The talking machine world (July-Dec 1918)

94 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD July 15, 1918 BALTIMORE A BUSY TALKING MACHINE TRADE CENTER Business Excellent, But Trade Somewhat Retarded Through Lack of Sufficient Stock — Changes in Sales Staffs, Owing to Draft — Columbia Dealers Meet — What the Trade Reports . Baltimore, Md., July 5. — Talking machine business is showing to good advantage with the majority of dealers in the retail lines, but the jobbers for the most part are still sounding . the "shortage of goods" story Meanwhile the shortage of goods is getting to be more or less chronic with some of the dealers, yet despite lack of goods they are showing very good results on the ledger, and would be able to add materially to their profit and sales if they could get all of the goods they could sell. Several of the Baltimore dealers have received word of the action of the Pittsburgh dealers' association banning all records that have any semblance of German, and some have even gone so far as to ban all records by German composers. No action will be taken by the Music Dealers' Association as a body on this line until the fall meeting, but without any concerted action dealers have boxed up their German records and interned them, as it were. So few German records are being kept by some of the firms in the stock, that customers find it difficult to procure them to-day. There has been a big run on Bohemian, Italian and Greek records here and one of the firms making a specialty in international records has been doing a very fine business. Patriotic records have the call with most of the firms, and many of the old-time records that have been in stock for a long time are now being sold without any trouble. Those firms that are fortunate enough to carry two lines have been able to make virtually a killing in record sales, because what one line has been lacking the other has had. W. C. Roberts, for E. F. Droop & Sons Co., Victor wholesaler, reports that June has gone 30 per cent, ahead of the same month a year ago. Both machines and records, especially the back number records, have been coming in very well recently, and Mr. Roberts says that they will continue to come in. Victrola 11, the $115 machine, is selling very well, and Victrola 16, the $225 machine, is having the' call. Mr. Roberts spent several days at the factory during the month and was rewarded by having more machines come to him. Jack Bowen, in charge of the company's record department, made a trip to the factory for back records and evidently'accomplished his mission, for stock has been coming in very good. He is now motoring in Virginia. Morris Kirch, of the sales staff, motored through Pennsylvania for his vacation and is back on the job. William Reiser, of the sales staff, is at Atlantic City, and Miss Sadie Thompson, chief bookkeeper, leaves for Atlantic City this week. For the Columbia Graphophone Co., W. S. Parks, manager of the Baltimore and Washington branches, showed an increase over last June, but not as great as he would have liked to have it. This, he says, was due to the fact that he was not able' to get as much goods as he could place. He was at the factory and at the general offices of the company in New York and made a big effort to get more goods. O. F. Benz, of the general sales manager's office of the Columbia Co., made an address to the salesmen of the local offices, and T. J. Porsky, of the international record department, DEALERS EVERYWHERE ARE SELLING QUANTITIES OF OUR HANALEI BANJUKES (Ukuleles in Banfo Form) A bigger hit than the Ukulele because much louder and more pleasing in tone, and of more substantial construction. Perfect two octave scales. A thoroughly practical instrument for both solo playing and club work. Send for illustrated catalogue and price list today, as The Banjuke Is One of the Biggest Sellers In the Musical Instrument Line. SHERMAN, CLAY & CO. Sole Manufacturers 163 Kearny Street San Francisco New York, was in Baltimore for two weeks working up this department. Mr. Parks made a trip through eastern Virginia and came back optimistic over business conditions in the section. Lyman Bryan, who for many years was identified with the sale of automobiles, has joined the city sales forces, and W. -T. Sibbett is in charge of the western part of Virginia, succeeding William Korhammer, who is now in service. Another meeting of Columbia dealers was held during the month, and Van & Schenck, who were appearing at the Maryland Theatre, spent several hours entertaining the Columbia folks at their headquarters. There were 112 persons on hand and all were made thoroughly happy. A platform that can be put up and taken down in sections has now been made, and after Van & Schenck concluded their entertainment Mr. Parks brought out some of the August records and obtained dealers' opinions on them. Later all hands took part in dancing for more than an hour. Among the visitors to the Columbia Co. during the month were J. E. Friedburg, of the Virginia Mercantile Co.; Emmet Thompson, Warsaw, Va.; B. H. Sommers, Ellicott City, O.; R. L. McDowell, of H. C. Grove, Inc., Washington, D. C; E. K. Staley, of the Van Wickle Piano Co.; J, P. Roller, Luray, Va., and J. W. Legun, Berkley Springs, Va. A. P. Petit, who came into the talking machine business almost a score and a half years ago, is in charge of the Baltimore headquarters of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. He is optimistic over his new line and expects big things to come out of it. He says he is only opening a few accounts and is seeking only high financial corporations to handle the line. Machines have started to come in fairly well, but he could use more than he is getting. Two new accounts have just been added by the company, these being the O'Dell Hardware Co., Greensboro, N. C, and the Phelps Armistead Co., Roanoke, Va. I. Son Cohen, of Cohen & Hughes, Inc., reports a good retail business, but the wholesale business is being held back because of lack of goods. June this year did not reach the mark of the previous year during the same period. Mr, Cohen is just back from a two weeks' vacation in the Green and White Mountains, and is plunged into hard work. H. M. Little, in charge of the retail department of the Cohen & Hughes, says June exceeded expectations, and that the buyers were of a better class than they had been handling for some time. Jesse Rosenstein, of the National Piano Co., Pathe distributor, reports very satisfactory business with his line with goods coming in better. The firm has just taken on another building on Howard street, across from their present showrooms. The new building will give the firm much increased space and permit of better displaying of goods. Miss Mary Haas has been placed in charge of the talking machine department of The Leader, Columbia dealers. Miss Haas' succeeds Charles Cahn, one of the sons of the proprietor of the store, who has enlisted and is now working for the Emergency Fleet Corp. Miss Henkel has become manager of the talking machine department of the Frank J. Murphy Co., Columbia dealers, and succeeds W. C. Collins, who is now doing his bit for Uncle Sam. Business with the firm is reported as good. Harry C. tleise, manager for the Hampden branch of S. & N. Katz, jewelers, who have a large talking machine department, made a very unique sale last week. On Saturday nights he places a young man on the second floor of the store with an old type "of machine, using a large horn, and the young man keeps the latest records playing continuously. A man entered the place and wanted to know what the machine was worth that he heard playing. He was told that it was an old style out of date model. "That makes no difference to me," the pros YAHR & LANGE DRUG CO. MILWAUKEE, WIS. Wholesale Distributors for in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan pect remarked, "because I'm deaf and that is the first machine that I have been able to hear." He bought the machine and carried it home, declining to have it sent for fear he would not get the same one. M. Budazc, 1744 Eastern avenue, is the latest Columbia dealer to be signed up. This store is in the center of the Polish and Lithuanian settlement of Baltimore, which numbers about 35,000, and it is the belief of the Columbia people that it will prove an exceptionally good place for the international records. Henry Eisenbrandt, of H. R. Eisenbrandt & Sons Co., Victor distributors, reports good trading in the retail department, but a tremendous falling off in wholesale because of his inability to obtain the necessary goods. AN INCREASE OF 115 PER CENT. Reported by Manager Friedl, of the New York Branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co. In a chat this week with The World Lambert Friedl, manager of the New York branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co., stated that the sales totals of this branch for the month of June showed an increase of 115 per cent, over last year. This is all the more remarkable in view of the fact that the New York headquarters have received only a very small percentage of the Grafonolas they have ordered, and on July 1 Mr. Friedl had but nine machines in stock. He states that the demand for Columbia products in this territory is increasing by leaps and bounds, and that it is almost impossible to keep pace with the requirements of the dealers. Mr. Friedl points with pride to the fact that his branch has given the dealers 95 per cent, service in filling their record orders. An active campaign is now under process of formation, whereby the famous Pershing record will be the subject of extensive publicity in all local advertising mediums. Through the good work of the Temple Women's Association of Cleveland more than 1,500 talking machine records have been sent to the camps in the eastern part of the country. It is planned to send machines and records to the soldier boys at widely separated points so that they may be well supplied with music. W. F. Peaker has opened a store at Hampton, la., to sell talking machines and pianos. MAESTROLA MAHOGANY CABINET MACHINES, SIZE 15x15x7^ Motor worm gear'plays 2V£to 3 ten inch records, one winding. Price in dozen lots $5.00 each, sample machine $5.50 Steel needles and phonograph parts selling at the old prices during July regardless of the scarcity of these supplies. Now is the time to place your order. Be wise and save money. FULTON TALKING MACHINE COMPANY 640 Broadway New York City, N. Y.