The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1915)

10 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. We still talk "Columbia Double -Disc Records, 65 cents," because it is the biggest thing in the industry to talk about. (See the Columbia Saturday Evening Post advertisement, issue August 21st.) (Write for "Music Money," a book "full of meat" for those dealers interested in quick and frequent turnover of capital.) Columbia Graphophone Company VVoolworth Building, New York ANOTHER GREAT MONTH FOR TALKER MEN OF DETROIT July Made a Splendid Showing in All Departments of Business — Wallace Brown Enlarges Store — Grinnell to Exhibit at State Fair — Dealers Stocking Up for Early Fall — Detroit Musj;C Co. Changes — Starr Co.'s Talking Machine Plans — News of the Month. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Detroit, Mich., August 5. — July was another great month for the talking machine men of this city, and I refer to "great" in the sense that business was considerably above expectations. Usually June, July and August are dull, off and quiet months, but it seems this year as if there would be no dull period. In July — the vacation month — dealers enjoyed as good trade as they did any month except December. August looks promising, and every indication points to "better than usual trade" for the remainder of this year. Many improvements are to be made by Detroit dealers within the next sixty days, and whenever you hear of a store expanding it is because business justifies larger room. W. H. Huttie, district manager in Detroit for the Starr Piano Co., visited the company's factory the first week in August to get full details regarding the new talking machine which the Starr Co. is going to bring out. Mr. Huttie is now arranging to make the necessary changes in the floor arrangement. A "talking machine" sign has already been painted on the front window. F. A. Denison, manager of the Columbia branch in Detroit, was again the winner of the $25 prize for the "best collections" for the month of June. This makes him winner for four consecutive months. He feels sure that he will win for July also. Mr. Denison says that sales in July just passed were several times greater than during the same month last year. "Dealers are stocking up for early fall, and this makes our summer business as heavy as at any other time of the year," he added. Mr. Denison will leave on a two weeks' vacation about the middle of August. He will spend it in Washington, where he was located for a number of years, and will also visit Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, in addition to visiting the Columbia factory. S. E. Lind, city salesman for the Columbia, returned July 31 from St. Louis, where he spent two weeks. St. Louis is his former home. Grinnell Bros, have already arranged for space at the Michigan State Fair, which will be held in Detroit early in September. The company will exhibit talking machines and pianos. The Crowley-Milner department store in Detroit is erecting an eight-story addition, which will mean larger space for the talking machine department when completed. The Schmelzer furniture store at 511 Genessee street, Saginaw, has opened a talking machine department on the eighth floor. It is in charge of Mrs. Elsie Burroughs, who for the past seven years has been in charge of the talking machine department at the Cable Piano Co. store. The room is white enameled throughout. A five-dollar talking machine will be manufactured by the Ecco Talking Machine Co., recently incorporated in Detroit. An order has already been received for several thousand for export purposes. Sturgis, Mich., is to have a new enterprise, to be known as the Howard Phonograph Co. It is said to be backed by Pacific Coast capital. Operations will be started soon. The company will make talking machines. Wallace Brown has taken a lease of the adjoining store at 33 East Grand River avenue, Detroit, which will give him two stores, or double his present capacity. He takes possession of the adjoining store by September 1, and will at once start tearing out the wall, remodeling and making the necessary changes. Three large booths, 15 by 9 feet each, will be installed in the new part. Mr. Brown's total frontage on the avenue will be thirty-five feet. The stores are fifty feet deep. There is a full basement under both stores, in which stock is carried. Sales by the Wallace Brown Edison Shop during the past thirty days were made to some of the wealthiest and best known families of Detroit. Three Edison machines were sold to C. A. Newcomb, of the Newcomb-Endicott Co.; one went to his summer home at Harbor Beach, Mich., and the other two to his Detroit residence. Mrs. Henry Ford, wife of the millionaire automobile manufacturer, who owns a $400 Edison machine, bought one for her brother, who will live at the new Ford mansion at Dearborn. Mrs. Theodore Buhl, who owns a magnificent home on East Jefferson avenue, bought a $450 Circassian walnut Edison machine for her Circassian walnut music room. She also bought one for her yacht. Mrs. H. D. Sheldon, another member of the "400," bought a $400 Louis XVI. special model Edison. Mrs. Campau Thompson bought a Sheraton model, while Mrs. Dr. Adlington Newman bought a special finish oak machine to match the organ in her music room. "You bet we are doing business," said Wallace Brown. "Lots of it." GET IN LINE-ORDER STOCK NOW THE WISE DEALERS ARE GETTING THEIR FALL STOCK IN BE ONE OF THE WISE DEALERS AND PREPARE YOURSELF YOU CAN DEPEND UPON AMERICAN SERVICE Place your orders with us and let us show you that we are as good as the best. We have been giving good service since 1 903 and are improving all the time. BE ONE OF OUR REGULAR DEALERS AND INSURE GOOD SERVICE FOR THE FALL MESSENGER SERVICE AND AUTOMOBILE DELIVERY AMERICAN TALKING MACHINE COMPANY 368 LIVINGSTON STREET BROOKLYN, IM. Y. DISTRIBUTORS OF VICTROLAS AND VICTOR RECORDS EXCLUSIVELY J)