The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

February IS, 1919 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 39 Quand Madelon: France's great rag-time soldier song, stirringly played by the French Army Band. Columbia A-2675. Order enough! Columbia Graphophone Co. NEW YORK DEALERS ARE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING GOODS IN ST. LOUIS COURTESY THAT BROUGHT BUSINESS Almost Impossible to Accumulate Stocks of Machines or Records to Meet Demands of Dealers Whose Shortage of Goods Is Alarming — Big Sales Campaign Under Way St. Louis, Mo., February 5. — I asked a man the other day how the record business was. He answered: "I don't know. As far as our stock lasts it is fine and dandy. But how much better it could or would be I have no idea. The other day while in the East I heard of a jobber that was complaining about a bunch of stickers. I bought them almost without looking over them, and when I got home they had all been sold. It is my opinion if any dealer has stickers now, it is because he is not putting them before the public right." This man probably expresses the opinion of all of the live merchants in this community. There is no jobber who will talk of 90 per cent, record shipments. They talk about 66 per cent, on new and 85 per cent, on the old catalogue, but they do not mean, usually, a shipment right off when the order is received. And as to machines, the salesmen say that no dealers are as yet accumulating stocks and that their greatest trouble is in getting dealers to order such stock as is obtainable. All lines are promising much better shipments this month, but the salesmen and the jobbers say that unless all prospects fail there is going to be a great improvement in sales as the spring comes on. So, there you are. Manager Stafflebach, of the Pathe department of the Hellrung & Grimm Furniture Co., is planning additional demonstration rooms. The business has so outgrown the quarters that before Christmas the firm had to stop an advertising campaign that had been planned, because there were too many customers. This advertising was devoted chiefly to records and playing attachments for other machines. Mr. Staflelbach says that he has not begun to see daylight . in his jobbing orders on certain models. Manager Roos, of the Columbia branch, says that his establishment continues to be chiefly a reshipping point for all except the fifty models. They get other models in in the morning and send them out in the afternoon. After a careful survey of his territory and prospects, Mr. Roos says that the only cloud that he can see in the sky is "that the factory might burn down." He cannot see anything else that is at all likely to stop business. Mark Silverstone, president of the Silverstone Music Co., did not go to Florida as he intended last month. Instead he left early this month for the East and will attend the Edison jobbers' convention and take a rest afterward. The continued warm weather has had much to do with his prolonged stay here. W. W. Mitchell, formerly manager of the wholesale department for the Silverstone Co., has returned to that company and is in charge of the retail department. The morale of the Victor dealers is visibly improved since the publication here of the Victor Co.'s war ads. This is not intended to intimate that the morale had fallen low or anything like that, but the dealers were beginning to feel that they were rather in a corner. People had begun to ask, after hearing the explanation of the Victor shortage, "Well, why don't the Victor Co. tell about its work, like the safety razor and other manufacturers are doing?" Dealers in this community had been urging the Victor Co. to war work publicity for some time before the advertisements appeared. The appearance of the announcements was, therefore, met with enthusiasm. At Aeolian Hall much satisfaction was expressed over the trade prospects, and many good words are passed for the interest shown by the public in the Vocalion records, as well as for the Vocation instrument. Robert H. Cone, Jr., of the Artophone Co., says that the quantity production has been a bit slower coming through than he expected, but that within the last weeks he has been able to take on some jobbing orders and meet their demands. He has increased his local advertising and the retail trade has instantly responded. Manager Hammond, of the Vandervoort Music Salon, is exceedingly well pleased with results of the January sales. The Salon handles Victor and Brunswick instruments and has a heavy record business. Mr. Hammond recently has recruited J. B. Sabath, formerly with the Kieselhorst Piano Co., who is named as his assistant, and Roy Smith, recently with the Stewart Drygoods Co. of Louisville, Ky. Miss Clementine Kimm, recently on the floor for the Silverstone Music Co., is now selling talking machines for the KieseHiorst Piano Co. NICHOLSON Talking Machine RECORD CABINETS the kind that talk VALUES and SALES K. NICHOLSON FURNITURE C0.,"5>?j2^ Record Cabinets, Sect. Bookcases and Ladies* Desks Loaning of Machine and Records for Hospital Concert Brings Excellent Volimie of New Business to the Edison Shop in Kansas City Kansas City, Mo., February 3.— That a little courtesy that might be properly regarded as a good bit of publicity on the part of a phonograph dealer can result in some genuine business is . indicated in the case of J. W. Watson, of the Edison Shop, this city, who is now selling Edison Diamond Disc phonographs and records in goodly numbers to the Catholics in a certain district of this city. This new demand came as a result of a bit of courtesy shown to a priest by Mr. Watson. The priest came in for the purpose of hiring a machine and some records in order to give a concert in a hospital. Mr. Watson declined to rent a machine, and nearly took the priest off his feet by offering to send a machine and a liberal selection of records, and an operator to the hospital free of charge. A few days after the concert the priest himself came in and bought a $285 Edison and some records, and his parishioners have been steady customers. "Our service is the same to every institution and with the same result always," said Mr. Watson. "Often we send out one of our men to manage the concert. After a concert at one of the churches the other night one of our salesmen sold three high-priced cabinet machines before leaving the church. It was certainly worth paying a couple of dollars for drayage for such a transaction, wasn't it?" NOTED EVANGELIST DEAD Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, very widely known as a preacher, lecturer and evangelist, who died on December 25, 1918, made two Scripture readings for Edison Re-Creations, which are listed in the Edison catalog as No. 80192— "Calvary" and "Peace Be Still." Dr. Chapman had a very wide following throughout the United States, and his death undoubtedly will make this number more popular. The Interstate Phonograph Co. has been incorporated under the laws of Delaware with capital stock of $200,000 by William Schneider, Joseph Tramoloto, New York, and Harvey J. Osborne, Hackensack, N. J. STEEL NEEDLES MADEJN U.S.A. Highest Grade LOUD— MEDIUM— SOFT Immediate Delivery No order too small BURLEY & BIESINGER 282 W. FERRY ST., BUFFALO, N. Y.