Radio today (Sept 1935-Dec 1936)

BUYING, SELLING SOUND" — survey by "Radio Today" shows where equipment sales going — local opportunities limited only by radioman's ingenuity — complaints against cut-price equipment sales by jobbers this field because they obviate extra wiring. Complaint is general against retail sales at wholesale prices by jobbers and by mail-order houses. "The competition we legitimate dealers have from the cheap mail-order houses is a daily headache" is the way one supplier puts it. * WITH the public becoming "sound conscious"' to a new degree, and with business men and community leaders awakening to the possibilities of sound amplification for mass address, a rich new field is opening up for the radio dealer and the radio serviceman. The distributor also is feeling the effect of this new activity, as calls come in for "PA" and portable sound equipment for rush jobs which his retail customers are called upon to install. Radio Today has just completed a survey among radio men who are doing an active business in this new sound field, and from its reports obtained from communities both large and small, is able to present an upto-the-minute picture of this "sound" business and where it is going. The variety of applications for sound equipment in any community is in fact limited only by the ingenuity of the radio serviceman or public-address expert in meeting local situations. One radioman reports to Radio Today the installation of public-address speakers in a swimming-pool. He did a waterproof wiring job and waterproofed his speakers, so that swimmers can now hear musical selections and radio programs loud underwater, although from the sides of the pool the sound is barely audible. As a novelty advertising feature, this "underwater sound" installation has well justified the amount paid to the installer. Servicemen tops Servicemen are proving to be the best class of customers for sound installations, according to various reports reaching Radio Today from distributors. These servicemen usually sell direct to schools, garages, racetracks, stores, restaurants, skating rinks, etc. Where the matter of installation and wiring becomes a factor in the sale, the serviceman proves the best type of installer. Amplifiers of 12-watt and 30-watt ratings seem to be the most popular numbers, along with 12-inch dynamic speakers. The new permanent-magnet speakers are attracting the interest of sound installers, and undoubtedly will become an important factor in New opportunities are opening for "sound" in every comimunity. Such applications seem limited only by the radioman's resourcefulness and ingenuity. Dealers report on sales In answer to Radio Today's question "Where are most of your sound systems sold?" the applications listed in the replies tabulate as follows : Per Cent Schools 21 Hotels IT Fairs 8 Orchestras 7 Dance halls 5 Restaurants 4 Churches 4 Rentals 4 Night clubs 4 Parks 3 Beer gardens 2 Industrial 2 Dance bands 2 Sound trucks 2 Other servicemen 2 Cabarets 2 Clubs 1 Department stores 1 Stores 1 Auditoriums 1 Taverns 1 Theatres 1 Political 1 Miscellaneous 4 Complete systems favored Complete systems seem to be purchased in the majority, according to the reports received from sound men. Thus about one-third of the sound suppliers interviewed reported 90-100 per cent complete purchases. One quarter reported 51-90 per cent complete outfits. Twenty-two per cent reported 10-49 per cent complete equipment, and 15 per cent of the sound men responding said that their purchases were half complete. Four fifths of the sound men interviewed bought standard manufacturers' lines. Names of manufacturers of sound equipment mentioned by sound men as being particularly helpful and cooperative in the sale of sound and public address equipment were Webster-Chicago; Wehster Elec. Co. (Racine); RCA; Operadio; Western Electric; Bogen; Wright de Coster; Thordarson ; Turner ; Brush ; Jensen ; Amperite ; Shure Brothers ; Toledo ; Magnavox; Rola; Brush; etc. 16 Radio Today