The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1913)

40 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. Bought for 10 cents and sold at 10 cents —the Columbia "Demonstration" Record is not only about the most effective advertising you can do, but the cheapest Free advertising that works overtime for you. Columbia Graphophone Company Tribune Building, New York DETROIT PIANO HOUSES TAKING ON "TALKERS." Marked Development Along These Lines Recently — Some of the Largest Piano Houses Working Up Large Trade — American Phonograph Co. Featuring Edison Line — Victor Dealers Find It Difficult to Get Sufficient Stock — Mahogany a Favorite wit h Retai I Trade. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Detroit, Mich., April 11, 1913. Another Detroit piano house entered the talking machine field this week — the Gersanbeck Piano Co., on Mack avenue, taking on the full Columbia line of machines and re'cords. More and more are the Detroit talking machine dealers and the piano dealers coming to realize that their interests are in common, and that the carrying of the two lines in one store creates business for both. The talking machine people have been aware of it for several years. The jobbers like to place agencies with piano houses, Practically all the people who visit a piano store are in some way interested in music. Therefore they are, in a degree, talking machine prospects. If they already have pianos, perhaps they like a variety in their music, and it doesn't cost very much more to buy a talking machine too. If they cannot afford a high-priced piano, and don't relish one of the hundred to two hundred variety, the hundred to two hundred dollar talking machine is the happy solution, even if they prefer pianoforte selections, for nowadays there are piano records by the score, made by the very best artists. If they own a. piano, and cannot play it very well, they may desire to trade it in and take a first-class talking machine. This is especially the case if they feel they cannot afford a thousand dollars or more for a player-piano. Many piano stores handle sheet music and small goods. The patrons who call for that sort of merchandise are the best sort of prospects for talking machines. In almost every home where there is a piano, it is the young folks who use it. The older ones may have had a fine musical education, but they have practiced less and less as their years have advanced. It is very hard work to practice sufficiently to keep in trim, and aging energy does not respond to the necessity. Without the practice they cannot perform in a manner pleasing to their educated ears — so they drop it. But in the talking machine they can have the best of everything without the hard work of practice. Naturally, they buy it at the store where they have been acquainted for years as a piano buyer and music buyer. "All it needs to sell a talking machine to the average person is to call his attention to it," said S E. Lind, of the Columbia Co., in discussing this question with The World representative. "In a piano store the attention of musical people is called to talking machines because they practically can't escape it. This, alone, means hundreds of sales in a year." The Farrand Co., Grinnell Bros, and the Cable Piano Co., three of the largest piano houses in the city, carry talking machines. Among the smaller ones are Adler's Music House, the Tin nette Music House and the Gersanbeck Piano Co. All of them agree that the combination is an ideal trade winner. M. Adler was for many years with the Clough & Warren Piano Co., one of their best salesmen. Five years ago he resigned to go into business for himself. He started with pianos, and soon put in the Columbia line. The latter business has grown until it now occupies more than half the store. A notable change in the field within the last month has been the retirement of Grinnell Bros, from the jobbing business of the Edison line here. This is now exclusively in the hands of the American Phonograph Co., who have been Edison jobbers for about as many years as Grinnell Bros, have. Grinnells will continue to handle the Edison in a retail way. "We did not feel that we could do justice to both lines in the jobbing field," said Manager Harry Rtipp, of Grinnells' talking machine department, referring" to the Victor and Edison competition. "Our relations with the Edison people have been of the very best. That is why we retain a retail, representation." For about two weeks one of Grinnell Bros.' show windows has been devoted to the "Victor Theater" advertisement, and there is an audience in front of it continuously. The scenery of the miniature playhouse is fine and realistic, luring the passersby to stop many minutes, until the rotation of acts is completed. It is a most effective means of calling attention to the talking machine and what it will bring into the home. Besides the theater, the window is loaded with records and machines. The large Victor dealers, like the Farrand Co. and the Max Strasburg Co., have placed orders with Victor jobbing houses all over the country tc send whatever Victors they can, of the higher priced styles, and send them whenever they can. They are thus getting a fair-sized stock, but none too many. The orders thus placed are standing orders, and there are no indications now that there will be any necessity of cancelling them — at least not before New Year's day. The Victor automatic brake has just arrived and is creating a universal interest among talking machine owners. It undoubtedly will do a lot to further popularize the already much-sought machines. It is being furnished as part of the regular equipment on the styles costing $100 and upward. "I had a first-class example a couple of days ago, of the axiom that if you don't carry the stock you can't get the trade," said Max Strasburg to-day. "We had three golden oak Victrola elevens on the floor. There is comparatively little call for golden oaks, and I thought we were stuck. Perhaps that's what the "jobber thought who sent them to us. I was thinking about send ing them back, when in came three sisters, all wealthy and evidently of the same taste, for they took those golden oaks, one each, and paid the spot cash for them. They reside in different parts of the city." Detroit demand in the. high-priced machines is running almost entirely to mahogany. OPEN EXCLUSIVE EDISON STORE. Minnesota Phonograph Co. Open at 833 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis With Lawrence H. Lucker in Charge — New Quarters for the Columbia in St. Paul — Manager Herdman a Hustler — Dyer Victrola Recitals Attract — Piano Houses Take on "Talkers." (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Minneapolis and St. Paul, April 10, 1013. An exclusive Edison store was opened the other day at 833 Nicollet avenue, Minneapolis, by the Minnesota Phonograph Co. The old retail store and distributing headquarters at 525 First avenue S, will be retained without change. The company recently has given particular attention to the Edison disc machines with phenomenal success, according to Lawrence H. Lucker, head of the concern. "We are doing a greater business now in Edisons alone than the whole of our Victor and Edison business a year ago. The prospects for the talking machine trade never were better than at present. Everybody must have a machine, and a fairly good one." C. P. Herdman, the new manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co.'s branch in St. Paul, is planning to inject a lot of ginger in the talking machine world of that city. He has arranged to get over on Music Row, namely, Sixth street, and has leased the premises at 17 East Sixth street, where he will have the Cable Piano Co. on one side and Howard, Farwell & Co. on the other, and in the next block the Raudenbush and Falk stores. Mr. Herdman, three weeks out from Indianapolis, is devoted to the phonograph business, and particularly as exploited by the Columbia Co. The new store will be occupied about May 1. W. J. Dyer & Co. have been giving HankyPanky concerts and Harry Lauder recitals with the Victrola, and these demonstrations have been signally successful, particularly in selling records. The first of the. Columbia grands in the Northwest reached the Minneapolis branch this week, and the two instruments were disposed of at once. Four others on the way virtually are sold, in the opinion of Manager Wheeler. "You never saw anything like the enthusiastic interest these machines have excited. This surely is the phonograph age." The piano houses must bow to the rule of the talking machine. The Cable Piano Co., which installed this modern department in the new St. Paul store, is about to make a similar innovation at its Minneapolis store. Foster & Waldo, the Metropolitan Music Co. and the New England Furniture Co., general distributers for the Victor machines and records, report highly satisfactory trade, bountiful prospects for the future and collections good in every section of the Northwest.