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EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY
Thomas C. Hough, Edison Jobber at St. Paul, Minn., and his Phonograph Delivery Automobile.
SUCCESSFUL ALONG NEW LINES.
The Western Monthly, an advertising publication, recently contained an article on the success of certain firms in selling goods on instalment by mail, and it referred as follows to the success of Gustavus Babson, of Chicago, in selling Edison Phonographs on instalment in this manner:
Gustavus Babson is a Chicago man with ideas several years ahead of the ordinary trailfollower.
Mr. Babson realized the desire for "music in the home" — realized that there are many thousands of homes where pianos and organs are luxuries too expensive even on the instalment plan, or where they are of no use on account of the lack of necessary musical ability. He knew what great popularity the Phonograph has had in cities and towns and he decided that the Phonograph must be the one substitute for the expensive and useless piano or organ, and while he realized all these things, he also realized that the farmer and small town resident were the people among whom he would find the far greater portion of his patrons.
While the Phonograph is certainly a most desirable acquisition to any home, yet Mr. Babson realized that it was not enough of a necessity to warrant an investment of from $10 to $100 by the average ruralist.
The instalment payment plan came to his mind as the one sure-and-certain method of overcoming this difficulty. If he could get
up copy strong enough to create the desire he felt confident that he could land the order if he could make inducements sufficiently strong in the way of easy monthly payments.
He adopted the plan of selling the Edison Phonograph on monthly payments of from $2 to $5 each, according to the price of the instrument.
He went straight to the rularist with his proposition by the use of large space, sometimes full page, in the leading mail order and agricultural publications.
Of course he is having great success — and he has only just started the business.
ONE OF MANY DEALERS' LETTERS.
I must thank you for your referring to
me the inquiry of
Montgomery, Iowa. I just sold him an Edison Home, a quantity of Records and forty-eight-inch horn. I am well assured that through his getting such a fine outfit in his locality others will also want machines when they hear his. I am very careful to put out machines that are properly adjusted and finer than silk, and all tested, both Records and machines, so as to always have a satisfied customer. I always get more that way.
I certainly am carrying the goods here, and you take no chances in referring inquiries to me. I have now a stock of about 13,000 Records and plenty of all types of machines.
Samuel Shroff, Sioux City, la.