The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1903-Feb 1904)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. A SMALL SUSPENDED LIST. The fact that out of nearly 5,500 Dealers in Edison goods we find it necessary to place only j thirty-four on the Suspended List is a record of which we are proud. Even thirty-four is a high number, for we know that several of the firms on this List are no longer in the Phonograph business. The smallness of the number shows that there is little price cutting in Edison goods. It is most gratifying to us to find the trade living up to our Agreement System with such unanimity. This is doubtless because Jobbers and Dealers have found from experience that it is much more profitable and more satisfactory to sell Phonographs and Records at a uniform price than to endeavor to increase their business by selling at less than the established prices. PRICE CUTTERS WILL SUFFER SOONER OR LATER. Occasionally we get a letter from an impatient Dealer, informing us that his competitor is cutting prices, and demanding that some immediate action be taken to stop it. He cites instances of customers leaving his place after learning that he will not sell at less than the established prices and later returning with the statement that they had bought goods at his rival's store at a discount. Too frequently the only evidence that a Dealer has is the statement of the customer made under such circumstances, and it would, of course, be impossible to take action upon such testimony. Even, however, where a Dealer goes to further trouble and has someone buy goods at his competitor's store at a cut price, it is difficult to stop it at once. It takes time to lay the information before the Jobber who is selling to the price cutter, in order that he may refuse to sell him any further goods. This frequently must be done in the case of several Jobbers through whom a Dealer may buy. Those who keep faith with the company, however, may depend upon it that sooner or later price cutters will be summarily dealt with. Their supply of goods will be cut off, and if they are individuals whom it would pay to bring suit against, we shall bring action against them. We, therefore, ask the complaining Dealer to continue to send us his evidence and be patient. but last month the matter was re-considered so far as to agree to publish advertisements of goods or articles allied to the Phonograph trade, such as horns, cabinets, handbooks, etc. In consequence of this re-consideration, we accepted an order from Ilsen & Company, of Cincinnati, to advertise their Handbook of the Phonograph. This will explain why the advertisement appeared in the June issue. The rate of $10 per page or $5 a half page has been fixed upon for this advertising, no advertisement for less than a half page being accepted. We are not soliciting advertising, but if firms selling goods to the Phonograph trade desire to use the columns of the Monthly to reach Jobbers and Dealers they may do so at these rates. AGREEMENTS TO BE SIGNED WITH EVERY JOBBER. Jobbers frequently complain that Dealers think they can buy Edison goods through any Jobber on our list so long as they signed an Agreement through any one Jobber. This understanding is wrong. In order to deal with any Jobber, a Dealer must sign an Agreement through him, and if he is buying through half a dozen Jobbers, he must sign as many different Agreements. A Jobber who does not have an Agreement of this kind has no knowledge that a Dealer has signed at all. It is not enough that the Dealer claims that he has signed or that he even shows a duplicate of the Agreement he has signed. He must sign with every Jobber through whom he desires to buy. i Kellar, the magician, recently bought an Edijson Phonograph from one of our New York /City Jobbers. This is the way that the Jobber put the question : "If Kellar is the king of amusement makers and the Phonograph amuses Kellar, is not the Phonograph greater than the king?" ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THE MONTHLY. Since the first issue of the Phonograph Monthly, we have had inquiries as to whether we would run in its columns the advertisements of other goods. At first it was thought better to do no advertising except for this company, RECORD SHIPMENTS. We are glad to be able to report that we are gradually catching up on the shipments of the monthly Records. Those for May were completed on June 20th and the June list^will be in the hands of the trade before July 10th. If we continue to make the same gain we shall be caught up by September. We had hoped to do better than this, anticipating a decrease in orders with the approach of summer, but the volume of business shows so little change from that of midwinter that it has not been possible to do so.