Radio today (Jan-Mar 1939)

They're from Missouri— Buddy Pondrom, Charles McCue, Jules Beneke (Aerovox representative), Ann Sloss Ernest, and Mike Ebinger, cigarette in hand, boss of St. Louis' Ebinger Radio supply Co. From Ray A. Yerdon of the ForbesMeagher Music Co. of Madison, Wis., comes this report: "We have offset the trend to lower-priced radios by exploiting the radio-phonograph combination. Thus we have raised our unit sales from $70 to $100. The "PeeW'ees' we use as a traffic builder. . . . Advertising, we have found, can either make or break the general trend of business in the community." Jules Smith, radio sales manager for the thirty Davega stores in metropolitan New York, says his firm will concentrate on records and combinations in 1939. "We believe a highpriced set must be a combination to sell," he says. "Television is no threat. We've put video receivers in three of our stores, ready for demonstration as soon as broadcasts istart. But we don't find them hampering sales. We convince the people they can convert their radios to television." Wants World Fair set C. Scheder, radio buyer for Schuster's Department Stores in Milwaukee, Wis., writes that in 1939 his firm plans to "promote consoles over $50; arrange a systematic step-up from $9.95 to $14.95, etc., for the midget; push combinations and record players; see more factory promotions to stimulate the buying public; sell "tone" instead of gadgets; promote a World's Fair radio; offer a radio cabinet that will really click." From Pittsburgh, Pa., Buyer A. J. Buzzard of Spear & Company, home furnishers, agrees that "a dealer should actively promote the sale of three or four small radios for a home where the customer does not appreciate the better instrument. Dealers should not overlook the profit possibilities of phonograph combinations with the attendant sales of records. . . The radio market is not glutted with over-production, therefore the dealer has additional profit opportunities through reducing trade-ins to a profitable percentage. ... It will be well for every retailer to watch his expense of operation closely and through so doing, he should close the year 1939 with a good net profit." Arthur Silverberg, proprietor of the busy Grand Central Radio, Inc., in Manhattan, believes attractive window displays, good service and careful advertising will be his strategy for 1939. He will continue his policy of switching a customer to a larger, better set at the very moment he shows disfavor for the tone of a tiny receiver. And Alfred Tuffery, sales manager of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., New York store, puts his 1939 emphasis on diversity of lines. "If one thing doesn't sell, I believe in trying something else," he says. That's why he is going to push portable sets, combinations, home recorders and small sets for every room. Good window displays promotion stunts, plus limited newspaper advertising will make 1939 a good year, he states. Edgar S. Riedel, general sales manager of Raytheon, views 1939 as a banner radio year. Since inventories are the lowest in five years, and the business index is rising radily, he believes good radio times are ahead. "Radio dealers will have increased competition, however, from miscellaneous dealers outside of the industry, due to increased demand for small sets that present no problem as package merchandise from these various outlets. The smart dealers will concentrate on quality radio merchandise and forget the trick deals of 'something for nothing' which tempted them when sales were tough in 1938, resulting in less profit and loss of good will," is his view. CARD SELLS RESISTORS A bright yellow-and-black counter or wall card holding and displaying a popular assortment of green cementcoated wire-wound power resistors is offered at no extra cost by Clarostat Mfg. 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