Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
50
HOW ATTRACTIVE WINDOW DISPLAY
Makes Trade—Interesting Story Which Em-
phasizes the Importance of Window Adver-
tising and How It Is an Investment That
Pays a Prcfit When Properly Looked After.
In the Opera News for November there is told a
story of a lady wno was won by an attractive win-
dow display in a talking machine establishment.
Entering the store, she was approached by a most
courteous salesman and, after expressing her wants,
was shown about the salesroom, where different
sizes of Victrolas were on display in different
woods and colored finishes.
The lady knew about the Style XVI $200 ma-
hogany Victrola, and after causing her preference
to be known to the salesman, he told her he would
like her to listen to a particularly fine instrument
in one of the little record-trying rooms. The
lady's interest was aroused, and curious to see it,
she went into the room to listen to this special Vic-
trola.
The salesman told her that each and every Vic-
trola was personally selected by the proprietor, he
making weekly trips to the Victor factory for that
purpose and only accepting those Victrolas which
came up to his own special high standard. The
salesman stated that each sound compartment in
the Victrolas they accepted were equipped with spe-
cial sound blades that improved the tone, thus mak-
ing the instruments absolutely superior to Victrolas
sold elsewhere.
"Now," continued the salesman, "this particular
instrument was one that Mr. Caruso personally se-
lected as the best of all in this shop, and Mr.
Caruso had been in a short time before playing
records on it, and had, in fact, only just left."
Greatly interested, and on the point of purchas-
ing this Victrola, a mahogany $200 type XVI in-
strument, she asked the salesman to play one of
the records that Mr. Caruso had also played. "Cer-
tainly," said the salesman, and he left the room to
get the record.
Just then the proprietor of the store came along,
and looking in the open door of the small record
room, he observed a lady looking at a Victrola.
Thinking that she had not yet been waited upon,
and there being no salesman in sight, trie proprie-
tor said: "That's a fine Victrola there. Miss Far-
rar was in this morning trying out some of her
records on it. She told me it was the finest Vic-
trola she had ever listened to, the sound qualities
being so true and wonderful."
"Did you say Geraldine Farrar?" asked the lady.
"Oh, yes, positively," returned the proprietor. "I
waited on her myself. Here comes our special tone
expert," continued the proprietor, who observed
the salesman approaching who originally waited
upon the lady, and, not knowing what the proprie-
tor had said to her, he said:
"Here are six of the identical records which Mr.
Caruso played on this Victrola this morning. I
placed them aside after he had gone."
The proprietor was not nonplused. He said:
"Isn't it wonderful to have a Victrola that both
Mr. Caruso and Miss Farrar played? It's really
the finest toned Victrola we ever had."
The woman bought.
When she left the store the proprietor faced
his clerk and said: "A narrow escape—and next
time don't leave your customer."
TALKER MUSIC BY TELEPHONE.
Two New Yorkers Working on a New Scheme—
Some of the Details.
A pair of bright young men in New York are
at present working on a scheme for supplying
talking machine music over the telephone to a list
of subscribers yet to be enrolled. According to
the plan two dozen of the ordinary types of spring
motor, equipped with turntable, reproducer and
tone-arm, are to be mounted on a long table. The
subscriber calls up on the 'phone, asks for a certain
selection, and is connected with one of the ma-
chines. A special type of telephone mouthpiece
that magnifies and intensifies the sound is one of
the features of the scheme.
INSTALLS DANCING FLOOR IN STORE.
Increase Your
Income
Piano merchants, who
have not investigated
the talking machine
field, will find that the
subject is one of deep
interest to them and
they will also learn that
talking machines con-
stitute a line which can
be admirably blended
with piano selling.
The advance that has
been m a d e in this
special field has been
phenomenal and every
dealer w h o desires
s p e c i f ic information
concerning talking ma-
chines should receive
The Talking Machine
World regularly.
This is the only publi-
cation in A m e r i c a
devoted exclusively to
the interests of the talk-
ing machine, and each
issue contains a vast
fund of valuable in-
formation which the
talking machine job-
bers and dealers say is
worth ten times the cost
of the paper to them.
You can receive the
paper regularly at a cost
of $1.00 a year and we
know of no manner in
which $1.00 can be ex-
pended which will sup-
ply as much valuable
information.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL
Publisher
373 Fourth Ave.
NEW YORK
A. F. Mengel Springs a Surprise on the Trade
in St. Louis—Patrons May Actually Try Out
Dancing Records Before Purchasing.
(Special to The Review.)
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 31.—A. F. Mengel, of
the Mengel Co., a West End warerooms, served
a surprise on his downtown competitors when he
announced early this month that he had fitted one
of the Victor record demonstration booths with
a dancing floor, and that hereafter customers would
be welcome to try out any of the new dances ad-
vertised as records. Mr. Mengel says that often
the purchaser does not get the idea the writer
intended to convey in a description of the rec-
ords and buys the wrong one. Also, that the
modern dances become confused and that really
only very expert dancers can tell exactly how
steps will work with certain music without a trial.
Hence the demand for the new sort of demon-
stration room. Mr. Mengel does not offer to sup-
ply partners for these demonstration dances.
PATHE JOBBERSJN ST. LOUIS.
Pathe Pathephone Co. of St. Louis Organized
with R. H. Gordon as Its Head—Will Act as
Distr.buters for Important Territory—In-
corporated with Capital Stock of $20,000.
(Special to The Review.)
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 30.—The work of the
organization of the Pathe Pathephone Co. of St.
Louis has .been completed, and this new addition to
the ranks of the Western talking machine jobbers
has begun active operation from its new quarters
at 810 Olive street.
Tlic prime mover in the work of the new Patlie-
R. H. Gordon.
phone Co. is R. 11. Gordon, a young man, who was
formerly connected with the Pathe Pathephone Co.
of Chicago. Mr. Gordon has always been much
impressed with the possibilities and advantages of
St. Louis as a distributing center, and so, after
considerable work, succeeded in qualifying with
the parent company for the much sought for ap-
pointment. In an interview with Mr. Gordon
recently he said to The Review: "I thought it pos-
sible from the first that great things could be ac-
complished from St. J_ouis, and now that we are
established things look better every day. The city
itself is an important and a rich field, and the
country surrounding is equally rich. The Pathe
name has been well advertised in the Mound City
and contiguous territory, and from the time of our
first announcement we have had numerous appli-
cations from dealers for the Pathe line. The sign
of the Red Rooster has taught people in this neigh-
borhood quality in moving picture films, and we
propose that the same high regard will exist for
the Pathe Pathephone."
Associated with Mr. Gordon are H. M." Brooks
and T. Hamilton. The company is incorporated
for $20,000.
An Edison Diamond Disc phonograph depart-
ment has been opened by the Shaw Supply Co.,
Tacoma, Wash. A. W. Erhart is the manager.