The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 31 ANNUAL MEETING OF DEALERS. Eastern Talking Machine Dealers Association Now One Year Old — Excellent Progress Reported in All Directions — Officers for the Ensuing Year — Interesting Addresses Made by Jobbers and Representatives of the Big Manufacturers. The Eastern Talking Machine Dealers' Association, having safely passed through the trials and tribulations that beset a new organization during the first year of its existence, held its first annual meeting at the Cafe Lion d'Or, New York, on Wednesday last, April 12, upon which occasion the reports of the officers were received, and the officers elected for the ensuing year. At the business session in the morning President Storck, in presenting his report for the year, expressed his pleasure at the progress made by the association, and the interest shown in the movement not only by the dealers themselves, but by the manufacturers and jobbers and their salesmen. He also reported that the outlook for the coming year was most encouraging. The treasurer in his report stated that despite the heavy expense incurred in getting the affairs of the association running smoothly there was a satisfactory balance in the treasury at the end of the year, which was steadily increasing as the organization grew. The secretary in turn was equally optimistic, and reported that the membership of the association had increased rapidly as soon as the dealers in the territory covered realized the importance of the organization and its value to them personally. The following officers were elected for the coming year ; Frank C. Storck, Red Bank, N. J., president; E. T. Glover, Plainfield, N. J., vicepresident; A. Lasus, New Rochelle, N. Y., treas-. urer, and A. Lustberg, fluntington, L. I., secretary. The executive committee will be announced at a later date by President Storck. In the course of the business session a resolution was passed reducing the annual dues of the active members from $5 to $3 and of the associate members from $3 to $1.50, the object being to iijiduce every dealer of standing in the Eastern States to enroll with the association as soon as possible. 'I Following a pleasant luncheon the members of the association reconvened in the afternoorj for the purpose of listening to the addresses of several invited speakers, representing the manufactiirers, the jobbers and the trade at large. The first speaker was Max Landay, of Landay Bros., the prominent Victor distributers of New Y'ork, vl^ho gave the dealers an excellent idea of trade conditions in general and the outlook as he found it upon his recent trip to the Pacific Coast. Mr. I^anday stated that the talking machine business was big and was still growing, and that as a matter of fact it had really just commenced at the present time. He also took occasion to point out the importance of attractive window displays and clean and well-arranged stocks in the stores themselves as a means of holding and increasing business. Henry C. Brown, advertising manager of the Victor Talking Machine Co., next addressed the Will Buy Surplus Stocks. Will l>uv clean Edison or Victor surplus stocks. Address SURPLUS, care Talking Machine World, 1 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. For Sale. I''), 000 Edison two-minute records, all new, clean stock; 14 cents each, in 300 lots. A. T. Denniger. 335 North St., Rochester, N. Y. For Sale or Trade. 6,000 brand-new double-faced Zon-o-phone Records; jobbing stock; complete catalog, well assorted. Also 20 Zon-ophone Machines, latest models, assorted types. Original packages. Will sell at a price or trade for Edison Records and Machines.. "RECORDS," care Talking Machine World. 1 Madison Ave., New York City. For Sale or Trade. 100 Columbia Disc "BN" Machines equipped with 10-in. turntables. Can use Edison Records in exchange. What have you to offer? Address 41,144. care Talking Machine World, 1 Madison Ave., New York City. dealers and offered some excellent and valuable suggestions regarding selling methods calculated to increase the record business materially. He exhibited a sample of the new back label on the Red Seal records, and emphasized the importance of the dealer and his salesmen being thoroughly familiar with the music on the record in order that they might demonstrate and talk about it in a convincing manner. Mr. Brown also displayed to the dealers a new card system for keeping track of record sales and prospects, in which each separate record bought by a customer is listed on a card bearing his name, and the dealer is able at all times to see just what records the customer has in his library and act accordingly. In speaking of conditions in the machine trade Mr. Brown gave it as his opinion that the demand for machines this year would exceed the heavy demand for 1910, the extent of which he illustrated by stating that at present the company were behind on orders for 170,000 Victor machines and 30,000 Victrolas. This in part explained why the dealers could not get all the machines of certain types they desired, and he advised early ordering for fall and the holidays, even though not entirely convenient, in order to avoid disappointment at that time. Mr. Brown discussed at length the widespread advertising done by the Victor Co., and pointed out many ways by which the dealers should profit by the heavy expenditures of the manufacturer for advertising by backing the general campaign locally in their own cities and towns. The next speaker was George P. Metzger, advertising manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., who entered into a live talk upon salesmanship. He stated that his own experience told him that the field for talking machine sales had only been scratched, and that there was virgin ground below the surface waiting, for the ^wideawake dealer, for there were thousands of people who had not been impressed by the first talking machines put on the market years ago, and who were unacquainted with the progress made in producing both machines and records within recent times. Mr. Metzger suggested house-to-house canvassing and the giving of free concerts at private entertainments as a means of placing the present-day talking machines and records before the great mass of prospects who are not easily reached by other methods. Mr. Metzger called particular attention to the show window as a means of advertising, and emphasized the fact that full advantage should be taken of the space that represents such a large proportion of the rent and really affords the introduction to the store. The interesting and instructive address was brought to a close with the playing of the Columbia demonstration record on a Grafonola for the benefit of those who had not heard that unique and excellent piece of record advertising. The closing address was made by Ora E. Rinehart, head of the newly organized window display department of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., and the services of which are offered free to Edison dealers, the materials used in the display being sold to them at cost. Mr. Reiiihart discussed the question of window display as an expert in that line, and gave the dealers some valuable hints in that direction. While suggestions will be made to fit the individual needs of the dealers applying for the service, the regular displays will be forwarded to the dealers desiring same each month, and will be so arranged that the same foundation may be used for three months, the details being changed monthly in order to give freshness to the display. The next meeting of the association will be held at the Lion d'Or on the second Wednesday in June. When a man's in the selling end of the business what he really needs to know is the manufacturing end, and when he's in the factory he can't know too much about the trade. Do not start business in a place because it happens to please you, but study the local conditions, and only establish yourself where they are of such n nature as to indicate prospedtive success. A HANDSOME DEPARTMENT Is That Conducted by Wm. Knabe-& <yO. and Devoted to the Sale and Display of Columbia Records. The formal opening of the talking machine department of Wm. Knabe & Co., Knabe Hall, New York, took place March 21, and on that and succeeding days a large number of people visited the section devoted to a fine display of Grafonolas, graphophones, records, etc. — a complete line of Columbia goods, which they will handle exclusively. The quarters set aside for this department have been artistically tinted in cream white and pale green wall panels, with plate glass mirror doors opening into the demonstrating booths. The arrangements for handling the record stock are admirable and most convenient. Heavy bright lined velvet carpet and fine rugs cover the floor. The entire place is brilliantly illuminated. In addition to the allotted space, they will also utilize the $10,000 art room adjoining for the display of the Grafonolas, on which they specialize. The room in question, with deep panels of embossed pink silk, cost Knabe & Co. that figure to decorate and furnish, and is used for exhibiting the finest examples of Knabe's art grand and upright pianos. It is the intention of Wm. Knabe & Co. to have specially designed Grafonolas for their trade only, and with this purpose in view the art department of the great piano house are preparing cabinets that will range in price up to $1,.500 in cost. This work is to be completed and finished at the Baltimore factory, and the mechanism subsequently installed by the Columbia Phonograph Co. Joseph M. Bryant, in charge of the department, said theopening was auspicious in the highest degree, and that the sales since had exceeded their most sanguine expectations. At times they had as many as sixty callers, three-fourths of whom placed orders. FEATURING COLOMBIAN COMPOSITIONS. El Grafico, of Bogota, Colombia, S. A., in an article on "Our Music Abroad." says : "Colombian airs have alwa^'S called for considerable attention abroad for the originality of their rhythm and poetic grace of expression. .\t present they are not only sought for private entertainments, but solicited for public purposes as well. This success is due in great part to Emilio Murillo. indefatigable composer and promoter of our national airSj who has set himself to bring to light the Colombian musical compositions. They are being enthusiastically hailed principally in the United States. (The Yankees are so fond of all our productions ! ) The celebrated Mademoiselle Dazie has been engaged for the Victoria Theater of New York, where she sings very correctly the Colombian airs of Murillo and dances to the music of the Colombian com+ ■ poser so as to do one's heart good. To this should be added the fact that Mr. Sause, with the Columbia Phonograph Co., asserts that the most successful records are Murillo's Columbian compositions." Engage capable assistants and pay them satisfactory wages. Treat them well so that they may take an interest in your business. Do not act toward them in a narrow-minded manner, but do not be too indulgent. Make inquiries about their capacity and then require each one to do his besit. For the Manufacturer— For the Experimentor "A Universal Solder" PIERMAN'S " Selffluxing " Aluminum Solder Solders Aluminum and iVlacadamite Metaj to aU other metals Price per bar, 25c.— Five bars, $1 by mai' Used at Edison Laboratory Send for Circular A. N. PIERMAN 327 ORANGE STREET, NEWARK, N. J.