The talking machine world (July-Dec 1924)

10 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD December 15, 1924 (Registered in the U. S. Patent Office) PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc. President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 383 Madison Ave., N. Y. ; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane, 383 Madison Ave., N. Y.J Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 383 Madison Ave., N. Y. ; Sec'y, E. L. Bill; Ass't Sec'yi L. E. Bowers; Ass't Treasurer, Wm. A. Low. J. B. SPILLANE, Editor RAY BILL, B. B. WILSON, BRAID WHITE, Associate Editors C. R. TIGHE, Assistant Editor LEE ROBINSON, Business Manager F. G. SANDBLOM, Circulation Manager Trade Representatives: V. D. Walsh, E. B. Munch, Robert C. Anderson, Jr., V. E. Moyxahan, Edward Lyman Bill, A. J. Nicklin Western Division: Republic Building, 209 So. State Street, Chicago, 111. Telephone, Wabash 5242. Leonard P. Canty Boston: John H. Wilson, 324 Washington Street London, Eng., Office: 2 Gresham Building, Basinghall St. W. Lionel Sturdy, Mgr. The Talking Machine World has regular correspondents located in all of the principal cities throughout America. Published the 15th of every month at 383 Madison Ave., New York. SUBSCRIPTION (including postage): United States, Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.00; all other countries, $4.00. Single copies, 25 cents. ADVERTISEMENTS: $6.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $172.00. REMITTANCES should be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., by check or Post Office Money Order. Eif NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS — Advertising copy should reach this office before the first of each month. By following this rule clients will greatly facilitate work at the publication headquarters. Long Distance Telephones — Numbers 2642-3-4-5-6-7-8 Vanderbilt Cable Address: "Elbill," New York NEW YORK, DECEMBER 15, 1924 Trade Confidence for 1925 Based on Facts TALK to some members of the trade regarding 1924 business and the answer will be anything but enthusiastic. Talk to others and they seem to feel that, taking the year as a whole and mixing the good and the bad for a general average, results for the twelve months will not prove so thoroughly disappointing. So much for the year just closing, which will soon be a matter of history. Regarding 1925, however, there seems to be absolutely no lack of confidence on the part of the talking machine trade. Manufacturers, distributors and a very substantial number of dealers are convinced that with fundamental business conditions as they are throughout the country, with the assurance of an unchanging national administration for the coming four years and the improvement in the industrial situation so evident, this trade itself cannot help but realize upon the opportunities that will come and register a business year at least normal and, very probably, better than normal. These expressions of confidence are encouraging for they come from men who are not only expressing opinions but are backing up those opinions by action in the making of plans for production and selling campaigns of magnitude. There have been, and probably will develop, various conditions that will have a temporary effect on the trade just as conditions show up in other lines of business, but the talking machine industry is built upon too sound a foundation and has too much to offer to the public to suffer from any extended period of depression unless the country itself, or rather the business thereof, is in a chaotic state. In the casting up of accounts for 1924 the results are apparently quite satisfactory in a great number of cases. There are some who will find that the volume is not so large as that of last year, but thai situation will be met even in years of greatest prosperity and here, too, it is possible only to judge from a general average. In heralding a substantial year for the talking machine tradein 1925 members of the industry have not closed their eyes to the newly developed market of radio, but have taken that newest industry, so closely allied with the music trade, into their calculations. This is significant in that, though opinions vary as to the effect of radio on the talking machine business itself, there is ap parent a general feeling that the two industries are in a great sense distinctive, even though in their appeal to the music lover the)' have much in common. Making prophecies is naturally a dangerous thing, but with the business conditions of the country as they exist to-day there is little reason to question the views of those who hold that the industry has much to look forward to in 1925. Helped to Improve Merchandising Methods THE fact is becoming increasingly evident that insofar as merchandising methods are concerned, the talking machine industry has done much for the benefit of radio, both its manufacturers and its dealers, through bringing about the adoption of merchandising methods that are sound and built for permanence. It was not so many months ago that the chief factor in radio distribution was the "gyp" dealer, the individual with little or no ideas of values or of good business practice, whose code was to cut prices on articles of recognized merit and get all he could for those accessories of which the public knew little or nothing. As a matter of fact the situation was such that many members of the music trade directly interested in the progress of radio hesitated about handling it, in view of the necessity of facing this "gyp" competition. The situation, however, has changed rapidly and to-day, although the "gyp" and the irresponsible dealer are still with us, they are in the minority and are rapidly being eliminated. Radio manufacturers, through contact with the music trade, have come to realize that in confining their distribution to legitimate merchants of recognized standing and proved business ability, they are making for the confidence of the public and the permanence of their market. Instead of placing their lines in the hands of those who have no respect for public confidence or name values, the manufacturers, at least a very large proportion of them, are selecting their dealers and placing agencies only with those who they feel will sell their products on a basis consistent with good business and the development of name value for the future. It may be overstepping the line to say that music merchants are entirety responsible for bringing about this change, but there is no questioning the fact they have been a powerful influence in bettering conditions. Building Record Sales on the "Group" Plan SINCE the talking machine trade came into existence there have . been among those who handle records, two types of dealers — the "one record" man and the other fellow who had vision enough to see the possibilities in capitalizing the customer's musical taste and selling him several records of the same general character for his library. For the customer who favors the standard ballads or concert songs there were to be found many more of the same type in the catalog for his consideration, and the same held good whether his musical taste ran to violin solos, orchestral selections, or church music. Manufacturers and those interested in the merchandising of records have for years emphasized the possibilities of selling the customer a half dozen selections of the same general character when he came in to buy one, and those dealers who followed the advice found that the plan worked. In fact, the idea of satisfying the customer's musical needs and taste on the quantity basis is responsible for the recent development of grouping Victor records in album sets, which represent an organized movement to sell records on a group basis which should prove of inestimable value to dealers generally who take proper cognizance of their opportunities. It is a significant fact that the individual who might hesitate about having a dozen or so records of the same type demonstrated for him and then sec the prices of the separate records added up mi the sales slip until they made an imposing total, will not Feel tliL same hesitancy about accepting a dozen or so records of the type he likes already collected for him, and $10, $15 or $20 in a lump' sum for a big and valuable package is not nearly so large as when that same amount is made up from a number of small items. So much from the selling angle. From the angle of music itself the talking machine owner is enabled under the new plan to put into his library groups of records of a character that he favors selected for him by those