The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

64 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. April is making a splendid showing so far. There has been no "between seasons" dulness. Everybody had wearied of cold weather, and with the first opportunity were abroad and ripe for sp'ort. Such conditions do not repeat themselves very often, but in this instance the dealer who was forehanded in stocking with spring goods had no reason to regret his move. Talking machine men who are contemplating adding sporting and athletic goods as a side line should not put off ordering a day longer than necessary, because once the season has fairly opened, manufacturers and jobbers of these lines will be so swamped with the inrush of business that it will be impossible to give anything like prompt attention to newcomers. At best it means delayed shipments, and the talking machine dealer or jobber who desires to get the best results out of this line cannot afford to let the public overlook his new addition. As we stated last month, we firmly believe that if one would make a great success out of sporting goods he should emphasize quality rather than price. It is not a question of how cheap but how good. For, while there will always be a class of trade that will look for bargains, they are, after all, working under a delusion, for no matter how little is paid for a worthless article, it is dear at half the price, while if by paying a reasonable sum something is secured that is high-class and worth what you paid, you can justly feel that you have obtained a bargain in the true sense of the word. But there are other reasons why the "quality policy" is advisable, especially in this field. Those customers who are real "dyed in the wool" sportsmen want only the best the market can afford, and if yoti cannot furnish them they will go elsewhere. Why, even the newsboy would scoff at anything but the real "league ball," the kind that sell for $1.50, even if through circumstances he is compelled to use the cheaper grades when he can't get one of the others by waiting outside the fence for a long foul from the bat of one of the "profs." playing inside. Then in selling well-known lines the retailer has all the hard, grinding missionary work taken off his shoulders. The public are conversant with his goods, their quality, price, etc., and all he has to do is to make an attractive show and hang out his sign. Those who pass will see and if they want, will buy. The Baseball Outlook. The successful opening of the baseball season In New York marks the opening of a busy time for the dealer, jobber and manufacturer. Prominent baseball supplies manufacturers in all parts of the country say that the amount of business done in such goods this year will exceed any previous one at least 50 per cent. Already dealers are beginning to brush up their stocks and jobbers say that they have had all they could do during the past month or so in getting out orders placed from three to four months ago. The tremendous hold that the game has secured upon the fancy of the American people is a continuous source of wonderment to those persons whose interests are in one way of another related to some phases of the national game. Always a widely popular game in the United States, it seems of late years to have compounded popular interest. Boom in Bicycle Business. The excellent spring weather of the past month has caused a boom in the bicycle business generally throughout the country, and dealers are re AMNOUNCEIVIEIMT JOBBERS AX 1 E IN. X I O INI Owing to the large demand that there has been for the leather cards made by us, we have found' it necessary to handle a f ud line of PAPER CARDS "SVe have searched through every nook and corner of Europe and the domestic iLarkers and only tbose cards that are the most popular and best tellers will be Handled by us. Hereafter it will be unnecessary for any jobber to have a large stock of cards on hand, as jobbers will be able to hnd the largest assortments to be had anywhere, and what is more, we will keep stock on hand so as to be able to fill orders at once on the best sellers in both paper and LEATHER CARDS post card pillows, pillow tops, banners, etc. As we are acknowledged leaders in Li-ATHER CARDS it will pay you to w-rite for further information. 186 William St. i\E\V YOKR Clover Sonvenir Mfg. Co. ceiving daily calls from prospective buyers of new wheels. This is also true in the motorcycle line. A large manufacturer in a recent interview said: "Though last year was the best in our experience, the craze is rapidly spreading, and notwithstanding the recent slump, we look for a big increase all along the line." In fact, in looking over this field, about the only fault one can find with it is that dealere have had their troubles in getting the goods fast enough to supply the demand. However, now on account of the number of new motors on the market and the increased facilities of the older plants, this should be almost done away with. Portable Window Platforms. Window trimmers who 'have to work with small windows should have on hand a set of easily portable and interchangeable boxes which may be combined in different ways to form platforms increasing in height toward the back of the window. According to an authority, those boxes can be made of unpainted pine, but they should be substantial enough to stand one upon the other securely and to bear considerable weight. The window trimmer should figure out for himself what their dimensions should be, but for the ordinary small window, boxes half as long as the window is wide and about 12 inches square will be found convenient. Enough of these boxes should be provided so that a series of steps or platforms rising in height toward the back of the window may be easily and quickly built up. Some suitable covering of a shade which will harmonize with the goods to be displayed can easily be thrown over these steps or platforms and arranged in loose folds and puffs so as to present a very artistic appearance. Big Field for Post Card Albums. A very excellent suggestion has been made whereby dealers in post card albums can help their sales tremendously by a little intelligent effort. They should encourage collectors to classify their cards, using, for instance, one album for comics, one for European views, one for American views, one for cards of sentiment, etc. The dealer's knowled-ge of the kinds of cards that each collector buys should enable him to suggest still further classifications. This orderly arrangement will not only lead to a greatly increased sale of albums but will wonderfully stimulate the sale of post cards themselves, because each customer will, from that time on, have, not one collection, but several or many collections to be augmented at every possible opportunity. Some collectors who have adopted the s^eparate album plan operate a dozen or more albums. So much for the customer who is already a systematic collector, but more important still is the great majority — the desultory "occasional buyer" of post cards. All such a customer needs to make him a confirmed collector and steady patron, is a good album. If every person who comes into your store to pay a nickel for two post cards were shown an attractive album and given a hint of the delight and satisfaction following its use, the sale of albums would be increased tremendously. It is certainly worthtrying. DIABOLO CAME FROM MALABAR. Koravas Have Played It for Ages, Catch Spool Without Seeing It and Do Wonders on Tight Rope. The origin of the game called diabolo, which now is almost as popular in India as in the West, has been traced to Malabar, on the coast of India south of Bombay. In Malabar there is a class of people called Koravas, who from time immemorial have played this game almost in the same manner as its Western devotees do at the present time. They are an interesting people of nomadic habits. The men are clever acrobats and rope dancers, and their women are fortune tellers and ballad singers. The rope dancers perform many wonderful feats, among them being the playing of diabolo while walking to and fro on the tight rope. The Korava acrobat spins the wooden spool on a string fastened to the ends of two bamboo sticks, throws it up to the height of a cocoanut tree, and wlien it comes down he catches it on the string to again throw it up. There are experts among them who can catch the spool on the string without looking at it. There is no noteworthy difference in make and shape of the spool used by the Koravas and those of Europe, except that the Malabar spool is of solid wood and a little larger and heavier than the Western toy. The -Koravas are a very primitive people, but as acrobats and rope dancers they have continued their profession for very many generations and there is no doubt they have been expert diabolo players for more years than can be told. They are a people who have never traveled beyond their own region and therefore could not have imported the game from elsewhere. THE POST CARD IN POLITICS Will Unquestionably Form a Big Feature of the Coming Presidential Campaign. With the ever-increasing interest manifested in the approaching presidential campaign, it is very probable that there will be a record breaking demand for post cards bearing the portraits of the various candidates. The use of post cards in politics is no experiment, but has been thoroughly tested in years past and found to be a very successful way for bringing the candidate's name, his portrait and his claims to the attention of the voter. Owing to the present uncertainty regarding who, from among the many contestants on both sides, will be chosen to take the field, not much preparatory work can be done in preparing the cards, but as soon as the conventions have settled the matter the various post card manufacturers should go after the business with a will. MINERVA 4 1-2 H. P. V . / Speed 8—60 miles an hour MOTORCYCLES AS A SIDE LINE Minerva the Standard of Europe, 2 i-i H. P. Model i 1-2 " 4 1-2 •• 8 S210.00 240.00 27.S.«) .VSO.OO MAGNETO AND SPRING FORKS EXTRA WAGNER AMERICA'S BEST $ 2 O O . O O George V. Lyons Motor Co., "^'^v^'^'^^SrV ' MINERVA 2 3-4 H. P. Speed 6—40 miles an hour