The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

52 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. ^TALKING ^ WQI^LD NOVELTY THE SIDE LINE SECTION is a part of The Talking Machine World, S&^S which is published on the 15th of each month by Edward Lyman Bill, 1 MadisonAve.,N.Y. Complete copies lOc.each. Subscription by the Year $ 1 .00 Domestic; Foreign $ 1 .25 NEW YORK, JANUARY 15, 1910 A GOOD YEAR'S BUSINESS Enjoyed by Those Dealers Handling Sporting Goods — Little Damage Done by New Laws — A Summary of Conditions. Talking machine dealers who have handled sporting goods as a side line during the past year and those who are thinking of embarking in such a venture this year, should be interested in the rosy report on the happenings of the sporting goods trade of 1909 as published in the Sporting Goods Dealer. The past year rendered three material services— times services let us call them, by way of emphasizing the point as we would here make it— to the sporting goods trade. In the first place, 1909 took care of itself in a very admirable way. This is really all that can be fairly asked of any period of time. The man, the business or the season that holds an even course, showing normal development, gives a good account of himself— of itself — by that fact alone. But 1909 did more than that. It enabled the trade to get rid of many accumulations carried over from the depressed period that preceded it. Finally, 1909 witnessed the shaping of things in such a way as to serve as an excellent introduction to 1910. In this way it rendered the threefold service above spoken of. Nothing better can be said of any year than that it maintains itself, settles the troubles of the past, and paves the way for a smooth future. This is what 1909 did for the sporting goods business of the United States, and for which it deserves a word of special mention. The gloomy vaticinations indulged in by many as to what would result from the passing by some of the States of sundry State laws, in respect to firearms, have not been fulfilled. These restraining laws have no doubt hurt, in spots, the local dealers, but they have not injured to any appreciable extent the firearm industry of the country. The nervous, fussing States have injured their own citizens for the benefit of the non-resident trades; and that is about all that these draconian laws have accomplished. If a farmer can not buy a pistol for the defense of his household within his own State without paying two prices for it. he can get it easily enough elsewhere. He can cross the boundary line and buy in person: or he can order by. mail, and Uncle Sam will see that under the interstate commerce law he gets what he wants. So much for these foolish restraining laws, which hurt the local merchants but no one else, fortunately for general prosperity. The changes enacted by the new tariff laws were not great, and did not interfere with the sporting goods trade of the United States. The American manufacturer continues to enjoy the benefits of protection, and, up to the present, no foreign country is threatening the sporting goods trade of this country in the direction of its exports. Manufacturers along all lines of sporting goods were kept busy during the past twelvemonth. Many succeeded in getting rid of such surplus stock as had accumulated during the preceding slack spell. Prices were well maintained, and the average was quite satisfactory. Dealers were careful in placing orders, but as the aggregates were well up to the healthy normal no complaint is to be made upon that score. Upon the whole, 1909 was a year of nice adjustments; manufacturers and dealers felt their way as they proceeded. There was little or no speculation, either in the direction of over-building and overproduction or in placing orders of an excessive size. This was nothing more than a prudent line to pursue under the circumstances, and the trade is to be congratulated upon it. As a result, conditions were never more sound and healthy than at present. During the past year the National Sporting Goods Dealers' Association was placed upon a permanent basis. This good work, for which the trade has long been looking, was accomplished at the second annual meeting of the association, which took place at the Hotel Astor, February 24, 25, 26. The trade was canvassed at this meeting in a very thorough way. A broad policy was outlined, and met with general approval. The membership includes practically all the largest and most important exclusive sporting goods distributers throughout the United States. Much benefit has already resulted from the formation of the National Association. SATISFYING THE CUSTOMER. Willingness to Exchange or Take Back Goods Does Much to Create Confidence in Customers— Perfect Frankness the Best Policy to Pursue in Selling Goods. Nothing is more powerful in the doing of business than being above suspicion. While with a portion of the public that is somewhat impossible because they are given to the inclination to suspect others of attempting to trick them, the great majority of the public is not disposed to judge harshly without some cause. If the retailer will treat his public squarely at all times, refuse to employ subterfuges and methods that even scent of taking advantage and will at all times tell his customers exactly what is what, he need have little fear of wrong or unfair judgment on the part of the people with whom he is doing business. The prevalent willingness to take back goods under practically all circumstances has worked immensely toward gaining public confidence in the honesty of the retailer. When a customer desires to return an article and is met with a refusal or an argument, the inevitable impression on the mind of that customer is that something is wrong somewhere and he is being made the victim of an error. If a customer considers he has fair cause for complaint concerning goods and the retailer fails to make a straightforward explanation or offer to make him fully satisfied, he is again suspicious, and suspicion is always the viper that stings trade hardest and most seriously. Infinite care should be taken that a customer should have what he asks for or be made acquainted with a difference in the brand or quality, if anything else is offered and sold him. To reach home and discover the thing received to be different than the thing supposed to be purchased always puts the store and the clerk on the list of suspected dishonesty. The customer who asks for anything specific usually has reason for so doing. It may be possible to argue him from the position and sell him something else, but it is the height of foolishness to substitute without his knowledge and full understanding. If he brings the article back and has his money refunded, he remains of the opinion that he has been unfairly dealt with and that he can not safely trust the store and the clerk again. Such impressions are almost impossible to eradicate and their effect upon trade, especially in small communities, is more than the retailer is able to estimate or successfully counteract. He is constantly placed on the defensive and it is impossible for him to ever clear himself of the scent of suspicion. Is there anything of compensation in such conduct? It matters not whether the offense be against the rich family up on the hill or the poor family down by the river bed — the effect on general trade is the same. No man will contend that it pays him to allow such things to be done in his store, but there are stores that still permit the small and petty tricks of retailing under the impression that the public never finds it out. What a fool idea! What rot to think that one's neighbor possesses less intelligence and discernment than one's self. There is nothing whatever in the selling of goods and the making of profits tnat can not be done on the square, and if we admit this as a tail there is no reason why he should fail to practice it as a common-sense matter of business conduct. To be frank, open and above suspicion in trade is as easy as to attempt questionable methods in any degree and is always ultimately more profitable. WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH CLERKS. There is no retail store in the country that cannot afford one half-hour each week to a discussion of store subjects and to instruction to the entire sales force. Such a period of discussion and instruction will bring out the latent qualities in many clerks and will impress upon all of them the fact that to sell goods is more than to be able to know what is on hand and offer it to the customer who asks for it. Not only can the force of clerks understand by such common meetings that instruction is not individual, but for the common use of all, and thereby avoid a misunderstanding, but also the power of team work that can be infused into the understanding of the whole force. To raise the power of the selling force of the store is one of the necessities of store-keeping now. BICYCLE MEN GET AVIATION FEVER. The traveler for a well-known sporting goods house declares that the craze for aviation will ruin some bicycle dealers and repair men if they don't look out. He states that the small dealer with plenty of time to spare, sees the plans of a new aeroplane in one of the popular magazines and is impressed with its apparent simplicity. Before he knows it the dealer is building a flyer of his own, and, more than that, likely wasting time and money on it that can ill be spared from his business. NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. "We have an idea that we are pretty original and up to date," remarked a business man who is interested in vending machines. He was speaking to his lawyer. "I have taken out patent rights in America and England for my various inventions in the penny in the slot machines, but when I went to Germany to get the rights there for my water machine — the one in which you drop a penny for a glass of water — I found myself up against it. Those Germans are so thorough in their search for anything of the kind that has previously been in existence and on which a new patent might be an infringment that they go back for centuries in the records of history. And would you believe it? — a machine in which holy water was once dispensed to the public in Palestine was found to be the only thing that would interfere with my clear right to' patent my machine in Germany. I call that going too far." WRIGHT & DITSON EXPAND. Wright & Ditson. the well-known sporting goods house of Boston, have opened a retail store in Chicago in connection with their wholesale branch at 84 Wabash avenue. Upon his recent trip to the Pacific Coast John F. Morrill, of that concern, established a permanent branch at 326 Market street, San Francisco, Cal. They have recently removed their sporting department for tennis rackets from the Wakefield, Mass., plant to the factory in Chicopee, Mass. Remember, a genial smile is a weapon which a buyer often falls under.