The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 43 CLEAN UP IN SAN FRANCISCO. Dealers and Jobbers Cleaned Out of Goods Owing to Holiday Demand — Greatest Call Was for High Priced Machines — Pacific Phonograph Co. in New Quarters — Hauschildt's Department— Bacigalupi Preparing for Lauder — Sherman, Clay & Co.'s Greatest Sales Day — Kohler & Chase and the Columbia — Grafonolas in Favor — Other Items of News. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Jan. 4, 1910. Probably never before in tbe history of San Francisco has there been such a close clean-up of all sorts of talking machines, records and others goods, as at the close of the present holiday season. Not one dealer, but all, report a demand that has never been equaled. Notwithstanding the larger number of dealers, and the fact that all of them made what they considered ample provision for all requirements, there is scarcely any surplus left over, and the sales in some lines might have been much larger if. the goods had been available. Some stock has arrived since Christmas, and most of it has been delivered immediately on back orders. Wholesale business lasted almost up to Christmas, both local and outside dealers being very large purchasers. Many outside retailers ran short of stock, and were unable to secure more, while there has been considerable complaint from those in San Francisco and Oakland over the inability of wholesale houses to furnish adequate supplies of the machines most in demand. Expensive machines and records have been the leading feature, but this class of goods seems to be developing a new trade, without interfering with the sale of the cheaper lines in any way. Sales of the most expensive Victor and Columbia machines have been beyond all expectations, while there has been a great deal of inquiry for the Edison Amberola. Mr. Jones, manager of the Pacific Phonograph Co., is now very busy getting into his new offices in the new Kohler & Chase Building. Owing to a change in the plans, it seems likely that the wholesale stock will be kept In the Oakland warehouse. Mr. Jones says the holiday business was ahead of all former records, and that considerable ordering has been done in the past week. While he looks for a lull during January, he is confident that with the following month orders will begin to come m on almost as large a scale as during the fall. The H. Hauschildt Music Co. are now established in their new store on Grant avenue, and are devoting one floor to a well-equipped talking machine department. Notwithstanding their recent arrival in the city, this house has enjoyed a remarkable run in this department. Harry Lauder is to make an appearance in this city for a week in January, and Peter Bacigalupi & Sons, the live dealers, are taking the opportunity to start an advertising campaign on the Lauder records. The work has hardly started yet, but a large demand is expected. A large stock of these records has been taken on, quite a lot being purchased from other dealers. Mr. Bacigalupi reports a big demand for the Edison Cygnet goods, and states that in the last week of the season above $5,000 worth of orders had to be turned down for lack of stock. He cleaned out his stock of Victrolas entirely, and says he could have placed a large number of Amberolas if he had had them on hand. The Wiley B. Allen Co.'s talking machine department has gone far ahead of its November record, and whiie this is the first holiday season at the local store, it has been satisfactory in every way. "With a large stock secured in advance, this was about the only house in the city able to sell' all Victor machines without interruption. Mr. Anrys states that the department in Los Angeles just doubled its record for last Christmas. Benj. Curtaz & Son have also had a fine run in talking machines, especially on the higher priced goods, and have very little stock on hand this week. Clark Wise & Co. report the largest talking machine season they ever had, cleaning up the last of their Victrolas early in Christmas week. They say, in fact, that they lost several sales through lack oi stock in this line, getting in a number of machines about the first of this week. J. H. Wales of the talking machine department of the Heine Piano Co., was away at Christmas on account of the death of his father, his place being taken by Mr. Kempton, formerly with Kohler & Chase. Mr. Kempton will probably remain permanently with the house. The department is now in good order, and considering the fact that it is a new departure business is all that could be expected. Andrew G. McCarthy, of Sherman, Clay & Co., says that in all his experience in the talking machine business he nas never seen anything like the season just past. Wednesday, December 22, he says, was the biggest day for cash sales he ever saw, and on Christmas Eve there was hardly a Victor machine of any description left in the house. The wholesale department was entirely cleaned out in most lines several days before Christmas, and there was great difficulty in keeping the retail department supplied. Records as well as machines have had an enormous sale, the new Caruso records being especially in demand. Kohler & Chase have moved all their talking machine stock from the Moore building, and have the department in the new structure completely fitted up. The stock will be placed on sale within a few days. It has not yet been announced just what arrangement has been made by this company with the Columbia Phonograph Co. It was supposed at first that other lines would be handled as in the past, but from present indications it looks as if the Columbia branch would take complete charge of the department and handle their goods only. If so, the company will be provided with a downtown store, giving excellent facilities for handling the local retail trade. A number of the new Grafonola de luxe machines have been received by the Columbia office in San Francisco, but the holiday demand has cleaned up all the machines available, and it will be some time before the demand can be fully supplied. The company report an excellent outside business all through December. W. S. Storms, the traveling man, returned about two weeks ago from a visit to the dealers north 1866 190S 1909 100% Service is Heppe Service CjOur stocks of Victor and Edison goods are unlimited, and we make shipment same day orders are received. CI We have a department organized to coach you in making retail sales. €J Worth writing us about. C. J. HEPPE & SON 1117-1119 Chestnut Street PHILADELPHIA, PA. Established 1865 Talking Machines, Typewriters, Phonographs, Adding Machines, Cash Registers, Guns and Tools, and on all Polished Instruments. The Finest Oil Made. It Absolutely Prevents Rust. Now Sold Everywhere By All Hardware Men WILLIAM F. NYE NEW BEDFORD, MASS. of the Bay, and says it was one of the best trips he ever had. Mr. Storms has been urging customers in the smaller towns to keep in closer touch with the latest developments in the trade by the regular perusal of the leading trade magazines. McNeill & Co. have placed a very large order for Columbia machines to supply their stores at Fresno and Stockton, Cal. They report a larger business in the San Joaquin valley than ever before. The Madsen Furniture Co., of San Jose, Cal., have been making a specialty of the Grafonola De Luxe, in which they have done a great business, selling more, in fact, than can be furnished promptly. STEVENS TO SOUTH AMERICA. Manager of the Export Department of the National Phonograph Co. Leaves for a ThreeMonths' Tour of South America January 20. On January 20 Walter Stevens, manager of the export department of the National Phonograph Co., Orange, N. J., with headquarters in the Edison building at 10 Fifth avenue, New York, sails for a journey of three months in South American countries. He will visit all the chief cities on the east coast, including Para, Rio de Janeiro, and other ports in Brazil, Montevideo, Paraguay, but will devote the most of his time to the company's interests in Buenos Ayres, Argentine. Then he will go through the Straits of Magellan and stop at Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city in the world. This will be the turning point. Mr. Stevens has never been to South America before, and therefore his first trip, in which he expects to make many valuable connections for the company, will be clothed with the additional charm of novelty. TO MAKE FLEXIBLE RECORDS. The Goodale Phonograph Co., Tacoma, Wash., have incorporated with capital stock of $5,000000, divided into 100,000 shares of $50 each, to manufacture and market a flexible talking machine record or ribbon record, the invention of Dr. E. C. Goodale, of Tacoma. The incorporators are E. C. Goodale, Pearl Goodale, A. H. Garretson, A. M. Garretson, C. R. Coombs and George Trust. TALKING MACHINE AT FUNERAL. The phonograph was used for the first time in a funeral service in Vineland, N. J., at the funeral of the wife of Councilman A. F. Gutterson on December 7. Mrs. Gutterson in life always said the phonograph could render "Beulah Land" and "The Home Over There" in sweeter tones than any singers of her acquaintance and requested that one be used at her funeral,