The talking machine world (July-Dec 1923)

84 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD July 15, 1923 SA.N FJtANCISCO ■ Approve Plans for Coast Victor Plant — Prominent Artists in New Opera Company — Business Satisfactory — Neivs of the Month San Francisco, Cal., July 3. — The average talking machine dealer gets just about what he expects in this world. If it is vacation time and he expects dull business he usually gets it; if it is holiday time and he expects a rush he usually gets that. Unconsciously, to a large extent the dealer tunes himself up for a poor or brisk business. There is no accomplishing the impossible, but there is such a thing as putting one's self in a proper receptive mood. In the proper mood the merchant is naturally stimulated to make the best of his opportunities. Business was a bit slow on portable talking machines at the City of Paris last week, so what did Manager Storms do but scratch his head and resurrect an idea, a selling idea. It occurred to him that there were no music ads in the outing sections of the daily newspapers — A-ah! Just the place for a cute little ad featuring portable machines! He acted upon his impulse and as a result he sold more portables in the next few days than he had in a month previously. New Pressing Plant for Victor Co. in Oakland Plans for the new pressing plant of the Victor Talking Machine Co., which is to be located in Oakland, have been approved by the directors of the company and construction work is expected to commence without unnecessary delay. This is the report sent here to Andrew MrCarthy, of Sherman, Clay & Co., by the two 1 1 gineers of the Victor Co., E. S. Shumaker 0 1 d C. S. Wickes, who have been on the Coast working out the details of the proposed factory. Progress on New Sherman-Clay Building The new wholesale establishment of Sherman, Clay & Co., on Mission street, this city, is up as far as the second story. If all goes well the building will be ready for occupation "^y the middle of September. Grand Opera for San Francisco San Francisco is to have a permanent grand • lera company at last, it was announced this rek. Prominent public-spirited people have cided to give the company financial backing. Te leading tenor of the company will be o.ovanni Martinelli, one of the most popular of the Edison artists. Martinelli was the leading tenor of the operas given at the Stanford University Stadium last year. Others of the same company will be members of the new organization. Wiley B. Allen Co. Activities Frank Anrys, general manager of the Wiley B. Allen Co.; J. J. Black, treasurer, and Lawrence !..indsay have returned from their trip East, where they visited their manufacturing connections and attended the annual convention of the National Piano Merchants' Association in Chicago. George Hughes, of the same company, has departed on his annual fishing trip to southern Oregon. He took with him this year C. A. Ericsson, president of Ludwig & Co. Raymond Wolfinger, manager of the retail talking machine department of the San FVancisco store of the Wiley B. Allen Co., is taking his Summer vacation in Los Angeles. Billy Morton, manager of the retail talking machine department of Sherman, Clay & Co., will leave for his vacation at the Russian River next week. Edison Popularity Grows Edison Phonographs, Ltd., Coast distributor of Edison phonographs and records, with headquarters in this city and offices in Portland, Ore., and Los Angeles, Cal., is enjoying an excellent business, and, according to the size and number of orders being received from dealers, the Edison is more firmly entrenched in public favor on the Coast, thanks to the enterprise of A. C. Ireton, general manager. Console Type in Favor The flat-top console is winning a sure place in the popular demand on the Pacific Coast, but the old standard uprights are holding their own, too. The upright will not be crowded out by any other type of machine in the opinion of the leading dealers here. Victor Representatives at N. E. Exhibition Miss Donzella Cross, of Sherman, Clay & Co., is in charge of the Victor exhibit at the Hotel Oakland, Oakland, Cal., where the National Educational Association is holding its annual convention. She is also giving lectures on music t o o o o o o o o o i> i> O o o o o o o o o o o o o z o o 4> Good News from The Golden West NEWfewSON COMPARISON WITH THEllUVINC ARTIST REVEALS NO DIFFERENCE <► <► <► o o <► o o <► <► <► <► o <► <► <► <► <► <► <► <► <► <► o <► <► o o o <► <► The "Home Rush" has replaced the "Gold Rush" In one city alone there was a new home started every six minutes during May and June Every home should have a New Edison New dealers desired in several locations Write any of our three houses for particulars We serve the entire Pacific Coast EDISON PHONOGRAPHS, Ltd. Portland San Francisco Los Angeles appreciation at the Summer School of the University of California, in Berkeley. Mrs. Frances E. Clark, head of the educational department of the Victor Co., is attending the N. E. A. convention, also, and is assisted in her demonstration work by Miss Daniels, who has charge of the Victor educational work in southern California. C. G. Child to Visit Coast C. G. Child, head of the artists' department of the Victor Co., one of the greatest sound experts in the country, will visit California during July, and, incidentally, will be a guest at the jinks of the San Francisco Bohemian Club at Bohemian Grove on the Russian River. Fradkin Helps Increase Brunswick Sales Frederick Fradkin, one of the star artists for the Brunswick records, is filling a two weeks' engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. He has promised to autograph the first two hundred records of his violin selections to be sold at the Kohler & Chase talking machine department. The first month of business on Brunswick machines and records at the Kohler & Chase store has been fully up to expectations. George Q. Chase and Leon Lang have just returned from a five weeks' Eastern trip. They went as far as Boston. New Location for Stacy Stacy, the well-known talking machine merchant at Third avenue and Clement street, has moved to the location formerly leased hy the Brace-Davis Co., Sixth avenue and Clement street. Stacy is one of the most prominent talking machine dealers in the fashionable Richmond district. Brace-Davis, Inc., have retired from the music business. Woman Swindler Apprehended A woman who recently swindled the music dealers of this city out of seventeen talking machines and eleven pianos has been apprehended here and is now awaiting trial. The instruments were purchased by the woman on the instalment plan and sold through auctioneers. Seattle, Wash., and New York City dealers were also victimized, it is said. The Music Trade Association and the Downtown Association are making an effort to secure the conviction and punishment of the woman, as well as some of the auctioneers who are suspected of having been accomplices. Brieflets Columbia machines and records are being featured in a large number of sales this month. James Muir, president of the Gramophone Co., of Great Britain, recently visited San Francisco in the course of his trip around the world. A new music store, known as the Oroville Brunswick Phonograph Shop, has been opened at 616 Montgomery street, Oroville, Cal. STIMULATES SPANISH RECORD SALES Columbia Branch Makes Valuable Population Survey — Co-operates With Metropolitan Dealers in Developing Record Business The local branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co. of New York recently inaugurated a plan whereby the sale of Spanish records was stimulated materially. The branch obtained information as to the centers of Spanish population in New York City from Spanish publications, circulated among the Spanish residents, and by co-operating with the dealers in these particular territories a steady outlet was found for the Columbia Spanish catalog. Many of the dealers did not know of the existence of Spanish communities in their particular territories until the population survey was completed. T. F. GREEN QUEST OF W. T. HADDON Thomas F. Green, president of the Silas E. Pearsall Co., New York, Victor wholesaler, accompanied by his family, spent the week of July 2 at Island Heights, New Jersey, where they were the guests of Wm. T. Haddon, president of the Ohio Talking Machine Co., Cincinnati, O., Victor jobber.