Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
OCTOBER 9, 1926
The Music Trade Review
Wisconsin's Fourth Radio Exposition
Proves Most Successful Held There
Dealers Report Immediate Response in Interest by the Buying Public—Wisconsin Radio Trade
Association Holds Annual Meeting With Elaborate Program
X/I1LWAUKEE, WIS. ( October 5.—With re-
sults from Wisconsin's fourth and largest
radio exposition fully recorded, the interest in
the radio season seems to have increased
greatly. A total of 37,107 people made this
year's attendance a record one and dealers are
finding that the interest created in radio by this
exposition has shown some very worth-while
results from a sales standpoint.
Exhibitors from Milwaukee included the Great
Lakes Radio Corp.; Edmund Gram Music
House, with the Atwater Kent and Radiola
1 nes; the Orth Music Co., featuring the Zenith,
Sonora, Atwater Kent and Hrunswick Radiola;
Michael Ert, Inc.; Luebtow Music Co.; Inter-
state Sales Co.; the Three Schuster Stores
showing the complete Mohawk line, the At-
water Kent, Freshman, Radiohi, Day-Fan and
Freed-Eisemann, and Yahr-Lang Inc., with the
Sonora line. The Plymouth Phonograph and
Ivadio Co., of Plymouth, Wis., exhibited the
latest models in their line.
During the exposition the Wisconsin Radio
Trade Association, which sponsored the show,
held a convention which in itself brought to
Milwaukee a representative attendance of deal-
ers from all over Wisconsin. Senator Oscar
Morris, of the Better Business Bureau of the
Milwaukee Association of Commerce, gave the
address of welcome. Michael Ert, president of
the Wisconsin Radio Trades Association, re-
sponded. Harold J. Wrape, president of the
Federated Radio Trade Association, spoke on
the "Prospects for the Radio Business for the
Coming Season."
Carl D. Boyd, first vice-
president of the Radio Manufacturers' Associa-
tion, spoke on "Stabilization in the Radio In-
dustry" and L. F. Beckwith, chairman of the
Wisconsin Utilities' Association committee on
radio co-ordination, dealt with "Radio Inter-
ference: Its Causes and Remedies." "Sales-
manship" was an inspirational address given by
R. R. Cunningham, director of advertising for
the La Salle Extension University. On Tues-
day B. W. Muark, executive secretary of the
Radio Manufacturers' Association, dealt with
"Three Associations and Their Value to Dealers,
Manufacturers and Jobbers." "The Present
Broadcasting Situation" was outlined by Paul
B. Klugh, of the National Broadcasters' Asso-
ciation.
During the exposition newspapers gave many
columns of space to matters of radio interest as
well as to descriptions of the various lines fea-
tured in the exhibits. Radio questions were
kept constantly before the public and special
articles handled various aspects of the radio. In
a special article written by Michael Ert, presi-
dent of the Wisconsin Radio Trades Associa-
tion, he stated his belief that the great future
growth of radio would be in the rural communi-
ties. The radio is most important to the farmer
a* a business man for it gives him the weather
and stock reports which make it possible for
him to really cash in on the invention. Besides
this, it will be an important recreational factor
in rural life. Other newspapers also used fea-
ture stories on the show, bringing particular
stress to bear on the new lines which have been
introduced recently.
A significant disclosure of the exposition is
that a great many of those who attended seemed
to be there with the definite intention of select-
ing and buying a radio set for their homes,
rather than out of mere curiosity. The beauty
and efficiency of the exhibits were a source of
great interest to the public.
Carl Lovejoy, representing the Brunswick in
Milwaukee, states that the Brunswick Pana-
trope is selling very well and that it is difficult
to meet the demand.
W. A. Bye, manager of the Carberry-Parker
Co., home of the Ampico in the Checkering,
said that business in player-pianos has been very
good. Players are moving fast and from the
sales of last month and records up to date in
the present month still further activity is ex-
pected.
"People seem to have more money to spend,"
M r . Bye stated. "Down payments are larger and
collections are good. People are buying more
expensive pianos and we are selling all the
phonographs we can get. It has been neces-
sary to give more attention to the phonograph
department and we have added A. Uivari to our
sales force. The demand for those instruments
is so large that we have discontinued our radio
department. Most people coming in for a radio
became interested in a combination and pur-
chased one of them.
Mr. Bye states that the Badger Music Shop is
now starting its Christmas club and finds a large
number of people interested in the project.
Many coming in to join the club decide to buy
an instrument but in a shorter period of time.
The club is a method of getting the trade from
people who cannot afford to make a large down
payment, but whose earning capacity is great
enough to take care of the monthly payments.
According to Mr. Bye there is a good de-
mand for Buescher band instruments. The
string instrument demand is greatly increased
and Paramount banjos are selling on a big
scale. The Paramount tenor-harp, which has
been recently introduced, is going over well,
W. W. Kimball Co. Settled
in New Kansas City Home
New Quarters of the Company in That City
Now Being Filled With Stock—General Sales
in Territory Proving Satisfactory
KANSAS CITY, MO., October 4.—All phases of
music trade are showing bright prospects for
Fall and Winter in Kansas City, according to
dealers here. Phonographs have perhaps the
biggest possibilities for unusual volume, with
radio running far ahead of last year or any
previous year of its history. Pianos are mov-
ing actively so far, and September shows a bet-
ter volume in this line than is customary for
the first Fall month. Following Summer sales
on pianos in practically all the larger music
stores, the retailers have stocked heavily in new
Fall merchandise and predict a large volume of
business in pianos.
The W. . W. Kimball Piano Co. is settled
in its newly remodeled store, and is fast re-
ceiving its shipments on Fall merchandise.
Every day new stock arrives, and while the ac-
tive buying has not started they expect an un-
usual volume of business when the season
opens. Their first floor showroom, and large
display windows are doing what they hoped
they would do—bringing in passers-by—who in-
quire about models in the window. Along with
this advantage, the Kimball company is finding
their record and roll business developing, be-
cause of the ground floor department.
The Kansas City store of the Kimball Co. has
made a specialty of grand pianos and expects
to increase this phase of its business at least
100 per cent this year, according to the manage-
ment.
C. V. Bissell, manager for the Starr Co. in
this territory, and head of the Bissell Piano Co..
reports the wholesale piano business very good
throughout the territory. There is a good de-
mand for small grands, Mr. Bissell says. The
retail trade has been somewhat slow the last
month, due largely to the unseasonable weather,
which has kept the public from doing its Fall
.7
although the store is unable to fill the many
orders it has received.
F. F. Flanner, vice-president of Flanner-
Hafsoos Music House, Inc., reports a number of
sales of Kurtzmann grands to prominent people
in Milwaukee. Among them are G. J. Degelleke,
well-known architect living at 606 Sixtieth
street, and O. C. Hubbard, of Wauwatosa,
sales manager of the Janesville Sand & Gravel
Co. Mr. Flanner also reports the sale of a Hal-
let & Davis grand with the Angelus reproduc-
ing medium to W. F. Dittmann, secretary of the
Milwaukee Label & Seal Co.
Henry M. Steussy, vice-president of Kessel-
man-O'Driscoll Co., home of the Ampico in the
Knabe, states that every department of this firm
is busy. The demand for Buescher instruments
is= very large. All the better instruments are be-
ing sold, Mr. Steussy states, as even the begin-
ners like to play on the gold instruments.
Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co. is starting an ex-
tensive advertising campaign in newspapers and
by direct mail. General and departmental ad-
vertising will figure in the campaign. Mr.
Steussy states that working conditions are very
good and people are correspondingly receptive
to musical instruments. The public is sold on
the idea of a musical education for children
which makes it much easier to approach on the
subject. The sales force of the Kesselman-
O'Driscoll Co. has been strengthened consider-
ably to meet the large demand.
Floyd Masters, of the American Piano Co.,
spent several days in Milwaukee recently.
Marquette University College of Music an-4
nounces the return of Professor E. Meretzky
Upton, originator of the famous Upton Key-
board Harmony System. Classes for children,
adults and teachers begin October 7, according
to an announcement of Liborius • Semmann,
dean.
buying. Mr. Bissell anticipates a good retail
business, however, during the next few months.
Wurlitzer's are getting shipments on Wur-
litzer pianos, and hope to have a complete stock:
by November 15, according to W. G. Robert-
son, head of the department. Mr. Robertson
says that the last two weeks of September were
exceptionally good in his department, and ex-
pects this to be only the forerunner of much
larger volume during the Fall and Winter. He
reports that the company is receiving continual
inquiries from out-of-town prospects, showing
their interest in the Wurlitzer line. The studio
models are meeting with universal approval.
The business in the Wurlitzer line has been ex-
ceptionally good in grands and players.
Q R S Co. Tubes
Praised for Efficiency
Using Only Detector and One-Stage Amplifica-
tion, Fan Reports Remarkable Results With
These Tubes
The Q R S Music Co., Chicago, is receiving
numerous testimonial letters direct from radio
"fans" as well as from the trade praising the
Q R S Redtop tubes. The following letter re-
ceived by the company from F. E. Knaack, of
Waukegan, 111., a member of the American
Radio Relay League, indicates the enthusiasm
with which the tubes are received. He said:
"The tubes you sent me were received O. K.
and I wish to thank you very much. They cer-
tainly are the berries. Get about twice the vol-
ume on DX signals as when using the 199 type
tubes and 50 per cent or more than when using
201-A's. Hear stations I never heard before
while using only detector and one-stage ampli-
fication as the volume is too great with two
stages when using Q R S Redtop tubes. That
Q R S Redtop super detector does the trick and
gives as much signal strength as a regular 201-
A detector and one stage of amplification. Cer-
tainly is great now to get the present reception
and I certainly will recommend Q R S Redtop
tubes to my fellow hams."