The talking machine world (July-Dec 1928)

84 The Talking Machine World, New York, December, 1928 Lack of Merchandise Is Only Complaint of Northwest Dealers Brunswick Branch Reports Increase for November of 50 Per Cent Over October — Many Victor Dealers Employed Christmas Club Plan With Success Minneapolis and St. Paul, December 6. — Many things are contributing to a large volume of business, but Northwest merchants all have the same complaint — not enough goods from the factories to meet the demand. Brunswick headquarters may well look festive, for the report is that November passed by 50 per cent the month of October, which had bettered the previous year with an increase of 100 per cent. The Brunswick offices have sent out samples of their Christmas releases in holly paper packages. Among the records are several selections from Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the old favorite hymns and carols by different artists and some "kiddy" records. "Silent Night" as played by Chris Chapman with organ and chimes will be a popular number. A new recording by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra is "Roman Carnival" and it is declared the finest yet made by that organization. Of the Northwest States in this territory Montana has had a particularly fine month with a big increase in all lines. Several new Brunswick accounts have been opened in November, among them the Poplar Piano Co., of Grand Forks, N. Dak. Over 71 per cent of the Victor dealers, both city and rural, have adopted with enthusiasm the Victor Christmas Club plan. This involves special offers, window displays, circulars, movie trailers and canvassing. Dealers have taken more straight Orthophonic Victors than were sold in the previous three months. Records, loo, are going splendidly, according to C. C. Hicks, sales manager of the Beckwith Co. R. C. Coleman, in charge of the radio division of the George C. Beckwith Co., says that this year is the first that radio can definitely be said to have arrived at the status of Christmas gift goods. Mr. Coleman believes that it is because the electric receiver has been perfected to such an extent that the public no longer feels any fear of the mechanical hazards of the radio receiving sets and accessories. Radiotron and Sylvania tubes are oversold. Crosley Showbox and Gem Box are ordered in carload lots but fail to keep up with the demand, which is consistently expanding. The Beckwith Co. opened many new rural radio accounts in November it is reported. Orders on Sparton and Lyric lines amount to a landslide, is the complaint at the Lucker Sales Co. Protests are not very vigorous, however, as dealers crowd the offices signing up for the next shipment. There is a strong demand for combination instruments, and the Ensemble, which is an automatic phonograph, playing any size record with radio combination, is extremely popular with the trade and public. The new Newcombe-Hawley magnetic speaker with condition equalizer has made a decided hit with the trade, as has the Utah dynamic speaker. November was the biggest month of the year at the Foster & Waldo store, and R. O. Foster believes that December will show three times the volume of November. E. R. Dyer, of the Metropolitan Music Co., states that the books present figures showing that radio sales are double those of last year. There is a good demand for portables and records. The Stromberg-Carlson line is the radio that the Metropolitan Co. features. McPhilbin-Keator Opens Newark Branch McPhilbin-Keator, Inc., metropolitan Kolster distributor, with offices at 68 Thirty-fourth street, Brooklyn, and 17 West Sixtieth street, New York City, opened a branch at 250 Central avenue, Newark, N. J., on December 1. The new branch is carrying its own stock of merchandise, servicing its own accounts and making its own deliveries. A. G. Nordholm, who for the past three years has been Eastern district sales manager for Kolster, is manager of the Newark headquarters. McPhilbin-Keator, Inc., concentrates its energies on the Kolster line, the only other YOUR COPY OF THE UDELL CATALOG IS NOW READY THE UDELL WORKS 28th St., at Barnes Ave. S^_? Indianapolis, Ind. OF real interest and importance to every buyer is the new catalog just off the press showing the many exclusive designs of Radio Cabinets by THE UDELL WORKS of Indianapolis, famous makers of fine cabinets for fifty-five years. The illustration at the left is a reduced reproduction of the cover of the new UDELL Catalog .... and the buyer will find the catalog is not only a presentation of the artistic and moderne in radio cabinets, BUT the announcement of an important new policy on the part of UDELL, as a maker of DEPENDABLE radio cabinets .... MeaningUdell Quality Now at Most Moderate Prices Every Radio Cabinet Buyer in the country really should have this new catalog because the presentations therein will appreciably reduce selling efforts. As the edition is limited, may we suggest that you write your request today? Makers of Dependable Cabinets for 55 Years items carried being tables and cabinets designed for Kolster receivers; RCA Radiotrons and Eveready batteries. Federal Ad Drive in Mining District R. E. Tongue Bros., Inc., Federal Ortho-sonic radio wholesaler in Philadelphia, has begun an intensive advertising campaign for Federal receivers in the Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, district, appealing particularly to miners in that section who are recovering from the depressing effect of the recent coal strike. A radio broadcasting program sent each Tuesday evening from station WBAX, at Wilkes-Barre, designated as Ortho-sonic hour, plays a significant part in Tongue' Bros, plans for forceful exploitation of Federal in that section of the State of Pennsylvania. Freed-Eisemann-Freshman Go. Stock Exchange Plan Stockholders of the Freed-Eisemann Radio Corp., Brooklyn, N. Y., have been notified by the Charles Freshman Co., Inc., New York, that they have the privilege of exchanging their shares of stock in the ratio of three shares of Freed-Eisemann for one share of Freshman. It is said that fractional shares are not to be issued, but will be adjusted on the basis of $9 a share of Freshman stock. This action was taken in accordance with the merger of the Charles Freshman Co., Inc., and Freed-Eisemann Radio Corp., which was ratified by Freshman stockholders on October 31. Stockholders desiring to exercise the right of exchange must deposit their certificates on or before February 20, 1929, with the Chatham Phenix National Bank & Trust Co., New York, according to the announcement. Busy With Zenith Meetings Zenith dealer meetings throughout the East have commanded the attention of Thomas H. Endicott, general sales manager of the Zenith Radio Corp., Chicago, during the past few weeks. Mr. Endicott's recent trip ended with a visit to Buffalo and Erie. At Buffalo, he was guest of honor at a dinner and sales meeting of Zenith dealers of western Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Joseph Strauss Co.. Zenitli distributor. Following the dinner at Buffalo. Mr. Endicott made a flying trip to Erie where he addressed the Erie dealers at a similar banquet as guest of the Epp Furniture Co., of that city. These meetings were outstanding successes.