The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1917)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 57 There's the right kind of stuff in Columbia Record A2356. Two songs that are sweeping the country sung in the Columbia way. They are selling that way too. Columbia Graphophone Co. Woolworth Building, New York HIGH PRICED MACHINES HAVE CALL IN SAN FRANCISCO Best Styles Will Be in Demand This Fall and Winter — Patriotic Records Have Great Vogue — The Sonora in Los Angeles — New Domestic Agencies — Talking Machine Men Meet — Outlook Good San Francisco, Cal., October 6.— The volume of talking machine business in California, despite numerous handicaps due to labor strikes, is claimed to be ahead of last year during the summer months. More high-priced machines were sold than ever before, and the indication is that the fall demand for the best styles of standard instruments will be exceptionally heavy. The people have become educated to the highpriced machines. While the talking machine business in the San Francisco downtown district has suffered from the long-continued street car strike, the smaller concerns in the outlying districts report proportionately heavier business. Dance music records sold heavily all summer and are still going very well. Patriotic airs have a splendid vogue, especially those which are composed in dance time. Recent high-class musicals and concerts in the city have boosted the demand for classic records. Madame Matzenaucr is giving recitals in San Francisco this week, and there are a French and an Italian opera company here. Sonora Jobbing Agency in Los Angeles F. B. Travers, manager of the Sonora Phonograph Co., announces that the company is putting in an exclusive jobbing agency at Los Angeles to cover the territory of southern California and Arizona. The representative in charge is E. M. Brunnell, a talking machine man of wide experience, and Mr. Brunnell is making his headquarters in the Broadway Department Store of Los Angeles. This concern has the Los Angeles retail agencies for Sonora goods. For the present no wholesale stock will be carried in Los Angeles, but it is probable that a warehouse will be opened in the near future. Mr. Travers says business has been so promising in the Southwest in the past year that it has become necessary to take care of the wholesale trade from a more convenient point than San Francisco. He also reports a very active opening of the fall season in the Northwest. The past season in the Northwest was the best the company has had. Reports His Biggest Business F. A. Levy, president of the California Phonograph Co., says his biggest business in the past month has been in Edison machines, due to the increased output of Edison records. He has had excellent results with the Edison machine, C250. The Stern Talking Machine Co., of San Francisco, has opened a branch store at 721 Macdonald avenue, Richmond, Cal. Open Many Domestic Agencies W. S. Gray, Pacific Coast manager for the Domestic Talking Machine Co., has just returned from an extended trip through the Northwest. He placed jobbing agencies in Portland, Seattle and Spokane. The Eilers Music Co. will handle the jobbing from Portland and Spokane, and the Pacific Music Co. is to handle the business from Seattle. Mr. Gray has been doing strenuous missionary work with the Domestic line since he came to the Pacific Coast, and he is well satisfied with the results obtained. Business at High Mark of Year August J. Bruhn, manager of the Emporium talking machine department, says the high mark of the year in the talking machine sales of his department was reached in July, and that the volume of business for the season shows a big increase over last year notwithstanding the numerous strikes and other setbacks. He is not carrying on any special advertising campaign, but is offering machines on very attractive easy-payment terms. Talking Machine Men Meet The Talking Machine Dealers' Association held a regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 26, after a season of no meetings during the summer. The dealers met at the Wiley B. Allen store in San Francisco and discussed plans for the holidays. With one or two exceptions, the members are agreed on general policies of merchandising. Returns From 1,500-Mile Auto Trip Mr. Corcoran, of the Wiley B. Allen talking machine department, spent his summer vacation this month by taking a 1,500-mile automobile trip through northern California. Jas. J. Black, of the Wiley B. Allen Co., says he has most of his holiday stock in already and is prepared to supply a big demand. Some Personal Notes Frank D. Curtis, of the Curtis & Henkle Talking Machine Co., of San Jose, Cal., has returned from a six weeks' trip in the East, during which he visited New York, Boston, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago and other cities and inspected the factories of the leading talking machine companies. Everett Worthington, who succeeded Mr. Gercovich as manager of the talking machine de(Continued on page 58) KANE INSTRUMENT STANDS NOTE REDUCED PRICES Praise Any Home They Sell as Easily as Phonograph Needles Rubbed Finishes MAHOGANY; GOLDEN, FUMED, OR WEATHERED OAK. No. 594— Top 13#" x 14#B each— $2.00 No. 596— Top 20X" x 24^"— each $2.75 No. 595— Top 17 n x 17 " each 2.25 No. 597— Top 17#n x 20jin— each 2.35 ALL 30" HIGH NET— F. O. B. KANE, PA., IN LOTS OF SIX OR MORE. CONSTRUCTED SUBSTANTIALLY — FINISHED ELEGANTLY. The slide under the top is a "third hand" for changing records. The shelf is convenient for record files. Immediate shipments. KANE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Kane, Pa.