We all know that the sax-happy 1920s saw an explosion of the saxophones in the public consciousness, and by extension saxophone sales peaked as well. But then the Great Depression came along, and sales of everything slumped.
Innovative horns like the Conn-O-Sax and Saxello became victims of the Great Depression. Their production was halted and never resumed once the economy picked up again.
I found this interesting ad in the August 12, 1936 edition of the Rochester Journal, which shows how one music company, Wurlitzer, tried to generate interest in their studio.
So I wonder how many free saxophones Wurlitzer gave away? Enrollment was limited to 100 students, so they must have provided at most 100 horns.
After 10 free lessons some lucky winner(s) was going to get to keep his/her saxophone(s). What happened to the rest of the kids?
I guess at least some of them likely pressured their parents to buy them the saxophone to the tune of $150—which at today’s dollars is $2,497.20, according to the Inflation Calculator from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics. That would be a whole lot of money for a family in the midst of recovering from the world’s worst economic crisis! 😯
Interesting tactic Wurlitzer employed. Given the economy today, I wonder if the same idea has been tried again?
