The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1914)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 11 Much of the success of Columbia opera recording is due to the personal interest of Mr. Henry Russell, director of the Boston Opera Company. (Write for "Music Money," a book "full of meat" for those dealers interested in quick and frequent turnover of capital.} Columbia Graphophone Company Wool worth Building, New York CREDITORS TAKE CHARGE OF BUSINESS OF J. ARNOLD Take Step to Protect Their Own Interests Following Financial Difficulties of Cincinnati Talking Machine Dealer — Ill-Health Largely Responsible — General Trade in Cincinnati Very Good — Record Sales Heavy — What the Various "Talker" Houses Have to Report. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Cincinnati, O., April 7. — During the past week creditors of John Arnold, talking machine dealer at Fifth and Elm streets, took charge of their stock and in that manner closed out the business of this dealer. The action is the outcome of a series of misfortunes which have befallen Arnold, and it probably leaves his penniless, without even his homestead exemption. Arnold has been laboring under difficulties for months. Illness at his home, then located in Hyde Park, took up a greater part of his capital. Besides looking after his business, Arnold tried to nurse his wife back to health. The two conditions resulted in his becoming a nervous wreck, and he was compelled to leave his affairs in the hands of an employe at his store. Developments show that Arnold did not make the necessary arrangements to protect his affairs. No instructions were given to any of his friends, and it is intimated that not even the creditors knew of what was transpiring. After Arnold left town suit was brought to foreclose on a mortgage on his home. He placed this matter in the hands of an attorney but did not confide anything about his business. Notes which were due the latter part of last month could not be taken up, and it is asserted that those who made an investigation found that no books were kept nor a bank account existed during the absence of Arnold. The Kipp-Link Co., of Indianapolis; the Phonograph Co., Cleveland, and the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., this city, were the principal creditors. The amount of their losses could not be learned. The firms simply stepped in and closed out the business. One business man intimated that failure on the part of Arnold to establish a more confidential relation with the houses that he did business with brought about the drastic steps. The difficulties of Arnold were intimated in this column several months ago. Arnold is now at Denver trying to recover his health. So far as is known, he has not taken any steps towards a future career. He is still a young man. While the individual reports would indicate an exceptional business yet, in a general way, the trade suffers from the general condition of the labor market. There have been a few repossessions. The smaller houses are holding their own. The large firms are bothered with a shortage of records, which has proven a serious handicap to the trade at a time it needs the most encouragement. One of the features of the local market during the past month was a monthly display at the Columbia store favoring the $35 Grafonola. Small cuts, showing a reproduction of the instrument, were pasted on the window, forming a border. The case contained several "Jewels" and a bunch of records. It was a neat combination and an attractive talking machine display. When Manager Whelen, of the local Columbia store, was asked the usual stereotyped question, "How is business?" he said: "The sale of records seems to have been the principal feature of our business this past month. I personally believe that this wonderful stimulus is due to the dancing craze, and the craze becomes more pronounced each week. Perhaps one-half of the records sold are dance records, and when you consider that the demand for the other class of records has not diminished ; in fact, has increased, you can get some idea of just how good this end of the business is. Never in the history of the Cincinnati store has the demand been so great, and I tell you it kept us humping some checking \r. shipments to keep our racks even partly up to date. This wonderful record business also stimulates the machine business and on a whole March was a record breaking month. If we had had twice an much room and double the number of booths there were many times every day when we could hardly handle the trade. It looks like a case of 'everybody's doing it.'" Mr. Whelen concluded by saying: "We get similar reports from all over the territory, and during the last month we have opened up some very attractive accounts and added many new names to our list of dealers." Mr. Brown, the assistant manager of the local Columbia store, who has been specializing on the school proposition, says that he is more than satisfied with increase in the school sales and has closed quite a few competitive trials, winning out in every case on the merits of the Columbia instruments for school purposes. One month has passed at the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. without carpenters and other members of the building fraternity pounding away making changes in the talking machine department. Manager Dittrich has summarized the situation in the following interesting manner: "The month of March was very good in spite of the bad weather conditions, but as the conditions this year are so infinitely better than last year there is absolutely no complaint to make in that respect. Last year at this time the Ohio Valley was under water and many dealers were absolutely ruined financially. To-day these dealers have prosperous stores and are enjoying a greater volume of business than they have ever had before. Reports from throughout our territory indicate that the Victrola business is in splendid condition, although the shortage of records has caused some loss of trade. However, the retail consumers have taken very kindly to the dealers' explanation as to the cause of the shortage, and it has impressed every one with the vast growth of the Victrola business and the tremendous future which is in store. The shortage has accomplished one thing, and that is it has proven to the dealer that there are other records besides the selected list which are known as the best sellers. In that way it has proven a vast benefit to the talking machine trade at large." Victor business picked up with a rush at Aeolian Hall during the past two weeks, the most gratifying feature being the large sale of the most expensive styles and the amount of cash taken in. In fact, the percentage of cash sales during the month was about the largest on record. A very large increase of business is looked for immediately following Easter, when the dancing season, interrupted by Lent, will be resumed. A great deal of special sales effort was put forth at Aeolian Hall the past few weeks. The Victor department is unquestionably at its highest point of efficiency right now. The company is undoubtedly making good on its "Aeolian Victor Service," which is so much advertised. Aeolian Victor advertising has not slackened one iota because of ante-Lenten dulness. On the contrary, the store has used more newspaper space on the Victrola and Victor records than ever before and results have been perfectly satisfactory. TAKE ON EDISON DISC LINE. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cal., April 6. — Clark Wise & Co. have added the Edison disc line and are featuring it quite extensively as well as Victor and Columbia goods. Mr. Wise says business has kept up better in the talking machine department since the first of the year than pianos. J. T. Bowers & Son, who took the agency for the Edison disc line a short time ago, are now pretty well stocked. Heretofore they had confined their attention to pianos, but F. T. Bowers is very well pleased with the interest shown in the new department. He made a pleasure trip to Honolulu the past month, accompanied by his wife and an Eastern piano manufacturer and his wife. If the whale were a more persistent advertiser he wouldn't get in so bad. As it is, he comes up to blow about himself, and gets the harpoon. Write today for our new catalogue giving you rock bottom prices of our specialties. Springs for any kind of Talking Machines No doubt you will find it interesting. EMIL RIEDEL Sachsische Sagen u. FederstahlwarenFabrik. Chemnitz-Gablenz, P. 0. Box 10, Germany