Cylinder Lists: Columbia Brown Wax, Columbia XP, Columbia 20th Century, and Indestructible (2000)

44 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD July 15, 1924 How Progressive Methods of the Jones of money for them to take on a line of radio at this time. I try to tear down this objection by Store Co. Have Built Large Business business, and find that nine out of ten of them _ .. . , know very little or nothing. I then ask them Live Kansas City Merchant Uses Every Means of Securing Sales—Publicity of All Kinds and how , hey are going , 0 m] , radio and make Outside Selling Are Found Sales Producers—Vaned Lines Handled Draw Public money in the Fall of the year, at which time Kansas City. Mo., July 7.—Since the Jones Store Co. took over the exclusive agency for the Edison phonograph, business has increased to such an extent that it has become necessary to enlarge the music department of the store. The whole building is to be remodeled and while that is being done the music department is to be moved into what is now the rest room, which will give more space for the phonograph line. There will be twenty hearing booths installed and six large machine demonstration booths The remodeling is to be finished in September, »o that the department will be ready to handle the Fall trade in the new quarters. C. R. Lee, buyer and manager of the department, says that due to the increase in business three new out- side salesmen have been added and it will be necessary to increase the sales force again when they move. Mr. Lee feels that it is because of their selling methods that they have had such a good busi- ness all Spring and Summer. One of the de- vices used to stimulate trade was an employes’ day sale, held June 18. On this day all the employes shared in the profits and were per- mitted to buy talking machines at a discount. The Wednesday before the sale every employe in the store sent out ten postal cards to ac- quaintances in the city telling of the coming event The store has about one thousand em- ployes, so that meant 10,000 postal cards. The result was a tremendous sale. Employes them- selves bought a great many machines, taking advantage of the discount. Another method in use by the department to of the purchase of the machine and so much a month until the machine is paid for. The unusual feature in this plan is that the firm in- sures the machine against fire and tornado. The department has a large mailing list of patrons to whom it sends the data concerning new records which are to be released, keeping them informed so that they may know just when the new records are available. Any news of interest in the musical world is also mailed to the customers. The store also has a large mailing list and the department, through cor- respondence, learns how many of the customers on that list do not have talking machines and immediately lines them up as prospects. This method has brought in splendid results. The department carries the Edison, the Vic- trola, the Sonora and several makes of portables. A nice business is being done in the Sonora, the Edison and the Victrola. The portable business is holding up nicely. People going on vacations. Campfire Girls and Girl Scouts are all good prospects. The company lent a portable to the Girl Scouts who are camping at Noel, Mo., this Summer. The machine is for their use during the Summer, but the girls are to furnish their own records. Knowledge of Radio Necessary in Selling F. N. Eaton, Manager of Washington Federal Tel. & Tel. Office, Points to Knowledge of Radio as Vital Need of Dealers increase sales is the use of the outside salesmen who follow up prospects. When a customer enters the department to make inquiries in re- gard to some machine, her name and address are taken and if she does not purchase the ma- chine. the city salesman follows up the pros- pect. That evening he will take a machine in his car to her home if it meets with her con- venience and will play the machine for her in the family circle. The follow-up usually re- sults in a sale The Jones Store Co. also features the club plan, which is very successful. The club plan is that of paying a certain amount at the time F. N. Eaton, resident manager of the Wash- ington office of the Federal Tel. & Tel. Co., has been doing some very interesting and helpful work in getting the music stores started in the radio business. In commenting on his expe- riences along this line he states: "When I call on a music dealer I let him see that there is no doubt in my mind but that he is going into the radio business and is going to make money. I find, however, that the majority of dealers say that they are going to wait until Fall, as there is no radio business in the Sum- mer, and therefore that it would be a waste OKJv^Oiotv Records A LWAYS at the convenience of all Okeh dealer* through- ** out the Metropolitan district—thoroughly complete stock* of the popular, fast-selling Okeh and Odeon Records, and our smoothly running organization adequately equipped to fill every order speedily, accurately and completely! GENERAL PHONOGRAPH CORPORATION Ntui York Distributing Division 15 West 18th Street New York City BUY OKEH NEEDLES—Tkay Kaap Racord Salt Aliaa! there will be a large amount of radio business, without knowing something about it, and they are stumped. When confronted with this argu- ment quite a few of them decide to take on a sample line and in that way become acquainted and learn something about radio during the Summer months so that in the Fall they will be able to go out and get customers and take care of them when they come into the stores." Times Appliance Go. Is Winning on Service Basis The Times Appliance Co., distributor of R. C. A., Crosley and other well-known sets, and a wide line of accessories and parts, has built up a large business and organization largely upon the quality of the service which it has rendered its dealers. This enterprising radio distributing house has given particular attention to the talking machine field and num- bers among its accounts some of the largest and best-known talking machine dealers in the metropolitan territory. Realizing the importance of proper service to the dealer in radio, this company has inaugurated a new branch of serv- ice along somewhat different lines. A recent announcement from the headquarters of the company at 33 West Sixtieth street is to the effect that dealers desiring radio products not already on the large list distributed by the Times Appliance Co. may place their orders with this branch of the service department and the prod- ucts desired will be obtained for them through other sources. The Times Appliance Co. main- tains an adequate stock of all lines which it regularly distributes and the location of the company in New York City, the heart of radio distribution, will enable it to secure any special items desired with practically no loss of time. New Nyacco Album Catalog The New York Album & Card Co., Inc., New York and Chicago, has just issued a new catalog to the trade. This attractive piece of literature, sixteen pages in sire, and with an attractive cover, thoroughly describes and illustrates the Nyacco line. It is bound with a silk cord and loop which allows it to be hung conveniently at the side of the desk or any other convenient place. Following the introduction, the various num- bers constituting the Nyacco line of talking ma- chine record albums are described, including the special sets for talking machine cabinet equip- ment. Stock envelopes, delivery bags and extra leaves for the record album are also cataloged. In addition to the talking machine products, the Nyacco line of photograph and autograph al- bums is also given. This new caUlog will un- doubtedly prove of much value and assistance to the purchaser of albums. Music Dept. Changes Hands Davenport, Ia., July 2.—The W. J. Murray Co., which has conducted the talking machine de- partment at the Harned & Von Maur store for several years, recently sold the department to C. B. Beiderbecke. The new owner intends to expand the department by adding band instru- ments. W. J. Murray will be connected with his brother, L. A. Murray, at the latter’s talking machine store at 305 Brady street. The stock and fixtures of the L. M. Pike Co- Victor dealer. North Main street, Norwalk, Conn., were sold recently to Miss Hamilton, Mr. Collins and Mr. Donnelly, all local Victor dealers.