The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

80 The Talking Machine World, New York, April, 1928 THE TRADE IN PHILADELPHIA AND LOCALITY — ( Continued from page 78) Velvaloid Record Brush Ideal for advertising purposes or resale. Write us for full information. PHILADELPHIA BADGE CO. Manufacturers 942 Market Street Philadelphia, Pa. the management of G. F. Wurtle, rearranged its department so that a full view of its Victor and Brunswick Panatropes was available to customers. Heretofore the records and machines were confined to the rear of the seventh floor, but now the space has been cleared by rearrangements of record cases and the various instruments are readily discernible to customers by a full floor exhibition of the various models extending to the front portion of the department. The record cases have been placed so that they too may be readily viewed and attractive furnishings complete one of the most attractive displays featured by local department stores. There also are shown the Atwater Kent and RCA lines. Features "Talkers" and Radios Stern & Co., furniture dealers with a piano and talking machine radio department, recently damaged by fire, have reconstructed the musical instrument section with complete new surroundings and booths and cases. The store at 712 Market street is now giving prominence to the talking machine and radio stocks. Association Expands Scope Under the plans for extension of membership the Pennsylvania Music Merchants' Association, which meets here in convention on May 7 and 8, at the Adelphia Hotel, will include other divisions of the trade to enrollment in its ranks. The plans to develop the organization will include the enrollment of talking machine dealers and radio associates who are linked with the music trade. At the meeting of the State organization with the Philadelphia Piano Dealers' Association held in early March, it was announced that the annual convention would lake place in May. Later in the month the committee on arrangements with A. Z. Moore, of the Kirk Johnson Co., Lancaster, Pa., and president of the State Association and President G. C. Ramsdell, of the Philadelphia organization, chairman; A. C. Weymann, of H A. Weymann & Son, Inc.; George Witney, C. J. Heppe & Son, and George Miller, of the Lester Piano Co., and the F. A. North Co., met here and selected the Adelphia Hotel as the place for the annual gathering. Vatican Choir Records Popular Vatican Choir records have been profitable Easter sellers among the recordings of the Brunswick list. The Philadelphia trade gave much attention to the feature of these over the 3V4 Inohw dluuttr Patented 1922 Pascal season. The Vatican Choir, with its 60 male singers, is considered the greatest of Catholic Church Choral organizations, and recently completed a tour of America, making its record while in this country. Girard Co. a Carryola Distributor The Girard Phonograph Co., Broad and Wallace streets, has become the Philadelphia distributor for the Carryola line of portables and electric pick-ups. The Girard Co. has been local distributor for the Bosch radio for some time, and has long been established here, previously featuring the Edison and other phonographs and radios. The firm will take care of the distribution of the Carryola in the eastern Pennsylvania, south New Jersey and Delaware territory. Brisk Demand for Valley Forge Line Returned from a tour of the South, Irvin Epstan, of the J. A. Fischer Co., 730 Market street, reports that business in that section is spotty in the larger centers, but quieter in the Florida resorts where the Winter season has not been as lively as in normal years. There has been a lively demand for the Valley Forge repair parts and accessories, but particularly for the ValPhonic reproducers that now are being used for modernizing the old type instruments. The newest of products to be introduced by the Fischer Co. is the Riophonic, the medium-priced reproducers which will be advantageous to the modernizing of the old style talking machines. The new medium-priced reproducer is a vast improvement over the former Valley Forge make. It has more rigidity and tonal qualities are improved. The firm is now working on several new types of tone arms and shortly will announce these products to the trade. The Valley Forge manufacturer shortly will issue the new Spring chart with eight or ten new springs added for the new type of portables and various modern machines. Recently the firm has been highly complimented by trade associates on its advertisement appearing in The Talking Machine World last month in two color full-page display. Those dealers who wrote in on the ad state it was unique and original. Speeds Production With the opening of the outdoor season the Guarantee Talking Machine Supply Co., 35 North Ninth street, has been speeding up production on its portables. This season there are three new models with modern features, among them a thin model in which the tone arm is stationary so that necessary work of removing it when packing is eliminated. The new Guarantee Special is guaranteed to play two records at a single winding. It is made in pastel tints with the Guaraphonic reproducer which enhances the volume. The third and latest development in the $25 model is the Guarantee Deluxe with the serpentine tone arm and high grade synchronized Guaraphonic reproducer — a remarkable value for the money. There has been a lively demand for the Guarantee portables in Venezuela, South America and Australia, where distributors have been successful in promoting the sales of these Quaker City-made products. E. Bauer, who travels for the Guarantee Co., is now en route South taking in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and other points en route. The Guarantee Talking Machine Supply Co. has been appointed distributor for the Mack Aerial, made by the Mack Mfg. Co., of Philadelphia. M. Grass & Son Expand M. Grass & Son have removed the wholesale sheet music department to the music store in West Philadelphia. The firm recently took over an additional floor and enlarged its business in the talking machine section, and extending stocks to pianos and musical instruments. The radio department also has been developed, with the RCA, Atwater Kent, Zenith, and Fada in stock. Better service to the dealers is planned with the removal of the sheet music department to its store quarters from 1017 Samson street. Rosen Buys Victor Department Last month Rosen's Music Stores, of 1131 Poplar street, bought out the stock and fixtures of the Victor department of the Penn Furniture Co., on Market street, and have added the line to the branch store at 840 North Second street. In preparation for this event Hyman Rosen added eight new booths, enlarged the record shelving and generally remodeled the store. Rosen's Music Stores are doing a very large business in foreign records. Mr. Rosen reports that the foreign population is very much interested in high-priced Victor products and believes that by adding this line they have all that is required. Victor Foreign Record Drive The foreign department of the Philadelphia Victor Distributors, Inc., is engaged in a campaign stressing foreign language record releases. A series of half-page advertisements was inserted in thirteen foreign language newspapers, circulating in this territory the latter part of last month, featuring music of the Eastertide. Dealers were urged to run ad copy tying up with the half-page ads. Makes Sales Suggestion The sales promotion department of H. A. Weymann & Son, Inc., Victor distributors, has issued a very interesting communication to its dealers upon the subject of sales. Among other things, it is pointed out that the sales people in the record department have an enviable opportunity to develop prospects for machine sales. It is suggested that the record clerk when selling a record ask the simple ques(C ontinued on page 82) Distributors forEasternPenna. and Southern New Jersey "GROW WITH US" is our slogan, and it expresses two things: 1 That our business is developed on the seeds of CONFIDENCE, ' planted by selling RELIABLE merchandise of nationally recognized manufacturers ; and by giving our dealers a Service that leaves nothing to be desired. O That Trilling & Montague's dealers subscribe to the same business principles in their relationship with their customers in order to "grow with us." TRILLING 6c MONTAGUE WHOLESALE RADIO MERCHANDISERS N.W. COR. 7TH AND ARCH STREETS PHILADELPHIA, PA.