The talking machine world (Jan-June 1919)

May 15, 1919 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 45 OVERCOMING THE STOCK SHORTAGE IN INDIANAPOLIS Jobbers and Retailers Catching Up Slowly — Demand Continues to Grow— Some Plans for Business Expansion — Ex-Warriors Returning to Their Posts — General News of Interest to Trade Indianapolis, Ind., May 5. — A slight relief in the machine and record shortage is reported by the local talking machine dealers, but business in most instances is still limited to the ability to get goods. The Edison Shop is preparing to take care of its increased business. A. H. Snyder, manager, has moved his office into the front of the record and machine demonstration hall in the basement. His old office has been turned into a demonstration booth, equipped with summer furniture, with old rose colored draperies. The walls are done in mouse-color gray. Mr. Snyder is also arranging for turning the concert hall into demonstration booths with temporary partitions in anticipation of rush during the fall months. The April Edison business was as good as last October, he reports, and the \ ictory Loan campaign apparently is not affecting business. George Kadel, one of the crack Edison Shop salesmen, has returned from service in France with the tank corps. Kadel gained the name of "John McCormack of the Barracks" and is singing at the Circle Theatre Mr. Snyder hopes to have him back in the harness soon. The demand for Sonora machines is strong, Will Carlin, of the Carlin Music Co., reports. The chief difficulty is getting enough machines to supply the demand, he says. W. G. Wilson, manager of the Grafonola Shops, Inc., is pleased with the big Columbia record and machine business. The talking machine department of the Baldwin Piano Co., of which C. P. Herdman is manager, had a record month in the sale of Columbia and Windsor machines. T. H. Bracken, manager of the Starr Piano Co. store, says the talking machine business is unusually good. The Starr phonograph is fast gettinfr to be one of the favorites in i Hliana. The Vocalion, Columbia, Edison, Victor and Cheney machines are making fine sales records for the talking machine department of the Pearson Piano Co., where the record business is reported as exceptionally good. The Fuller-Kyde Music Co.'s Victor department has had a big run in \ ictor machines, C. J. Fuller reports. He looks for one of the biggest talking machine years in the history of the business, when stock is procurable. E. R. Askew, manager of the Pathe Shop, pulled an effective demonstration of the army and navy model Pathe before the Indianapolis city purchasing agent and the superintendent of parks. As a result he landed an order for three of the machines, which will be used this summer in, the city's recreation work. H. A. Kendrick, of the Brunswick-BalkeCollender Co., and Lieut. R. J. Waters, who was wjth the company until he went into the army, visited George Standke, manager of the Brunswick Shop, last week. The Brunswick business is very good, Mr. Standke reports, being limited to the product received. Mr. Standke as colonel in charge of Sector 46 in the Victory Loan campaign is making a big record. He is as enthusiastic about selling Liberty bonds as he is ia selling Brunswicks. H. E. Whitman, of the Circle Talking Machine Shop, is more than pleased with the turnover of Victor machines and records his shop has been making since its opening several weeks ago. E. L. Lennox, of the E. L. Lennox Piano Co., is expecting a big year for his talking machine and record department. In the new location of the store it makes an ideal downtown headquarters for records. C. O. Mueller, buyer for the talking machine department of the Mooney-Mueller-Ward Co., Pathe distributors, reports that the demand for Pathe machines and records cannot be met, but he expects the situation to ease up a bit in the near future. The supply of records from the factory is getting more normal, he says. The only limit to the Brunswick business is the ability to get machines, Frank S. Buttweiler, manager of the local branch of the BrunswickBalke-Collender Co., reports. The talking machine department of the Taylor Carpet Co., which handles the Victor line, is getting a nice machine and record business, is the report of Miss Minnie Springer, manager. George Stewart, vice-president of the Stewart Talking Machine Co., Victor distributors, has returned to his position after a long service in the Twenty-sixth Division in France. Harry Diehl, who was a sergeant at Camp Taylor, Ky., and Frank Williams, who was in the marines, are also back on their jobs. Mr. Stewart reports that the company is selling all the Victor machines and records as fast as it receives them. There is a great demand for the Sonora, it is reported by the Kiefer-Stewart Co., Sonora distributors, and a big record in Sonora sales is looked for this year. Ben Brown, manager of the Columbia Co.'s wholesale office here, accompanied by Robert D. Duf¥ey, the Kentucky traveling representative of the company, visited the New York office and Columbia branches in Buffalo and Cleveland recently. Mr. Brown said he received encouraging reports in New York and expects the supply of Columbia machines and records will increase shortly. The space in the local office has been rearranged. Mr. Brown's office being changed, and he likes the new arrangement. The latest Columbia records were played at a meeting of Columbia dealers held at the Lincoln Hotel last week. A number of out-oftown dealers were present. Reports from all of them were that Columbia business was fine. 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