The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

42 THE TALKTNG MACHINE WORLD. Every month there is less substituting of other products when Columbia is asked for. It will be clearly impossible to sell a substitute for the Columbia "Lyric" instrument and the six doubledisc records at $28.90 which we are advertising this month. And why should any dealer try it ? Columbia Phonograph Co., Gen'l Tribune Building, New York BETTER SPIRIT IN QUAKER CITY. Talking Machine Business Shows Good Increase Over Other Lines — Estey Co. Featuring the Columbia Line — Wilkes-Barre Department Store Takes on Talkers — Buehn Makes Excellent Report Regarding Conditions in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — The News of the Month. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Philadelphia, Pa., June 5, 1912. The talking machine business in May in Philadelphia was generally gratifying. It was considerably larger than last year, and if it did not show the comparative increase of the other months of 1912 over the corresponding months of last year, it must be due to the general business depression that has been felt in all lines. It would be hard to find any business in Philadelphia — probably in any other city — that has shown a better general spirit than the talking machine business. It is most healthy, and the dealers seem to have no cause for complaint, either with the amount of business they have been doing with the purchasing public and with the manufacturers. Talkers More Than Holding Their Own. The manufacturers have been getting out the goods with the required promptness and have been sending new things to the market which will help materially in the future. The lists of records for the Victor, the Columbia and the Edison for June are most enticing, and already many of the big dealers are planning to place their fall orders with the manufacturers in order that they may not be handicapped more than possible. While the Victor has been considerably more than holding its own, I find an increased interest and an increased enthusiasm in Philadelphia over the Edison, and there are Philadelphia dealers who will tell you that they are going to give the Edison a very much squarer deal in the future than they have done in the past. Columbia Department for Estey Co. Manager T. K. Henderson, of the Estey house is making preparations to open his Columbia talking machine department in the -course of a very few days. He has selected Walter G. Linton, who is at present connected with the Columbia house, and who was previous to that a Victor salesman, to manage the Estey talking machine business. They expect to make the department one of the "classiest" of that in any house in the United States, and for the present at least will handle only Columbia machines. They will confine the department to no special part of the store, but will distribute it throughout the building, and they will have sufficient salesmen to handle the work. Mr. Linton will assume charge on June 15. Busy Times at Columbia Co. Branch. The Columbia Phonograph Co. reports that it pretty nearly doubled the April business in May, and that May ran at least sixty per cent, ahead of last year. On Decoration Day the employes of the Columbia had a picnic in Fairmount Park, which was a success in every way. It was held at Belmont Mansion, and baseball, racing and various other sports were indulged in. O. C. Dorian, the present acting manager of the Philadelphia store, was over to New York last week to attend the 25th anniversary banquet of the American Graphophone Co. New Ellery Band Records Please. The new Ellery Band records -of the Columbia are very fine and have been enjoying an enormous sale. They also have just received some new records by Zenatello and Emmy Destinn which they expect to sell readily, as well as the exclusive records they have made of the voice of Georgette Leblane Maeterlinck. The firm is gradually eliminating the doors on all hornless machines, and is submitting in their stead the tone shutters which seem to be an innovation which is thoroughly appreciated by the buyers of the Columbia. These shutters are much more sightly, more convenient and permit a great ease in modulating the tone. Newspaper Reporting Via Dictaphone. Nils Victorin, a Danish newspaper man was in Philadelphia the past week and used the Columbia entirely for making his records. He has been sent to this country to write articles from the various sections for the "Dagblat" and dictate his articles to the Dictaphone, and then ship his records home to be transcribed there. The articles are headed "Dictaphone Letters from the United States." -; ; iJv'w*'-\_ Opens New Department. J. Ounsworth, who conducts a piano store at Fairhill and Lehigh avenue, has opened an exclusive Columbia department at this store. Among the out-of-town buyers here the past week were William S. Hollenbach, of Reading and Gwylim Evans, of Wilkes-Barre. New Departure in Wilkes-Barre. The Standard Department Store, of W'lkesBarre, are at present having booths erected and will put in a complete line of talking machines. They have an exclusive foreign trace and are going to prepare to cater to the American trade as well. What the Department Stores Are Doing. Business has been very good with the talking machine department at the Lit store in May. Manager Hovey has certainly made that department a winner, at least as far as appearance goes, and he has been exerting all his energy to get it into the shape that it will compare favorably with any other department in Philadelphia. He has unique ideas in arranging stock which are very effective, and while he has not yet had turned over to him a space sufficiently large to give him the scope of* his competitors in the department store business, yet he has taken every advantage of what he has at his disposal. The sales in May in the talking machine department at the Wanamaker store almost doubled those of May a year ago. The department is particularly well supplied with all styles of Victrolas, and they are very much encouraged in that line of their business. Between this and fall, their will no doubt be radical changes in the arrangement of the department. For some reason it is the only part of the new Wanamaker building which does not seem to conform, and it is expected that they will remove the large Louis XIV show room and in its place build a row of rooms to correspond with those at the rear, although only half the num ber, but double the size, and following a uniform idea. Praise for Amberola 3d. Everywhere I hear praise of the new Amberola 3d, the latest production of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., which is sold at $125. It is a very fine instrument and some dealers who heretofore have not been over enthusiastic Edison workers, take to this No. 3 with splendid grace and they believe that they are going to have an excellent business on these machines the coming fall season. Reports Improved Business. Manager Doerr, of the talking machine department of H. A. Weymann & Son, is one of the Edison Amberola 3ds enthusiasts. He says they have already had a big sale on this instrument. The May business of the Weymann department was very large. It was considerably better than last year. They have quite an excellent stock of Victor machines on hand and are now in a position to take care, in one shipment, of all the records that a dealer may order. Louis Buehn a Busy Man. Louis Buehn reports that while May was a satisfactory month, it showed a drop off in comparison with the previous months this year, but their May business was considerable in excess of the corresponding month of last year, so consequently they have no complaint coming. Louis Buehn has been in Pittsburgh three times during May on account of the illness of his brother, who has charge of the Pittsburgh store of Louis Buehn & Bro. Mr. Buehn was quite seriously ill for a short time, but is back again attending to business. Mr. Buehn speaks highly of the Edison Amberola and believes that there is going to be a very good business on this new $125 machine. Among recent visitors to the trade here were Elmer E. Nagle, of Pottsville and Frank Stanton, of Thomas A. Edison, Inc. Manager Stewart, of the Gimbel talking machine department reports that business is very fine. It is so far ahead of last year that they have not taken the bother to calculate. Among the visitors to the department this week was Mr. Folgrum, of the Victor Talking Machine Co. MUSIC ON THE TRAINS. Concerts on the Grafonola Now a Feature of a Trip on the Washington Sunset Route. The Columbia product is getting some magnificent publicity in" the West by installation of the Grafonola "Favorite" on the trains of the Washington-Sunset Route. The following is a copy of a circular sent to the ticket agents by the railroad authorities : "Grafonola Recitals. — Beginning Friday, February 9, and until April 5 (maybe indefinitely), each Friday tourist sleeping car will carry a Grafonola for the entertainment of the passengers. This instrument is one of the most popular designs produced by the Columbia Phonograph Co., and will be under the charge of the excursion agent of the Washington-Sunset Route. Recitals will be given in the tourist car during the day and in the observation car during the evening. We hope that this innovation will add much to the pleasure of our passengers en route to California."