The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 31 QUAKER CITYJTRADE NOTES. Business Brisk with Tremendous Demand for Hornless IVIachines — Dealers Complain of Scarcity — Every Effort Being Made to Supply Their Wants — Columbia Recitals Interesting Feature of Their Business — Louis Buehn & Bro. Established in Their New Home — Gimbel Bros. Double Size of Talking Machine Department — Other News. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 10, 1911. Wherever you may call at the present time the answer is that September was the banner month of 1911. Not that it was the largest month the trade has had this year, but it was the month that showed the greatest advance over last year — in fact, over any previous year — and for that reason all of the dealers are highly elated. The only trouble now seems to be for the dealers to get their goods. There never has been a time when they were so badly off. At one house this week they showed me close to one hundred orders for the Victor Co.'s new $15 machine, and they had but one in the place, and that they would not sell, but were using it for a sample to take still further orders. At another of the large dealers they did not have one of these instruments, and the past week they tried their very best to get one of them from the factory or from another dealer in the city, but they failed. This scarcity of instruments seems to be the only thing the dealers have to complain of these days. This little $15 Victor seems to have caught on very satisfactorily, and while there is little profit in the instrument, it is an excellent way to introduce the Victor, and many of the purchasers of the $15 machines have already had them exchanged for something bigger and naturally better. Besides, the dealers say, customers having one purchased a machine with a number of records, they hold on to the records and get something very much better on which to play them. All of the dealers have made the greatest improvement possible in their houses, and most strikingly so the Gimbel store, which has gone very heavily into the handling of talking machines, and have doubled their former capacity, and from two salesmen they have increased their force to six men, and they do no wholesaling whatever. Manager Henderson, of the Columbia Co., reports that their September business was very good indeed. It slacked up a little bit the last week in September, the cause of which they attributed to the excitement of the election in this city. But the past ten days it has been picking up daily. They are simply swamped with orders for the new hornless machines which retail at from $15 to $35. They have also received samples of the new Nonpareil machine, which will be sold for $150. Every little detail of this instrument has been carefully thought out and perfected. This machine has a very full, rich tone. It also has a new system to file records which is far superior to the old stjle of boxes and albums, and it is 100 per cent, easier manipulate. •, Marion Dorian, treasurer of the Columbia Phonograph Co., was here on Thursday last, and Manager Henderson was in New York the better part of last week on business. On Sunday night last the Columbia people gave a sacred concert in the St. Paul's P. E. Church at Magnolia, N. J. Only sacred music was given, but the firm has such a complete library of that class of music that such a concert is very easy to arrange. They have requests in all directions to give such concerts. They have a concert booked for November 23 at the Churh of the Holy Apostles in this city. The employes have already began to arrange for a very elaborate entertainment and banquet during the holidays. This they make an annual affair. They intend to give a dinner and then a minstrel show, to be followed by more eats. Miss Christie MacDonald, who is singing in Philadelphia at the present time, has had delivered ekchangeT 3,000 Edison two minute records for Disk Machines and records of any make. Address DenniGER, 335 North St., Rochester, N. Y. to her apartments at the Bellevue-Stratford a Columbia Mignon with a big assortment of operatic records. H. A. Weymann & Sons also report that their talking machine business in September was far better than it was last year, and the outlook for the rest of the period up to the holidays is very good, and the only uneasiness they feel is that they will not be able to get the instruments as fast as they will need them. Charles H. Godfrey, one of their big customers from Atlantic City, was a Philadelphia visitor this week and took back with him a receipt for a considerable amount of holiday stock. Another dealer here was R. G. Schaffer, of Phoenixville. The firm reports that within the last couple of weeks they have closed some big new contracts. W. C. Holzbauer, manager of the "Wanamaker talking machine department, reports that business at his house in September was very good. They have practically all of their rooms completed and completely furnished, and the department is in such shape that they will be able to handle all the business that is likely to come to the house during the coming holiday season. They are anticipating a very big fall. At present they are giving daily concerts in the Greek Hall from 11 to 12 and from 2 to 3 o'clock, in which they are demonstrating the talking machine in connection with the Angelus, as well as the Victrola combined with the organ and violin. Mr. Holzbauer says that the demand for goods has been greater than the output, and that his firm have been having some trouble to get orders filled promptly. Manager Elwell, of the Heppe talking machine department, reports that the past September business was very much better than the average September business, and that their only difficulty was m getting the new Victor $15 machines, having on their desk at present orders for upwards of 100 of these machines with only a sample on hand. The Heppes have just established a new dealer in Minersville, Pa., F. J. Hummel, who has ordered a. full stock of all the various styles of machines. Mr. Elwell says that reports from Hagar Bros.' new talking machine department in their big department store at Lancaster, which was stocked and established by the Heppe house, are most encouraging, the firm having already done a bigger business on talking machines than was ever before done in Lancaster. Louis Buehn & Bro. are fully established in their new home on Arch street, and are very well satisfied with the location, and especially with the much more desirable building. The ceilings are exceptionally high and the instruments sound 10 per cent, better than around on Ninth street, and the building being 145 feet in depth, it is large enough to keep all their machines and stock on the one floor. The offices are arranged about the middle of this floor, and -upon the walls are placed portraits of the leading operatic artists who sing for the Victor. Mr. Buehn says they can now show their goods to splendid advantage. Business, he says, is very much better than it was last year. Among recent visitors to the house was E. H. Phillips, of the Edison Co. Edmund Buehn has removed his family to Pittsburgh. The branch store the firm has established there has warranted them in considering it a permanent arrangement, and the outlook is most encouraging. Gimbel Brothers have doubled the size of their talking machine department, and have expended hundreds of dollars in so doing. They have built three very fine new demonstrating rooms as near sound-proof as possible. Recently they have more than doubled their business, and now that they will be able properly to handle it, they expect to have a still further increase. They have signed up in anticipation of a big increase at the Christmas holidays. The department is in charge of Horace H. Stewart, with G. F. Wurtele as assistant. Mr. Folgrum, of the Victor Co., was a caller at the Gimbel department and expressed himself as very well pleased with its appearance. Aside from talking machines in the department will be handled a full line of the smaller musical instruments. CHICAGO DEALERS ORGANIZE. Form Permanent Organization Under the Title of "The Chicago Talking Machine Dealers' Association" — New Election of Officers Takes Place at the November Meeting. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago, 111., Oct. 9, 1911. Definite steps were taken toward the permanent organization of the Chicago Talking Machine Dealers' Association, which has been holding monthly meetings for several months. T. C. Deuther, chairman of the committee on by-laws, presented his draft. The various sections were taken up ad seriatim, and were finally adopted after various changes had been made by motion. "The Chicago Talking Machine Dealers' Association" was the name officially adopted. The object of the organization was stated to be ihe promotion of better conditions in the talking machine trade, and the correction of existing evils. The section concerning the qualification for membership reads as follows : '-The membership shall consist of all legitimate retail talking machine dealers doing business in the city of Chicago and vicinity outside of the (downtown) district bounded by Twelfth street on the south, the lake on the east and the river on the north and west. "Legitimate" means such dealers as are licensed by the divers manufacturers to handle their product. The initiation fee is fixed at $1 ,and must accompany the application for membership. The dues are $4 per year, payable quarterly. The officers of the association shall consist of a president, first and second vice-presidents, treasurer and secretary. These officers shall constitute the executive committee. The regular meetings of the association shall take place on the second Monday of each month, and the annual election of officers takes place at the November meeting. The. next meeting of the organization will take place in Room L 28, Great Northern Hotel, at -2 p. m. on Monday, November 13. At this meeting the first election of permanent officers will take place, and the temporary president, E. T. Van de Mark, requests a full attendance of dealers outside the loop in order that the officers then elected be fully representative of the interests they are to serve. At the meeting to-day Isaac N. Purdy, 9009 Commercial avenue, South Chicago, arid Jarnes Vasumpaur, 1701 West Eighteenth street, were admitted to membership. ENJOYS IDEAL AUTO TOUR. J. N. Blackman Tours Berkshires and Incidentally Gets Line on Trade Conditions. J. Newcomb Blackman, head of the Blackman Talking Machine Co., New York, who is an enthusiastic automobilist and swears by his Buick car, recently took the ideal automobile tour through New England, accompanied by Mrs. Blackman. Mr. Blackman followed the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie, then to Great Barrington, Mass., through the Berkshires to Hartford, Conn., and then home along the shore of Long Island Sound. The entire distance of about 500 miles was negotiated easily in five days, and though there was some difficult driving in the mountains only one blowout was reported. Mr. Blackman combined business with pleasure by calling on a score or more of dealers in New England, and reported that though they were inclined to be conservative they nevertheless looked for good business during the fall and winter. They stated that the introduction of the cheaper models of hornless machines had done much to stimulate business. The many friends of Howard Taylor Middleton, whose special articles for the Talking Machine World have attracted notice, will regret to learn of the death of his mother, which sad event occurred after a short illness on Oct. 8, at her late home in Hainesport, N. J.