The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1904-Feb 1905)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. DEALERS* DOINGS. Among copies of newspaper advertisements of Edison goods, received from Dealers during the month, was one from H. Schmidt & Son Co., of Muscatine, Iowa, which occupied a third of a page in the Muscatine Journal. F. N. Green, an Edison Dealer at Willimantic, Conn., has again received a special award at his county fair for the superiority of his exhibit of Edison Phonographs and Edison Gold Moulded Records over all others. Albert A. Magwire, Dealer at Springfield Vt, sends a programme of a Phonograph concert that he gave in Ludlow Town Hall on the night of October 25th. An admission fee was charged. A selected list of Edison Gold Moulded Records was played and the Phonograph was assisted by two young lady pianists. The Outlet Company, of Providence, R. I., gave a most thorough demonstration of the satisfactory manner in which records may be made with an Edison Phonograph, at their store, on October 7th and 8th, when they had Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan make special master records for the patrons of the Phonograph Department. A REDUCTION NOT NECESSARY. The organization of the National Phonograph Co., Ltd., in England and the prosecution of an adequate campaign for the sale of Edison goods had the same effect upon competition, in Great Britain that the demand for Edison Phonographs and Records had in "the States" — it compelled competing manufacturers to reduce the prices of their records to lower prices than Edison Records, as the only alternative to being driven out of the field. The reductions led to rumors that the National Phonograph Co., Ltd., contemplated a similar reduction in the price of Edison Gold Moulded Records, and made it necessary to get out a circular letter on the subject and send it to the trade. It was as follows: TO DEALERS IN GENUINE EDISON PHONOGRAPHS AND GOLD MOULDED RECORDS. Having received a number of inquiries of late as to whether or not we intend reducing the price of genuine Edison Gold Moulded Records during the present or coming season, we beg herewith to notify all our trade that we have no intention whatever of reducing the retail price of our product. We wish, furthermore, to state that in our opinion nothing which has occurred of late makes it in any way necessary for us to reduce the price at which the Genuine Edison Record will be sold to the public. The superiority of the Edison Record is an acknowledged fact, and our bookings for delivery up to January 1st, 1905, are already almost 100 per cent, heavier than at this time last year, so that at the present time the indications are that we shall have more orders than we can fill. We wish to impress upon Dealers the necessity of placing their orders for their season's supply with our factors at the earliest possible date, as we fully believe the demand for our Records will greatly exceed the supply during the two months before Christmas. Very truly yours, National Phonograph Company, Ltd. This announcement was received with expressions of approval by the entire trade. Among the many letters received was the following from a Dealer at Lincoln, England: September 28, 1904. We thank you for circulars to hand re price reduction. We are quite convinced there is absolutely no necessity to reduce the^ price of your Records. Since other companies have reduced their prices we have found the sale of your Records have doubled. People will have them and no other. We intend shortly opening a wholesale warehouse. Can you please quote us factor's prices for your Records and machines ? Lincoln Talking Machine Co. THE OPINION OF A CONNOISSEUR. The following letter was recently received at our Berlin branch : "I have for a short time been in possession of an Edison Standard with about three dozen i Edison Gold Moulded Records and a large quantity of , and records, besides th.e with seventy of the best disks. The reason I bought an Edison Phonograph was because I wish to make records myself of a musical and rhetorical nature, which I have succeeded in doing _ with the aid of various horns and disoositions. My efforts have been crowned with no small meassure of success. By chance I tried several Gold Moulded Records and was astonished to find that this small article used with the concert horn gave results which were in every way equal in purity and clearness of reproduction to those of the with best_ disks. Selected Edison Records appear to me indeed to be superior to selected — ; disks, inas I much as the reproduction is in no way interfered with by disagreeable sounds, and is at the same time more agreeable, more natural and more melodious. "The final victory of the Edison Phonograph with its solid construction and perfect reproi dncing apparatus, together with the practical I shaving attached over the scratching needleI grinding disk machines should come as a mat' ter of course." HAS HAD WONDERFUL SUCCESS. Turner's Falls, Minn., Oct. 17, 1904. I would like to say that I think your policy is the right one. I have found wonderful success in your line. Since I took it on my sales have amounted to about per month, while the past year on other makes I failed to make even a start. G. A. Gove.