The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 15 THE TRADE IN CLEVELAND. Talking Machine Dealers Well Satisfied with Present Conditions — Opening of Summer Resorts Helps Sales of Low-Priced Outfits — New Screen Makes It Possible to Show Moving Pictures in Full Daylight — Talker Music Spurs Hens to Greater Efforts — U. S. Phonographs Well Received — Double Reproducer Carriage Arouses Interest — What the Various Dealers Have to Report. (Special to the Talking Machine World.) Cleveland, O., June 9, 1910. The gratifying volume of trade during May and which has continued without abatement since the first of June, is pleasing to the dealers, who have reason to be satisfied with the business now in evidence. There was a very satisfactory percentage of gain compared with the same period last year and prospects are flattering. Complaint is made by dealers of inability to procure goods with reasonable promptness, especially Victrolas, and there seems to be a shortage also in other types of Victor machines. The Amberola Edison phonograph attachment proposition is attracting customers and proving a profitable as well as popular deal. The Columbia dealers have adorned the walls of their stores with a set of elegant colored lithographs, life-like presentations of prominent authors in the Columbia lists of records. The opening of summer camps, cottages, parks and clubs has improved the trade in lower-priced machines to be taken to the various resorts. But the bulk of trade is in the higher grade machines and records, a large proportion of which is for the Grafonola Regent, Victrola XVI. and the Edison Amberola, with selections of records suited to the various tastes. The general agent of the Humane Society, which has lately been giving considerable attention to the subject, accompanied by representatives of the Lake Shore Film Co. and a number of moving picture theater owners, visited the Columbia Theater and witnessed the demonstration of a new picture screen which makes it possible to see the Aims clearly in a room made as light as day. The Humane agent approved the invention as conducive to good morals. "This is certainly a long-looked-for and much-needed improvement," he said, as he watched the progress of the test. "I believe it is the solution of the moving picture show problem along the lines of health and morality." A Buckeye woman noticing a newspaper paragraph to the effect that music would encourage hens to lay and, having tried many other devices, resolved to try its effect on her idle flock. Opening the kitchen door and placing her phonograph nearby she played a melange of the popular songs of the day. The hens soon gathered nearby, showing their interest in the entrancing strains by turning their heads to one side and intently listening. The next day the woman found she was six eggs ahead of the usual supply and, elated at the result, showed her faith in the new incentive by placing the phonograph out on the porch as close to the hennery as possible and furnishing them continuous entertainment. It is reported that the hens paid handsomely for the attention, accepting the recorded notes at their face value, freely offering as collateral the choicest of fresh eggs. It is not improbable that this woman's experiment may lead to the installation of phonographs in thousands of henneries throughout the country, and thus put a quietus on the cold storage egg trust. Let us hope so. A moving picture, conjointly with a talking machine, to be used in connection with classroom work, is the desire of Technical School students of the city, who are now arranging for their purchase. The idea of buying the machines originated with the principal and he has interested all the pupils. The Cleveland Builders' Exchange sent a moving picture to the school one day and one firm portrayed a scene from Tennyson's "Idylls of the King." "Just the thing — with the aid of a phonograph," thought the principal, "to use in the English classrooms. If Tennyson's poems can be illustrated they can be made to speak, so can Shakespeare's, so, indeed, can many others. Demonstrations will interest the students and will give them a better, more thorough understanding of the work." The teachers in the different departments of the school are co-operating with the students in raising funds to make the purchase. A year ago the school purchased a piano-player, the only one at present owned by a Cleveland school. "We do things out here," said one of the students. "Tech. wants to be original." Marion Dorian, traveling auditor for the Columbia Phonograph Co., was a visitor here May 27 on his way to Cincinnati. He stated the business of the company was constantly increasing to enormous proportions, emphasizing the popularity of Columbia goods. For a long time a number of gentlemen prominent in Cleveland financial circles have been quietly but industriously working on what they term a new everlasting record and combination phonograph. Quite recently announcements have gone out to the trade regarding the new product and the company, which styles itself the "U. S. Phonograph Co.," is receiving a splendid response from all over the country where The Talking Machine World finds readers. It is characteristic of the U. S. product that it was not put upon the market until fully complete and in every respect perfected, and the company is not running any risks of having defective machines leave their plant. At the Richmond National Conventions the company's product attracted a great deal of attention and the response therefrom and througn the special announcement in The World from phonograph dealers since has been such as to give every promise of success. The special features of the machine are a double reproducer carriage, which contains both two and four-minute reproducers. A turn of a shift key, which takes but a second, changes the reproducing sapphire and automatically shifts the feed mechanism. Both results are accomplished simultaneously and there is not the slightest opportunity for a mistake when changing from a two to a four-minute record. In addition to the reproducer carriage, a new feature is the mandrel pulley balance, which positively controls the speed of the mandrel and corrects any variation in the speed of the motor. A new venture for Cnarles I. Davis, who conducts fifteen stores, located in various cities, was the talking machine business. Just seven months ago he installed the Victor and Edison line of goods in his up-to-date music emporium, considered one of the finest equipped in the country. "The showing," he says, "that the department has made is remarkable, not alone in the large record business that has been worked up, but in the large number of machines that have been sold and those, too, of the higher grade." The department is arranged in the most artistic manner and the business pushed very aggressively. While "everything musical" may be obtained at the emporium of H. E. McMillin, department E, the talking machine quarters, under the management of O. E. Kellogg, is forging to the front in popularity. He reports the record trade for the past month to have been very good and that machine sales were fair. He stated the Edison machines and records seemed to be more in demand. "Among the machines sold by us during the past month," said Mr. Kellogg, "was a complete Victor outfit to the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church. They presented it to A. F. Hansey, Bolonge, F. C. M. S., Matadi, Congo. It is to be used in helping to civilize the Africans in the Wandy district." Regardless of the season's execrable weather, Mr. Robertson, of G. J. Probeck Co., reports a very excellent trade. "Business," he said, "has been very fair during the past month. The demand for the new high class double-disc Columbia records has been a marked feature of this month's trade. Many inquiries are coming to us concerning the Columbia Grafonola, as well as for the more popular priced machines. The Stop handing out excuses to customers When customers come to your store for anything, you ought to have it on hand or be able to get it quickly and tell them just when you will have it. Maybe you can't do that with your regular jobber, but if you give us your order you can easily figure almost down to the very day when you will get your goods. We keep our supply of Victors, Victrolas, Victor Records, record cabinets, fibre cases, horns, needles, repair parts, and specialties of every sort right up to the minute and send you the goods without delay. All orders are shipped the same day they are received. We don't keep you waiting and you don't need to keep your customers waiting. You won't need to put them off from day to day with the excuse that you expect the goods almost any hour. Customers won't stand that sort of thing very long — they want what they order and they ought to get it quickly. It's our part of the job to see that you get your goods quickly, and if you send us your next rush order you'll find out that we know our business. Just because there is nothing you want at the present time, don't put off sending for our latest catalogue. Write for. a copy to-day so you'll have it when you need it, and we'll also send you our booklet, "The Cabinet that Matches." New York Talking Machine Co. Successors to Victor Distributing and Export Co. 83 Chambers Street New York