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- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It began publication in 1936. and Two dollars a year 20 cents a copy Grand Rapids, Mich. June 1936 Since 1853, furni-ture's proudest coat-of-arms and the greatest sales-man on the retail floor. THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF Berkey & Gay acknowledge their sincere appreciation for the many expressions of good will and genu-ine interest in the new Berkey & Gay line, so generously manifested during the premier showing in May . . . and based on this enthusiastic response, confidently look for-ward to a record-smashing attendance in July, surpassing any previous Grand Rapids Market. AMERICA'S Carbeb <§ak SPECIALISTS Every month of improving business conditions brings more and more families back into the Carved Oak market — families who for years have had their hearts set on a group of carved oak furniture, and now can afford it. Go after the profits in this rich, expanding market, by maintaining a representative display of carved oak. Sell them Catbeb ©afe Bedrooms when they want to make their homes different Satisfy your customers' desires for variety and difference in their homes by proposing that they furnish at least one room in carved oak. Not necessarily the dining room. Perhaps a fine, masterful bedroom like the one pictured. Or a quiet, dignified library. Or a restful, inviting living room. You will miss important sales this year unless you carry an adequate stock of carved oak. From our hundreds of historic productions you can select a group •which •will add character to your displays and unerringly interest people of cultivated tastes and means to satisfy them. GRAND RAPIDS BOOKCASE & CHAIR COMPANY HASTINGS, MICHIGAN We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE F I N E F U R N I T U R E No. 3 6 Modern chair upholstered in fine grade chenille tapestry. Height 3 0", Depth 3 5", Width 3l", Price $5 5.00. number of new living room suites, chairs and davenports will be assembled in our space in the Waters-Klingman Bldg. for the inspection of visiting buyers at the Summer Market — June 29 th to July 18 th. The line consists of modern and traditional designs in a wide range of colorful covers. Wolverine living room pieces have a distinct character in design, covering and tailoring in a popular price range. Please write us concerning your requirements for upholstered furniture. WOLVERINE UPHOLSTERY CO. GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN FlN€ FURNITURC the Homefurnishing Magazine from the Furniture Style Center of America VOLUME 1 1936 NUMBER 2 GEORGE F. MACKENZIE. President PHIL S. JOHNSON. General Manager ROD G. MACKENZIE. E d i t o r JUNE-Cover illustration courtesy Baker Furniture Factories, Inc. Holland, Mich. 21 22 24 28 Display Your Outdoor Living Room Furniture Frolics, by Ray Barnes First Quarter Best Since 1930, by Frank E. Seidman After the Market . . What? by Rod Mackenzie The Customer's Viewpoint, by Ruth Mclnerney The Sketch Book, by Henry H. Koster Retailing Tips Leather. . . Enters a Renaissance . An Outsider Gives the Inside, by Gypsie Dysert Bennett 32 Wife Weaves a Career in Wool 35 Colonial Museum Masterpieces 38 Find Your "Turning Point," by Murray C. French 39 "Senator . . Be Seated" 40 Furniture Salesmen's Club 41 Dehorning, by Chet Shafer 43 Around the Grand Rapids Market 45 Homefurnishing News and Reviews 48 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: lli'/i West Washington St., High Point, N. C, phone 2152, 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. f o r JUNE, 1936 ONLY ONE PLACE has been recognized for over a score of years as the furniture merchandising and style headquarters. KEELER BUILDING Contains more individual room settings, complete house and apartment group-ings, where buyers spend more time per exhibit than any other exhibition building. BAKER FURNITURE FACTORIES, INC. BARNARD & SIMONDS CO. BENT CO., GEORGE B. BIGELOW-SANFORD CARPET CO. CLORE & HAWKINS COLONIAL MFG. CO. FURNITURE CITY UPHOLSTERY CO. GRAND RAPIDS BOOKCASE & CHAIR CO. GROENLEER-VANCE FURNITURE CO. HEXTER CO., S. M. KAMMAN FURNITURE, INC. KAPLAN FURNITURE CO., INC. KINDEL FURNITURE CO. KITTINGER CO. LUXURY FURNITURE CO. MILLER CLOCK CO., HERMAN MILLER FURNITURE CO., HERMAN MORSE FURNITURE CO., RALPH PAALMAN FURNITURE CO. ROHDE 20th CENTURY HOUSE RUSTIC HICKORY FURNITURE CO. STANLEY CHAIR CO. STATTON FURNITURE MFG. CO. VANDER LEY BROS., INC. WOOD PRODUCTS CORP. KEELER BUILDING GRAND RAPIDS KEELER BUILDING FEATURES Designed exclusively for ex-hibiting of furniture Fireproof FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Free checking, telephone switch-board, and a complete person-alized service. \ \ \ i> •„ •""i : • : •• Keeler Building We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE THE BOILING WAKE The staff of FINE FURNITURE sincerely appreciates the many expressions oi approbation that have been received, verbally and through the mail, relative to Volume 1, Number 1. With the aid of your candid criticisms and sugges-tions it is anticipated that FINE FURNI-TURE will become increasingly useful and earn for itself a definite spot in the homefurnishing industry. Again, we thank you.—The Staff. Haven't Missed Much Sirs: I wish to congratulate you on the fine magazine you have put out for your first issue. I have looked it over carefully and do not see where you have missed very much. I certainly want to be sure to have it de-livered to me regularly so am enclosing $2 for one year's subscription. VV. L. K.., Grand Rapids. Thanks Sirs: A swell periodical. Please enter my subscription for two years. K. S., New York City. — o — Likes Pricing Sirs: FINE FURNITURE is okay. Grand Rapids needs this. Your policy of pricing will be fine. F., Madison, Wis. Reader Interest Great Sirs: I think you have done a very, very nice piece of work, and that you certainly have the greatest amount of reader interest of any of the furniture magazines. I want to compliment you on this and feel that you have done a splendid job. P. W. C, High Point, N. C. We'll Aim to Please Sirs: Your publication is ably edited, beautifully printed and is replete with inter-esting reading matter and information and advertising of a high character. I shall be greatly disappointed if the undertaking does not achieve success of a high order and ulti-mately become the outstanding publication of the cause it represents. E. A. S., Grand Rapids. Contents, Appearance Okay Sirs: We are in receipt of the initial copy of FINE FURNITURE and wish to congratu-late you on both the contents and appear-ance of your magazine, and the writer wishes you great success in this venture. C. D. D., Louisville, Ky. Wanted: Editorials Sirs: The general impression FINE FURNI-TURE made on me was all to the good. 1 liked the restrained headings, the manner in which you juiced it up with humor, the selection of the subject matter, format and the credit you give manufacturers whose photos you display. However, I think you should devote two pages to editorials. The average reader likes to read what the editor has to say even though he might not agree with the senti-ments expressed. They should be interpreta-tive, rather than the critical, carping type. W. V. M., Buffalo, N. Y. Old for its Age Sirs: I note your new magazine appeared for the first time "in the red," although you had fine advertising support. Don't ever let FINE FURNITURE get ''blue." Your first effort has the appearance in content and makeup of an old established magazine, which is no doubt due to the fact that you fellows know what publishing a furniture trade paper is all about. R. B., Grand Rapids. Promises Fulfilled Sirs: Congratulations on your May issue. It bespeaks your prospectus both in ideals and ideas. 1 am in hearty accord with the sentiments expressed in your column on page 41, "How D'You Like It?" S. M. G., New York City. Pricing Policy Pleases Sirs: Your idea of pricing merchandise is perfect. C. C. P., Boston, Mass. — o — From Cover to Cover Sirs: Have just read FINE FURNITURE from cover to cover. Congratulations and best wishes for your success. A very nice showing of advertising space. B. T. S, Shelbyville, Ind. Shooting High Sirs: I have just had a chance to look over FINE FURNITURE and I hasten to con-gratulate both of you on being the joint fathers of a very splendid book in the fur-niture field. You have certainly set an extremely high standard to match with succeeding issues. Congratulations and best wishes for a real success in your forward-looking service to the furniture industry. G. N. L., Chicago. Interest Plus Sirs: You will receive many congratula-tions on your first issue of FINE FURNITURE but none more sincere than mine. The congratulations you will receive will be well deserved, for I have, over a number of years, observed a lot of furniture publi-cations but I don't believe I have ever seen one with more interest, more real sales and display suggestions, nor nearly so much human feeling than in your first FINE FUR-NITURE. A. T. M., Grand Rapids. Important Contribution Sirs: I have your first number of FINE FURNITURE. While 1 am a layman, yet I have been associated with the furniture business enough to be quite familiar with the different angles of the industry. I feel that the wide circulation of your excellent magazine, going out from our own city, is an important contribution to the industry, and I sincerely hope that you will have the unanimous support of all the furniture men of Grand Rapids, and that you will have general approval throughout the country among the retailers. S. G. B., Grand Rapids. Ah! An Inquiry Sirs: We wish to take this opportunity of thanking you for the publicity given our merchandise by your illustrations in FINE FURNITURE, which was just received. You certainly deserve plenty of credit for this fine work. The writer hopes that the time will come when we can feel justified in cooperating in advertising with you from the standpoint of loyalty to your local pub-lication, which deserves the support of Grand Rapids manufacturers. T. C. W., Grand Rapids. P. S.—Since writing the above we have received an inquiry for the merchandise mentioned, due to your illustrating it. Not bad! « Barnes Registers Sirs: The first issue of your FINE FUR-NITURE publication is exceedingly well done. I have gone through it very carefully and found it interesting, instructive and artistic. Ray Barnes' page is the finest presentation of personals I have ever seen. E. D. S., New York City. We Bow Sirs: We wish to extend our heartiest congratulations and sincere wishes to the publishers of the new furniture monthly magazine, FINE FURNITURE. May their future be bright, hopeful and prosperous. A. C, Grand Rapids. Q Speaks For Itself Sirs: A copy of FINE FURNITURE has just reached our office. I want personally to congratulate you. This is a splendid issue, the general makeup speaks for itself and the cover appearance is unusually at-tractive. I feel sure the advertisements will bring good results. G. H, High Point, N. C. Pricing Idea Clicks Sirs: Your system of quoting prices on illustrations is just what we have advocated. F. A. J., Honesdale, Pa. —o— Sketch Book Rates High Sirs: Your initial number is very good. Frank Lee's contribution is worthy of his tradition and reputation—a standard you will find difficult to uphold. However, good luck. T. J., Jamestown, N. Y. Favorable Reflex Sirs: I got a very fine reflex from thoughtfully reviewing your first "offspring" and hasten congratulations on the calibre safeguarded by the technique employed. Particularly wish to thank you for send-ing a copy to the house. I am delighted to enclose a subscription for one year. E. G. W, Grand Rapids. Quality Sirs: Thanks for the May issue of FINE FURNITURE which I have taken a good deal of pleasure in looking over. You certainly have done a splendid piece of work on it. It is equal in quality to the kind of furni-ture for which Grand Rapids is noted. G. B., Jr., Indianapolis, Ind. f o r JUNE, 1936 The 47 year old factory of Dutch Craftsmen on the Shore of Lake Michigan Bedroom Furniture Specialists Traditional and Modern STRONG PROMOTIONAL GROUPS Can always be found in the lines Year after year retailers look to West Michigan for new ideas in the promotion of bedroom lines. Timely designing and volume-pricing keep the West Michi-gan line out ahead. If you are wondering how to put more life and appeal into your bedroom furniture department, write us. The West Michigan line is com-prehensive in styling, woods and price ranges. It is the largest exclusive display of bedroom furniture in the Grand Rapids Market. WEST MICHIGAN FURNITURE COMPANY HOLLAND, MICHIGAN We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE F E D E R A L A M E R I C A N '"-I. G. R. Chair Co. Federal American Suite No. 175 Value is what you buy and sell! Price is what you pay or are paid I N these trite words Charles Francis describes all there is to buying and selling. They apply with particular emphasis to the furniture made by the Grand Rapids Chair Company. Value means worth, excellence, utility, importance. This furniture has these qualities. They are combined in the beauty, artistry, service and long life which for nearly three-quarters of a century have characterized this com-pany's products. The above illustration of a Federal American Bed-room ensemble — successful beyond adventure — is a case in point. Here is revived the charm of old Virginia — perfectly, accurately, honestly. It typifies the period when American colonies were federated — the period from which it takes its name. Here is exemplified the calm simplicity of taste of our fore-bears; the aristocracy of thought as visualized in the things with which they surrounded themselves. We said something about value. There is value in knowing that this furniture is true; that it is what it represents itself to be — an intimate page from out of the story of the past. There is value in the intelligence required to make it true, in the craftsmanship that sets it forth and in the happiness and comfort it will give to those it is designed to serve. Let us repeat — Grand Rapids Chair Company's furniture has value; the type of value that satisfies the dealer and the ultimate consumer. It is always complete — always finished. It is a full measure that remains full in its final evaluation. GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Michigan SHOWROOMS AT FACTORY ONLY —TAKE ANY YELLOW CAB We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FIXE FURNITURE f o r JUNE, 1 9 3 6 This smart Estey Ensemble by Donald Deskey revives an ancient cabinet wood and applies it to this new 20th Century furniture. Prinz-wood (Spanish Elm or Bois de Chypre) was first discovered by Columbus in the West Indies. Ship-builders of the day liked it because it was found to withstand the effect of sea water. Gradually cabinet makers adapted to furniture its beauty of grain and imperviousness to dryness and dampness. After the advent of mahogany and American walnut, this wood was used seldom except for marquetry. Estey now successfully revives it in both its dark and blonde finishes. The grouping shown includes a wide selection in both dining and bed-room, and several pieces are inter-changeable. * • : • • Styled to SELL . . . Priced for PROFIT ESTEY LINES HAVE PROVEN THEIR SALABILITY Practical buyers ordered plenty of Estey merchandise at the May market because this popular line has proved that it outsells competition. Estey styles and price ranges offer your customers oppor-tunity io buy quality merchandise at a price. REASONS: Estey's 18th Century and 20th Century groups are created by leading designers, trained in keeping AHEAD of the field. Economical plant operation enables Estey to offer you MONEY-MAKING mer-chandise. Estey's Georgian dining room, with pieces of generous proportion, yet possesses a daintiness and charm. Finish is the carefully rubbed Estey's Old English Mahogany. The entire ensemble, authentic reproductions of the work of Sheraton, Phyfe and Chippendale, is set off by an un-usual set of Chippendale chairs. While departing from the standard Chippendale designs, they are authentic and graceful. Pieces in this room are augmented by a large open stock of dining iurniture including nine tables, eight sideboards, seven chinas and various servers. All these pieces harmonize and afford innumerable combinations at varying price ranges. DISPLAYED IN WATERS- KLINGM AN BUILDING ESTEY MANUFACTURING CO. OWOSSO M I C H I G A N We appreciate mentioning you saw tins in FIXE FURNITURE FINE FURNITURE No. 343 LOVE SEAT. Mahogany, hair and down. Length, 64 inches WINNING WIDE ACCEPTANCE The reception given our new Eighteenth Century groupings by retailers attending the May Market impels us to increase the scope of this showing for the Summer Exposition, there being a definite general trend toward Eighteenth Century styles. Featuring . . . NEW DESIGNS IN MODERN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY AND THE LATEST FABRIC TRENDS Introducing . . . A NEW FEDERAL AMERICAN ENSEMBLE AND SOMETHING NEW IN A PROMOTION ^GROUP MICHIGAN FURNITURE SHOPS, INC. Manufacturers of UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE G R A N D R A P I D S , M I C H I G A N Display at the Factory Showrooms of Grand Rapids Chair Co. Representatives: A, L. BRACKETT • E. C. GAMBLE • R. D. THOMAS • G. R. GAMBLE We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FIXE FURNITURE J o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 Excerpt, New York Sun, January 18. ... the most interesting"— Charles Messer Stowe Charles Messer Stowe, the recognized furniture authority and furniture editor of the New York Sun, in the January 18th, 1936, issue, said: "Most of the exhibitors produced new groups in traditional design, however, and of these the most interesting was a bedroom suite designed by William Tucker for the Groenleer-Vance Furniture Company of Grand Rapids. The contours followed the lines of the early Chippendale and on the hollowed, chamfered corners were fruit and flower carvings in the manner of Grinling Gibbons, deeply undercut. The mahogany was carefully selected for its florid grain." MAKERS OF FINE FURNITURE GROENLEER-VANCE FURNITURE CO. KEELER BUILDING GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE 10 FINE FURNITURE LEATHER COMES INTO ITS OWN The demand for leather is greater today than at any period in the history of furniture manufacturing. Long a favorite covering for upholstered chairs and office furniture, it has now been accepted as practical for other units of home-furnishings. MANY NEW USES The recent midseason market witnessed a number of important case goods con-cerns employing leather. Tops and fronts of dressers, chests and vanities carried leather. Head and foot boards of beds were covered with leather. Sideboards, servers and tables had leather tops. In addition to being featured in this manner, leather played an important role in the occasional piece and living room displays. MANY GOOD REASONS Leather is not a fad. There are many good reasons for its use. It is practical, clean, durable. Modern production methods have improved the texture and increased the color range, so that decorators, designers and manufacturers interested in employing color in their product will find EAGLE-OTTAWA leather practical. INSIST ON GENUINE EAGLE-OTTAWA LEATHER ON YOUR PRODUCT Leather-topped bedroom group by Johnson, Handley, Johnson Co. We appreciate mentioning xou sazv this in FINE FURXITURE f o r J U N E . 1 9 3 6 11 Oafe bedroom grotip by Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co., leather panels on bed, leather tops on cases. Belo-w, leather chair by Michigan Furniture Shops, Inc. LEATHER IS THE VOGUE The constant efforts of the EAGLE-OTTAWA LEATHER COMPANY to produce new effects in keeping with modern style trends has widened the use of leather as a furniture accessory. While the many new colors and textures are applicable to modern groupings, leather is particularly adaptable to 18 th Century furniture. Main Office: GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN Tanneries: GRAND HAVEN, WHITEHALL, M I C H I G A N Branches: 912 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago 2 Park Avenue, New York City 1602 Locust Street, St. Louis 1012-14 Broadway Place, Los Angeles 5 69 Howard St., San Francisco A. T. Wishart, High Point, N. C. Mosehart-Schleeter, 211 Caroline St., Houston, Texas J. J. Smith, 123 8 N. W. Glisan S:., Portland, Oregon William Hatton, chairman of the board of Eagle-Ottawa Leather Company, says : "There is nothing like leather, there never has been and probably never -will be. Pro-viding, of course, it is good leather." EAGLE-OTTAWA LEATHER CO. WORLD'S LARGEST TANNERS OF UPHOLSTERY LEATHER We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE 12 FINE FURNITURE Lloyd Mfg. Co.. Menomin.ee, Mich., is the creator of the "Outdoor Living Room" at the top of the page. The middle setting is group No. 1 of the McKay Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., designed by Salvatore Bevelacqua. The fur-nishings in the lower display is manufactured by the Howell Go., St. Charles, 111. The chair on the oppo-site page is No. 335 in the Troy Sunshade Co. line and the chaisette No. 5, is made by Burton-Dixie Corp. f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 13 —<•- UVI.O ENSEMBLE business in summer furniture has proved a lucra-tive item for the American Furniture Co., Denver, Colo. Last year the firm sold extra pieces to about 25% of its glider customers, according to P. K. Schwartz, sales manager. This record was made despite cramped quarters in its base-ment. "I'm thoroughly convinced," Schwartz states, "that any store which can in any way make room for a main floor section in which different ensembles would be shown on grass mat foun-dations and against backgrounds of lattice-work or other 'atmos-pheric' settings, would find it very profitable. This merchandise is certainly well adapted for such dramatization." The Denver store offered gliders, chairs and tables in the higher price ranges in attractive ensembles in a corner of the china and glassware and silver departments. Ice-tea sets and other similar summer glassware items were worked in nicely with the larger merchandise. In the peak of the season suitable glassware was shown on each table displayed and suggested with every table sale. The merchandise was "spotlighted" in front of the basement. It was the first thing a customer saw on reaching the bottom of the stairway or getting out of the elevator. The lower priced goods were kept in a separate room at one side of the basement where the customer could look over them at leisure. Some idea of what can be accomplished in increasing the size of the unit sale, even in the lower price ranges, through featuring the ensemble idea, may be had from the following example. The best selling popularly priced glider last year was a $19.75 number. By suggesting a chair at from $8.50 to $10 and a table at from 14 FINE FURNITURE To the left is an F. Brower & Co., Lex-ington, Ky., display of summer iurniture built around a model house. The fibre stool. No. L-47GC, is by Ypsilanti Heed Furniture Co., Ionia, Mich. The metal cane back and seat chair. No. 120LC, is by the Durham Mfg. Co., Muncie, Ind. The Hettrick Co., Toledo, Ohio, makes the steel and canvas chair while Ypsil-anti Reed makes the easy chair. No. L-47C (Flex-web), at the bottom of the page. The umbrella group at the bottom of the page is manufactured by the Durham Mfg. Co., table No. 1202H-42, chair No. 100 and umbrella No. 8TV-812. $3.75 to $5, along with the $19.75 glider, the depart-ment built many a sale up to around $35. While convenience and comfort were valuable talk-ing points, the most effective appeal was based on the idea of appearance improvement possible with one or two additional pieces. Chairs and tables in contrasting colors were suggested to "liven up" the porch or yard. Metal chairs with wire bottoms and tables having re-movable tray tops were found especially popular. Umbrellas never have been very popular in Denver, due to the city's great distance from any sizeable body of water. But the American created a greater than usual demand by featuring them in ensembles includ-ing chairs and tables. The most popular seller was a $34.50 combination including an umbrella, four folding chairs and a table. The china and glassware department took full advan-tage of the presence of the summer merchandise. Many women who had no intention of buying major mer-chandise appeared in the basement to browse about the china and glassware section. The girls would show them the furniture and in many cases arouse their interest. A'linor item floor traffic thus was converted into potential business on major articles. f o r JUNE. 1936 15 In other cases sales of outdoor glassware were made to yield additional business on porch and garden tables. When a customer had purchased a colorful serving set the girl would point out that its appearance would be greatly enhanced by an attractive table. Consistent newspaper advertising probably did more than any one thing to bring people directly to this department. Throughout the season a sizeable news-paper ad on this merchandise was used at least two or three times a week. Following out a new advertis-ing policy in which only one or two lines were featured in an ad, the company used more exclusive outdoor furniture advertising than ever before. Employes Educated • Another western store that has successfully featured outdoor furniture is Heliums Furniture Co., Wichita, Kan. This store stresses the education of its employes in sales points on this type of furniture. These lessons are held in advance of the outdoor furniture season. Lessons include instruction on woods, their weathering qualities and strength. They learn how wooden frames are constructed, why certain woods warp and why some rustic furniture will not peel. Long time service from frames is featured as a vital element in the choice of lawn furniture. Knowledge of fabrics also receive attention, as the majority of women buyers know more about materials than the average furniture salesman. The difference between canvas weights is also studied and points are taken on the strength of seams. Construction is studied, and it is demonstrated that the placements of bolts on certain pieces is important from a structural viewpoint. The umbrella group above is made by the Hetlrick Mig. Co. Glider No. 1 is by Troy Sunshade Co., Troy, Ohio, No. 357; the settee No. 2, is by Ypsilanti Reed Fumniture Co.; glider No. 3 is No. QW-95V2 in the Hettrick Co. line, and group No. 5 is by the same con-cern; glider No. 4 is No. 651 coil bed glider, "Sleepy- Deck," made by Burton-Dixie Corp., Chicago, 111. i ! . - - . k k ..» . . . v - ; • • • • , ; • , • ; • . > ? . . " • / • 16 FINE FURNITURE ture Frolics Bernard F. MCLAIN O PRESIDENT. NATIONAL P.ETAIL FURNITUP-E ASSOCIATION. THREE TIMES PRESIDENT, TEXAS P-ETAIL FURNITURE ASSOCIATION. CHAIP-MAN OF THE COUNCIL OF TEXAS R-EX4ILER.S /4SSOC/ATIONS. 4T NOTRE DAME, PREP HE CAPTAINED HIS FOOTBALL, BASEBALL ] AND TRACK-TEAMS — AHO is STII-L A pR.erry GrOOD BALL CAP-P-lEP— • A SIDELINE WE THE HART FUP-NITUP.E CO . IM DALLAS. TEXAS. "Commodore" Gordon GAMBLE NWHO WORKS AT THE MICHIGAN FURNITURE SHOPS, GRAND RAPIDS, /ND PLAYS AT SAfLlNCr 13OATS. MO D E.R.N - -O^THE CREAK- _ AND P-HVTHM OF THE HOCRIK' CrfAlP-r ^ //lANUFACTup-ER-SOLD FIVE TIMES AS MAHY THIS YEAFL • Nelle J. ROOD Y DEPT. ORCHAP-D AND WlLHELM CO- . SHE "GOES'POP— &AR- RIN&S.C/1T5 AND Do&S - - AND FP-IED CHICK-EN . A SLIP ( COVER. WOULD HIDE mZ-s—^r-l Sl+E \% INTERESTED IN SCOUTINO AND is CAPTAIN OF A ScouT TP-OUP . IN OMAHA. AISO_^ IK CHUB.CH O/0P-K-- AS A SUNOAV5CHOO(_ 5 f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 17 FIRST QUARTER BEST SINCE 1930 For Furniture Manufacturers FRANK E. SEIDMAN . . . Industry decidedly better. HPHE first quarter of 1936 was de- X cidedly better for the average furniture manufacturer than the comparative period in any year since 1930. New orders exceeded those booked in the first three months of 1935 by 25%. 40% of 1926 • January started the year off with a 37% increase over January, 1935. Then came February with its severe storms and the industry just about holding its own. March again saw an upward swing, however, with orders nearly one-third greater than in March, 1935. As compared with the first quarter of the peak year, 1926, this year's orders were only approxi-mately 40%, but on the other hand, a comparison with 1933 shows this year's orders at 217%. Written exclusively for FINE FURNITURE By FRANK E. SEIDMAN Mr. Seidmcm's picture of improvement in furniture manufacturing sharply delineates the opportunity for even greater achievement in the future, when clear thinking shall interpret this purely factual report. The retailer is provided like incentive to give open throttle to his merchan-dising machine with the full knowledge that the industry supplying him as well as the public patronizing him is more confident and more pros-perous than at any time in six years. To quote pertinent points made by Floyd Parsons in a recent issue of Advertising and Selling: "Probably there never was a time when the people of America were so READY AND ANXIOUS TO GO AHEAD. Certainly there never was a day when the tools and materials necessary in the creation of prosperity WERE SO NUMEROUS AND CLOSE AT HAND * * * There is justification for the belief that genius in invention and organization will continue to be rewarded * * * We stand on the threshold of unequalled industrial accomplishment. The future is bright with promise."—Editor. Shipments • Shipments during the quarter averaged 38% better than in 1935, with each successive month showing a smaller increase over the comparative month last year. In January, the increase was 53%; in February, 43%; and in March, 21%. Cancellations were nominal in January, but heavy in February and March. Unfilled Orders • Unfilled orders at the end of the quarter repre-sented approximately one month's shipments at the current rate of operations. There were unfilled orders at March 31, 1936, approx-imating 30% of the unfilled orders on hand at the same date in 1926, but they were nearly four times the unfilled orders at the end of March, 1933. The record for unfilled orders at March 31, since 1933, is as fol-lows: March 31, 1933 100 March 31, 1934 188 March 31, 1935 262 March 31, 1936 363 Operations • Reporting plants took on very few new employes during the quarter and the number on the rolls at the end of March was only 10% higher than at the same date in 1935. Dollar payrolls for the three months, however, were up 28%. Plant operations for the quarter—giving weight both to the number of employes and to the hours worked — averaged approxi-mately 45% of the 1926 operations. This compares with 34% during the first three months of 1935. Plant operation statistics, as here used, do not take into consideration the plants that have been closed during recent years but are based on re-porting plants only. NEW ORDERS IO JO 3O AO 5O 6O 7O 8O 9 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 I93fe • • i M • • • i • i • i O IC 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 P 1 1 D 2 LN' O 3 r O -4 k OF 0 5 • • 1 • ••1 El 0 G : O 7 TI< O 8 : Oh : IS O 1 J-JO UNFILLED OR (O 2O 3O -4O 5O 6O 7 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 - - — •1 •1 1 • Dl 0 8O 9 SO ItX) First quarter. First quarter. At March 31. 18 FINE FURNITURE ^After the ^Market. . . What? By ROD MACKENZIE Editor. FINE FURNITURE WHAT justification is there for a slump in summer merchandising? For years it has been the habit of merchants to bemoan the fact that business was "rotten" during the socalled vacation period. Recent surveys conducted by national concerns have afforded information revealing interesting facts that almost prove the summer slump idea a fallacy. It is our opinion that lack of sales in the summer months is due to a reduction of summer advertising appropria-tions. Merchants' objections in the past have been that customers were following summer pursuits, precluding ability of reaching them through magazines, news-papers and, in recent years, radios. The validity of this argument, with particular ref-erence to radio, can best be answered by checking the sales volume of receiving sets. According to figures received from Radio Retailing for 1935, the "summer season"—July, August and September—produced the second largest quarter in the year: First quarter 1,156,000 Second quarter --.1,075,000 Third quarter ...1,530,000 Fourth quarter -—2,267,000 These figures certainly disprove the theory that peo-ple do not listen to broadcasts, because radios bought during July, August and September are put into imme-diate use. The fact that the new models appear in early fall supports this statement. In a recent issue of Advertising and Selling appeared an enlightening article on the summer slump in which was pointed out the fact that retailers cannot be blamed for reducing their summer advertising appro-priations because of the objections that people are out of doors and not available to radio, newspaper and magazine advertising. Yet when the results of a survey conducted by the National Broadcasting Co. were analyzed it was dis-covered that only 2.71% less people were susceptible to radio in the summer than in the winter. The survey The Cuban mahogany Chippendale group No. 929, with No. 930 chairs as shown (at top) is by the Grand Rapids Chair Co., priced 10 pieces $622 and $452 for eight. The American Colonial dinette grouping is by the Colonial Mfg. Co., Zeeland, Mich., displayed in the Keeler Bldg. At the left is a bedroom grouping by the Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co., Hastings, Mich., displayed in the Keeler Bldg. The modern bed-room suite is manufactured by Widdicomb Fur-niture Co., displayed in the factory showroom. The living room ensemble is by Imperial Furni-ture Co., upholstered chair by Schoonbeck Co., both lines shown in Imperial factory showroom. ' •. for JUNE. 1936 19 Above is No. 1232% love-seat. 60" long, by the Schoonbeck Co. At top right is three-piece davenport. No. 378, covered in dopctc, price $216, by the Wolverine Upholstery Co., Grand Rapids, displayed in Waters- Klingman Bldg. The flowered linen covered sofa. No. 303, price $101.50, is made by Michigan Furniture Shops, Inc., Grand Rapids, shown in factory showroom of Grand Rapids Chair Co. showed that in any one week during the summer months 8.15% were away from home. Of these, two-thirds live in radio-equipped residences. The average vacation amounted to 2.58 weeks and 15% of persons employed remain at home during their vacation period. It stands to reason then, that this audience, if avail-able to radio, should also be accessible through maga-zine and newspaper appeal. Which returns us to our major premise, that the summer slump is partially attributable to a curtailment in advertising promotion. The enterprising merchant can and does secure busi-ness despite the fact that people play, and in general, "live" during this period. They have money, too! This, of course, is a poignant excuse for declining sales in summer—"they have no money with which to buy." The National Bureau of Economic research scouts this theory in Advertising and Selling as follows: "Factory payrolls vary less than 4% from average at any time throughout the year. Although dividend disbursements and interest payments fluctuate rather violently, each reaches two yearly peaks, a primary one in January, a secondary one in July. The July in-terest peak is within 3% of the January one, while the July peak, although less than half as high as Jan-uary, is still 19% above any other month except Jan-uary." The report also indicates that new deposits in U. S. Postal Savings reach an average, or higher, through June, July and August, with the peak in July. All of which would seem to bear out the fact that summer slumps can be traced, not to a lack of purchasing power, but rather to the absence of desire to buy. Frankly, can't this summer 18th Century mahogany group by Tomlinson of High Point, displayed in the American Furniture Mart. slump bugaboo be overcome by increasing advertising rather than curtailing it.' The furniture industry has just shut the doors of the most successful and outstanding mid-season market since the depression. Furniture production is increas-ing, its present point being about 55% of 1929. Values offered today are conceded to be better than at any time during the past 20 years. A check made recently of a typical dining room line showed that a medium priced suite selling today for $78.50 sold in 1930 for $139.50, and the current group is improved in design and construction. During the peak,^1925 to 1929, the same suite would have brought 25% more than in 1930. This is believed to reflect the advancement made in furniture values during the past few years. Why not pass this information on to your customers ? It is something tangible to hang your advertising story on. And speaking of markets, values and styles, mahog-any and modern were the subject of much discussion. Modern, as pointed out last month, has slipped, de-spite the fact that much of it is still being sold on the retail floor. Many manufac-turers reported that they were going to discontinue making it, for the present at least. Others indicated that they would reduce their stock, uality modern and borax appear to control the field. . . Georgian influ-ence is again predominant, particularly Chippendale. Here is where mahogany received its play. The open-stock group idea was very much in evidence. The majority of these ensembles were of Georgian or Early American influence. As proof of the statement in the previous paragraph rel-ative to the increased values obtainable, the English de-signs carried details form- 20 FINE FURNITURE erly found only on high quality suites, carvings, inlays, sweep fronts and semi-circular servers and vanities. . . Interest in French styles is reported. Several smart Provincials substantiate this statement. A few promo-tional groups, decorated and executed in Louis XV manner furnish further hint of this coming trend. . . Oak in 17th Century form made its appearance here and there. . .Maple, modern and otherwise, was very much in evidence and reports indicated that sales were being made in the upper price brackets. . . Much com-ment was heard on the fact that the upper end of lines were moving, which gave promise of the sale of better merchandise affording the dealer and the manufacturer a more substantial margin of profit. Going Home • There is more to the story of increas-ing interest in better merchandise. Statistics, again, show that few industries engaged in the manufacture of products for the home failed to gain in 1935. In fact many of the homefurnishing industries exceeded their all-time highs—including the boom years prior to the depression. More washers, radios, electric refrig-erators and ranges were reported to have been sold in 1935 than in any year in the history of these respective businesses. Furniture increased in sales and home building nearly doubled that of 1934. There is more back of this movement of home commodities than a mere returning to normalcy. It indicates a returning to the home. Perhaps the depression was a factor in this renais-sance. Through inability to "go to town," for obvious reasons, we may have learned that home wasn't such a bad place after all. That we'd been missing and mis-using a very important element in our existence. Promotion Tells • We took inventory of our furnish-ings. Frayed davenport. Scratched sideboard. Worn carpets. . . And then homefurnishings began to move. But not without promotion. Advertising men, alert to the pent-up "wants" of homefurnishers, stirred emo-tions, aroused buying desires and pointed out the bene-fits to be accrued. Simple, rudimentary salesmanship, based on establishing the desire to buy. Don't blame the lack of purchasing power nor the fact that summer dog-days have arrived. Check up on your advertising appropriations! • •• a : One of the "hot spots" in the Grand Rapids May market was the West Michigan Furniture Co., Holland, Mich., displayed in the Waters- Klingman Bldg. Introduced was a new series of 27 open stock Chip-pendale pieces, a group shown below. The four occasional tables are from the Luce Furniture Carp, new table line of 175 pieces. The line encompasses a great variety of styles. To the right is a decorated tilt-top. No. 1034T; the open Modern piece is No. 1017; the Modern with drawers is No, 1019 and the mahog-any stand below is No. 1000. f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 The CUSTOMERS1 VIEWPOINT Assembling Our Own Kitchen Ensembles By RUTH McINERNEY Miss Mclnemey has conducted consumer surveys for several of the leading business magazines in the country. She is well acquainted with the consumer slant on merchandising and can talk your customers' language. In her writings Miss Mclnerney attempts to tell you how the customer looks at your store, its mer-chandising and personnel. To paraphrase Bobbie Burns, the author tries to help you see yourself as others see you. ft FIELD research worker last week found a family ± \ of five grouped around a dining room table read-ing and studying by the light of two candles. At length the father arose jovially and announced: "Come on, kids. Let's go for a little spin in the car." No electricity, but an automobile! This incongruity was explained thus: "If we paid the electric bill we wouldn't have money for gasoline." The case is an exaggeration, as well as a result of high-powered promotion on the part of the auto indus-try. "Own a car and be happy." Millions now would feel heartbroken without a car. Millions of housewives will, in a few years, feel heartbroken if their kitchens have not been modernized. Have you plugged in on the high voltage publicity for Kitchen Modernization fostered by the electrical appliance, floor covering people, home shows, news-papers, magazines? As we weigh the pros and cons of giving our kitchens a new outlook on life, these are the thoughts going through our minds. Perhaps they will help you to gather facts for selling us off the cons and on the pros. Why design model Kitchens of Tomorrow? Why not a Kitchen of Today? Many of us feel that some of the idealized settings we see of an immaculate, halcyon home workshop, without a scrap of food or sign of food preparation in sight—are too divine—but not for us. Home shows and magazines, department stores and furniture shops stage kitchen layouts that look like something right off a Hollywood set. But alas, so few of us have these hexagonal kitchens, with the great expanse of wall space, and the charming win-dows right where you want them. Can't something be done about our average kitchen? Or has the regular kitchen no future at all in the Modernization scheme? Might that broken up wall space, the square, prosaic corners, the one narrow window, the long floor space —might they have some of this kitchen magic, too? If you are planning a model kitchen setup in your store, make it real as well as inspirational. Remove the feeling We get when we see some of these glorified rooms of ''please do not touch," "for observation only," of a roped-off atmosphere. Every woman knows that a kitchen has to be used thoroughly, frequently. Glamour can be practical. Half of the women interviewed on the subject of electric refrigerators and ranges admitted that they were frankly under the impression that the operation cost of each was very high. All believed electric ranges to be still in that toy stage of development. They referred to the little electric plates of their experience. "I remember when I used to get up an hour earlier than usual, set on the water for the coffee so that it would be ready on time. It took an hour to bring a pot of water to the boiling point," was a typical cita-tion of the housewife's idea about modern electric ranges, based on early experience with the little plates. Tell us of the money saved in the long run with an automatic refrigerator. (Please turn to page 42) Model kitchen planned by Westinghouse Electric & Mig. Co. FINE FURNITURE FAMILIAR DESIGNS, INTERPRETED By F A M O U S DESIGNERS Hepplewhite •""PHE creating of good commercial furniture is more J_ than a haphazard gathering and assembling of fur-niture ideas. The Sketch Book was inaugurated to demonstrate methods employed by successful designers in developing good commercial designs. The fact that the furniture designer must rely upon sources outside of himself for inspiration does not con-note the opprobrium of copyist, but rather his ability to translate and adapt authentic motifs and details to a salable product. The lawyer has his reference library and the doctor his antecedent cases. Likewise the furniture designer must rely upon research in the performance of his pursuits. In developing the Hepplewhite secretary illustrated on the opposite page, Henry H. Koster received his inspiration for this month's Sketch Book from a lovely old dresser, sold recently by the American Art Asso-ciation and Anderson Galleries for the estate of Arthur E. Cole. The period or era of the piece might be placed in Baltimore or Philadelphia, late in the 18th century. Beginning with the foot Koster has built up a beau-tifully proportioned piece having dignified interest. The curve-out of the original foot has been modified considerably for commercial purposes. The inlaid stringings have been eliminated as well as the mar-quetry lining across the base and in their place a band of cross-grain satinwood has been used. An unusual feature on a piece of this type is the chamfered and fluted treatment of the corner which adds materially to the interest of the secretary. The original gooseneck pediment, sketched in the left-hand corner, incorporated most elaborate fretwork detail, exquisitely carved and wrought, but which would be prohibitive in a commercial line. Note the structural element carried out in the design of the "Davis" fret and compare this with the adaptation as employed on the secretary. In modifying and simpli-fying the elaborate original, Koster has maintained the general features. There are fewer jig-saw cuts, carving has been eliminated and the whole pediment is a trifle heavier in detail. In using mirrored doors a merchandising element has been incorporated, as Koster explains: "Women are in accord with mirrors in doors, and added to the beauty of reflections that all mirrors create, we are achieving the happy faculty of truly secreting what-ever we may choose to place behind the doors." Paneled doors or glass with wood frets would of course be less expensive. But the mirrors enhance the intrinsic merit of the piece and lift it out of an ex-tremely competitive price range. The piece made of crotch mahogany with satinwood banding and mahogany interior, would retail probably for about $160. AN ACCOLADE FOR A TRADITIONALIST'S MODERN Tr • ' • * ' - . . - . . -t^. HENRY H. KOSTE3 . . . a raconteur of note. '""PHE designing career of Henry 1 H. Koster began in the New York office of the \V. & J. Sloane Co. designing department in 1914, following graduation from an archi-tectural course at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, X. Y. Koster recalls that he began at the bottom of the draughtsman's ladder, his first job being that of filing drawings. From that inauspicious start he passed through the various stages of tracing-making, sketching draperies and floor plans, to being entrusted with the development of details and simple designs, finally being given more intricate and elaborate pieces and the title of designer. For twelve years Koster worked for Sloane's, with a two-year interim when he exchanged his smock for the blue blouse oi the U. S. N. Assigned to a sick bay as a hospital corps man Koster saw the world through a porthole, over sick men's chests. Back to Sloane's for seven years then Westward. Ho, to Johnson, Handley, Johnson Co. of Grand Rapids, where for the past nine and a half years he has created commercially successful merchan-dise and gained recognition from nationally known furniture author-ities. Although fundamentally a traditionalist, Koster's modern is deserving of an accolade for its consistently fine reception. He re-cently inaugurated his own design-ing service. Koster finds time to play a vio-lin, has a penchant for broiled lobster, and being a raconteur of no mean note was elected to serve as chaplain in his American Legion Post. He is a past president of the Grand Rapids Designers' Associa-tion.— EDITOR. f o r JUNE. 1936 23 " 4 r* " «/ fi • . ' < - . • • ... . t- ~~t • / . * JL I - f- r^. *s - 24 FINE FURNITURE "Fowl" advertising by Edwards. LI™™-! JOSEPH HORNE CO The r.niiOiiiKinJ^f Hods {TH*. jij ;v: 3.-} Httl • • ••* I • t h e Furniture Sale RETAILING TIPS S241 Choice of styles features Home ad. Fowl Advertising T 7"ALUES to Crow About" is the V slogan of the Edwards Furni-ture Co., Portland, Ore. The firm uses a mechanical rooster outdoor sign at prominent intersections to advertise the fact. The sign does everything but crow, but the rooster goes through the motions. The Edwards store has two of these mechanized signs in Portland and have 60 painted signs all over the city. The mechanism in the rooster signs cost $200 each. The roosters are in four parts — head, neck, body and tail. When the "critter" starts to crow, it lowers its head, opens its beak and lowers its tail realistically. According to Cy Hawver, adver-tising manager, the signs are re-painted every three months and the advertising message changed. Night illumination is provided by the six overhead floodlights. Portland is noted as a "fowl" town for furniture store advertising. Another firm uses an immense goose while another makes use of a peli-can with a wisp of down on its bill, their slogan being "A Little Down on a Big Bill." Factory in Window REMOVAL of the furniture build-ing and upholstering shop from the rear of the store into the front display window is the most success-ful scheme ever tried for building up this sort of business by the Garter Furniture Co., San Francisco. The success of the idea, explains Garter, is that it was not done as a stunt for a short while to feature a special upholstery job. On the con-trary the entire shop was removed from its former quarters and set up again in the window. All the build-ing and upholstering of custom job Chesterfields and overstuffed chairs is done in the display window. The men come to work in the window and work there all day. At almost any time of the day, Garter explains, there are several people standing in front of the win-dow watching the men at work. This causes passing people to stop and see for themselves the sort of workmanship and materials that go into the custom built furniture of the store. Cartoon Ads Click CARTOON characters appearing in newspaper advertising space of George Seeley's Furniture Co., Glendale, Calif., are vociferous salespeople for the appliance de-partment. In well-placed "balloons" they speak glowingly of their hap-piness since taking the road to George Seeley's and investing in a range or refrigerator. Used for some time to success-fully sell many small articles via national magazines and Sunday supplements, Seeley's is believed to be the first retailer of appliances in the country to have grasped the possibilities of humor advertising for sales-building of more expensive articles. The comic-strip idea is worked out in conjunction with the daily newspaper employed. The paper's cartoonist draws the char-acters which are featured in a space four columns by twelve inches. A four-and-three-quarter-inch-diam-eter circle in the center of the space features the location of the store which aids in building traffic. Comedy of the "joke" variety is not used. Instead, the "blurbs" are treated seriously while the char-acters are kept in cartoon style. The ads appear on the last page of the paper. Home was never like this, says Seeley's ads. f o r J U N E , 1936 25 Taste's Dividing Line '"PHE thin line between good taste J. and bad was deftly drawn in a Denver Dry Goods Co., Denver, Colo., advertisement promoting the store's interior decorating studio. A room was diagonally divided to show, on the right side, furnishings and appointments in good taste; on the left, everything in bad taste. The good side of the room re-flected quiet dignity, a restful, invit-ing atmosphere. The bad side was garish, nerve-wracking, with loud-figured wallpaper, big-flowered car-pet, ruffle-edged drapes and ornate fireplace. The text drew attention to the effect of a lamp too low, a table too high — little details, but the very kind that put a house "on the wrong side of the line." Theres a thin line . • . - . • • • * - • i )r i ' • *.TTJ-- D ;rv-,-'i "tF*n? ¥&»?*•—. •.,. r • - . ; The thin line of taste. The company makes no charge to customers for consulting their decorating staff. Instead, customers are urged to bring their decorating problems to the studio or, if more convenient, to call by telephone and a member of the interior decorating staff will visit the home. Sloganing Model Rooms BRIEF slogans attract attention to furniture displays at The Broadway, Los Angeles, and help present the idea of new furnishings in an attractive manner. These are always colorfully worked out, pre-sented where they will catch the eye and direct it toward displays. Examples: The rear of the de-partment was turned into a series of model rooms. Across the entrance ways to these rooms ran this slo-gan: "Let These 16 Constantly Changing Model Rooms Help You." This message was in white letters against a green background pan-eled across the top of the doors. It drew traffic to the model rooms as the slogan could be seen from any point on the furniture floor. Other brief messages that have attracted attention include: "New Ways to Make Any Home Impor-tant" and "Charming Rooms Need Not be Expensive." Various de-signs are used in presenting these messages but all are worked out on broad surfaces so that attention will be directed to merchandise undergoing promotion. This is found to attract more attention than merely making furni-ture displays, as the messages dram-atize a single idea that will appeal to shoppers. Puppets — Not Prices APUPPET show took the place of sale prices in the furniture department of Giddings, Inc., Col-orado Springs, Colo., during a re-cent anniversary event. The puppet show was one of the main parts of a store-wide enter-tainment program designed to draw traffic without resorting to price advertising. The plan worked. At-tendance and sales both far ex-ceeded expectations. Entertainment of some nature was offered on every floor except the first. Not a cut price was ad-vertised for the event. The traffic brought into the store by the various entertainment attractions was capitalized on by all depart-ments. After seeing the "show" in one department visitors were in-vited to make a tour of rest of the store. "We believe," explained merchan-dise manager H. D. Nichols, "that the time has come to try attracting people on something other than price appeal. If the idea is worth-while in general merchandising, it is also good in anniversary promo-tion. The anniversary sale idea is merely a matter of custom. It has no important need for existence. We proved to ourselves that entertain-ment will attract the crowds just the same as prices will." A Room Full of City of Paris Fine Furniture. Including Lamps. Rugs and Draperies. Complete for 147.70 A flat price for full room. Complete Room $147.70 T\ CHOICE in combinations of _f"i occasional pieces, rugs and drapes at a flat price of $147.70 proved an effective merchandising plan for Ray N. Andreasen, furni-ture buyer, City of Paris, San Fran-cisco. Buyers could choose from a variety of combinations in occa-sional tables, coffee trays, lamps, hand-hooked rugs and draperies at the same over all price for the entire suite. "Although we purchased mer-chandise in anticipation of carrying the sale over a month," stated Andreasen, "70% of the merchan-dise was sold the first week." Interesting is the fact that 40% of the customers drawn by the idea bought furniture in addition to the $147.70 that was offered in the plan. By suggestive selling an excellent business was done in home furnish-ing articles that were not even men-tioned in the single ad used to plug the sale. Cement Sells Chairs ANOVEL, albeit ancient, display that brought results was used by the Dickason-Goodman Furni-ture Co., Tulsa, Okla., in a recent promotion by placing six 100-pound sacks of cement in an upholstered chair. A mirror placed underneath the chair afforded a good view of the springs, which were exposed. The idea was to show the capacity of the springs to stand mistreatment furnished by the excess weight. The display sold four chairs the first day it was installed, a day before the advertising campaign began in the newspapers. 26 FINE FURNITURE Mahogany love-seat. No. 1272, 58" long, by The Schoonbeck Co., Grand Rapids. Displayed in Imperial Furniture Co. showrooms. Georgian, mahogany, leather-top coffee table. No. 1502, made by Fine Arts Furniture Co., Grand Rapids. Top 21"x42". f 1, i Chippendale coffee table. No. 2041, inset glass top, made by Imperial Furniture Co., Grand Rapids. Top 19" x 33". Char-lotte Chair Co. created the modern chair. No. 1958. Height 30", width 25". Displayed in Fine Arts Bldg. Nine Weak Spots BORROWING an idea from the automotive industry, Kahn's, Oakland, Calif., featured a ''check chart" of furnishings to show up the "nine weak spots in the home." These charts, used in advertising and as "blow-ups" in window dis-plays, listed the weak spots as fol-lows: (1) worn furniture; (2) lack of accessories; (3) old mattresses; (4) out-of-date silverware; (5) unattractive linen; (6) cluttered closets; (7) worn upholstery; (8) out-of-date radio; (9) worn rugs. Nine "remedies" were prescribed in ads and displays. These included two-piece pillow arm living room group at $69.75, a reflector lamp at $7.98, inner coil mattress at $19.75, all-linen luncheon set at $1.49, chest of silver at $52, storage closet at $1, upholstery covering at $1 and $1.98 in sturdy cottons; portable radio sets at $14.95 and 9x 12 rugs in Oriental patterns at $29.75. Stubs Get Prospects •PHE location of a stub deposit J_ box helped to insure visitors see-ing the entire show when Lachman Bros., San Francisco, held its elec-tric appliance exhibit. Prizes were awarded to those at-tending. Xo purchase or other obligation was involved. A young ladv at the door registered each Modern kneehole desk No. 40 top 38" x 22", by Bay View Furniture Co. Price $33.50. Displayed in American Furniture Mart. caller and filled in the blanks on their cards, insuring legibility and completeness. Data obtained cov-ered, besides name and address, information on whether visitors owned a radio, gas stove, electric washer, ironer, electric refrigerator. This numbered card, properly filled in, was handed to the visitors who were told to detach the num-bered stub and keep it, depositing Arm chair of Rockford Chair & Furniture Co., suite No. 1884, mahogany, walnut or aspen, 10 pieces $288.50, 8 pieces $194.50. Displayed in Waters-Klingman Bldg. the filled-in card in the box at the rear of the floor. In reaching this box it was necessary to pass through a long double row of special electric appliance demonstrations and dis-plays. Customers stopped, with the result that the show went over in a big way, both from immediate and future business. The filled-in stubs formed the basis of an excellent prospect list. Doubling Radios CUSTOMERS having a base- *—' ment recreation room are ex-cellent prospects for a second radio set. But the radio dealer's oppor-tunity doesn't stop there. Such a sale gives him an entree into the house and affords the opportunity of effecting a replacement sale on the owner's radio set in the living room. At least one dealer, the Mueller Furniture Co., Indianapolis, has been able to obtain considerable re-placement business as well as extra small set sales through this method. "Everyone knows that if a radio dealer can get into the home he has an excellent opportunity to sell the owner a new console radio," says I. U. Myer, manager of the radio department. "Such an entrance may be effected by doing service work or by arranging for the installation of a second radio in another part of the house. "Numerous home owners have asked us about the cost of installing a radio in their recreation rooms. We might have been satisfied with a $25 sale in these cases but our records show that we have turned such opportunities into sales run-ning from $150 and up." for JUNE, 1936 27 West Michigan Furniture Co. bedroom chair, suite No. 869. Genuine mahogany, 3 pieces $130. Displayed in Waters- KHngman Bldg. Simplifying Lamp Selection ANEW unit eliminating most of the difficulties of table and bedroom lamp display has increased sales 35% for John Taylor's Dry Goods Co., Kansas City. Mo. The display consists of two pyra-mids made of colored beaver board, built around each pillar in the de-partment. The base line is eight feet. At each end of each of three levels an 18-inch shelf projects at an angle of 120 degrees. This not only forms a good-looking back-ground with modernistic lines in keeping with the trend of lamp de-sign, but it provides, in 64 feet of floor space, adequate space for ap-proximately 75 lamps to be shown without crowding. The space between the shelves— 18 inches—is great enough that with careful placing the view of any one lamp is never obstructed by another. In order to distinguish further each individual lamp, so to show it at its best, 30 double outlets are in-stalled in each pyramid. This not only adds to the attractiveness of each lamp, but the resultant flood of light draws attention to the de-partment as a whole. The display is further valuable in that it makes possible the sorting of lamps according to design, period and use in a minimum amount of space. One side of a pyramid may be used exclusively for modernistic white lamps, another for metal bases, another for bedroom lamps, etc. This simplifies the selection problem for both customer and salesperson. Buried Ads Raise Washers AN unusual stunt to uncover . leads for electric washer sales was recently used by the Hoosier Furniture Co., Indianapolis, when it advertised a prize for the oldest washing machine of the make sold by the store still in everyday use. Later the idea was extended to all washers. These ads appeared in the "Lost and Found" column of a newspaper one night as an experiment and 17 answers rolled in the next morning. One man boasted of having an 1898 model. The idea was so sound that ads next were put in the classified want ad section under "Miscellaneous" with equally gratifying results. The stunt turned up plenty of prospects for new washer sales. Then a series of very small ads was used, one column by 25 or 30 lines, offering $50 award for the oldest electric washer still in use. T his was put under the birth sec-tion one day, under the death sec-tion the next day, then on the edi-torial page and so on. This was kept up for two months and out of this single idea hundreds of names were obtained. At the close of the contest prizes were awarded. Salesmen took the cash along with them, tried to sell a washer, and the winners were glad to turn the money back to the company for a new machine. "We always try to get names of prospects which we can turn over to salesmen to follow up," it was Night stand by Groenleer-Vance, Louis XV suite No. 880 in satinwood. explained, "and this is one of the best methods we have discovered for uncovering real prospects. It was not difficult to sell them, either." This is one good method of elim-inating the suspects and producing prospects who actually can be sold without much sales resistance. II Hostess cart No. 46, by Imperial Furni-ture Co., Grand Rapids. Top 18"x26". Crotch mahogany, satinwood border drop-leaf table. No. 709, by Dutch Wood-craft Shops, Zeeland, Mich. Top open 48" x 54", 26" x 54" closed, price $80. Exhibited in Waters-KIingman Bldg. Kneehole desk No. 2026, by Charles R. Sligh Co., Holland, Mich. Top 48" x 23", price $39. Displayed in Waters-KIingman Bldg. Chippendale chair No. 205, by Michigan Furniture Shops, Inc., 31" wide, price $51.90. 28 FINE FURNITURE LEATHER . . . ENTERS A RENAISSANCE "D ETAILERS are finding that it pays to inculcate X\. originality, freshness and new ideas in display and promotion of home furnishings. Many of them lately have reported splendid reception for pieces and suites that make effective and rather extensive use of leather. The eye-appeal of leather in its various modern manifestations has been proven over and over on the floors of the majority of aggressive stores and depart-ments whose executives keep abreast with the more important trends in modernly accepted designs. Buyers and floor salesmen alike are genuinely enthu-siastic because the happy introduction of leather of various appropriate grains and hues provides excellent extra talking points to customers. It lends a rich, luxurious softness to adjacent wood surfaces. Expansion • Leather is rapidly outstripping its heretofore narrow confines as a covering for uphol-stered pieces and is now becoming effective and highly saleable for use as tops for coffee, cocktail and occa-sional tables. Thus, new and novel uses for leather are rapidly being developed until now it has seriously invaded the case goods field as top surfacing for dressers, chests, vanities and on head and foot boards of beds. In some instances it is being employed as tops for sideboards, servers and dining tables. Merits • Besides the unchallenged beauty of the new leather treatments and its power of attracting the customer's immediate attention, its other merits appeal alike to store people and their customers. It is clean and sanitary, vermin proof and comfortable the year around. Modern leather, properly manufactured, will not stick, crock, crack or smell. Improvements in the processes of finishing and the introduction of modern machinery has made leather, comparatively speaking, one of the least expensive basic commodities available today. Due also to new processes in tanning and coloring, leather has taken on a new beauty, a new dignity and a new comfort in its adaptability to household as well as office furniture. Ancient • It is perhaps not generally known to the trade that the manufacture of leather is one of the oldest industries of mankind. In China, the conversion of hides into various uses was practiced thousands and thousands of years ago. In Egypt, leather has been found in mausoleums of ancient pharaohs who were experts in the art of tanning hides and they have depicted for us in elaborate hieroglyphics the various intricate steps in the process. Even mummies are good examples of their intimate knowledge of treatment and preservation of skin. The Persians and Babylonians made a leather celebrated in mythology, and passed their knowledge and skill to the Greeks and Romans who transmitted it down through the centuries to modern craftsmen. Modern • But as wise as were the ancients in the art of converting hides into clothing, receptacles and crude furniture, the art of tanning and treating leather for extensive and heretofore unimagined uses has de-veloped further in the past decade than in all those thousands of years. Of course, as in other industries, the introduction of new methods in leather manufac-turing was accomplished with the usual conflict of science with prejudice, ignorance and purblind con-servatism, but it has overcome these obstacles until now leather, heretofore rather costly, has been made readily available to the pocketbooks of the masses. This has been due to new and less expensive finishing processes, to the exercise of conservation and to the extensive utilization of by-products, all of which have saved the consuming public large sums. Colors • The artistic color effects produced in modern leather are amazing. Practically any color combination can be, and has been, produced to suit the taste of the purchaser. The sombre blacks and bilious browns of the Mission Era have given way to bright two-tone effects so popular in modern coverings. The dresser and bed, trimmed with leather, are made by the Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co., Hastings, Mich. The lower group is by the Baker Furniture Factories, Inc., Holland, Mich. Both displays in the Keeler Bldg. for JUNE. 1936 29 Directors room furnished by Stow-Davis Furniture Co., Grand Rapids. Leather used on mer-chandise displayed in this article made by Eagle-Ottawa Leather Co., Grand Haven, Mich. **"?>"-"*••'-•- I tf Sales • So it is by no means surprising that stores, fully conscious of the inherently sterling qualities of a material that actually improves with age, have wel-comed avidly the pristine new selling points that this oldest of materials makes available, and that they, as well as science and industry, are contributing consid-erable to a genuine renaissance of leather in furniture. Quality * While he may be excused for what is perhaps a natural prejudice, William Hatton, founder of the Eagle Ottawa Leather Co., Grand Haven, Mich., in his statement that there is "nothing like leather, never has been, and never will be/' a worthwhile word of advice to those who do buy and sell leather is con-tained in Mr. Hatton's sensible addenda to this slogan of his firm when he warns, " . . provided of course that it is good leather." The buyer or store owner, sold perhaps by the "flash" of a leather-trimmed suite, will do well to ex-amine the leather, and to recognize it as being good or inferior as quickly as he can spot a gumwood frame, a poor veneer job or a shoddy upholstery cover. Against dark as well as light wood backgrounds, for Modern as well as for Traditional pieces, leather is strikingly effective. Note the rich leather facings of the Early English oak chest at the right (Grand Rapids Bookcase <£ Cahir Co.) and the extensive use of white leather in the bedroom group by Virginia-Lincoln Corp., below. 30 FINE FURNITURE Grand Vtutdi/ Rapids saysi 1836 OKS TO ME LIKE Y IS GOING To THE BIGG&ST ON RECOR.P 6RANP RAPIP5 >/9 ^ HALPANE.TH'S IS THE FIRST plEC OF FURNITURE MAPE IN <2> r../*7i Grand Rapid: to a Record Breal June 2^ "It will be record breaking" is th consensus of the nation's leadin furniture manufacturers now preparin busily and confidently for the Jul Furniture Market in Grand Rapids. With America's furniture center a be« hive of activity—with Grand Rapid; greatest furniture plants soundly r< established and in vigorous operation-with many important new exhibitor —with every manufacturer showing th largest, most appealing new lines i years—with the May Market bringin three times as many buyers to Gran Rapids as in 1935 and seven times a many as in 1934 — with consume GRAND RAPIDS FURNITUR W** .c(r), *.-, m^ J vb 'i t •(? ^ \ . : • • • :.., f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 31 Wc& OF JL i«t )bu ooks Forward fig July Market * July 18 mand for quality furniture un-ecedented — expectations of the jgest, best and busiest Market of all ne are fully justified. ime to Grand Rapids to see the west, finest, most saleable furniture. >me to Grand Rapids for styles that irt the buying waves, for prices that en the pocketbooks of all income isses, for furniture that gives added estige and extra profits to your store id enduring pride of possession to iur customers. an now to be among the thousands ho will be richly rewarded by coming Grand Rapids June 29 to July 18. XPOSITION ASSOCIATION ^ feoof ^ *2>\. *iLjm &ffi222i2* Si ,.100 l « ' 32 FINE FURNITURE AN OUTSIDER GIVES THE INSIDE on the New Berkey & Gay Line By GYPSIE DYSERT BENNETT Gypsie Dysert Bennett is no furniture neophyte. FURNITURE folks have been variously curious, enthusiastic and skeptical since rumors started flying a year ago regarding the reopening of the Berkey & Gay Furniture Co. The May market turned these rumors into an actuality — and how! Berkey & Gay once more became an im-portant factor in the Grand Rapids market picture. In fact, from reports picked up around various markets it appeared that the revival of this concern — one of the oldest in the industry—was acting as a stimulant to the entire furniture business. In spite of the limited time the herculean job of building the line and preparing the showroom, the new display was open on schedule. The opening had all the glamor of a "first night" at the theatre. The usual dramatic critics were replaced by such homefurnishing style authorities as Margaret Dargan of House and Garden, Charlotte Eaton of American Home, Miss Devine of Good Housekeeping and Virginia Hamil of Woman's Home Companion. The presence of trade paper editors and newspaper reporters substantiated the claim that here was "news." Anticipation • From the time the opening date was announced telegrams began pouring in. Could they "come ahead of time?" Would the showroom "be open on Sunday?" Was the line "taken" in their territory? Hopeful and skeptical alike, they were all there for the opening. Speculation was rife. Many a buyer and manufacturer was concerned lest the new line might throw the market into a tailspin with sensational "Names make news." The name Berkey & Gay has been known in the furniture industry for over three-quarters of a century. When this famous concern introduced a new line, under new management, at the recent May market in Grand Rapids, FINE FURNITURE felt justified in reporting the affair. Ensuing events confirmed the opinion that the renewal oi the line would be a stimulus to the entire furniture industry. To free ourselves from the stigma of being biased we employed an "outsider" to "cover the story." . . Gypsie Dysert Bennett is no neophyte in the furniture business. She's sold merchandise and written ads, handled decorating jobs and lectured on homefurnishings. For the past few years she's devoted her time to writing for nationally-known women's magazines. We met Gypsie at the B. & G. showroom and asked her to record for us her impressions of the opening. She writes us: "Something very exciting and stimulating happened at the May market in Grand Rapids. Here are my impressions of this important renaissance."—Editor. values. Some thought they might go high-priced and high-hat. As a matter of fact, it seems to me that what they did do was play safe. A few of the buyers that I talked with felt that the prices were slightly above the market. Others that they were distinctly in line; that is, if you eliminated leaders and novelties. Price Range • Prices started at $69.50 for a three-piece butt walnut and gumwood bedroom suite and went up to more than $300 for eight pieces of an 18th Century solid mahogany dining room grouping. There were two or three suites in the lower brackets in both dining room and bedroom. Prices then took a double step-up and the "meat" of the line, to my humble way of thinking, came in price brackets that figured $195 to $350 at retail. One has learned to expect very little in the way of tangible furniture market surveys, but someone must have done a sane bit of research work before deciding A few of the buyers that attended the Berkey & Gay May exhibition. W. R. Repp (left), J. C. Thomas, Duff & Repp, Kansas City. Buyers from Marshall Field & Co., Chicago (left to right). C. W. Mercer, C. C. Holloway, Frank Gilbert, Mary ZIotow, John McKinlay, Jr., Ellen Scanlon, C. B. Ripley and Carl Henry. Order No. 1. H. G. Gamble, Capwell Co., Oakland, Calif.; (left) W. J. Wal-lace, president B. & G.; H. B. Lewis, Emporium, San Francisco. f o r J U N E , 1936 upon designs for the new line. There was no evidence pi experimentation, no lost motion in Regency, Neo-Classic, Directoire or Peruvian Renaissance, if you know what I mean. Dining Room • There was plenty of Chippendale in evidence, both the cabriole leg and the Chinese varieties on the dining room floor. One found saleable interpretations of Duncan Phyfe, Sheraton, Hepplewhite and Federal, English 17th Century walnut and oak, that have long been familiar groups in the Berkey & Gay line. The big "Tennyson" 18th Century group which will be featured in November House and Garden, has four side-boards, breakfront china, corner cupboards, silver chests and a splendid variety of interchangeable chairs. There is a "swell" volume price, 18th Century group in solid mahogany called the "Chesterfield." This open stock group idea is in keeping with the trend according to several buyers with whom I discussed this feature. Bedroom • The bedroom line is longer than the dining room set-up, which is to be expected. Not counting various finishes there are about 20 dining room patterns and possibly 35 bedroom styles including the New Whipple group. If I remember correctly Berkey & Gay have always had a Whipple group. The present version includes maple and mahogany. And speaking of maple, there was no attempt made to compete with promotional merchandise of this character. A clean, smartly tailored traditional early Amer-ican group, fairly priced, added balance to the bedroom line. There is one French bed upholstered in canary yellow velvet. It won't sell every day in the week in Keokuk, Iowa, but it is remarkable the number of suites in both lines that can be sold by small town dealers as well as metropolitan stores. Modern • There is modern in both lines, of course, but I didn't pay as much attention to this because I am much too critical of most commercial modern to permit my passing unbiased judgment. I do recall, however, giving mental applause to a beautifully planned modern bedroom group in white sycamore, crossbanded with narrawood, and to a maple creation in Pyrl finish resembling a silky-pearl gray harewood. Several buyers that I talked to had purchased the Parado, a straight line modern bedroom suite done in silvery blue "moonbeam" finish. It is highly decorated in Chinese note and would make a dramatic show window or model room display. Another interesting note is the naming of each group. A display card carries the historical reason for the name and affords an atmosphere of authenticity. One dealer suggested to me that it would be a nice feature to include this card in every suite in order that the ultimate customer might also become acquainted with his furniture's historical background. Advertising • 'I was interested in the national advertising program which commences with full pages in Time, Good Housekeeping, American Home and House and Garden, be-cause it is tied definitely with the dealer helps. One piece of direct mail, savoring of former Berkey & Gay publicity that sold so many housewives and husbands furniture's "proudest At the top of the page is the Clarendon suite, exemplifying Queen Anne motifs and done in walnut. . . The second illus-tration portrays the re-enactment of a familiar slogan, "It's Berkey & Gay." . . The vanity illustrated to the right is from the Gainsborough group, fashioned in Cuban swirl mahogany and aspen crotch. Prince of Wales plume and other motifs reflect 18th Century design. <*•*> 34 FINE FURNITURE coat-of-arms," was hot. Approximate!}' 130.000 pieces had been ordered by the middle of the market. Sound sense was shown in supporting consumer advertising with a complete manual of information for "the man on the floor." A news style service will be released regularly to the daily newspapers supplying the furniture industry a similar type of service to that employed by the automotive and women's apparel industries. There is also a complete newspaper matrix service available for dealers. Selling? • And was the line selling? By Tuesday noon it was reported that sufficient orders were already on the books providing more than four months' capac-ity production. Some stores bought heavily, planning to play the national advertising to its full extent. Others were more conservative, choosing to check cus-tomer reaction and the new concern's ability to fulfill orders. It was interesting to watch the various dealer re-action, whether they bought heavily, moderately or not at all. For it is only natural that buyers have made new connections since 1931, and now it is up to the new Berkey & Gay to prove itself. Reaction • I was interested in securing reaction from other Grand Rapids manufacturers and from all I could gather none of them were suffering as a result of the Berkey 8c Gay reopening. As a matter of fact one manufacturer told me that he had taken more orders the first day than he did throughout the entire May, 1935, market. Another executive in a competi-tive line said: "We are tickled to death to have them In order to enable store customers who buy Berkey & Gay furniture to finance their purchases over a 12 to 18 month period, Frank D. McKay, chairman of the board for Berkey & Gay, recently has announced com-pletion of plans for the organization of the Berkey & Gay Acceptance Corp., with himself as president. The interest rate on such consumer purchases would be approximately 6%, in line with the rate now charged by leading automobile finance companies. Comment-ing upon the need for such a subsidiary organization, Mr. McKay said: "So far as I know this is the first time effort has been made to market furniture on the same kind of time payment plan and with the same interest rate prevailing in the automobile industry. These acceptances will be triple signed paper—by the purchaser, the dealer and the acceptance corporation —which will make them highly eligible for rediscount and a possible average turnover of as much as 12 times a year." back again. They have always been a stabilizing influ-ence in our market." Another philosophied, "Berkey & Gay has not only brought buyers and business to their own showrooms. We have all profited. All the fine things they make and the character of their advertising will reflect to the good of the market." Watch July! • My impression is that Frank McKay and his associates have kept their heads above water, their feet on the ground, and I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts you'll see the biggest July market ever held in Grand Rapids. And it's my nose-for-news guess that Berkey & Gay will loom large in the spotlight. Drama of Contrast TWO adjoining rooms, dramatized as from a bird's-eye view, by appliqueing carpet squares on the backdrop and arranging miniature cardboard cut-outs of furniture in room fashion, is the basis for this unusual window (below) featured by B. Altman & Co., Xew York City. Fresh new carpeting for one room and worn, threadbare carpet-ing for the adjacent room give point to the caption "Consider the Room Bevond." •ifci .a. f o i JUNE, 1936 35 *m WIFE WEAVES A CAREER IN WOOL «,•*••••• AWIFE may materi-ally aid in shaping a man's career, but sel-dom does she furnish the direct motivation for her husband's future busi-ness. However, in the case of Stanislav J. V'Soske, directing genius of the V'Soske Shops, this is exactly what occurred, through the simple expedient of making a hooked rug. \ v • , • . i I . ' i .1 . !• s. j . vsosic:: • • - . . . his wife mad? a hooked "• r u g . . i i \ " - • R i . - l 1 . • . , i < - .• . I .. • • . • , I I - . . , • - - . . • • • • , . . : i , , - . - i • I h ; i . . • \ v < i < i \ • • : , • ' , • . \ \ • ' • • • • - ' . i I • • • • ' • - i . h ' u ' .! • \ . \ . • v .s i i . . . . ' • • • i \ . . - \ •. •! \ . . . . ' . - • • • • . • . ! • i . . . • I • ! . \ i - •.' I • , i k , , : ' . ,'. n 1 - " 1 .• ' . 1 , . . \ . . . . . • trial art professions. Then Mrs. V'Soske made her hooked rug. This rug was no more crude nor garish than the aver-age rug produced by the amateur rug maker, who was dependent upon ready-made patterns and commer-cially dyed yarn. But the result challenged V'Soske's artistic nature. The Problem • Was it not possible to accomplish a more pleasing result by combining artistry with proper materials? Here was the real problem. Correct mate-rials were not available. Therefore it was necessary for V'Soske to master the art of dyeing in order to produce his own colored yarns. After many months Almost half a ton of wool went into the 1165 square feat contained m the rug .shown at the top oi the page destined for a Long Island homo. At the left is illustrated a V'Soske rug m a New York apartment decorated by Cirel, Inc. Above is the master's bedroom in the Richard Mandel home. New York, decoiated by Don-ald Doskoy. Thi>< type of rug is known as a tough textured shaggy. 36 FINE FURNITUHE of experimentation, he began to achieve results, slowly, and with painstaking effort small rugs were produced. The young rug-maker be-gan to receive encouragement in the form of orders from friends to re-produce some of his original patterns. The demand increased and it be-came necessary to establish a small shop. Then production began in earnest. Interior decorators were approached with the idea of employ-ing specially designed patterns for particular settings. Before long im-portant commissions were being re-ceived in the tiny factory. Growth • As production increased new problems arose. Commercial dyeing methods and dye stuffs were not adaptable to the manufacture of the character of rugs established by V'Soske. Much research work was required and special equipment had to be developed before efficient pro-duction could be maintained. This element of combined artistic genius and mechanical inventiveness has been an important factor in the progress of the company. Reputation • During the last ten years, which covers the time V'Soske has been manufacturing rugs, he has achieved the reputation of be-ing the creator of some of the out-standing hand-tufted rugs in Amer-ica. His new and unusual technique has resulted in a development of a variety of different textures. Some of these include incised or hand-carved patterns in which the design appears in bold relief like a sculp-tured plaque. There is practically no limit to the variety of size, de-sign, shape or color of rug that can be produced in V'Soske's new mod-ern plant. Some of V'Soske's com-missions have included the duplica-tion of texture and design of Moroccan, Spanish, French and Irish weaves. Versatility • The new textures are results of the development of orig-inal interpretations created by V'Soske in compliance with contem-porary style trends. However, many of his modern creations are adapt-able to traditional settings as well as the contemporary decorative schemes for which they were orig-inally developed. Service • V'Soske's ability to make deliveries within four or six weeks while his Oriental and European competitors required from four to six months for similar types of rugs, contributed to the success of the company during the past few de-pressing years. The company now has branches in Chicago, where Miss E. Virginia Kemper is in charge; New York City, with Nelson S. Fink as manager and San Fran-cisco which is operated by Maurice Stuart. Linoleum Waxing Service "DECAUSE of the importance of i—) getting every linoleum installa-tion off to a good start, Breuner's, Oakland, Calif., feature a profes-sional type of waxing service of its own. The service also stresses the real economy of proper main-tenance. The work is done by the store's linoleum layers after an installation. The store advertises it consistently in connection with complete kitchen installations. If the circumstances are such that the additional 25 cents a yard wax-ing service charge will add too much to the cost, the service is not pushed when the order is taken. However, the firm doesn't fail to impress on the new owner that keeping a pro-tective film of wax is one of the most dependable methods of insur-ing long usefulness and beauty for the floor. A Psycho-Rug Selling WHEN C. T. Ford, manager of the rug department of the Rich Department Store, Evansville, Ind., runs through a rug pile for a woman customer, he hesitates on rugs of the same predominating colors as those she is wearing. Almost without exception, Ford says, she takes a deeper than usual breath, a signal that he has found the rug she likes. However, he con-tinues through the pile. Then he offers to take any rug out of the pile and show it indi-vidually. Invariably, he declares, he has found that the rug he had thought the customer would be most interested in is the one she asks to see. When the rug is on the floor, Ford starts a "parade" around and across it. The customer usually follows, thus feeling the thickness of the pile. JWtf* To the left is a self-toned, tubular, V'Soske pat-tern, effective in modern or traditional setting. Above is a 12 foot 8 inch diameter circular rug in rose-white. 7 ' f f . M c r 1 1 1 ••(•••'' a;,-. f o r J U N E . 1936 37 Controlled Illumination for Rug Room RUG sales of Del-Teet Furniture Co., Denver, Colo., have been increased since the company estab-lished "controlled illumination" for the department. Charles W. De-laney, president, personally planned the changes. Customer satisfaction with rugs when delivered and in-spected in homes has been markedly increased. Only feasible place for a large rug department in the Del-Teet building is a room 22 x SO feet, on three sides of which formerly were windows. Windows in the 50-foot side were large, in the two opposing 22-foot sides smaller but the combined effect was of exceptional daylight illumination. Delaney is an amateur artist of considerable ability and with an in-genious mind and artistic eye, he expertly adapted the rug depart-ment to expert salesmanship. The ceiling and walls were cov-ered with a composition material, in which attractive patterns were worked out at an expense of about #175. Dealing with the windows, he completely filled in the large ones on the 50-foot side, creating Moor-ish arches which he filled with wall-board painted a light green. Upper sections of the windows in the 22- foot sides were made into smaller Moorish arches. He executed a leaded-glass effect with lower sections of the side win-dows. On cardboard he patterned figures in a typical leaded-glass de-sign, placed this beneath the glass (two feet square in each case) and transferred it, then painted it with black paint. He executed an amber background for these windows, so streaking it to achieve the effect of stained glass. On each window he painted blue shields with a tomato red bar and a purple outline. The daylight now entering the room is given a strong amber tint, lighting far more favorable for rug-selling than pure natural light. There are three 150-watt ceiling units for use as needed. Since making the improvements in the rug room Delaney says there has been a marked falling off in the number of requests for rug exchanges. A group of Goodall-Sanford mohair fabrics. 38 FINE FURNITURE COLONIAL'S MUSEUM MASTERPIECES Bring Authentic Americana to the Trade EXCLUSIVE right to reproduce furniture from the collection of museum pieces in the Edison In-stitute at Dearborn, Mich., has been accorded the Colonial Manu-facturing Co., Zealand, Mich., by Henry Ford. Showing for the first time at the May market, Colonial made the most of these reproduc-tions of unusual late Seventeenth Century pieces, and the new line has caused considerable favorable comment. Only Colonial's designers are privileged to measure and sketch these masterpieces for commercial reproduction. They have worked with meticulous care to incorporate every detail of the fine old mahog-any antiques and to bring them to life in pieces that the present gen-eration can buy and enjoy with the full knowledge of their back-ground in history. Each piece in this collection made for resale by Colonial bears a bronze plate with this legend: This piece reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Henry Ford. Original on display at Edison Institute, Dearborn, Mick. COLONIAL MANUFACTURING CO.. Zeelaud, Mich. There are 12 pieces in this line, consisting of a Simon Willard clock, Longfellow desk, Pembroke tables, chairs, settees and benches. All are of mahogany. Americana • There is perhaps no finer collection of Early American furniture craftsmanship, outside the Metropolitan Museum in New York, than the exten-sive collection housed in the Edison Institute in Dear-born. The museum is a memorial to the work of Thomas Edison. It is only a part of Mr. Ford's great Simon Willard clock (left) and two Federal Amer-ican pieces (above). One is a window seat with casters, the other a Phyfe chair, from the Ford col-lection in Dearborn, Mich., and being re-created in mahogany by Colonial Mfg. Co. educational undertaking, which includes Greenfield Village, a typical American village of a century ago. Over 4000 pieces of furniture are contained in the Ford collection of Americana. Included are splendid and unusual examples of the work of Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite and, in unusual abundance, some of the best of Early American designers' art — William Savery, Benjamin Randolph, Thomas God-dard. To this collection Mr. Ford recently added more than 200 examples of Duncan Phyfe's work. Phyfe • Each piece in the.Phyfe collection at the Institute reveals certain typical forms in structural design or ornamental detail irrefutably associated with this Early American artisan. Colonial is reproducing these practical pieces in reasonable price brackets. Writing cabinet, Pembroke and Chippendale tables, three other distinctive pieces reproduced by Colonial Mfg. Co. from museum pieces in the Edison Institute. f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 39 By MURRAY C. FRENCH FIND YOUR "TURNING POINT" 'T'HE puzzled furniture dealer pulled his ear in 1 thought. "What disgusts me," he sighed, "is that I never know beforehand whether or not I am making a profit. I find out after it is all over—when it is too late to do anything about it." Let's see if we can help him out. After a furniture store has become a "going con-cern," its proprietor can estimate very closely what his expenses will be for the next few months. He knows what the rent will be. He knows that the payroll, the lights and the incidentals will run along pretty evenly as they have in the past. He knows about what his volume will be, too. Suppose, for example, this furniture man finds his expenses are likely to be $3600 next month. "How much volume," he may ask himself, "must I do to pay those expenses?" The answer depends on how much his gross margin will be. And suppose that past experience tells him it will probably be 45% of his sales, after depreciation, of course. We'll use even numbers for easy figuring. To find the monthly sales volume necessary to "break even," he divides 45% into $3600. The answer is $8000 as shown in Chart A. Turning Point • Therefore $8000 becomes his "turning point," at which losses stop and profits begin. If he sells less than $8000 he can hardly avoid showing a loss. But if h esells more than $8000 then practically all of the gross margin on the volume in excess of $8000 becomes net profit. Why? Because expenses have a habit of becoming "fixed," as we have all discovered lately. They are governed not so much by the daily or monthly sales as by the "set-up" of the store, by decisions and pol-icies which are effective over long periods of time. Of course in the long run a growing volume brings on increased expenses. Even in our month to month selling, expenses increase or decrease as volume in-creases or decreases. But the point is this: The change in expenses is much slower than the change in volume. This is shown graphically in Chart B. Here we see that if his volume drops to $7500, his expenses will fall very little, possibly not more than $50 to $100. Conversely, if he raises his sales to $8500 instead of $8000, his expenses may not increase more than $50. Of course the expense variations quoted here do not pretend to be exact, but the principle they illustrate is true as gospel. What is this "turning point?" Just another name for that mysterious term, "balanced budget," the spot where income balances outgo, where losses stop and profits begin. So What? • In this particular case, if our merchant decides he probably cannot do $800 next month, he knows right now that he must cut his expenses below $3600 or else suffer a loss that month. Knowing beforehand, that's the whole purpose of budgeting. A monthly volume of $8000 means a daily volume of about $320. Presto! There is his daily goal, some-thing definite to look forward to. If one day goes under then another day must go over. He will see also that if he can speed things up so his $8000 "turning point" is reached by the 23rd of the month, then almost the entire gross margin on the sales for the rest of the month will be net profit. The expenses have already been paid by the sales earlier in the month. Nothing very mysterious about that is there? But getting back to expenses, advertising is one ex-pense which is not fixed, but varies more or less with the volume, for if increased advertising does not result in increased volume, then there is certainly something wrong with the advertising. Let's carry this idea further. Suppose this furniture man spends "normally" 8% of his sales for advertising. On an $8000 volume this would amount to $640. If, however, he can through an increase in adver-tising produce volume beyond that $8000 mark, he is quite justified in spending to get that extra volume an amount far in excess of his normal 8%—provided this #4500 MONTHLY VOLUME $6500 $7000 $7500 $8000 |8500 |9000 19500 13600 EHO 13000 S3 12700 m L033 en. seg. ^ ^ \ \ \ ^ P R O FIT -C TURNING POINT CHART A How much monthly volume (on 45% gross margin) will "break even" on $3600 monthly expenses? .45 ) 3600 ( 8000 360 Answer, $8000 00 Almost the entire gross margin on vol-ume above $8000 a month becomes net profit. Why? See Chart B. CHART B As volume goes up or down, expenses go up or down also, but at a slower rate. With $3600 monthly expenses (and $3600 margin) $8000 becomes the "turn-ing point," the volume at which losses stop and profits begin. With less vol-ume expenses decrease only slightly; with more volume they increase very little. 40 FINE FURNITURE additional business can be done with little or no other added expense. For instance, suppose our mer-chant has a proposition put up to him whereby he will spend an ad-ditional $100 for advertising on a promotion which should bring in an extra $500 volume. In itself the cost of advertising is 20%—which sounds prohibitive. But wait! The gross margin on that $500 (at 45%) is $225, which leaves a nice profit, and net profit too, over the additional $100 adver-tising expense. There is an idea well worth much thought. But let no one carry it to extremes, for advertising too has its "turning point," beyond which ad-ditional expenditures do not justify themselves. Remember, too. this volume be-yond the "turning point" must be done at a paying margin. Volume, in itself, never produced a penny of profit. No matter how the figures may be juggled, all profit has its origin in just one place, the actual margin between the cost and the selling price. Go back to Chart A. Suppose our merchant's margin is 40% in-stead of 45%. He then must do $9000 to break even (.40 into $3600 equals $9000). If his margin is 36% his turning point volume is $10,000 (.36 into $3600 equals $10,000). The moral is plain. SENATOR . . . BE SEATED "FURNITURE men are more than ± a little interested in the steady rise to fame of Arthur H. Vanden-beg, junior senator from Michigan and native of Grand Rapids. The senator, even back in the days when he was a mere publisher, has been an enthusiastic booster for the in-dustry. Special pages in the Grand Rap-ids Herald, of which Vandenberg was publisher for nearly a quarter of a century, were devoted to activities of the semi-annual exposi-tions and copies of the paper were distributed to the visiting salesmen and exhibitors in the hotels and exposition buildings. Appointed to the senate in the spring of 1928 by the then Gov. Fred W. Green, himself a furniture manufacturer, Vandenberg was elec-ted to the position in the fall of that year and soon was engaged in the bitter Smoot-Hawley tariff bill fight. Although a comparative new-comer to the senate he took an exceedingly active part in the tariff debates. Especially was he in the thick of the furniture rate struggle and it was largely due to his insistence that the manufacturers were able to obtain a higher tariff. In the course of the debates he gained nation-wide publicity for demand-ing a tariff on antiques made across the Atlantic. Alert newspapermen quickly dramatized the event by bringing into play the phrase "worm-hole tariff." The senator also played outstand-ing roles in the passage of the re-apportionment bill, the federal deposit insurance measure, the St. Lawrence waterway proposal, which met defeat in the senate; the halting of additional funds for the Florida Rush Hewitt Upholstery Co., Grand Rapids, made its debut at the May market with a dis-play in the Fine Arts Bldg. E. Rush Hewitt, general man-ager, spent many years with Weiner Co., Spencer-Duffy Co. and Zangerle & Peterson Co. Among the several chairs de-veloped is one (illustrated) called after Michigan's junior senator, the Vandenberg chair. The first model was presented to the senator and in place of the mohair fabric as shown. Eagle-Ottawa Leather Co. sup-plied a red top-grain hide for the covering. A dealer pro-motional program has been planned for the merchandising of the chair. The number will sell for about $80. ship canal and the Passamaquoddy power project in Maine, and the resolution for the names of benefi-ciaries of AAA payments of more than $10,000. Vandenberg went to the senate well acquainted with senate pro-cedure, largely because of his long friendship with the late William Alden Smith who had been repre-sentative and senator for 25 years. The neophyte refused to sit idly by while his older colleagues dis-cussed the important topics of the day, insisting on taking part in the debates. He is a thorough student, never making a speech on the senate floor unless he is certain of all his facts. His talks are inclined to be long and completely cover every point he desires to make. He has a dis-like of being interrupted while talk-ing, but is more than willing to answer questions when his speech is concluded. Incidentally, he is rated as one of the best speakers in the senate. Born in Grand Rapids in 1884, Vandenberg was forced to go to work at the age of 9 when the panic ARTHUR H. VANDENBERG . . . Fought for the "worm-hole" tariff. of 1893 ruined his father's business. Despite his outside work the youth was graduated from high school at the age of 16 and then entered the University of Michigan to study law. After a year, however, he was forced to return home and shortly afterward obtained a job on the Herald, beginning the same night that another cub, Frank Knox, now publisher of the Chicago Daily News, got his start. Through his editorials and his authorship of three books in which Alexander Hamilton was the "hero" he obtained considerable attention throughout the nation. f o r J U N E , 1936 41 FURNITURE-SALESMEN'S-CLUB of the GRAND RAPIDS FURNITURE EXPOSITION CHARLES R. SLIGH. JR., President JACK COOPER, 1st Vice-President ART WINDSOR, 2nd Vice-President CHARLES F. CAMPBELL, Secretary-Treasurer SALESMEN'S CLUB SPONSORS UNIQUE FURNITURE FESTIVAL ^"CELEBRATING the 100th v ' anniversay of the founding of the furniture industry in Grand Rapids, market officials of that cen-ter will conduct a unique Furniture Festival during the Midsummer Exposition. Founder • Just a century ago, "Deacon" Haldane, a cabinet-maker, came to Grand Rapids to ply his craft to seek his fortune in the fashioning of fine furniture. He was industrious, enterprising and progressive. Within ten years after he had made and sold his first cabi-net piece he joined with William T. Powers, another pioneer, in making furniture by water-power machinery. And so these two became the "father" and founders of the furni-ture industry in Grand Rapids. Civic Appreciation • The Furni-ture Festival will be a demonstra-tion of Grand Rapids peoples' interest in the industry which, by holding fast to the high ideals set by Haldane and other sturdy pio-neering craftsmen, has given the city national and world-wide fame. It is intended to express forcefully and dramatically the appreciation of Grand Rapids people of the fur-niture industry and what it has done for the city. History Repeated • Climaxing the Festival will be an outdoor pageant in which 1000 to 1500 persons will take part. It will be a pictorial re-view in pantomime with voice show-ing the origin and development of furniture from its earliest and crudest stages to the present. It will carry through the outstanding periods of furniture history, demon-strating the application of the arts to furniture in Greece, Rome, dur-ing the Renaissance and up to the eighteenth century. It will intro- A. P. JOHNSON comments on the fitness of the Furniture Festival: " . . . What more appropriate than to celebrate our One Hun-dredth Birthday? Let us celebrate it by displaying to the world the intelligence required to be a cre-ative furniture center. In that in-telligence is involved everything that enters the known arts, pure and applied; all that enters the history of our civilization; all that enters the world's economics and all that becomes a part of man's greatest institution, which is his home." duce also the great English masters, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, the Adam brothers and others, to close the first episode of the pageant. The second episode will be a graphic and faithful visualization of the history of furniture in Grand Rapids, beginning with 100 years ago when Haldane first made furni-ture here and sold it to his neighbors. This episode will picture early Grand Rapids, with its color-ful Indian population and visitors, the coming of Louis Campau and the pioneers •—• farmers, craftsmen and business men—who gave Grand Rapids its forward impulse, with emphasis always on those who founded and developed the furni-ture industry. Briefly it will picture progress from the individual work-ing with simple tools on a chair or a bed, to the introduction first of water power, then of steam, and the gradual evolution of machinery to the most intricate and delicate con-trivances employed in the most modern factory. Labors of the artist designer will be presented in picture form and every effort and device enlisted in the making of the finest furniture will be demonstrated. S. M. GOLDBERG . . . our Eastern Ambassador Goldberg Joins Fine Furniture JOINING the staff of FINE FUR-J NITURE this month as its Eastern representative, S. M. Goldberg is well known to the furniture and ad-vertising fields. Got his early train-ing, he reminisces, in the "mauve decade" in his native city, Detroit. Later migrated to Chicago, then St. Louis and Kansas City. Became con-vinced that Horace Greeley's famous saying may have been fine as a generality but was somewhat lack-ing as a specific bread-winner in advertising, so high-balled back to the East, where he has repre-sented many leading and successful magazines since 1914. Among his early publications was Retail Furni-ture Selling, so that he is by no means a stranger in the furniture game. We present Goldberg with full confidence in his ability to make new fine friends for FINE FURNI-TURE. 42 FINE FURNITURE for VOLUME Sales and VOLUME Profits feature fast-moving LUXURY CHAIRS This popular English lounge chair is genuine leather (Eagle-Ottawa Moorish Grain) in combination with fabric-covered down-filled pillow back and cushion $46.00 Imitation leather combination 33.50 OUTSTANDING LUXURY FEATURES: • HARDWOOD FRAMES • POSTURE SEATING • HAIR FILLING • FULL WEB SEAT AND e OUTSIDES BURLAPPED BACK Short LraePRODUCTION . . the Secret of Greater Values By concentrating on volume produc-tion of a short line covering 90% of all chair requirements, we are able to offer you and your customers the biggest value in lounging chairs. ALL PRICED FOR RAPID VOLUME TURNOVER ON YOUR FLOORS. Visit our DISPLAY THIRD FLOOR KEELER Building LUXURY FURNITURE CO. E. F. Rohde GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. W. H. Bowkamp CUSTOMERS1 VIEWPOINT (Continued from Page 21) What about the cooking speed of the electric ranges? The operation cost.' You might remind us how ex-tremely clean an electric range is, thus cutting down cleaning time. Is the heat even: When interviewed on the subject 87% of the women were puzzled about how to use an electric range. They consider it a complicated, strange mechanism, some-thing just a few steps removed from the engineer's hands and the experimental electrical factory. I'd encourage visiting customers to try out the various electrical appliances you have on sale in your store. There's nothing like creating an immediate feel-ing of familiarity and friendliness towards the article. Having a professional cooking school demonstrator show how the appliances are used only serves to pro-long the atmosphere of unreality—of an audience and a stage. "Learning bv doing" in the educational world can be translated into "selling by using" in the retail world. We have too many expert demonstrators man-ipulating exquisite appliances beautifully, and not enough everyday customers trying out the articles themselves. "Come in and try out our Model Kitchen and its dozen labor saving devices" is a campaign you could put on right away. I think you'd find many of us taking secret delight in turning the switches and push-ing the buttons of the smart eauipment that heretofore has remained somewhat aloof from us. Have the Model Kitchen in action—the refrigerator, dish-washer, mixer, heater, etc., going. Serve us some ice tea in which float crystal cubes direct from the refrigerator. Wash the glasses in the dish-washer. Put reality into the picture. Are the appliances shock-proof and danger-proof? I think more publicity should be given the laboratory's seal of approval. Educate us about this seal. Point out the deficiencies which its absence denote. Women are shopping scientifically these days. They are curious to know every little fact and figure about the merchandise they buy. The materials, the work-manship, the design are all of interest to us. What about these monitor tops? What do they mean in per-formance? What is the difference in wearing quality of a porcelain and an enamel finish? W'hat improve-ments have been made in the last five or eight years? Many of us have an older model refrigerator with which we may not have had so much luck. Tell us why the newer models are superior. What are the advantages of porcelain? What is the significance of a serving tray of bakelite? What do you mean by de-frosting? Is it a necessary evil? Are all parts chip-rust- tarnish-proof ? Every modernized kitchen is a youth-saver. Not "saving steps" so much but more definitely "saving youth." It was discovered that 90 to 95 % of the kitchens existing today were obsolete from the stand-point of either equipment or of arrangement, in a survey made by Westinghouse under the direction of Irving W. Clark. It takes from 200 to 320 steps to prepare a meal in an average, old-fashioned kitchen. But the scientifically planned kitchen cuts the job to 50 or 60 steps. The metamorphosis of the kitchen has made a sec-ond sitting room of the home. Kitchens of our dreams-come- down-to-earth are cool, clear, clean, quiet. Next month I'll tell you what women told me they want in the Ideal Kitchen. f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 43 D E H O R N I N G ...by Get Shafer "LAZIEST HUMORIST IN THE WORLD" Assisted by woodcutter ROD MACKENZIE Three Rivers, Mich., May 15 — (Special dispatch to FINE FURNI-TURE)— A few weeks ago I had a communication from Rod Macken-zie, Editor of FINE FURNITURE, ask-ing me to go to work on another blasting dispatch for FINE FURNI-TURE. Said Mackenzie: "Better get down and see Roody Culver of Roody Culver's Furniture Bazaar & Em-balming Emporium." This editorial request came on a bad day—and found me suffering from an aggravated attack of spring PIP. Ordinarily, I might have seen a little sense to going down and see-ing Roody, but with the PIP, I cal-culated the distance down there so I decided instead to write a dispatch for FINE FURNITURE about "De-horning Cows." Warning to Buyers • In this piece I pointed out that I had been told by some farmers in close touch with the situation that almost any-body could go through the country these days and pick up a nice living dehorning cows. But I said I didn't want to go into that profession, largely because I would always be thinking of how the cow looked when she was a little calf at her mother's side, before she developed into robust womanhood. Tripping Shafer • Right away, Editor Mackenzie, the relentless, came back and said the piece about dehorning cows was a DUD—and that he didn't know so much as a whit about dehorning cows and he didn't think anybody who might read FINE FURNITURE would, either —and to compose another dispatch with something in it besides advice about dehorning cows. So there you are. Instead of letting the repre-sentatives of the furniture industry in on a sound finding that you have made yourself—and suggesting that they stick to their knitting instead of being lured out into the country-side with a pair of nippers to de-horn cows — Editor Mackenzie ruins it. And all because he, himself, is ignorant. Milking Technique • Editor Mackenzie never watched a cow be-ing dehorned. He never studied de-horning in all its lights and shades. He freely admits that he always supposed all cows had horns, and why not? His only interest in cows has been to get enough whipped cream on his banana layer-cake. I have to take what these editors like Mackenzie shell out. They can call me the Laziest Humorist in the World and get away with it. It is true. And just because it is true, I'm not going down and interview Roody Culver. It's too far down there. Cows' Horn Hatrack • Further-more, I think some furniture manu-facturer would be doing a good turn for himself if he would revive the old cows'-horns hatrack! That hatrack had a couple of cows' horns jutting out from a back-ground of red plush and you could stand off at a safe distance and give your diver a throw and it would hook on a horn every time. Nothing was ever more attractive in the way of Fine Furniture than one of those hatracks—and nothing was ever any more practical. I would be among the first to patronize any firm that would turn its attention to the crying need in this field. And if the same firm would then start in to turn out some handsome hand-painted sewer-tile umbrella-holders to set in under the cows'- horn hatrack — that would mean that they'd have something worth-while to display at the coming exhi-bition. That's what I was trying to get at in the other dispatch to FINE FURNITURE that Editor Mackenzie quashed simply because of his ignorance. You could give your diver a throw and hook a horn every time. SHAFER . . . "I might get down there next month—if it happens to be on my way some place else." Bovinely Bullheaded • But if that's the way he wants to conduct his magazine—that's the way it'll be conducted, I suppose. He'll just have to go on being a bullhead and not giving his readers the advantage of wide experience—and a bright sug-gestion. So—let him go. That's my decision. Nevertheless, I'm not going down to Roody Culver's Furniture Bazaar & Embalming Emporium this month. I might get down there next month—if it happens to be on my way some place else. And if Editor Mackenzie insists on denying his readers what is good for them—like good sound advice on not entering the profession of dehorning cows —• it's his readers who'll suffer, not me, because I'm not going out and dehorn any cows for pelf. Not any more than I'm going down to Roody's. yrs (sgd) CHET SHAFER, who never was so very hot walking on stilts made out of two old bed slats. 44 FINE FURNITURE No. 25IA No. 251 The MOST COMPLETE O c c a s i o n a l C h a i r L i n e in the GRAND RAPIDS MARKET Convince yourself of the salability of Grand Ledge Chairs by visiting this space in the Waters-Klingman Building during the July market. Our great selection includes Colonial, Period and Modern, priced so that you can make a profit. We also solicit other manufacturers' chair business on contract. GRAND LEDGE CHAIR CO. I Grand Ledge * Michigan Jp i No. 220 No. 220A We appreciate mentioning you saw this in FINE FURNITURE f o r J U N E , 1 9 3 6 45 Summer Market, June 29 —July 18 G. R. Varnish Corp. Expands A plant expansion program, the estimated cost of which will be $1,000,000, was an-nounced recently by Wallace E. Brown, president of the Grand Rapids Varnish Corp. The announcement, made on Brown's 66th birthday anniversary, called for immediate plans for the expenditure of $630,000 for construction of additions to the present plant at Steele Ave. and Stevens St., the site where the first unit of the factory was erected in 1926. New equipment for the plant will cost at least #250,000. The present Godfrey Ave. plant is being taken over by the Grand Rapids Paint & Enamel Co., a subsidiary, and manufacturers of shelf paint products. It is reported that a line of wallpaper will also be included. Construction on the first of the new units will be completed around the first of June. This unit will be used for the immediate manufacture of a new type of baking enamel for automobiles, refrigerators, metal fixtures and metal furniture. This product will be known to the trade as Permaglo. ''This most ambitious expansion program was prompted in a large measure by the decision of the General Motors Corp. to locate a £7,000,000 plant in Grand Rapids," said Brown. ''The fact that General Motors showed such confidence in our community gave us added confidence in starting our own expansion program." After this first new unit is completed a new lacquer plant will be built at an approx-imate cost of $92,500. The company was founded 21 years ago by Wallace E. Brown, who is its present president. Frederick A. Brown is vice-pres-ident and Edward P. North is secretary. Sales by the company last year totaled $l,666_,000 and based on sales thus far in 1936 it is predicted that a $2,000,000 vol-ume will be achieved. Kamman Acquires Virginia Plant Kamman Furniture, Inc. of Philadelphia and New York, have recently acquired con-trolling interest in the K. Nicholson Furni-ture Co., Chase City, Va. The modern oak bedroom line in the new vogue and knee-hole desks will be manufactured in the Chase City plant. Daniel L. Kamman and I. B. Kamman are the founders of Kamman Furniture, Inc. The Virginia plant will be under the management of Jule I. Kamman, a brother, and graduate electrical engineer of the Uni-versity of Toronto. Kamman was formerly general manager of the Auto-Lite Electric Co. of Fostoria, Ohio. "'Under the new management," said Dan-iel L.^ Kamman, "our production will be materially stepped up. Increasing demand for our new vogue oak modern bedroom line makes increased volume necessary." Hekman Adds Storage The Hekman Furniture Co. has rented a factory building in the southwest section of the city for storage purposes. The building is one story and 90 x 110 feet. WALLACE E. BROWN . . . expands with pride. Introduces New "200 Series" West Michigan Furniture Co. has intro-duced at its new Waters-Klingman Bldg. space, a new 200 Series of 27 open stock Chinese Chippendale pieces with fretted rails, chair-splat bed panels, pagoda top mirrors, channeled pilasters and bracket feet. Priced in medium brackets, this series was originated, according to "Charlie" Kirchen and Vance Mapes, West Michigan execu-tives, to meet specifically the requirements of price and design outlined by a majority of dealers with whom they have conferred even before it saw the drawing boards of the factory's designers. In the 200 Series are 27 pieces including seven beds, three dressers, three dressing tables, three chests, four vanities, three mirrors and one each of low-boys, chairs, benches and tables. The certified label of the Mahogany Association, Inc., has been affixed to every piece in this series, affirming that it is of genuine mahogany. Meloy & Gerling Show in G. R. The Meloy Mfg. Co. and the Gerling Furniture Mfg. Co. of Shelbyville, Ind., were new exhibitors at the Grand Rapids May market. Both concerns have space in the Fine Arts Bldg. The Meloy Co. displayed dinette suites in maple and walnut while the Gerling firm showed bedroom and dining room suites. Presents New Stove Line Renown Stove Co., Owosso, Mich., re-cently issued a 36-page catalogue featuring its 1936 line of stoves. The new book does not include information on the new Radiant Oil circulator as this item will be shown in a separate catalogue to be issued prior to the July market. K. D. Hutchinson is in charge of the company space in the Ameri-can Furniture Mart. Luce Line Broadened Buyers who visited the Luce Furniture Corp. showrooms a day or so before the May market, discovered that Martin J. Dregge and his designers had accomplished much in broadening the Luce certified line since this 57-year-old Grand Rapids factory made its premier reopening showing in Jan-uary, under local management. The bed-room line which was heavily modern in January was broadened with a number of outstanding 18th Century groups, the din-ing room line was amplified and an entire new table line of 175 pieces was launched. These tables in the estimate of buyers proved a worthy successor to the famous Furniture Shops division of Luce table lines of the past which were nationally advertised. The table line ran the occasional line gamut, drop leafs, drums, coffee, lamp and end tables, stools, seats, book shelves and cases, commodes, some from period sources, others original modern designs. Mahogany, walnut and a range of exotic veneers were employed. "Mart" Dregge knows just where he is headed in shooting for volume busi-ness with numbers that his dealers can feature for promotions. Buyers exhibited interest in a big open stock group of Georgian mahogany dining furniture. The series includes numerous tables, buffets, chinas and chair styles from which a dealer can let a customer build her own set-up to fit her means, room size and taste. This series offers promotional possi-bilities. The group is soundly styled along traditional lines with plenty of intriguing decorative touches. In the bedroom gallery a carved Chippen-dale with a roll top bed, a Hepplewhite light swirl mahogany, and an American Georgian with a pediment headboard, cre-ated considerable interest. Modern was amplified with some arresting effects in bleached woods and rare veneers. Luce continues its policy of certifying the design and workmanship of every piece of furniture with a tag over the facsimile signature of Dregge as president of the corp-oration. The Luce Grand Rapids Certified Furniture trademark in green also goes on every piece. At the May market Luce announced a program of national magazine advertising to begin in the fall. Luce sales force includes: Earl B. Chubb, New York, Philadelphia and Washington; F. S. Reynolds, New England; E. S. Brower, East Central West, Detroit, Cleveland, Pitts-burgh and Cincinnati; John L. Greene, Middle West; John Pylman, Michigan; Phil Raiguel, South; Wisconsin Furniture Co., Pacific Coast. 4B FINE FURNITURE Golf Event for Detroiters The annual golf tournament of the Furni-ture Club of Detroit will be held at the Franklin Hills Golf Club June 16. Club officials anticipate a record turnout of about 400 furniture men. Profits of the day's event will be devoted entirely to the club's charitable program for under-privileged children. H. BARKER L. GRABOWSKY . . . Detroit club execs. Assisting in the planning of the tourna-ment this year are: H. B. Barker, club president; Louis Grabowsky, secretary; Harold Sepull, general chairman o
- Date Created:
- 1936-06-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 1:2