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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
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VOL. LXXVIII. No. 12 Published Every Satirday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. Mar. 22, 1924
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Radio Merchandising at the Convention
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USIC dealers generally throughout the country, and particularly those handling talking machines, are
deeply interested in the developments of the radio field, particularly as they apply to merchandising
radio equipment through the medium of music stores. A goodly number of music merchants is
handling radio with more or less success, many others are considering the installation of such a de-
partment, and the balance are interested in radio as the more or less competitive element.
In the selection of subjects for discussion at the forthcoming Allied Music Trades' Convention in New
York in June, quite a number of Association members have referred to the question of radio and suggested that
some attention be given that matter during at least one of the convention sessions.
The suggestion is well made, for it is a subject upon which authoritative information will be welcomed
by those who are at present on the fence and in doubt as to whether they are saving money or losing prospec-
tive profits by ignoring radio. Fortunately the average music merchant does not regard radio as a bugbear,
but nevertheless he realizes that it is corralling much interest in music that would otherwise be reflected in
the sale of other types of musical instruments and accessories.
Those in charge of preparing programs for the annual convention of the last two years realized the
interest in radio, but this new feature had not developed fully then and did not receive the serious consideration
to which subsequent events have shown it was entitled.
The result was that the man selected to speak two years ago on radio was an army officer who, although
well qualified to present the technical side of wireless communication and broadcast entertainment, by the very
nature of things could not be expected to handle the subject from the commercial viewpoint. One year ago
radio merchandising by the music merchant was still in an experimental stage.
What is needed at the coming convention is not a presentation of the scientific side of radio by someone
who has devoted his time and his thoughts to the improvement and production of that apparatus, but rather
authoritative information upon the selling of such apparatus after it is produced.
The chief speaker in the radio section of the program should be one individual or perhaps several who
are practical minded and have had actual and successful experience in merchandising radio equipment and who
can point out to the music merchants ways and means for handling radio intelligently and profitably. There
are such men, plenty of them, who would no doubt be very glad to give to the music merchants the benefit of
their knowledge and experience.
Moreover, there are a number of members in the Association who are well qualified by experience to
talk on the subject. They can tell the music merchants of the mistakes made at the outset in merchandising
radio apparatus and also what they did to overcome such mistakes. There are enough different angles to
handling radio at retail, particularly where the selling is done on instalments, to occupy an entire convention
session in the telling.
There will be some members of the various associations undoubtedly who will object to any great
amount of attention being given the radio question, feeling that by such a course they are recognizing com-
petition seriously. There is another angle to it, however, and that is that radio has become a substantial factor
among the industries of the country with a gross volume of sales in 1923 estimated at $300,000,000. It de-
pends chiefly upon music for the success of its broadcasting programs. It is regarded in many quarters, and
we might say properly, as a musical instrument. Taking into consideration all these facts, radio should find
a definite place in the convention.
The discussions need not advocate nor yet condemn the handling of radio, but they should be led by
competent radio merchandisers who can give to the music merchants the benefit of their experience and let the
latter judge as to whether they do or do not care to handle this new side line.