The talking machine world (Jan-Mar 1921)

March 15, 1921 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 103 HIS MASTERS VOICE DITSON SERVICE Has back of it years of successful experience and an understanding of dealer problems tbat will make tbe road smoother during tbe coming montbs. VICTOR EXCLUSIVELY Oliver Ditson Co. BOSTON Ckas. H. Ditson Co. NEW YORK A REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS AT SOUTHERN POINTS Business Showing Better Trend Despite the Fact That Prices for Farm Products Are Extremely Low — Price-Cutting Somewhat in Evidence — Suggestions on Moving Merchandise Atlanta, Ga., March 6. — The month of February, while the shortest of the year, seems to have been productive of a good volume of business in the talking machine and record field in this city. Several important changes in price and special sales have marked the month as bringing the first price reduction in phonograph products in several years. The prices being received for farm; products in this section, particularly cotton, are almost ruinous, but most of the planters and cotton factors have simply charged off last year's crop to profit and loss and are looking to the future with renewed hope. The cotton crop next Fall will be the smallest in the memory of those now living, if all signs do not fail. Dealers in talking machines and records in the strictly cotton States are, in many instances, "loaded to the guards" with stock and all kinds of prices are heard of. One dealer is reported to have offered his stock of standard make product at 20 per cent less than the wholesale cost. Another offers a stock of 3,000 standard make records costing him 51 and 60 cents each ^at a flat price of 40 cents apiece. It is hoped, however, that these cases are the exception rather than the rule. Locally there seems to have been a fair volume of trade. The Phillips & Crew Piano Co., Victor dealer, hopes to move into, the new store in the next few weeks. Business with them is good and the out look for the year encouraging. Manager Robinson has just returned from a trip to the Savannah, Ga., branch and found things moving nicely. The special features of the month were reductions in the price of records. The Columbia Graphophone Co. brought out reduced prices on many of the ten-inch records. The Emerson Co. reduced ten-inch $1 records, except those of one artist, to 85c. Okeh $1 records were all reduced to 85 cents, except those of one noted artist. It occurs to the writer that if any dealer, or any number of them, would guarantee the sale price against their own decline during the life of the lease contract many sales could be made that would otherwise not materialize, due to the lack of confidence that the buying public feel in present prices and the fact that they think that the prices of most phonographs are too high. This, we know, is not always a pleasant suggestion, but it would seem better to move the merchandise, even though some unusual inducement is offered, rather than have it "eat its head off in the stable." LEON F. DOUGLASS IN HONOLULU Prominent Victor Official and Motion Picture Inventor Goes to Hawaii to Try Out Perfected Color Photography Process There Honolulu, -Hawaii, February 21. — Hawaii's wondrous rainbow-hued fishes will be photographed in their natural colors by Leon F. Douglass, chairman of the board of directors and one of the founders of the Victor Talking Machine Co. Accompanied by Robert Carson, a camera man who has "shot" films for Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and other movie stars, Mr. Douglass has arrived here on the Pacific Mail liner "Creole State.'.' With him are Mrs. Douglass and his sister, Mrs. Florence Egan. Mr. Douglass has gained world fame by his invention and perfection of an apparatus for taking action motion pictures. Heretofore the best French color motion picture machine could not take pictures faster than one second for each section of film exposed. Mr. Douglass, after twenty years of experimentation and study — color photography being his hobby— has produced a process by which color photographs can be taken with an exposure speed of 1-100 of a second. This makes regular motion picture features in color possible. Mr. Douglass had charge of Thomas A. Edison's first motion picture machine, the kinetoseope, in 1890, and helped devise the first projecting machine five years later. His color process for motion pictures gains its effects by subtracting colors instead of mixing them as an artist does. He has secured forty patents. Speaking of conditions in the talking machine business, Mr. Douglass said the Victor Co. is $130,000,000 worth of contracts behind in production and that it has had to hire more men instead of letting any go. FOUNDED 1835 ARMSTRONG'S Distributors There are numerous reasons why Pathe Dealers are satisfied. Write today for full information. ARMSTRONG FURNITURE CO. 59 and 61 North Main Street Memphis, Tenn.