The talking machine world (Jan-June 1922)

March 15, 1922 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 43 Good news! Another Marion Harris record. "Blues"— ol course. "Cuddle-Up Blues" on one side and "I've Got the Wonder Where He Went and When He's Coming Back Blues" on the other side. A-3555. Columbia Graphophone Co NEW YORK gflllll Ull!IIIIIIIIUI]llllll!lllllllllllllimilllll!lllllllll[lllh]lllllllllllllllllll!inill!llllllll[llll!lU INI!llllllltll!llll!llllllllllll!IIIIIIU!IIINIllllIIII!ll!in]|[IIIIIIillllllllinilllllll!l!llllllllll!l!lljlll!llll Illllllll II II MI! I II ■ J iu I When Knowledge Means Sales— Tis Folly to be Ignorant I HOLIDAY CONTAINERS FOR RECORDS | By ROBERT N. STANNARD | fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiu A man entered a store which dealt in talking machines and records and asked if there were any records by Chaliapin. "Sharlpin?" asked the salesgirl. "You don't mean Charley Chaplin, do you?" "No," answered the prospect, "I mean Chaliapin, the Russian basso." "Never heard of him," answered the girl in tones that indicated that therefore Chaliapin didn't exist for her. "No?" answered the man, no longer a prospect. "He's been in the newspapers very much of late." Then he turned and went out. Thereby the saleslady lost not only a sale, but probably lost a customer. For several days before this incident happened the Russian had been "turning 'em away" at the Metropolitan Opera House, yet this girl had no notion who he was. Could you blame the prospective customer if he reached the conclusion that such a saleslady would be equally helpless in aiding him in a selection of anything other than the latest jazz hits? Buyers of classical and operatic records like to talk over their purchases with the salesman or saleslady. A talking knowledge of the events of the day in music goes a long way toward establishing pleasant relations that lead to regular sales. Somewhere that man found a ' salesman who could tell him whether there were any Chaliapin records and who could talk intelligently of current events on the concert and operatic stage. What if the store had no Chaliapin" .-records? The customer knew that here was a sto^e that would be likely to have them as soon as they were out. He would also know that here was a salesman who could probably help him if he were to whistle some operatic air the name of which had escaped him. There is no question as to which store he would go for future purchases. The other day a woman went into a well-known music store in Brooklyn and asked for "The Funeral March of a Marionette." Over the face of the saleslady came a blank expression. She had never heard of such a thing. The customer turned and went out, disgusted, before the saleslady had time to ask anyone who knew. These are bona fide incidents seen and overheard by the writer. No doubt they have been repeated, with variations, hundreds of times. A small local store may profit by the moral of these tales. A big one can, of course, but the small store may be able to take away business from the larger ones through employing someone who knows. Spare minutes can be employed profitably in the reading of various catalogs, especially the little resumes of operas and nutshell histories of performers. Above all, a daily reading of current musical events in the newspapers would keep the ambitious salesman or saleswoman upto-date on talking points. Where knowledge means a boost in sales and commissions, for the love of money, why remain ignorant? 1 Frederick Loeser & Co. Stimulate Record Sales by Placing Selected Records in Specially Decorated Envelopes for Holiday Use THE "FLEA" AND "BOW=WOW BLUES" A Victor dealer, who is inclined to be a bit of a wag. noticed in the March list, among the dance records, "Bow-Wow Blues," while among the Red Seal records was the "Song of the Flea," and immediately wanted to know why two selections generally accepted as being closely related had not been made available on the same record. Man} a merchant has failed because he assumed a "public be d — :d" attitude toward customers. A plan to take full advantage of the possibilities of holidays for increasing record sales has been inaugurated in the talking machine department of Frederick Loeser & Co., of Brooklyn, N. Y., by W. H. Bishop, manager. The plan was first put into effect on St. Valentine's day. It consists simply of placing four or five selected records in an envelope on which have been placed decorations and verse suitable to the day. Circular letters and advertising in the local newspapers urge the giving of records in these containers as holiday gifts. On St. Valentine's day the envelope was decorated with a large red heart in spirit of the day and a few lines of verse. The plan was also used on Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays. Sales of Victor records were greatly stimulated in this manner. The record ment holds tor albums, tionary top side provides for a lamp ment. compartfive VicThe staon this a place 7r orna Victor Dea lers EVERYONE has noticed the growing popularity of the moderately priced console type of talking machine. Wouldn't it be worth your while to be equipped to satisfy this demand with a really fine cabinet, immensely superior to many of the cabinets that are being offered, which you could sell complete, with Victrola VI installed, for less than $100? You can 'do this with either of the UDELL console cabinets described above and still make your regular profit both on the cabinet and on the Victrola. QUEEN ANNE — No. 401 Height, 34 inches; width, 36 inches; depth, * 22x/\ inches. Brown mahogany. A v e r a g e weight, crated, 115 pounds. Our Sheraton model. No. 400, is the same as the Queen Anne in construction, finish, and dimensions. These cabinets are cleverly designed specially and solely to accommodate the Victrola VI. The instrument fits snugly and becomes part of the cabinet. It is concealed behind a grille door, paneled with golden-brown silk. Fine finish and dependable UDELL construction characterize these cabinets in every particular. They are mahogany-veneered, top, front and ends. A post card will bring you prices and full particulars. 7&>UdellWorks 28th Street and Barnes Avenue, Indianapolis