The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 13 CONCERTED PLAN^OF CAMPAIGN Is Necessary by Advertisers Who Desire to Win Out in Business. One of the greatest mistakes that the small advertiser is guilty of is in not laying out a concerted plan of campaign. By the small advertiser we mean not only the man with a small business, but also the man with a comparatively large volume of trade who is afraid to spend much money in advertising for fear of cutting down his profits, and yet at the same time, seeing other men succeeding through their advertising, feels that there must be something in it. The men who make advertising successes have the same qualities that make for success in other directions. They lay out a plan and they stick to it until success has come, or until they are convinced that they are proceeding on wrong principles. Haphazard advertising rarely succeeds in producing results for the reason that the invaluable cumulative force of advertising has no chance to make itself felt. Concentration and a certain one "ideaness" is necessary to get anything one goes after. Plan your campaign before you spend any money. If you haven't the necessary knowledge get somebody who has. It's less expensive. BUSINESS GROWING BETTER In Washington and Leading Jobbers and Dealers Are Pleased with Past Month's Record — Commercial Machine Growing in Popularity With the Government Officials — Other News. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Washington, D. €., Feb. 5, 1908. The talking machine trade during the past month has been good. The Columbia Phonograph Co. report excellent business, with frequent sales of machines and records. Manager Grove has been kept particularly busy with Washington affairs. Vice-president Cromelin spent quite a while here during January looking after the copyright situation in Congress and visiting many Congressmen on this committee. Just what will be the outcome of these conferences remains to be seen. E. J. Whitson reports a great improvement in the talking machine trade, with a good sale of all the new records. The talking machine department of E. F. Droop & Sons Co. has increased its trade considerably. Manager Grouse expressed himself as highly pleased with the past month's record and said the outlook for the present month is equally as encouraging. This firm will soon begin their afternoon concerts, the programs of which will be of exceeding interest. The commercial talking machine is increasing in popularity and is finding its way into additional offices of the National Government as well as in lawyers' offices and for court records. These have been found a time saver as well as a money saver. A new use to which the talking machine has been put is in the dancing school. Several of the local teachers use these machines while giving instructions and find them very convenient. They The J ^^p^^*^** ForTRIlMPH and HOME Machines Can be attached in five minutes. No drilling-. Returns in less than one second. Noiseless, speedy and sure. Write for prices and circulars. ACME REPEATER COMPANY, INDIANAPOLIS, IND. are found particularly convenient in giving private lessons in a studio. The. sale of talking machines at the firm of John F. Ellis & Co., has only been fair during the past month, but there has been a good sale of the latest records. Sanders & Stayman have done a good business in its talking machine department recently, in both the sale of records and instruments. The department store of S. Kann & Sons Co. have disposed of their entire stock of talking machine goods and given up this line. The sale of the small Columbia discs at ten cents each has become quite large. These are carried by many of the toy stores and have therefore become a plaything for children. GERMANY'S^REAT TRADE In Talking Machines and Records the Subject of a Lecture at Frankfort — Some Figures Regarding Output. At the convention of the German Association for Mechanics and Optics, held recently in Frankfort, a lecture was delivered on the history of the talking machine from its earliest stage, in 1887. The lecturer said that last year one international talking machine company alone produced 15,000,000 plates and 200,000 instruments, aggregating 65,000,000 marks (the mark is 23.8 cents) in value. Adding the output of the other smaller workers manufacturing these articles in Germany, the total value of the production in 1906 would amount to 80,000,000 marks. This branch of industry employs about 15,000 people. The demands made on the capacity are sometimes heavy and pressing; thus, in one single week 10,000 plates representing popular airs of one new operetta were turned out and delivered. The artists whose rendition of the songs are thus mechanically fixed receive high compensation. HOW TETRAZZINI FACED THE CAMERA. An interesting story comes from England regarding the first time the famous Mme. Tetrazzini faced a talking machine recently for the purpose of making a record. The event was chronicled as follows: Mme. Tetrazzini was distinctly nervous. The novelty of having to sing into the bell mouth of a huge trumpet instead of to an audience handicapped her considerably. Still her splendid E flat in alt in the "Ah! fors e lui" came out with all her accustomed ease and purity, veritably making the rafters ring. "All singers are nervous the first time they make records," said a representative of the firm afterwards. "The slightest slip would be faithfully reproduced, and either necessitate another record or go down to posterity to the detriment of the artiste. But they soon get used to it, and I think the Tetrazzini records are going to be a great success." TOSI MUSIC CO.'S ENTERPRISE. The Tosi Music Co., 279 Hanover street, Boston, Mass., handle an extensive line of talking machines and musical instruments, making a specialty of Italian records, there being an active demand from their patrons for popular Italian and Neapolitan songs. They also sell a great number of grand opera records. The firm have recently favored their patrons and friends with a handsome calendar bearing halftone portraits of all the leading operatic stars whose records have become famous. THE BIRMINGHAM PHONOGRAPH CO. The Birmingham Phonograph Co., Birmingham, Ala., who started their business at 2106 First avenue early in the fall, have had great success with the Columbia line, which they handle exclusively. The many employes of the furnaces, railroads and mills in that locality present an excellent field for the talker. Frank Phillips, a merchant of Aitkin, Minn., has taken larger quarters and will put in a line of musical instruments including violins, mandolins, guitars, and smaller instruments. Caught with the Goods Do you ever catch your jobber with the goods? Or do you generally catch him napping — and have to wait until he wakes up and fills your order? "Jtist out of this or that" don't go with us. It''s our business to have what dealers want and to give it to them promptly when they want it. All shipments made the very same day the orders are received — that's promptness for you ; and it's an iron-clad rule that is always lived up to in this establishment. It's easier and better and more businesslike for us to keep an eye on our stock and always have it in ship-shape, than to let it run down and then have to hustle around and make frantic efforts to get something when some dealer orders it. And not always be able to get it at that. It's better for us to be on the safe side, and it puts you on the safe side, too. You can be positively sure that no matter what you want in Victors and Victor Records, record cabinets, fiber cases, English needles, trumpet horns or other accessories, you can get it without delays of any kind. That means a lot to you and to vour customers, and it would be wise to write today for our latest catalogue, so that you'll have it when you need it. The Victor Distributing and Export Company 255 Broadway, New Yorl<