The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1906)

The Talking Machine World Vol. 2. No. I. PITTSBURQIANS SATISFIED With the Talking IVlachine Business for the Past Year — Notable Feature of the Trade Was the Demand for High Grade Outfits — Columbia Co. Lease New Quarters — The Outlook for the Year Satisfactory. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 10, 1906. The January round of tbe dealers in talking machine goods throughout Pittsburg showed that the holiday business had come up to and exceeded all expectations. There were none to kick. All reported the best business in the history of the trade. Another interesting fact stands out. An analysis of the machines sold shows that there were more high grade outfits sold and a correspondingly smaller number of the cheaper grades. In many instances persons who had purchased machines formerly exchanged these out-of-date instruments for new and improved ones. Many holiday purchasers were from that class of men who could write their checks for six figures if they cared to. There could be no more gratifying single fact than this to start the new year. With such an experience behind them, the manufacturers can go ahead on lines which are no longer experimental, and there is no doubt but that the machines which will be put on the market during the coming year will be of a constantly advancing grade. In talking over this phase of the business with the president of one of the largest manufacturing concerns during his recent visit to Pittsburg, he said: "I believe that during the coming year there will be no machine in our catalogue which will sell for less than $20." This is as it should be. The bane of the talking machine business is and has been the cheap machines which have been put out in the past. T^ese were badly adjusted, poorly constructed mechanically, and their reproduction was at all times bad. Manager McMurtry of the Columbia Co. has just closed a lease for the six-story building at 636 Penn avenue, and has already a force of carpenters at work fitting the same up for occupancy by the different departments of the company. The building will be known as the Columbia Phonograph Building. It is a modern fireproof structure with a handsome terra cotta front and will he of itself a constant advertisement for the business of the company. It is hoped to occupy the building by the first of February. Messrs. Powers & Henry of the Talking Machine Co. have enlarged the capacity of their store by adding a room on the second floor, directly overhead, and connecting the same with their ground floor by a handsome stairway. The windows of their store during the holiday season were perhaps the most tastefully decorated of any talking machine store in the city. The basic colors used were white and gold, and the effect was very striking indeed. The talking machine department of the music store of the S. Hamilton Co., which was opened just before the holidays, had a very prosperous month. Their display of Edison, Victor and Columbia goods was a good one, properly arranged and admirably handled. Merrill L. Bardwell, formerly of the Powers store in Buifalo. has returned to Pittsburg and entered the employ of the Columbia Phonograph Co., in charge of floor sales. Michael Bard, of the firm of Bard Bros., of Wheeling, spent a few days in Pittsburg early in WANTED Capable man to take charge of our talking; machine repair department. We are jobbers of both Edison Phonographs and Victor Talking Machines. Nobody but a competent man and a rustler need apply. Address Dept. D, J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC COHPANY, Kansas City, Ho. New York, January 15, 1905. January. Bard Bros, have been exceptionally successful in their new venture in Wheeling, and the senior partner looks forward to winning still greater laurels in the future. Their success only shows what can be accomplished when there is specialization in the direction of selling talking machines. In course of an illustrated article the Pittsburg Post says some complimentary things of the enterprise of the Theo. F. Bentel Co., and adds: "They carry at all times about 100,000 cylinder records and 50,000 disc, ranging in price from 35 cents up to the grand opera records at |5 each. They supply over 750 dealers in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, from the wholesale department. In the retail department Uiachines and records are sent all over the world, including South America. "Over 2,300 active retail customers buy from the firm weekly, and they dispose of about 50,000 Edison records every month. Among their customers are numbered many Pittsburg millionaires. The institution is the largest purchaser of Edison records in the country. "The Theo. F. Bentel Co. is capitalized at $100,000, all paid in, and is oflicered as follows: Theo. F. Bentel, president and treasurer; W. J. Tipper, vice-president, and Edwin E. Natcher, secretary. "The firm believes in judicious newspaper advertising, and, like John Wanamaker, lays aside 2 per cent, of its income for this purpose. This was the result of a long correspondence had with Mr. Wanamaker on the subject by Mr. Bentel. When first starting into business Mr. Bentel took up the question of advertising with Mr. Wanamaker, and suggestions were passed back and forth and finally a decision was reached as to the percentage of income to be used for advertising." BYRON Q. HARLAN AS SANTA CLAUS. The Well Known Singer Helps Elks to Bring Christmas Cheer to Needy Children. The Orange (N. J.) Lodge of Elks fittingly exemplified that "charity" is of the fundamental principle of the Order on last Christmas day, when 350 needly children were made happy. Mr. Harlan was the inspiration of the entertainment and chairman of the committee that undertook the affair. Santa Claus was personated by Mr. Harlan, who amused the boys and girls by his actions and funny songs. In addition to the Christmas tree there was a big turkey dinner, and also an entertainment of Edison's moving pictures and music. Expressions of pleasure were on the faces of all present, and the poor mothers with infants in their arms and the little ragged children who received shoes, stockings, sweaters, mittens and underwear were too happy to believe it true. Perhaps none really got more pleasure out of it than did Mr. Harlan. He said his mother suggested the idea to him when he was out West last summer. He thoroughly believes "a good deed well done" is always a pleasure. LYON & HEALY'S NEW DEPARTMENT. (Special to the Talking Machine World.) Chicago, 111., Jan. 12, 1906. Lyon & Healy have opened another department to their already large and growing business. In the last four weeks they have sold over thirty complete outfits for the study of French. German and Spanish. L. L. Lewis, B.A., who is in charge of this department, has had considerable experience with these courses. He is an honor graduate of Queens University. He prepared himself for a trip to Cuba and Mexico in less than a year, taking spare time outside business hours with one of these outfits. The International Correspondence Schools of Scranton are the authors and ^editors of these courses, Price Ten Cents SUBSTITUTES FOR OPERA CHORUS. The Gentlemen Who Deal Out Humor for the Daily Papers Utilize the Talking Machine in This Connection Most Effectively. The strike of the chorus at the Metropolitan Opera House during the past few weeks has been the subject of much jocular comment in the New York papers, and all sorts of suggestions for substitutes were made to Director Conried by the cartoonists. For Instance, the clever artist of the New York Times conjured up the following idea of a talking machine chorus to take the place of the missing artists: The idea might have been acted upon were it not for the fact that Herr Conried compromised and paid the twenty-five dollars per week demanded by the strikers. The cartoonist of The World some days later worked up a somewhat similar idea in another form, which is worthy of reproduction, as it shows what a place the talking machine has won in the minds of leading cartoonists as well as literary men. It is very probable that had, not Herr Conried acceded to the demands of the chorus some such substitute as talking machines would have been welcome. Indeed, the experiment would he highly interesting, apart from the humor of it. VICTOR CO. CHANGES PLAN. The Victor Talking Machine Co. have changed their plan of sending out sample records to dealers and distributers. Hereafter the regular monthly records cannot be sold to the consumer or retailer until the 28th of the month preceding the date of the supplement. In other words, the February records cannot be placed on the market at the regular retail or wholesale prices until January 28. Nevertheless the samples of same are forwarded to the distributer on the first of the preceding month. Same can be shown to the dealer, but not sold. GOLD MIINBS! The properly conducted store, properly advertised, is really a gold mine. Keep your men busy — let me write your advertising. Write me to-day. R. E. QRANDFIELD, Fall River, Mass.