In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, the conventional wisdom was that radio would kill consumer demand for the piano. But starting in 1933, sales of the instruments began a steady climb, and reached an all-time high in 1940. In the first half of that year, over 100,000 pianos were sold. This time, the pundits gave the credit to radio, by stimulating music appreciation.

But one key factor in the piano boom was undoubtedly old-fashioned salesmanship. And this photo from Life Magazine, August 12, 1940, shows a good salesman in action. Radio brought music appreciation to the farm, and the Jenkins Music Company of Kansas City, Mo., decided to take advantage of the situation. The company had branches in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and decided to cater to rural customers. About twice a week, the company would load up a truck with several pianos and a salesman and start cruising rural areas. It would find a likely farmhouse, and invite the farmer’s daughter out to the truck to see the pianos.

Here, we see sixteen-year-old Ann Williams in the truck. She already knows how to play the instrument a bit, so the salesman just stands back and lets the piano sell itself. The salesman then asks for permission to move the piano into the house “to see how it looks.” In the salesman’s experience, once the piano is moved into the parlour, it’s rarely taken out.

Ann goes out to the field and asks, “Daddy, can we buy a piano?” The salesman reassures him that he just wants to leave it there for a while, with no obligation.

Shortly thereafter, the $255 piano is in the house, and the mother has signed the contract and made the down payment.

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