The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

The Talking Machine World Vol. 15. No. 1 New York, January \5, \9l9 Price Twenty-five Cents CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF MEN MUSIC AS A CIVILIZING INFLUENCE KEEP THE STORE WINDOWS LIGHTED Unique Policies of Talking Machine Store Located on Lower Broadway, New York, of Interest Because 90 Per Cent, of Sales Are to Men — Arrangements Made to This End The Trinity Talking Machine Co. is located in the heart of New York City's downtown business section — on lower Broadway — where executive offices of the country's largest financial and commercial institutions predominate. Few women shoppers ever penetrate into this territory, and the manager of the Trinity Talking Machine Co. has found that about 90 per cent, or more of the company's sales are made to men. Many of these men occupy important positions with their respective concerns, and have plenty of money to buy records with if they can be once placed on the customer roll. The Trinity Co. has made an extensive drive for a clientele of this sort, and has succeeded in large measure. A recent visit by a representative of The World disclosed a series of unique policies, all of which are based on the class of trade sought and the location of the establishment. For instance, this store is never open evenings, for after business hours this section of New York is practically deserted. At .midday, however, when most men devote an hour or more to lunch, the Trinity Co. does its rush-hour business. In fact, the lunch hour, and the hour or two immediately following the close of the b jiu.o., day are best fitted for attracting new and regular customers. Whereas very few retail concerns do a record business of more than one-half the total sales for machines, this company's record sales constitute the majority of the business done. Whereas most demonstration booths are furnished with a view to plearsing the feminine eye, the booths of the Trinity Co. are designed for the especial comfort of men. The great quantity of handsome smoking stands is' a feature found in few music stores, but in this case they have proved a powerful factor in making customers feel thoroughly at home. There is no need to throw one's partly smoked cigar away before entering the Trinity Shop, because from first to last it is the desire of this company to cater to the whims and fancies and desires of the male sex. Victor, Columbia and Pathe records are handled. RECORD ARTISTS IN POTTSTOWN Ada Jones, McKee Trio and Shannon Four Appeared in Concert in That City Recently Under the Auspices of Lamb's Music House PoTTSTOWN, Pa., January 2. — Talking machine enthusiasts in this city and vicinity were given a genuine treat by William F. Lamb, of Lamb's Music House, Victor dealers here. A number of prominent talking machine artists gave a concert at the local Opera House on December 26. The concert was in the nature of a celebration. Among the artists who appeared was Ada Jones, one of the veterans in the field, and likewise one of the most popular record makers. Then came the McKee Trio, consisting of Seraphine E. Albisser, violinist; Jacques DePool, 'cellist; and William E. Berge, pianist, followed by the Shannon Four, consisting of Charles H. Hart, tenor; Harvey W. Hindermyer, tenor; Eliot Shaw, baritone, and Wilfred Glenn, basso. Miss Jones sang several coon and character songs, and the McKee Trio played selections fiom the opera, as well as a number of popular airs, such as "Smiles," and the quartet sang old and new popular songs. In addition the individual members of the trio and quartet appeared in solos. The audience was a large and enthusiastic one. Facts Show That It Inclines People to Be Law Abiding — Musicians Keep Out of Jail Does music keep people out of jail? It has often been said in print that music was brought into the world to uplift and beautify our humdrum mechanical lives. A public school principal regrets that his, teachers are only giving one and a half hours a week to the study of music. He regrets this because he says through music and its educational value young people become better citizens, more useful members of society and more efficient servants of the State. But now a man comes forward and submits figures to show that musicians give the jails a wide berth. Out of somewhere about 150,000 professional musicians in the United States it is said there are only fifteen in the nine largest penitentiaries throughout the Republic. This makes a good showing when the corresponding figures are considered — thirty-nine out of only 57,000 bankers in these penitentiaries; thirtythree out of 115,000 lawyers; twenty-two out of 150,000 physicians, and six out of 35,000 painters or artists. It begins to look as if music keeps you out of jail or at least helps to. Hence, cultivate the talking machine habit. Talking Machine Dealers Will Find It a Profitable Investment to Keep Their Show Windows Lighted and Their Products Well Displayed in the Winter Evenings Now With Us The "Dreamer" who wakes when the Alarm Clock of Duty goes off is a "Doer" you can't stop ! Now that we are in the midst of winter with its long dark evenings, the efficiency of the talking machine dealer's store and window can be enhanced considerably by a suitable display properly lighted. The well lighted window will attract possible purchasers in much the same way that moths circle round a flame. People prefer to walk on the bright side of the street, rather than . the dark; they will linger in front of the cheery-looking store when they pass the dull store by; and to get them to look or linger is to get them to take a first long step in the right direction. Wonderful advances have been made in recent years in the direction of effective store lighting, and there is no line of business in which the stock affords opportunity for more effective displays than that of home furnishing. And while electricity makes abundance of light readily available, it also lends itself as no other lighting system does to highly efficient yet subdued effects that display the goods to the best possible advantage without distracting attention from the window. A well lighted store and window is unquestionably a paying wintertime investment. Our National Victory Should Make Business Men Optimistic The nation has entered the New Year with a great military and moral victory to its credit, and the thought uppermost in the minds of those engaged in business is naturally concentrated on the problems to be faced and solved during the period of readjustment which is now here. There are, of course, conflicting views regarding what may be expected by business men, and particularly by talking machine men, manufacturers, jobbers and retailers alike, during the next twelve months or more — or until conditions really get back to normal. There are, of course, the pessimists, who see nothing but a demoralization of industry and of labor during the process of readjustment and reallocation. The great majority, however, are optimists, who believe that conditions for the next few years will be such as to secure at least a fair measure of prosperity. The optimists, may it be said, appear to have the balance of argument in their favor. There will, of covirse, be many millions of men returned from military service and direct war work into the pursuits of peace, but this does not in any sense indicate that there is going to be any tremendous drop in their earning power. Wages will have to be stabilized in a certain measure, but the losses incurred by war workers in the matter of wages will be more than offset by the earnings of the several million men who, while in military service, have been consumers rather than producers, and who dropped out temporarily from the purchasing element. The big argument in favor of future prosperity is the fact that construction and development work of all kinds has been at a standstill in Europe for over four years, due directly to the war, and in America for a similar period, due both directly and indirectly to the conditions surrounding the conflict, the high cost of materials and labor in particular making it dangerous to speculate in developments with a possible early drop in value. In other words, the greater part of the world has been standing still, or possibly going back, for a period of four years, and it will be the task for a number of years to come to make up for this period of lethargy, and bring the developments up to the normal point where they would have been under ordinary conditions of progress. America for the next two years is going to be the market place of the world. From this country all Europe must draw a large percentage of their building materials for purpose of reconstruction, their agricultural and industrial material, and even their food, for it will be some time before the agricultural situation abroad can be adjusted. This all m,eans that the demand upon our material resources is going to be heavy, that labor is going to be employed steadily and at substantial wages, -and that those in industrial and agricultural pursuits will have a fair supply or money to put into circulation. It means that talkin.g machine manufacturers, jobbers and dealers are, barring the unexpected, going to find substantial fields available for their products, even though increased production now possible will enable them to keep closer to the demand for talking machines and records than under war conditions. Perhaps there will be no tremendous labor prosperity, but it is a recognized fact that after all the wars of the past century there has been a substantial period of good times. There is nc reason to assume that the same rule should not hold good after the greatest war in historj'. Certainly there is great work to be done. Work means demand for materials and labor, and demand for materials and labor means money in circulation. Undoubtedly the talking machine men will get their share of the prosperity which is already discernible to those who read the signs of the times aright. J. G. Early, formerly head of the Early Music House in Fort Dodge, la., has returned to the field in that city, and has purchased the stock of the B. M. Joy Music Store, which he will operate under his own name.