The talking machine world (Jan-June 1920)

January 15, 1920 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 91 SAN FRANCISCO CLOSED AN IMMENSE HOLIDAY BUSINESS Stock Shortage Held Up Many Sales but Dealers Are Optimistic Regarding Conditions for New Year — Trade Developments of Interest Indicate That the Industry Will Be Active in 1920 San Francisco, Cal., January 3. — "The biggest machine business in the history of San Francisco," is the verdict anent the Christmas trade this year. What the volume of business might have been had there not been a stock shortage is impossible to estimate. Suffice it to state that there are fewer high class talking machines left for sale in California at the present moment than ever before since the era of talking machine popularity dawned upon us. A few of the boys and girls are suffering from nervous prostration as the result of the holiday rush yet; for all that, everybody is happy for the bosses did not forget to pad out the pay envelopes on Christmas eve. Good bye, night work, and Happy New Year! Brunswick Progress on the Coast A. J. Kendrick, special representative of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., manufacturers of the Brunswick phonograph, after spending two weeks in San Francisco and vicinity, and calling on the trade in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, has returned to headquarters in Chicago for the holidays. Mr. Kendrick has reason to be proud of the progress made by the Brunswick instruments on the Pacific Coast in the past year and he may look forward with assurance that the new year will show still greater results. Sacramento Trade Growing Under the able management of Robert B. Raygurt, the talking machine department of the Sacramento store of the Wiley B. Allen Co., has had a signal development this year. Mr. Raygurt keeps in very close touch with public taste and he says the Sacramento trade, while alert and discriminating, responds royally to every commendable offering on the part of the dealers. General Phonograph Corp. to Expand The few months that the General Phonograph Corp. has had a branch on the Pacific Coast is enough to illustrate what possibilities are in store for the company in the future. This concern has been a boon to home industry in that a score or more of local factories have been successfully launched as a direct result of readily available phonograph parts. Many talking machine dealers have entered the manufacturing field also in a small way and are turning out ma WhatMoreCanYouAsk All the features that go to make a talking machine Profitably Salable you will find as regular equipment of Magnola: "Built by Tone Specialists." Wa.tcKir\J tke Music Come Ouf Complete description of all these features is to be found in our handsome illustrated catalog, which we should like to send you. May we? Ask us to tell you our plans for your benefit! MAGNOLA TALKING MACHINE COMPANY OTTO SCHULZ. President General Offices Southern Wholesale Branch 711 MILWAUKEE AVENUE 1530 CANDLER BLDG. CHICAGO ATLANTA. GA. chines for their own stores. The San Francisco ■office of the General Phonograph Corp. will have the 1920 models of two new motors and one new tone arm ready "for the trade shortly after New Year's. By reason of the growth of business the branch will secure large quarters in the near future. Okeh Records for Kohler & Chase Kohler & Chase have been assigned the California jobbing agency for Okeh records and this concern has taken 5,000 of the new lateral cut discs for immediate distribution to the trade. Stock will be handled from the Los Angeles store and also from the San Francisco Kohler & Chase establishment. C. T. Edward, manager of the Kohler & Chase talking machine department, is delighted with the new records and predicts a ready sale for them in this territory. Two new sound proof demonstration rooms will be installed on the main floor of the San Francisco store in order to better accommodate the customers. White House Department Opens The White House, one of the largest and most exclusive department stores in San Francisco, held the formal opening of their talking machine department this month and business was brisk from the start. The department is finished in mahogany and is the model of artistic dignity and elegance. It is located on the fourth floor and has five large demonstration rooms and twelve small record rooms, all luxuriously furnished in harmony with the general decorative scheme. The facilities for display are unexcelled by any other similar department in the city. The new department is exceedingly fortunate in being able to carry a large stock of Victor goods at this time of Victor shortages, but the miracle has been accomplished. The manager is G. E. Morton, who was formerly in charge of the talking machine department of the Emporium and before that was associated with the Columbia Shop on Fifth Avenue, New York City. He has a corps of expert assistants recruited from the San Francisco fraternity. J. P. Bradt on a Visit J. P. Bradt, formerly manager of the Columbia Graphophone Co. in Canada, is at present in California on a prolonged visit. He spent several weeks in San Francisco and is now in southern California. New Art Hickman Records Soon Nathan F. Milnor, manager for the Columbia Co. in San Francisco, promises some new Art Hickman records soon and also a more plentiful supply of Columbia goods in general. Mr. Milnor expects to leave this week for New York to attend the meeting of branch managers of the company. Badly Needed Victrolas in Wreck Sherman, Clay & Co. received two carloads of Victor goods for the San Francisco trade last week and Andrew McCarthy, head of the wholesale and retail departments, was congratulating himself that now he would be in a position to redeem some of his promises. Not so. The cars had been in a wreck and the goods inside were a sight to behold. Scarcely any of the goods could be gotten into shape for placing on sale for the holiday trade. Walter S. Gray Co. to Handle Rolls The Walter S. Gray Co., headed by Walter S. Gray, familiarly known as the "Needle King," has been given the Pacific Coast agency for the player rolls manufactured by the United States Music Co. of Chicago, and he has begun preparations for an active selling campaign the coming year. The Gray company was recently incorporated for $200,000. Clark Wise & Co. have branched out into the wholesale business, and the machine they will handle is the Swain automatic phonograph, manfactured in San Francisco. The company is theCoast agency for the instrument. This talking machine is a $1500 affair, holding forty records at a time and will play one after the other without the necessity of a finger's touch. A. M. DRUCKMAN SOLE EASTERN DISTRIBUTOR Backed by a tremendous advertising campaign we have anticipated our dealers' wants and can make ''Immediate Deliver}) " on 1 0,000 machines. 2-TABLE MODELS 10-UPRIGHTS 3-CONSOLES No doubt the Holiday business depleted your stock and now is your opportunity to become acquainted with one of the highest grade phonographs made, backed by a five year guarantee from the makers. We are also distributors for Lyric Lateral Records. DISPLAY ROOMS AND WAREHOUSE 140 Weit 23rd St., New York City