and facilities, such a magazine is a hard-to-produce type of direct mail, consequently is neglected. You don't see the de-partment stores neglecting it, do you? Well, just ask the wife! Don't Lag Behind • Why should furniture stores be any less smart, or any less quick on the trigger? No sirree . . . not when, unable to produce it themselves, they can get a skillfully edited ready-made store magazine that they can mail out regularly to carefully selected lists of customers and ought-to-be-cus-tomers. You don't bag a pheasant by sitting on a stump with a cocked gun waiting for it to saunter past your sights. No, you go out with a trained hound and flush your bird from its cover. A furniture store that isn't bagging its game has only itself to blame. Here's why I say your direct mail plea is a swell tip to furniture re-tailers, K. C.! Newspapers, by their very nature, are an effectively proven method of getting a store's general hot-off-the-griddle promo-tions before the general public. They're naturally impersonal, they have to get quick action, for they're dead as a dodo in 24 hours. They give your promotion tricks the privacy of a goldfish to your com-petitors. Copy has to be brief, terse and sketchy. Every furniture ad has scores of others fighting it for the reader's attention, diverting the mind from homefurnishings to a swarm of other possibilities for spending the weekly stipend. That this daily din does continue to bring home the bacon is a perpetual phenomenon . . . or does it? Some, yes . . . but not enough. The results being pulled in by carefully planned and aimed direct mail prove that it doesn't. Why is D. M. Effective? • Why is direct mail, especially a store maga-zine, so good? It's a sharpshooter for one thing. You send it where you know it will do the most good. Copy is different . . . fuller, more personal, more descriptive and in-formative, better illustrated . . . and so more interesting and persua-sive. It keeps your merchandising stunts under cover, keeps your chin guarded against competitors' socks. Its arrival is less frequent than a newspaper, so it's more of a nov-elty, gets more attention. You know the old fable about "Wolf, Wolf!" Its very form is different, like a magazine; it is easier to handle, is less bulky and cumbersome, is less apt to be sent to the basement after it's a day old. The life of most magazines is 30 days. They are more apt to be thoroughly and frequently read. When it is being looked through and read it is with undivided atten-tion . . . that's something. I hope no furniture merchant Here's the view of a furniture ad-vertising expert who, reading the article in the August issue, "Direct Mail is Back on the Job," writes to agree that a rejuvenation of the effectiveness of store publications is now strongly indicated. How-ever, Aldrich believes that the re-tailer, sometimes unable to get the most possible benefit out of direct mail, needs to be furnished a supplementary service that out-lines co-ordinated effort and enables him to cash in 100% on his mailings.—The Editor. kids himself into thinking the right kind of store magazine won't be read. Mrs. Shopper is avidly read-ing House and Garden, House Beautiful, The American Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Arts and Decoration and Country Life . . . and eagerly paying anywhere from 10c to 50c per month for the privilege. Some of the home maga-zines are now even being put out in two teeming sections to supply Mrs. Shopper's growing appetite for bright ideas to improve her home's appearance and efficiency, to keep her husband home nights, to keep her castle up with the Jones' and to make it the shining spot where all Junior's and daughter's crowd gathers. I guess you get it by now. We see eye to eye on getting on the band wagon with direct mail's post-depression debut, and on a store magazine, too. But just a shipment of smart home magazines isn't enough. Really needed is a supple-mentary bulletin that shows the re-tailer how to use this advertising medium most effectively. You notice the doctor always writes "Directions for taking" on every bottle of medi-cine, don't you? Who Are Your Prospects? • Let's begin at the beginning. How many booklets should a store send? To whom? Not merely to the names on a store's books. There are plenty not there that ought to be. Not cast to the four winds, but to a carefully selected list of first class homes. One general way a retailer can determine the number of store magazines he can wisely and profit-ably use is this: Draw a circle on a (Continued on Page 34) FINE FURNITURE EVERY period or furniture style that has endured through the centuries has embodied certain dis-tinguishing characteristics that the student of history could allocate in a definite position as to design. These identifying motifs force themselves into their respective style—and no other—mainly, because they represented the attitude of humanity at that particular time and place. They exemplified the ideas uppermost in the human mind, ideas related to sociology, religion, gov-ernment or science. If so-called Modern is to become a definite period style—Marie Kirkpatrick's dresser is a typical com-mercial example—marking the era in which we live, it must have characteristics exemplifying ideas and thought relative to today. Therefore, to design a piece FAMILIAR DESIGNS, INTERPRETED By F A M O U S DESIGNERS of furniture in the Modern spirit, the creator must concentrate on the spirit of the present. Probably there has never been a furniture style that has been as controversial as present-day Modern. There are nearly as many "schools-of-thought" on contemporary design as there are variations of the style itself. For a designer to set himself or herself up as an authority on what constitutes good or bad Modern design is a dangerous practice, generally leaving the artist out on a limb as the style evolves its uncertain path toward posterity. However, the ele-mentts of proportion, color, balance, asymmetric or bisymmetric — in general, the requisites of good design — cannot be ignored nor sacnfied in the development of Modern furniture. When one considers the growing list of mechanical devices so necessary to our present-day well being, and the complexity of our economic life, it is amazing that a style has been evolved as positive as present Modern. princess of the pencil MARIE KIRKPATRICK . . . couldn't keep out of the furniture business. ACROSS the desk sits a comely . young lady. As her facile pencil slides across the sketch paper she converses in a well-modulated voice. "How could I keep out of the fur-niture business, with my father operating a designing service for years and years and my husband being a partner in the business? And especially, when I liked to draw and discovered that I could make a presentable piece of work?" The artist pushes back a stray lock of brown, fluffy hair with the back of her hand and continues: "lou see, I've always been rather close to the furniture business. Why, I can remember back when—" and she casts a facetious glance— "Dad used to take me clown to the Pantlmd Hotel in Grand Rapids during the summer market. It would be a stifling hot night and there would be a perfect sea of straw hats on the street. And numerous strange men would ask if they should cut off my curls." Several summers, but not too many, have passed since Airs. J. Russell Kirkpatrick—Marie to you who know this personable young designer—clipped her curls. In the meantime she has blossomed into a nationally-known designer in her own right. But despite the heritage to which she fell heiress, Marie con-fesses that furniture designing is a bloomin' sight harder than it looks. Her first job was illustrating ad-vertisements and articles for trade papers in a publishing house. Event-ually she affiliated herself with her father's business and in addition to developing an innate artistic ability, achieved a reputation as an astute business woman. She is familiar with the language of furni-ture buyers, calloused to the foibles of factory foremen. Marie and her husband travel almost constantly, generally east of the Mississippi. "My favorite sport? You'd be surprised. It's combined with my hobby and is antique-hunting. Our country home at Lamont, Mich., is furnished with such pieces and we're constantly on the lookout for addi-tions. In fact, my ambition is to have a perfect early American home m the country, live there six months and devote the balance of the year to traveling in Europe." Marie has a true affection for England with a predilection to spend about one week at a time in Berlin and Paris—"but often." If she could only have one favorite book it would be a big thick anthology of poetry, and to relieve her pretty head of the torment of trying to create "something different" for a malcontented manufacturer, she reads Charles Dickens aloud. Be-cause of the gorgeous interiors shown in "Animal Kingdom," it registers as Marie's favorite movie. And her favorite public person-age? Well, we must admit a bit of chagrin, because it was presumed that Mane Kirkpatrick was orgi-inal. But after all, this hustling, accomplished, princess of the pencil and Judy O'Grady are daughters under the skin. You've guessed him —the Ex-Prince of Wales. f o r SEPTEMBEH, 1 9 3 6 29 !i U - CHOICM • 4 - 5TR.PED • >.'AI.:NU7 • 30 FINE FURNITURE MERCHANDISING COLONIALISM the williamsburg galleries HPYING in with the revived demand for 18th _L Century homefurnishings, Tomlinson of High Point in collaboration with Collins & Aikman Corp., Firth Carpet Co., Charles Hall, Inc., Crest Co., Desley Fabrics and Stead & Miller Co., presented an outstanding display—the Williamsburg Gallsries —in the Merchandise Mart at the recent summer market. The plan was inspired by the restoration of one of the most historical spots in the United States—Williamsburg, Va.- The merchandising plan of the collaborators incorporates the unusual prospect of long-lived interest and counterparts of the display can be re-produced in retail stores. Dealer helps in the form of consumer literature and identification tags carry-ing historical and romantic stories of the products, are furnished also. The plan includes seven rooms. The illustrations on this page depict several of the ensembles. At the top left a pair of Chippen-dale linen-covered love seats features the Wren room. A quaint butler's tray and candlesticks enhance the group. Chippendale and Queen Anne have been combined in a Colonial setting in the Alice Page bedroom. The Dixon living room, in-spired by the Great Room in the Market Square Tavern, employs pine wall paper as a background for the authentic early Chippendale sofa, flanked by a pair of Pembroke tables. Sheraton is intro-duced in the Berkeley dining room, a replica of the supper room m the Governor's Palace. A typical early American tavern chamber room is reproduced in the Susanna Allen bedroom, dominated by the beautiful poster beds. The Gloucester room, below, is one of the highlights of the group. •. ! f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 31 TEN GUIDES to profitable fall selling by K. C. CLAPP Merchandising editor, FINE FURNITURE I Keep sweet with reliable and quick manufac-turing sources for new Fall merchandise. Don't fail to interview every manufacturer's salesman who comes into your store. He may have the very line you need to give you the edge that means the difference between net profit and loss. Cultivate manufacturers you are sure can and will fill your re-orders with the same standard of merchandise they showed you as samples at the markets. Beware of skimping on construction and materials that change what you thought you ordered from a good value into just cheap merchandise. 2 Trade up and grade up. If you're borax, trade up anyhow. It will pay this Fall. At no time has it been profitable to sell dreck. This Fall it will be not only unprofitable but inexcusable, because people want and will pay for better things, as you very well know. I watched a retailer with a customer trie other day. He got through sell-ing mother and daughter, came over to me and said, "A year ago neither of them would have thought of paying over $79.50 for a dining room suite. Today they warned me they couldn't go above $150. They bought a suite for $189.50." Offer your salesmen real incentive to increase their average unit sale. Help them by advertising better things, too. need all the capital you can get to conduct a larger volume of business. On the other hand, don't judge too harshly. The man who was notoriously poor pay two and three years ago perhaps couldn't help it. If he wants new furniture, make every effort to sell him what you and he agree he can pay for. Be most in-sistent on prompt payment the first three months of the account. 5 In appliance selling, some outside solicitation is still necessary, but confine it to following up definite leads obtained in the store. Indiscrim-inate outside sales effort cuts the heart out of your profit on appliances, especially when the spread runs less than 40% on retail. Tie to one main line for your higher priced units and one other for low-priced leaders. Don't carry, in refrigerators, more than two lines; in washers and ironers, more than three; in radios, more than four. Don't extend outside sales effort on vacuum sweepers. You've too much compe-tition from the door-to-door crews of manufacturers. If possible, merchandise kitchen ensembles with kitchen furniture, linoleum, ranges, refrigerators, kitchen cabi-nets and all other related merchandise together. If you can't show them as model kitchens, at least be sure that the woman who is buying a new range or refrig-erator sees and hears about new linoleum to put under it. 3 Do a better job with your advertising. If your ad man is something besides a yes-man and an office boy, has ideas of his own, give him leeway to put some of them across. Quit insisting on junky advertising of loss leaders. Use more small ads that carry a punch, rather than large ads that slobber black ink and talk nothing but price. Give direct mail a chance, employing it as a supple-ment to your newspaper advertising. Use store maga-zines sent to your best customers and prospects. Direct mail is becoming increasingly effective. Here's what three well-known and successful firms say about it: " . . . I am sure this year we are getting much better results from our circular advertising for new business than we are from newspaper advertising. . . " "Its (direct mail's) principal value to us consists in making it possible to reach specialized groups of our customers." . . . "We use direct mail regularly and systematically and find that when carefully prepared and properly tied in with other media . . . it produces excellent results." 4 Don't let the bars down too far on credits. People are more prosperous but poor risks are still numerous. Insist on at least 20% down. Eighteen months is long enough on the average room-outfit sale. You can't pay for new mer-chandise with accounts receivable, and you're going to American Furniture Mart Plioto This year will witness a revival of sales of juvenile suites and children's furniture of all sorts." 32 FINE FURNITURE Buy lines that harmonize in price as well as in style and colors. Too many furniture stores are pounding Modern furniture heavily but con-tinue carrying, almost to exclusion, rugs with Oriental patterns. Introduce your floor-covering buyer to your furniture buyer, even if you're both of them._ By the same token, isn't it silly to concentrate on living room suites at #167.50 and carry only a few-selections of Axminster rugs at $39.50? Be consistently "quality" or consistently "borax." Study needs and desires of your customers more closely than your competitor's antics. Buy the leading ladies' mags and see what they're telling women about furniture styles. These publications are a potent influence on purchases. Go to the movies occasionally and find out what styles in furniture are being promulgated there. Watch your stock closely to see what kinds and styles of furniture are^selling best and how demand is shifting to certain designs, colors, woods, fabrics. Don't bet your per-sonal preferences or manufacturers' claims against the opinions and predilections of your customers. You may get the satisfaction of being right, but the sale is a little important, too. 8 Get set for a big Christmas. Begin scouting now for merchandise suitable for gifts. Stock better grades of toys, especially wheel toys. Search for novelty pieces that are outstanding and distinctive, such as table appliances of Modern design. The combined appeal of lamps as a gift and as a contribution to better sight will make this tops as a Christmas seller. This year will witness a revival of sales of juvenile suites and children's fur-niture of all sorts. Mirrors of new, simplified Modern design will go well. Small tables, cellarettes, game sets, occasional chairs, cedar chests and a host of other regular items can be given the gift appeal with no trouble at all. The trick is to do it cleverly and naturally. 9 Be alert to the many possibilities for profits in new home-furnishing lines . . . products that have reached the stage of general public accept-ance yet have not approached a saturation point; products that are likely to enjoy a revival. Examples: In certain localities where rate structures and competitive conditions are favorable, electric ranges, water-heaters, unit oil burners, coal stokers. Another case in point is paint and wall paper for which there is a huge potential market. Some stores are ideally set up to handle these without much trouble and extra expense. How about office furniture? Isn't there an opportunity in your town among the new commercial concerns that need new desks, filing cabi-nets, office chairs, unit air conditioners? Pianos are "hot" again. So are bicycles. Follow closely trends of public demand, not only in furniture but in all kindred lines logically within your merchandising capabilities. Improve salesmanship . . . please improve salesmanship! . . . For profit's sake, improve salesmanship !! It is especially weak in your selling of utility products. See to it that your salesmen know all the possible talking points about a product and that he uses them all on his customers. Teach him to say something more than '"This is a good value at $12.95;" to explain why it's a good value . . . every one of the reasons why it's a good value. Read Miss Mclnerney's article in this issue and apply it, for it is expert analysis of the cus-tomer's secret thoughts and inarticulated desires. NEW SALES APPEAL FOR OFFICE DESKS STORES handling office furniture are given powerful salc^ ammunition in the new TrestleWood desk line recently brought out by the Gunn Furniture Co., Grand RapkU. Each desk is shipped knocked down, thus effecting substan-tial savings in freight charges. It can be set up quickly v-fit any sort of space and in a variety of drawer arrangr • ments. Tops, drawers, sides, legs can be replaced imme-diately and economically from stock. Desks are available in a number of finishes to harmonize with almost any decora-ative scheme. Accompanying cuts show a TrestleWood desk in various stages of assembly. l o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 33 TENDENCY NOT TO PULL A TENDON Three Rivers, Mich., August 20— (Special dispatch to FINE FURNI-TURE). It is now early in August, this year. In my mail today I re-ceived a notice that Crusader Air-craft Corp. stock may be had for $0.25 per share in Denver—or $2.83 by the bale. Then I got a specific order from Editor-Woodcutter Mac-kenzie to ease along downstreet to Roody Culver's Undertaking Re-pository & Furniture Kitchen. And all I have to say about these two proposals is that $0.25 for Crusader stock is $0.24 more than I'll pay and that Woodcutter Mackenzie better get a new helve for his axe because he is going to have a helve time getting me clown to Roody's this month. I may get down there sometime because, as I have said before in broaching the same sub-ject for a lot less than $0.25 per broach — (that's net) — I think Roody has some sound facts for everyone in the furniture industry. But I am not going to pull a tendon getting there. My tendencies are the other way. To Market • Whatever — I am happy to report to my versatile readers this month—(August to me and September to you)—that I have just returned from the Furni-ture Capital of America and I have purchased some Grand Rapids fur-niture for the House of the Golden Rathole. The House of the Golden Rathole is up on East street down here and is one door north of the house that Doc Mapes bought off'n Uncle Pressly Caldwell and one door this side of the place where Squire Bill Kennedy lives who was born down in the Lob in Indianny, which is not far from the WTild Goose-Arm of the Limberlost Swamp and fairly close to the Black-Haw Patch. (Black haws had a flat pit and you spit 'em out when you et haws, Bill says.) Boat-Bottom vs. Gable • Bill has just finished fixing over a boat. It's a steel boat and he bought it for $2 from a fellow named Hostettler, or some such name, who lives over in Third Ward. Bill had to take the bottom off and substitute it with a wooden bottom, and the boat has a bunty back end and a pointed snoot so Bill had quite a time cut-ting the lumber up to fit crosswise. Bill said it was a lot different put-by Chet Shafer "LAZIEST HUMORIST IN THE WORLD" ting a bottom on a boat with a bunty back end and a pointed snoot than putting a gable on a house. "When you build a gable," Bill said, recently, "all you've got t' do is t' measure 'er from cornish t' cornish." Service with Sense • I never meas-ured anything from cornish t' corn-ish, myself, and I never put a bot-tom in a boat with a pointed snoot and a bunty back-end. But if I thought I could enlighten the co-horts in the furniture industry by doing either one, I'd do it. My new motto is: "Service Till it Hurts— and then have sense enough to quit." On Location • Now, the House of the Golden Rathole is across the street from the vacant lot where Old Lady Schnooder used to live and suffered annually around Hal-lowe'en from tip-overs — which is something that, in a way, resembles the collywoobles, or jitters. And the furniture I secured in Grand Rap-ids arrived just as Bill Kennedy was starting north on a fishing trip. He painted the boat a robin's-egg blue and named it "The Good Doctor Townsend." Bill remarked: "Got yourself a new haircloth sofy, eh?" And then he said: "Well, you better carry a first-aid kit if you're goin' t' do any courtin' on it. You're li'ble t' slip off an' pull a tendon." Settle-Sitting • Then Bill went away and I looked over the House of the Golden Rathole from cornish t' cornish and the truck-driver got the furniture inside—and then I set on the settle and got to thinking about Old John Hendricks, who for 29 long years has been the janitor here at the Presbyterian church and the Free Public Lib'ary—both. During those 29 years Old John has faithfully served one lib'arian— Susie Silliman. But up at the church he has served no less than ten dom-inies. And that all goes to prove that what the furniture industry needs is an ecclesiastical Turnover. It is now getting along about dinner-time and dinner's at noon, too. So there's no chance to get on down to Roody's t'day. Boosted to Bazit • As I conclude this dispatch, I am happy to report that I have been selected as the Knight Bazit of the Sages & Seers Association of America. I won this title after a bitter struggle in which everyone who has ever been called a Sage & Seer participated, includ-ing Alexander Hamilton and K. C. Clapp. The Sages & Seers Associa-tion will immediately launch a cam-paign to popularize the full-flower-ing, full-floating peacock feather-duster over the clock on the mantel shelf. I regret, as I close, but one thing in my life. I am sorry I was not born down in the Lob, in Indianny, or at least the Black-Haw Patch. I would have been pretty accurate, I feel confident, spitting out them flat pits. And my advice to my readers, at this time, is: "Measure 'er from cornish t' cornish." yrs (sgd) CHET SHAFER. And, at the Battle of Appamatox Court House, the land was gray with rebels. 34 FINE FURNITURE Direct Mail (Continued from Page 27 J map, with the store as a center; that will take in the primary trading area of the store's city. Set down inside your circle the population of each town over 1,000, then divide this total population by five to get the number of actual families in the area. For the average furniture store, research has shown that 30% to 35% of these families should be desirable and possible customers of your store. With these potential-prospect figures you now have, it is possible to turn to the "Street Sec-tion" of city directories and pick the actual names for the mailing list by selected streets. With each issue of the direct mail magazine, the dealer should also be shown how he can tie the edi-torial contents up to his floor and window displays; how additional store traffic past show windows and into the store can be drawn from people getting these direct mail "punches"; how to tie up newspaper advertising and publicity with the store's mailing of the magazines; even how to coordinate hard-hitting copy for radio broadcasts. No, just a store magazine isn't enough . . . but an intensively FINE FURNITURE'S RECOMMENDED 1936-37 ADVERTISING BUDGETS FOR FURNITURE STORES IN VARIOUS VOLUME CLASSIFICATIONS Anticipated Annual Sales Recommended total advertising budget including adminis-trative expense.. . . % of Adv. budget for newspaper adv. % for direct mail... % for other media . . $50,000 $3,750 70 ($2,625) 20 ($750) 10 ($375) $75,000 $4,300 70 ($3,010) 20 ($860) 10 ($430) $100,000 $6,500 75 ($4,875) 18 ($1,170) 7 ($455) $150,000 $9,500 75 ($7,125) 16 ($1,620) 9 ($855) $200,000 $12,000 75 ($9,000) 15 ($1,800) 10 ($1,200) Increased volume will bring percentage for advertising expense from 7 to 8% down to between 6 and 6.5%. With little need for widespread ballyhooing of bargains, newspaper copy should be cleaner, show better merchandise, build prestige by use of more institutional copy planned well in advance. Direct mail will be increasingly useful. Unless real talent is available, heavy expenditure for radio advertising is not advisable except by larger stores. thought-out and concentrated mer-chandising program centered about a store publication, designed to sup-plement the natural shortcomings of newspaper promotion, would be something. Some organization, some day, is going to do it . . . or have you r Comparison Displays TV^EEPING plenty of rug cushion XV samples handy for ready ref-erence is one of the reasons why the Sterling Furniture Co., San Fran-cisco, maintains such a high rate of rug pad sales. r x -*% . . . d i s p l a y e d on easel-like racks, easily removed for better inspec-tion by customer. The Sterling features six different grades and weights under its own name and displays samples of them on novel upright racks in various parts of the store's big floor cover-ing department so that salesmen can always find one conveniently near. Selling is simplified for the salesmen, who work all over the store, because different colored labels are used to indicate different grades of cushions. Accompanying tags give prices. Metal Venetian Blinds T IGHT weight aluminum slats, J i lighter than the conventional wood slat and occupying about one-third the bundle space, have been developed by the Kirsch Co., Sturgis, Mich., in the concern's new \ enetian blind. A new tilting de-vice is positive in action, non-shppmg and eliminates the chain in combination with the tilting unit. The demonstration model of the Kirsch Sun Aire blind, illustrated, is 3' 5" wide, 4' 5" high and 4 ^ " thick. The frame itself, exclusive of top and side panels and compart-ment for holding literature, is 2iy2" SUN wide by 37" high and will accom-modate a blind sample 24" x 36" deep. Comes in several colors and is supplied to retail stores on a re-bate basis. f o r S E P T E M B E R , 1936 35 Homefurnishing News and Instalment Store Sales Up 23% Instalment furniture stores report in-creases of 22.8% in sales for the second quarter of 1936 as against the same period of last year, according to a bulletin recently released by Arthur Fertig & Co., furniture store accountants. Gross profit margins arc running somewhat higher because of cus-tomers' willingness to buy slightly better grades. Operating expenses dropped from 43.02% in 1935 to 37.60%, due principally to increased sales volume. Advertising ex-pense dropped from 7.78% to 6.45%. Re-possessions decreased from 3.8% to 2.08%. Prices Advance 5% to 10% Price advances ranging from 5 to 10% have been widely instituted by furniture manufacturers, especially by those in the Midwest, although several Southern firms have notified retailers of increases. Mer-chants generally have not resisted or pro-tested the advances, which were anticipated. Deliveries are still slow and several factories have entirely withdrawn their lines. Others arc taking orders for shipment no earlier than November or December. Retailers re-port their promotional plans handicapped by uncertainty of deliveries, although many customers are willing to buy now for later delivery. NRFA Stores 16% Ahead Furniture stores belonging to the National Retail Furniture Association reported a gain of 29% in June sales this year over 1935 volume, and a 16% increase for the first six months of the year over 1935; 30% over 1934. These figures, released by NRFA, are the result of a study of 153 stores in five sections of the country. Collections and down-payments are running substantially higher than last year. Manufacturers' Orders Up 32% The first half of 1936 saw an increase of 32% in orders written by manufacturers over the same period of 1935. according to figures released by the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers. Case goo Is orders were 36% greater; upholstery, 19% ahead. Begin Work on Heavy Orders Southern manufacturers are effecting greatly increased furniture production on present standards of the 45-hour week as work is started on the mountain of orders written at the recent markets in High Point and Chicago. Wherever production needs warrant, men are being added to present working forces, but there is no prospect of employing double shifts, sentiment among Southern manufacturers being decidedly against such an expedient. Records Broken at Western Market A new high for attendance at summer markets was recorded at the 42nd Western Furniture Market in San Francisco in Aug-ust. Buying, too, was close to breaking records and in many cases exceeded, in first-day volume, sales of the entire week of any previous market. Modern was in greatest demand among retailers, nearly 90% of the upholstery business written being in these styles, and about 65% in all lines. Floor covering exhibitors reported business twice as heavy as it was last year. Radio sales were unprecedentedly brisk. HAROLD D. LAIDLEY . . . recently appointed manager of sales and promotion activities for the Merchandise Mart. Laidley is key man in a newly inaugurated plan of management, designed to increase operating efficiency. Orders Approach 1929 High All recent records for dollar volume were shattered at the Chicago and Grand Rapids markets when orders at the Summer shows mounted to a total of 67% of volume writ-ten at the 1929 Summer market. This was the gist of a recent report by Seidman & Seidman, certified public accountants. Rhode Island Stores Organize Pawtucket and Blackstone Valley, R. I., furniture dealers formed a new association at a meeting in Pawtucket late in July. Co-operation among merchants on closing hours, elimination of price wars and other abuses are among the purposes of the organ-ization. By-laws will be drawn up at an early meeting. MARKETS GRAND RAPIDS Fall Market Nov. 5 — 13 Winter market dates not set. CHICAGO Fall Market Nov. 9—14 Winter Market Jan 4—16 SAN FRANCISCO BOSTON Sept. 7—12 NATIONAL FURNITURE WEEK Oct. 2—10 Shaw Joins Robertson J. Silman Shaw, formerly of Kahn & Levy, has entered into partnership with George W. Robertson of the George W. Robertson Furniture Co., Galveston, Texas. Manages Fairfield Store Harry Lovell, former shoe dealer of Fair-field, Iowa, has been made manager of the Fairfield Furniture Co., succeeding the late W. R. Baker. d Heads Appliance Dept. Calvin R. Estes, formerly with the Sioux Falls Gas Co., has joined the G. & G. Rug & Furniture Co., Sioux Falls, S. D., as head of the newly organized appliance depart-ment in that store. Joins Carl Store Erwin A. Ibseher, formerly of the Brown Thomson department store of Hartford, Conn., has joined the Carl Store .of Sche-nectady, N. Y., as manager of the furniture department. Fish Remodels Stores The L. Fish Furniture Co., operating nine furniture stores in Chicago, has begun mod-ernization of its Englewood store and its building at 208 S. Wabash Ave. The Engle-wood store is being entirely remodeled with new front and separate departments for fur-niture, draperies, appliances, etc. A battery of model rooms will be included. The Wabash Ave. store will have a restyled main floor and remodeled windows, with unique arrangement of individual shops. Robert Heller, industrial designer, is in charge of the restyling of the stores. Joins Resinous Products Thomas D. Perry, formerly of Plywoods, Inc., has joined the Resinous Products & Chemical Co. of Philadelphia. Perry has been intimately associated with plywood manufacturers for the past 25 years. He has become especially known for his work in the adaptation of plywood to low unit cost housing. After his graduation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology he was for many years with the Grand Rapids Veneer Works, and the New Albany Veneer-ing Company. Among Perry's publications, his paper given before the A. S. M. E. in June, 1935, entitled "Plywood House Units," aroused particular comment and interest. Duo-Therm Sales Up 400% Shipments on Duo-Therm line of oil-burning space heaters are 400% ahead of shipments for the corresponding period of a year ago, according to officials of the heater division of Motor Wheel Corpora-tion. A record volume is also reported on the Duo-Therm line of oil-burning ranges and water heaters and on the Kero-Therm line of kerosene-burning cabinet heaters newly announced by Motor Wheel this Markson's Progress Dinner Thirty-five employes of the Markson Fur-niture Stores celebrated a Progress dinner in Utica, N. Y., Aug. 4, at which Samuel Markson, president, predicted that 1936 would be a banner year for the organization, with its several stores in Central New York. 36 FINE FURNITURE Brown Buys Kaufman's A. J. Brown, president of the A. J. Brown Co., has purchased the Kaufman Furniture Co. of Montpelier, Ohio. The deal merges two of the largest furniture stores in north-western Ohio. Rohde Designs Troy Line The Troy Sunshade Co. is completely re-styling its line of streamline furniture and has retained Gilbert Rohde as designer. Buys White Oak Plant The M. F. Blankenbaker Co. of Bright-wood, Va., has purchased the White Oak Chair Factory, and it was planned that pro-duction would start in September after ex-tensive remodeling. New Factory in Virginia Colonial Furniture Corp. of Fredericks-burg, Va., has filed articles of incorporation. The new organization has a maximum capi-talization of g25,0O0. 0 Milne Sells Interest John Milne, president and general man-ager of the Cleveland Chair Co., Cleveland, has sold his interest in the firm to H. B. Moore, formerly of the Hardwick Woolen Mills. Milne expects to enter the manufac-turing business with his son, John, in the near future. Fall Jamestown Market The opening of the Jamestown Fall mar-ket probably will be held late in October, according to Earl 0. Hulquist, market pres-ident, who anticipates that it will run through the first week of November. Gold Store Remodels Extensive remodeling and modernization of the Gold Furniture store, Huntington, W. Va., was begun in August. A color scheme of black, ivory and gold Carrara glass is The Norge stove division of Borg- Warner, Detroit, has just an-nounced its new line of electric stoves. This small three-plate model. No. ER-20-S0, is designed for use in small homes or apart-ments with restricted kitchen space. being used on the new 60-foot front. Semi-partitions on the first floor are being torn down to make room for a large display room comprising almost the entire length of the building. Other renovations include chang-ing the third floor from a warehouse room to a display room and the installation of a central heating plant. Armstrong's Fall Campaign Armstrong Cork Co. is presenting this fall two campaigns—one on linoleum and the other on Quaker rugs. Says A. K. Barnes, director of advertising and merchan-dising, ''Both promotions are based upon strong, fundamental appeals to the merchant and the consumer: both are backed by the most comprehensive program of advertising Armstrong has scheduled within recent years/' Color pages are appearing in fourteen publications in support of the fall promo-tions, the basic appeal of which is the idea of "Fashion-Thrift Floors," designed to answer the problem of most women who are looking for smart style at sensible prices. Armstrong's fall Quaker rug promotion concentrates the efforts of merchants par-ticularly on six featured patterns. Retailers are being furnished a complete assortment of promotional materials. A National Furniture Week Plans for Xational Furniture Week were under way in more than 100 cities and the objective of 500 cities is expected to be attained. Every furniture and department store in Denver had made arrangements to partici-pate, 31 home furnishings outlets having already ordered tie-up materials from head-quarters. Plans for getting Furniture Week mention on national hook-ups of both broadcasting chains are under way. Enlarge Appliance Section The major appliance section on the fifth floor of the American Furniture Mart will be enlarged prior to the next major market. Present plans call for the construction of another east-and-west corridor through the northwest quarter of the floor, and a series of smaller display spaces. Wallace Forms Own Agency Resigning his position with Stevens, Inc., advertising agency, Oliver Wallace has organized his own company, Oliver A. Wal-lace, Inc.. with headquarters in the Associa-tion of Commerce Bldg., Grand Rapids. Among his furniture accounts the new firm lists Berkey & Gay and the Imperial Fur-niture Co., both of Grand Rapids. A Imperial Showrooms Ready Dec. 1 Ready for occupancy by Dec. 1, the con-tract has been let for the new #80,000 Imperial Furniture Co. factory showrooms. The modern brick and concrete structure on the Imperial grounds just south of the present factory site will more than double present showroom space. Its entire 43,200 square feet, except for a kitchen and dining room, will be devoted to displaying Imperial lines. Imperial's manufacturing departments are being expanded to occupy the 20,000 square feet of space now being used in the factory for showroom purposes. B & G Opens Plant No. 1 Orders booked by Berkey & Gay in the July market following their premier showing at the May market have necessitated an expansion program, according to Frank D. Made to retail for under $10, this combination e l e c t r i c mixer and juice extractor is one of a new group of appliances designed for the A. C. Gilbert Co. by Robert Heller, industrial designer. McKay, chairman of the board. The large No. 1 plant will be put back into operation. The finishing, trimming, packing and ship-ping departments are being removed from plant No. 2 where the company opened operations and are being set up in plant No. 1, part of which is occupied by the firm's showrooms. "16 Years to Pay" A "co-operative bank plan" that enables the customer to finance large purchases of furniture over a 16-year period and at the same time gives the store a cash sale, is being tried out by the Paine Furniture Co., Boston, in co-operation with Massachusetts banks. Washer Shipments Ahead A 54% increase in shipments by manu-facturers of washing macliines was reported for July, 1936, as compared with the same month last year. J. R. Bohnen, secretary of the American Washing Machine Manu-facturers Assn., announces that 170.146 washer units were shipped during July; 14,944 ironers were shipped for a gain of 39.19%. Half-year shipments of washers showed an increase of 28% over last year; ironers, a gain of 29%. PLYABLE-LAK-ER-FIL (Patent Pending) Sixty glazes in natural and colors for furniture, boat bungs, canvas decks, im-perfections in wood, metal and concrete. Fast drying, non-shrinkine. staimtble: water, alkali, lacquer and highly acid proof. Sample can parcel po»t 15c anywhere in the U.S.A. (Give color and purpose.) PLYABLE-LAK-ER-FIL COMPANY LANSING, MICH. Long Distance Hauling, Packing and Crating. Large Trucks, Guaranteed Ser-vice, Reasonable Rates. Biodgett Packing: & Storage Co. Grand Rapids* Michigan for SEPTEMBER. 1936 37 "Arabella, what is it that's black and white and red all over?" "I'll give up, Ignatius, what is it that's black and white and red all overf "Why, FINE FURNITURE, of course " Whereupon Arabella wrapped the paddle around Ignatius's neck and dumped him into Lake Arapahoe, because Arabella knew that FINE FURNITURE was not red all over, but only by about 90% of the best furniture merchants in the United States. A very fine accomplishment for a four-month-old publication — BUT — In case you're one of the miss-ing 10%, here's your chance to sign up regularly for the most authoritative, easiest- to - read magazine in the furniture field. I FINE FURNITURE Circulation Manager FINE FURNITURE Assn. of Commerce Bldg. Grand Rapids, Michigan Please enter my subscription for FINE FURNITURE for years. Check is enclosed Q Please bill me F l N ame Store- We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE 38 FINE FURNITURE FIRM NAME IDEAL FURN. CO BOLLE & DETZEL BUTTERWORTH FURN. CO ROME HOUSEHOLD OUTFITTING BERN FURN. CO * BLOM BROS LITTLE NECK FURN. CO HUDSON HDWE. 4 FURN. CO. VALLEY FURN. CO., INC. * STEWART FURN. EXCHANGE t POTTER STOVE & FURN. CO. TYSON FURN. CO HUB FURN. CO.f THE FURN. HOUSE HENSHAW FURN. CO. * HOME SUPPLY CO ALLEN FURN. CO HARTLEY FURN. CO McQUARY FURN. CO BLOM BROS. BACKSTROM FURN. CO PIERCE-BRADEN CO * Branch store or N E W CITY Washington, N. J Newark, N. I Wichita, Kan. CO.tRome, N. Y. Corning, N. Y. Vineland, N. J. Little Neck, N. Y. Center, Texas McAllen, Texas York Neb . . . Marceline, Mo. . Eastland, Texas . . . . Chattanooga, Tenn. . Concord, N. H Jamaica, L. I Grand View, Mo Ashtabula, Ohio Delphos, Kan . Lindsay* Okla. Elmer, N. J. Hawley, Minn. Griswold, la unit of chain. S T O R E S STREET AND NUMBER Shurts Bldg. Halsey and Central 220 N. Main 239 E. Dominick W. Market 9 N. 6th Northern Blvd South Main . . . . 509 Lincoln W. Main 621 Market 17 School 165th & Jamaica 226 Center Hull Bldg f Change PROPRIETORS Harry Shampanore Emil Detzel W. L. Butterworth W. C. Butterworth Joseph M. Rainone . Morris Bernstein Samuel Blom Samuel Hofstein Fred Hudson T. B. Vines G. R. Stewart Earl Sutliff W. O. Tyson Ed. Parry Frank G. Brown A. L. Mitchell L. E. Feasler. . A. Goebricher Alex Goebricher R. Hartley Ed. McQuary Samuel Blum . . Donald Backstrom W. H. Pierce M. Braden of name or address. DATE OPENED Aug. 31 Sept. 1 July Sept. 15 Not set . . . Not set Aug. 1 Aug. 15 Aug.10 July 28 July ... . July . . Not set Not set August Auguts Not set Not set Aug. 10 Aug. 22 Aug. 15 OLD WORLD FINISHES hv a TO! 4*11-4'OAT htvquer process with French Polish Effect, Involving Little Labor • • * . . - * . , Perfect Finish at Low Cost Write for details G. R. WOOD FINISHING CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. f o r SEPTEMBER, 1936 39 LYON FUK^ITUFsf MERCANTILE AGENCY ARTHUR S. LYON, General Manager ICst. 1876—Publishers of LYON-RED BOOK The nationally recognized CREDIT AND COLLECTION AGENCY of the FURNITURE INDUSTRY and trades kindred-—-Carpet—Upholstering—Baby Carriage — Refrigerator — Stove — Housef urnishing and Undertaking BOOK OF HATINCS—CREDIT REPORTS—COLLECTIONS OFFICES New York, N. Y 185 Madison Ave. Boston, Mass North Station Industrial Building Philadelphia, Pa 12 South 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 6 E. Fourth St. Chicago, III 201 North Wells Street Grand Rapids, Mich Association of Commerce Bldg. High Point, N. C Wachovia Bank Bldg. Los Angeles, Cal 12th St. at Broadway JOHN I. SHAFER HARDWOOD CO. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 'Phone 3-3108 Saw Mill — Sparta, Tennessee Service Yard Modern Dry Kiln Steam Heated Storage Shed Logansport, Indiana A full line of Air Dried and Kiln Dried Indiana and Tennessee Hardwoods, Including Hard and Soft Maple, Oak, Poplar and Walnut Immediate Shipment by Rail or Overnight Delivery by Our Own Truck TEGO GLUE F I L M TEGO-BONDING BRINGS NEW ECONOMIES THE cost of Tego Glue Film now es-tablishes a new level of economy. Further consistent gains in its use have permitted a substantial reduction in our price list. Tego-bonding has always offered economies of operation and market-ability. Now the actual price of Tego Glue Film has reached a level where it is becoming expensive not to standard-ize on Tego-bonding. Users who originally adopted Tego-bonding for its unique quality are thus obtaining the benefit of our policy of passing along production economies, made possible by regular and increasing consumption. RESINOUS PRODUCTS AND CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC. 22 2 We s t Wa s hington Square PHILADELPHIA We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FIXE FURNITURE 40 FINE FURNITURE It's PICKLING SEASON/ and PICKLED FINISHES are the popular trend T)ICKLED finishes adapt them-selves to many of the popular periods and styles in demand today, including Modern. With strong demand for light and nat-ural- neutral finishes you should let our experts help you with your pickling problems. This handsome French Provincial chiffonier, No. 1901, is made by the John Widdicomb Co., using a pickled finish on solid French Walnut fronts and sides. We have the largest library of pickled finishes in the world Vfie GRAND RAPIDS VARNISH CORP. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE
- Date Created:
- 1936-09-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 1:5