The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 49 Beware of Imitations SOLID WOOD (NOT VENEERED) Mr. Dealer: TRAOE IflftRK M USIC ASTER REGISTERED Solid Wood Horn This Trade Mark Placed On Every Horn All Others Imitations SPECIAL NOTICE:— Imitations of the Music Master Wood Horn are on the market to resemble the MUSIC MASTER, but are veneered, the joints overlap, and a layer of glue between the veneers. Look for the Music Master Trade Mark Solid Wood Horn before purchasing, which are by far superior to any Horn or Hornless Machine on the market. DON'T let the other man pick all the ripe plums. Get a few yourself. The Trade Mark you see marked Music Master is your safeguard. It is the ONLY Horn Guaranteed. Should your jobber be unable to supply you, write us. SHEIP & VANDEGRIFT, Inc. PHILADELPHIA, PA. HEAVY RECORD TRADE ON THE COAST Sales of Many Machines During the Holidays Result in Big Demand for Records During Following Months — Rainy Weather Helps — Curtaz & Son Department Moved to Main Floor — Frank Sharp in Charge — Increased Business Reported for All Wiley B. Allen Stores — Installing Edison Business Phonographs— E. W. Scott Buys Out Kohler & Chase Department — General Trade News of the Month That Is Worth Mentioning. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cat, Jan. 26, 1912. "This is the season of the year when we do our greatest business in talking machine records," says A. R. Pommer, manager of the Pacific Phonograph Co. "This fact is due to the great number of new machines sold during the holidays. Naturally people who have machines want new records, as they do not usually buy a great many at the time they purchase a phonograph. Also, on account of the rainy season, folks stay indoors more and hence have need of this sort of amusement." Extensive alterations are being made in the store of Benjamin Curtaz & Son on Kearny street, by reason of the fact that the talking machine department is to be moved from the mezzanine floor to the main floor. The talking machine business with this firm has grown considerably of late and it was found necessary to provide larger quarters. Five sound-proof rooms will be fitted up on the main floor at the rear, and the main offices will be shifted to allow room for the new department. Frank Sharp, formerly with the Columbia people, has for the last three months had charge of the Curtaz talking machine department. The Wiley B. Allen Co. reports a big increase in its talking machine business for 1911. This increase extended to all its different stores on the Coast, namely: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, I.os Angeles, San Diego and Portland, Ore. This company has completed its stocktaking and is now busy with plans for the new year. The record business is holding up well in spite of the rains, which have interfered somewhat with retail sales in this city. ' A. G. McCarthy, secretary of Sherman, Clay & Co., says that he is surprised at the greatly increased sale of the larger sizes of Victrolas. Though handicapped by inadequate supplies of Victor talking machines from the factory, yet this company cannot complain, for it has done a record business right along. Its sales of records are keeping pace with the sales of machines. Several big deals for installing Edison business phonographs in local business establishments have been made by Peter Bacigalupi & Sons lately, and the regular talking machine business, while not as brisk as a month ago, is averaging well for the month. Babson Bros., who depend mostly upon their mail order business in Edison phonographs, report a slight improvement in business for January, especially in records. E. W. Scott, formerly manager of the San Francisco office of the Columbia Phonograph Co., has just acquired the talking machine department of the Kohler & Chase Piano Co. here. He bought out this department on January 15 and consequently replaced C. Wortley as manager. In order to comply with the growing requirements of this department new quarters are being fitted up on the mezzanine floor of the Kohler & Chase building, to which floor the talking machine department will be moved from its old quarters on the fifth floor. All the demonstration and machine rooms will be finished in mahogany and plate glass, and the ceilings will be carried out in keeping with the general decorative scheme of the main floor ; that is, in ivory and gold leaf. All rooms will be rendered sound-proof. When completed, about the middle of February, it is expected, this talking machine department will be as handsome, if not more so, than any similar department on the Coast. Mr. Scott says that he will make a strong bid for the best talking machine business of the city. C. Wortley, until recently manager of the Kohler & Chase talking machine department, is now con nected with the Dictaphone department of the Columbia Phonograph Co. here. W. S. Gray, Coast manager for the Columbia Phonograph Co., is making a trip through the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. James L. Clancy, formerly the Oakland manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., and Mr. LeClaire, an employe of the Oakland house of Kohler & Chase, have taken over the talking machine department of Kohler & Chase in Oakland. The Columbia Phonograph Co. announces that now it is without any retail interests on the Coast, but is devoting its energies entirely to the wholesale business. R. B. Davis, the phonograph dealer of Stockton, Cal., was a recent visitor to the San Francisco jobbers. A. McDowell, in the talking machine business at Petaluma, Cal., was in the city a few days ago. E. E. Edstrom, the "Vacaville (Cal.) phonograph dealer, paid a recent visit to San Francisco. The Sturrock Music Co. at Port Townsend. Wash., is a late firm to take up talking machines. The Cloverdale Pharmacy, Cloverdale, Cal., has taken on a line of talking machines and records. C. L. Barnum is a new dealer in talking machine goods at Forestville, Cal. Mr. Schindler, of Schindler & Schuler, Chico, Cal., is a talking machine dealer who recently called on the jobbing trade in San Francisco. William Temby, a talking machine deafer of Grass Valley, Cal., has filed a petition in bankruptcy. The only music at the funeral recently of Prof. W. M. Skinner, a vocalist, of Jackson, Mich., was a phonographic record of his own voice. Some time before death he sang into the machine a musical arrangement of Tennyson's poem "Crossing the Bar," and this was heard at the funeral. It's an easy thing to do a thing to-morrow, It's a "cinch" for one to do it bye and bye. But the man whose life is sunny, (He's the chap that gets the money), Is the man whose stunt is "do it now or die."