The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1909)

46 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR LONDON HEADQUARTERS— (Continued.) ing director of the Melograph Disc Record Co., that this firm is to increase their repertoire considerably with all the latest and best music, and each month issue a supplementary list of everything right up-to-date. They have, it appears, very excellent prospects as regards the export trade, and one order which they have in view will be sufficient to keep them busily engaged for the next three or four months. The multiplicity of disc records upon the market has, of course, affected their sales, but with care and attention and a thorough study of the requirements of their customers in various countries, they hope in the near future to do very well. At Archer & Sons a fairly moderate business was reported. At Messrs. Richardson's and Messrs. Johnson, the well-known wholesale houses, returns are still keeping up very well. In the former house the Amberol records and Edison phonographs are still having good sales, and at the latter house both disc machines, records and novelties, which Messrs. Johnson's specially cater for, are holding their own in a very satisfactory manner. January business was reported exceptionally good at Messrs. Cramer's, especially in the higher price machines and records. Messrs. Van Gruissen's, in Bold street, are very pleased with the results up to date. Concentrating upon gramophone goods alone, they have had some nice sales recently. At Jake Graham's, Renshaw street, the sales have been exceptionally large for the past few months. Keeping everything that is required in the talking machine trade, both in machines, records and accessories, Mr. Graham has a large clientele. At the Gramophone Stores, in Lime street, Mr. Parr stated that under the new reorganization scheme the business had turned out very fair indeed. W.e understand from various sources that negotiations are now proceeding with several Liverpool financiers to place upon the market a new type of disc machine and records. The inventions in question have taken several years to perfect, and the inventors claim that approximately ordinary 10-inch discs can be manufactured that will last for 15 minutes in playing. If this is so it will place quite a different aspect upon the trade generally, and it will not only considerably affect the sales of the present 10-inch disc records, which now last from two to four minutes, but it will also considerably affect the mechanical position of the disc machines of the future. We hope to report on this more fully in our next issue, and in the meantime we shall probably see some alterations taking place in the North of England before the next issue of The Talking Machine World is published. MANCHESTER NOTES. Manchester Feb. 5, 1909. In Manchester and district business has not been nearly so good as anticipated. Price cutting has been very considerable, and as manufacturers are in some cases unable to prevent it, it seems probable that smaller profits than hitherto will be the rule. In the surrounding district trade has been reported as only moderate. In Altrmcham, although Messrs. Noble do the cream of the trade here, the sales have not been so large as anticipated. In Stockport, Nield & Son, the well-known piano and musical instrument warehouse, state that they have done a nice business during the past few months. Concentrating principally upon gramophone goods, they are very pleased with some of the recent sales. The Disc Record Co., of Wellington Road, Stockport, have recently been very busy with their export trade. Their shipments to India have been very large, and for the Indian territory alone they have sufficient orders in hand to keep them fully occupied for a considerable time to come. The Scandinavian trade has also been good with them, and these orders, combined with the French and Italian, have been very satisfactory. In Manchester, Messrs. Duwe, of High street, had a fairly busy time up to Christmas, but now, like other houses, business has fallen off a little. Recently, Messrs. Duwe have taken over the sole wholesale agency for the "Disco-mater," which was reported on in The Talking Machine World a short time ago. They are anticipating large sales for > this little instrument, and trade customers who desire to handle this most important adjunct should communicate with Messrs. Duwe without delay. Business was reported fairly good at The Filamentine Co., who are doing very well with their "Filamentine" diaphragm, added to which their trade has considerably increased in machines. They are also putting upon the market an innovation in the form of a new machine, called the "Mentophone." The -advantages claimed for this machine are considerable. Fitted with one sound box, it has a double parallel tone arm with two separate connections, thereby utilizing two tones instead of one. As Mr. Earl pointed out, if a 46 CLARION 99 FULL-LENGTH CYLINDER RECORDS 10-in. DOUBLE-SIDED PHONO. CUT DISCS Money=Makers All Jobbers and Dealers should get into touch with us. We can interest you The First List of ?he New 5-Minute Records N— ™ The Premier Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Accredited Agents in U. S. A. 81 CITY ROAD, LONDON, E. C. The Portland Talking Machine Co. JOBBERS PORTLAND, ME., U. S. A. machine of this type is placed in the corner of a concert room, for example, the sounds are much better distributed by the aid of two horns than one, each horn giving a distinct result independently of the other. From what we heard, the "Mentophone" appears to be a machine worth the careful consideration of all the dealers. This firm is also making a special push with the "Mentophone Needles," extra loud tone, and extra soft. We have tried these needles personally, and find very good results from them. The Edison-Bell Co. closed down their depot at 22 Dantzic street at the end of December. They sold a large portion of their stock by auction January 5, and the result of this is that EdisonBell cylinders are now being offered by jobbers at 2y2i. (5 cents) each retail at a good many retail stores. This kind of business has a most disquieting effect upon the market generally, and dealers scarcely know where they are when such things occur. Messrs. Richardson, of Shudehill, have opened a new store in Blackburn (wholesale only). They have a very large connection around this district, and the past results have been so good that they decided to open up on the spot for the benefit of their numerous customers. BRADFORD AND DISTRICT. Bradford, Feb. 3, 1909. Trade in Bradford and district was very good up to Christmas, but since the new year a decided lull has taken place. Machines and records, especially disc goods, are selling principally, as we foretold in The Talking Machine World many months ago. Such an enormous quantity, however, of cylinder machines have been sold during the past few years that there is still a large demand for cylinder records. Previous purchasers, who have already bought a cylinder machine, in many cases not caring to change for a disc machine. Amberol records have been selling very freely, but in many instances the dealers are complaining of the scarcity of suitable titles for the English market. The disc trade in England has got to such a pitch of perfection that unless the makers of cylinders keep right to the front and place upon the market goods suitable for the district in which they are sold, they will certainly have no chance of holding their own for long; and taking into consideration the enormous expansion of the disc business generally throughout the country, it will pay manufacturers abroad to produce what can be sold here in this country, otherwise the trade will be lost and never regained. R. J. Appleton & Co. have removed from Bradford to their new depot at 15 Aire street, Leeds. We mentioned in a previous issue that this firm had taken commodious premises in Leeds, and we are now given to understand that Leeds will be their principal depot in the future. They will not, however, neglect the trade in Bradford and district, but orders obtained by their travelers for goods will be despatched from Leeds direct, instead of being distributed from the Bradford center as in the past. J. Marshall & Co., Banks street, report having done very nicely indeed in gramophone goods, for which they are the sole agents, the higher price productions selling very freely. At the Parker Phone Co., in Queensgate, business was stated by Mr. Stoddart, the managing director, as very good up till Christmas. Since then, however, like others, they have experienced somewhat of a lull. Messrs. Dyson's, Ltd., of Manchester Road, have done exceptionally well during the past fall and winter season with Edison goods, of which they make a leading line. They have recently taken up the factorship of Zonophone records, and it is their intention to make a special push with these goods, Mr. Tidswell, the manager, having the utmost confidence that the sales in Zonophones will be exceptionally large in the near future. Taking, however, Bradford and district gener