The talking machine world (Jan-June 1925)

68 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD May 15, 1925 Improvement of General Business in the Cincinnati Field Reflected in Sales Trade Making Plans for Summer Campaigns — Dealers and Jobbers Optimistic — Okeh Record Recorded Locally Enjoys Unabated Popularity — Lyric Co. Launches Portable Drive Cincinnati, 0., May 8. — Sellers of talking machines and records report material increases in sales during the past month. General business conditions have improved so much in the past few weeks that there is a feeling that normal conditions will be here when Summer arrives. Enterprising dealers in talking machines are even at this early date making preparations to ward oft" the usual Summer sluggishness of trade. One outlet for their merchandise is afforded by campers and another is afforded by those who will go on automobile tours. Practically all of these are prospects for portable talking machines and a supply of records, and a good portion of them can be induced to take along a portable radio outfit in addition. One method of getting names of these prospects is to make arrangements with sporting goods stores to furnish them, and these are sent a personal letter and suitable advertising matter. Business Forging Ahead, Says C. H. North It was stated by C. H. North, secretary of the Ohio Talking Machine Co., wholesaler, at 427 West Fourth street, that business is returning consistently and evenly, as it gradually returns to other lines of merchandising and industry. "After all," he said, "the conservatism that came after the collapse of the postwar boom was beneficial to the whole country, even though it was a hardship for a while." One of the recent visitors to this establishment was Henry Hughes, a talking machine dealer, of Prestonburg, Ky. New Okeh Record Going Big "The new Okeh record, 'Because They All Love You,', which was made by the ChubbSteinberg Orchestra at the recent Radio Show in Music Hall, continues to be a great seller," stated Howard L. Chubb, of the Chubb-Steinberg Music Shop, an exclusive talking machine store at 17 East Sixth street. Launches Portable Campaign Walter Timmerman, manager of the Lyric Piano Co., stated that now they are pushing the portable instruments in the talking machine and radio line, and in this effort they are meeting with no small success. "The fine Spring weather we have been having right along," he stated, "has made the people think of camping and automobile tours, and a great many are making preparations for Summer outings. The tendency to 'take a vacation in the great outdoors' is increasing, and for this reason the demand for portable outfits is growing." Mr. Timmerman is a great believer in the power of suggestion, and to this end he makes good use of his show windows. His idea is to beautify the window display as much as possible, but at the same time to get the goods before the public in a way that will carry out the law of suggestion to the fullest extent. Advocates Complete Stock A business that is somewhat unique and out of the ordinary in character is Link's Record Shop, located at 1709-11 Vine street, and owned by George H. and Clifford B. Link. As the name implies, records are the specialty of this handsome store, which, although in an uptown location, does a large business, carrying a -stock of about 25,000 records, comprising the entire Victor line, including the domestic, English and German. The full record line includes Edison, Victor, Columbia, Okeh and Odeon. "The secret of our success," stated Clifford Link, "is that we have what the people ask for. This brings people back to us. One gets the habit of going to a certain place for a certain thing, you know, but if a customer finds the line incomplete a few times he will .finally go elsewhere, and his patronage will be lost." Good Brunswick Demand Continues "Business continues to be splendid with us," said Charles Henlein, of the local branch of the Brunswick Co. "Some of our combination models were in such an unexpected demand for a while that our supply was not equal to it, but we soon increased our output of these, so nobody will be disappointed from now on." The Brunswick Music Memory Contest has closed, he explained, the only winner in Cincinnati being Mrs. C. S. Browning, a wellknown pianist and accompanist, who received a $50 prize. "Our Hour of Music will be continued," stated Mr. Henlein, "and it will be broadcast every Tuesday for some time to come. Music by the artists of our 'New Hall Of Fame' will be broadcast from New York, Schenectady, Washington, Pittsburgh and Chicago from 9 to 10 p. m., Eastern time. It is probable that the Music Memory Contest will be resumed in the Fall, and in this event announcement will be made in due time." Pleased With Columbia Business "We are greatly pleased with the result shown By our check-up of our past month's business," said Miss R. Helberg, manager of the Columbia Distributors, at 122 West Fourth street. "Recently we had a pleasant visit from W. C. Fuhri, vice-president, who came here from New York. Other visitors were H. E. Hughes, of Prestonburg, Ky., and P. J. Murphy, of Maysville, Ky. W. F. Pierce, one of our sales representatives, has just returned from West Virginia, where he found conditions much improved." Grebe Radio Station Is Heard in Distant Lands WAHG, of Richmond Hill, was one of the nine high-powered stations which recently broadcast special programs in the early hours of the morning in the hope of reaching Australia. This station is operated by A. H. Grebe & Co., of Richmond Hill, N. Y., manufacturers of the well-known Grebe Synchrophase receiving sets. Since its broadcasting, cablegrams have been received from Australia and France saying that this station had been heard in both places. The cablegram from Australia stated that a locomotive bell, the Nassau Club Orchestra and singing by Walter J. Neff, which had been broadcast from WAHG, had been heard in Melbourne and that station WAHG would receive a silver trophy for its accomplishment. Lloyd Jacquet, American representative at the International Amateur Rad'.o Convention, now in Paris, cabled that the WAHG entertainment had been heard there. These messages from Australia and Paris showed that WAHG had covered a span of 15,000 miles. A feature of the programs that is proving very popular with radio fans is a series of discussions on the cost, construction and operation of radio sets by the chief engineer of the Grebe factory. Heintzman to Merchandise Super-Zenith in Canada The Zenith Radio Corp. Chicago, 111., announced recently that the Heintzman Co., with headquarters in Toronto, Can., had arranged to merchandise the Super-Zenith line. This firm is widely known in music circles throughout Canada, having been identified with the industry since 1850. In addition to its home offices in Toronto it operates branch stores in Windsor, St. Catherine, Chatham, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, London, Brantford, Peterborough, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Fort William. This is a very desirable connection for Zenith products, and the Heintzman Co. is planning an aggressive sales campaign in behalf of these well-known radio sets which, it believes, will have a material effect on sales. Human Jazz Band, Okeh Artists, Give Concerts The team of Gogert and Motto, exclusive Okeh recording artists, are winning much fame both with vaudeville and record audiences. Billed as the Human Jazz Band, they, without the aid of musical instruments of any kind with the exception of being accompanied by Fred Hall on the ukulele or piano, give all the effects of a real jazz band. Their recent recording, "O Katherina," has proved a big seller, and as they co-operate with Okeh dealers in the cities in which they are appearing at vaudeville houses their records are in great demand. During the past month, while playing in Newark and Jersey City, N. J., they gave noonday concerts at the leading Okeh stores and the lunch hour crowds invested heavily in their records. Your Success Lies in the Choice of Records You Sell Think it over and you will see why it is easy for anyone to be a happy record dealer if he sells OKtJvRecoixls The latest popular tunes are made by nationally famous orchestras. The greatest Race artists in the country make our Blues Records. Real Hill-Country folk bring their own old-time tunes tq us to be recorded. Don't you think an OKEH RECORD Agency would be a mighty good thing? If so — why not write us? Wholesale Phonograph Division STERLING ROLL and RECORD CO. 137 West 4th Street CINCINNATI, OHIO