The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

16 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. The hundred-dollar "Baby'' in the "Regent" family makes the home complete. BUSY TIMES IN DETROST. Constantly Growing Demand for Victrolas of All Kinds — Good Results from Printer's Ink — Columbia Sales Beat All Previous Records — Ludwig Proves That It Is Not the Location but the Methods of Selling That Count — IVlax Strasburg Adds Columbia to His Line — Other News of General Interest. (Special to The Talking Machine Woi'Id.) Detroit, Mich., Dec. 9, 1911. December opens for the talking machine trade m Detroit with the conditions of greater demand th;in supply which have prevailed since early September accentuated rather than abated. There have been no important changes except the taking on Max Strasburg, the Victrola Shop, of a line of Columbias. His object is to convenience those of his patrons who like the table style of machine. The Victor line remains his leader. The Victor trade has been running peculiarly favorable in the last two or three weeks to the $200 Victrolas for spot cash. It can be explained in part by the holiday trade, many of the machines being held for delivery after December 20. But most of them are wanted at once, actually within an hour or two of purchase. That is a tribute to the efficiency of the demonstrations, particularly to the fibre needle demonstrations, which Mr. Strasburg is pushing as one of the greatest assets of the business. The other side to the peculiar turn of business is that while the two century machines are going for cash, the $15 to $50 Victors are selling on contract. The manager of the talking machine department of Grinnell Bros., makes particular note of this. It happens this way, according to his analysis : When the talking machine trade was new in Detroit some house established the custom of selling on contract without interest. So it has been adhered to by all dealers ever since. And as the talking machine prices are flat, no discounts to friends or business co-operators, there is no object in paying cash. Records are cash. And if a man does not pay cash for his machine, even if it is only a $15 one, he has just that much more money to invest in recdrds. It is no uncommon thing for a man to Ifoy a $50 Victrola on time and pay spot for $40 or $50 worth of records. Thus the dealer makes a greater profit on his sale than he would by getting cash or by selling on instalments with interest added. His contracts call foi Columbia Phonograph Co., Genl., Tribune Building, New York large payments, on the plea that he has to pay cash within thirty days himself and thus finds it impossible to make the time very long. The scheme works like a charm in Detroit and is a valuable precedent for such other cities as have not taken it ' up. Never was the value of printer's ink as a busincbs bringer more thoroughly demonstrated than in this fall's talking machine campaign. Heretofore machines have been only moderately advertised here. But with the removal of the Columbia headquarters to the new retail district east of Woodward avenue and the establishment of the Strasburg store in the same neighborhood, it was necessary to let people know where they were. Their advertising, big and bold, incited counter advertising by Grinnell Bros., the American Phonograph Co. and the Cable Piano Co., all in the old paths of traffic on Woodward avenue. They heralded in large space that they were still making things hum at the old stands. A large number of branch stores have joined in the campaign, until it seems that everybody in Detroit who doesn't already own a talking machine is talking of buying one. As yet there is only an inkling of Christmas trade. The big stores of all kinds are still dull — except the music stores. Comparing these things with what ought to be when the rush comes portends the most tremendous holiday trade ever known. "And that will be going some," remarked Manager Johns, of the Columbia branch, "for I've been in the business eleven years and I never knew a Christmas yet that I could get all the machines I had orders for. We are away behind now, so I can't imagine what conditions we will face two weeks from now." The $50 machines are the favorites everywhere. They seem to be the dividing line in the minds of the people who realize that they cannot be extravagant, yet who have respectable incomes. The men who can afford to spend more skip the grades between the $50 Favorites and Victrolas and the $200 machines and take the very highest priced instruments. The demand for records is, so great that they are ordered by express, and it is impossible to keep a complete library in stock. The Ludwig Music House is demonstrating a thing that is new for Detroit. Mr. Ludwig is proving that talking machines can be successfully sold from a second-floor location. He handles the Columbia line, and the fact that he is placing dupli cate orders shows that he is doing business. Heretofore small goods of any kind from a secondfloor location, unless, m a public arcade, have beer, considered an impossibility. But Mr. Ludwig seems to have made good at it. Again, advertising tells the story. HEAVY DEMAND FOR CABINETS. Stock of Udell Works Practically Cleaned Out by Orders for Holiday Trade — New Line Ready Early Next Year. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. 7, 1911. The Udell Works, the prominent cabinet manufacturers of this city, report that they are experiencing a very heavy demand for all their various styles of talking machine cabinets this season and that it has been found difficult to supply promptly the orders on certain styles, especially in the new table cabinets fitting the Victor machines, numbers 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11, as the reserve stock is nearly exhausted and the facilities of the plant are taxed 'o the utmost. The wisdom of a large number of jobbers in placing their orders well in advance and thus insuring a full stock of Udell cabinets on hand at the time when they are most needed to meet holiday demands has been .well proven. The Udell Works also announce that they are preparing to have a full line of all their many styles of cabinets ready for delivery early in 1912, and suggest that the jobbers place their orders for spring stock early in order to get prompt service. PHONOGKAPH FOR CAMPAIGN USE. A rather novel plan of booming Roosevelt for President is under way in Nebraska, despite the .public statement of the ex-President that he will not participate in the coming Presidential campaign, at least as a candidate for the office of President. These Nebraska boomers propose simultaneous dinners being given in fifty or more towns of the State, and Mr. Roosevelt will be asked to speak 'simultaneously at each of the dinners. This will be efifected by the long distance telephone, Mr. Roosevelt talking into the transmitter and receivers being placed in" each dining room. If this method is not feasible, it may be accomplished with the aid of the phonographs, the record being made in New York and turned loose at a given hour. RECORDING WAX SPICIALTY Wax plates for private record taking. Noiseless Cutting. Ready for recording without any further preparation. ERNST WILKE & CO., Goerlitz. Factory : Berlin, Ger, N. 20, Kolonie Strasse, 3-4 MOST PERFECT RECORDING-SENSITIVENESS Has unlimited life. Plates absolutely ready for recording.