Music Trade Review

Issue: 1932 Vol. 91 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
14
THE
MUSIC
SPARKS-WITHINCTON CO. DEVELOPS PLAN
FOR PROFITABLE RADIO RETAILING
T
HE Sparks-Withington Co., manufactur-
er of Sparton radios, has recently de-
veloped a constructive plan for making
radio retailing more profitable, the plan
being based on a wide and thorough in-
vestigation.
Trained investigators visited the most suc-
cessful radio stores in the country. They
watched the sales methods of radio men who
make money both in good times and bad.
They wrote word-for-word reports of what
these men are doing to get business at a
profit.
Trained shoppers posing as typical pros-
pects went to the stores of other outstand-
ingly successful radio retailers. They raised
objections, brought on arguments, gave hun-
dreds of retailers in all parts of the country
a chance to do some first-rate selling. These
shoppers reported—word-for-word—the sell-
ing procedures of the men visited. Their
work required several months.
The plan for more profitable radio retail-
ing covers every main aspect of the radio
dealer's business. It supplies, for the deal-
er's own use, the facts about successful sales
management in a radio store. These facts,
drawn from outstanding stores in representa-
tive sections of the United States and Can-
ada, are presented in a clear, concise sum-
mary of the tested and proven methods of
successful dealers, on such vital points as:
correct policies on stock control, trade-in
allowances, time payments, home demonstra-
tions, outside selling—methods of analyzing
local markets and setting up sales goals—
how to find and hire good salesmen—how
to train salesmen and supervise their work
—how to build up prospect lists—how to
build sales through advertising and display
—how to make service profitable.
In addition, the Sparton plan gives the
dealer a simple and practical way of de-
veloping his employes and increasing their
sales ability. The actual selling methods of
successful radio salesmen are described fully
and accurately in a new Manual of Radio
Salesmanship.
With the salesmanship manual there is
also provided a 50-page demonstration port-
folio, based on the methods of successful
salesmen designed for practical use both in
the store and in outside selling. This port-
folio gives the dealer and the salesman a
forceful means of holding the prospect's in-
terest—backing up the salesman's statements
with visual proof—covering the strongest
selling points most effectively—and selling
the prospect on the advantages of buying
from a reputable and well-established radio
dealer.
To help the dealer put the plan into
successful operation in his own store and
under his own local conditions, he is given
a completely organized series of sales-meet-
ing guides. These guides are used by the
dealer in conducting informal, interesting
meetings with his employes.
IRVING ZUELKE MUSIC CO.
IN NEW MILWAUKEE HOME
ords, sheet music, player rolls, radio, pianos
and other musical instruments may be ex-
amined and demonstrated in these rooms.
The Zuelke store is featuring Mason &
Hamlin pianos; Silver Marshall radios;
Sparton radios; Brunswick moving pictures;
Martin band instruments, as well as a com-
plete line of sheet music and records.
Mr. Zuelke has been in the music business
in Wisconsin for twenty-four years. He
was born in Hortonville in 1884, and as a
young man worked for six years in his
father's bank before he opened his first
music store. In that first store he sold
pianos and sheet music and some of the
smaller musical instruments.
Irving Zuelke, of the Irving Zuelke Music
Co., has opened his new music store in the
new seven-story business building which he
has constructed in Appleton, Wis.
When his old building and music store
burned in 1928 Mr. Zuelke immediately be-
gan plans for erecting a new building on
the same site. His music shops occupy the
second floor of the building, and a piano
has been placed in the mezzanine floor over
the lobby so that musical entertainment may
be presented from time to time by local per-
sons. The location of this store on the
mezzanine floor offers good access from the
street and attracts traffic from the building
which is already well filled with tenants.
Four music shops have been installed,
arranged in the manner of a street. Rec-
MATHUSHEK PIANO MFG. CO.
79 Alexander Ave.
NEW YORK
NEW BRAMBACH CATALOG
ISSUED TO THE TRADE
There has just been issued by the Bram-
bach Piano Co. an impressive new catalog,
replete with information regarding the origin
of the Brambach instruments, and details as
to their manufacture, including the incorpo-
ration of the new "tone expander," which, as
its name implies, serves to increase the vol-
ume, depth, and quality of the tone.
The frontispiece of the catalog is a pho-
tographic study entitled "The return of
Franz Brambach," and indicates the shadow
of the original manufacturer hovering over
the modern Brambach instrument. One page
is given over to the description of the dis-
tinctly modern Brambach factory in New
York, and another to the Brambach instru-
ment. The final page bears testimonial from
TRADE
REVIEW,
January,
1932
prominent musicians regarding Brambach
piano quality. The only instrument illus-
trated in the catalog proper is the Style "B,"
but catalog inserts of the various instruments
made by the company are supplied to the
dealer for use and distribution. It is found
by this method that styles may be changed
without antiquating the catalog, and it is
possible for the dealer to show only those
styles in which the prospect will most
likely be interested, thus avoiding confusion
of thought and reducing sales resistance.
ASSOCIATES TO CONVENE
CHICAGO RADIO SHOW
The Board of Directors of the Radio
Wholesalers' Association and the National
Federation of Radio Associations have an-
nounced their annual convention concurrent
with and a part of the Chicago Radio-Elec-
trical Trade and Public Show to be held in
Chicago the week of January 18-24, 1932.
The two associations likewise announce
their official endorsement of the show and
the incorporation of this activity as a major
part of their merchandising program.
The Advisory Committee, which has had
this matter under consideration for some
months, reported its recommendation to af-
filiate with the Chicago Radio-Electrical
Trade and Public Show because of its belief
and that of the respective Boards of Di-
rectors that the radio distributor and retailer
must broaden the scope of his activities in
order to be successful.
This broadening includes the handling of
additional products represented by allied lines
such as refrigerators, washing machines,
electrical appliances of all kinds, vacuum
cleaners, clocks, etc.
The amount of space under contract by
both radio and electrical manufacturers al-
ready assures a thoroughly representative
industry show.
The show will be held all week at the
Coliseum and the convention meetings at the
Congress Hotel. They are as follows:
Monday, January 18: Registration, Con-
gress Hotel; Tuesday, A. M., January 19:
National Radio Rally, Congress Hotel;
Wednesday, A. M., January 20: Open
Forum for Jobbers, Congress Hotel; Wed-
nesday afternoon: Closed Membership meet-
ings, Congress Hotel; Wednesday night, An-
nual Banquet, Congress Hotel.
RCA-Victor Dealers Meet
The Taylor Electric Co., distributor of
RCA-Victor products, held a meeting of its
southern Wisconsin dealers at the Hotel
Racine, Racine, Wis., during December.
More than thirty retailers from Racine,
Kenosha, Delavan, East Troy, Oconomowoc,
Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Sullivan at-
tended the meeting.
Want several hundred good used up-
right and player pianos. State price,
boxed or harnessed, your city, and
makes, finishes and sizes. Pacific
Music Company, 303 South Hill
street, Los Angeles, Calif.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
January, 1932
15
"We are developing a practical form of
long-playing record, but, in our judgment,
standard speed records will continue to be
the most popular and largest selling type of
records and Columbia will continue to make
them."
J. E. EASMAN OPENS NEW
MUSIC STORE IN DANBURY
J. E. Easman, Jr., of Newburgh, N. Y.,
has opened a music store in the Pershing
Building at 190 Main street, Danbury, Conn.
Mr. Easman is well known to the trade as
associate with his father in the operation of
a very successful music business in New-
burgh during the past six years, where the
Steinway and Aeolian line of instruments
were featured in addition to musical mer-
chandise, sheet music, and radio.
HARMONIOUS DISPLAY OF THE MATHUSHEK SPINET-GRAND IN THE WINDOW
OF THE SHERMAN, CLAY & CO. STORE IN SAN FRANCISCO
COLUMBIA PHONOGRAPH CO. PRESIDENT
COMMENTS O N LONG-PLAYING RECORDS
H
C. COX, president of the Columbia
Phonograph Co., sent the following
• letter to the trade, under date of
December 29, 1931, expressing the views of
his company regarding the present status of
the new long-playing records in relation to
the standard type of speed records.
"In view of the uncertainty, which appears
to be general, as to what effect the introduc-
tion of a long-playing record will have on
the talking machine industry, especially with
regard to a continued supply of standard
speed records in good number and variety,
we feel that the trade and the public will
be interested in a statement of the Columbia
company's attitude on the subject.
"The long-playing record, whatever its
ultimate development may be, is not yet
commercially practicable or a serious rival
of the standard speed record. For a time,
probably a long time, the long-playing record
will be chiefly useful in the field of classical
music, such as symphonies, concertos, sonatas,
operatic series, and similar compositions. But
even in that field, it is doubtful if it can ever
supplant the standard speed record.
"There are approximately fifteen million
phonographs and combination radio-phono-
graphs in American homes, and all of them
are fitted with motors, turntables, tonea-ms,
and other equipment for using the standard
speed record. Satisfactory means for adapt-
ing or remodeling them to reproduce both
long-playing and standard records must be
developed, and sold at prices within the
reach of people of moderate or even limited
means, before any substantial number of
owners will become buyers of long-playing
records. Most phonograph ow T ners will not
regard the possible advantage of a long-
playing record as sufficient compensation in
itself to justify them in foregoing the enjoy-
ment of the enormous repertoire of selections
available on records of the present type.
Even assuming the possibility (which is
doubtful) of making up combinations of two
or more short musical compositions on long-
playing discs of such character as would
appeal to the tastes of the majority of users,
it would take some years to build up an
adequate repertoire and to effect its distribu-
tion.
"By far the greater sale of records, now
and for many years past and to come, has
been and will be of selections, vocal and
instrumental, in the popular classes: dance
music; light and tuneful compositions;
standard songs and ballads; old-time melo-
dies and familiar tunes; and race and na-
tional folk songs, both domestic and in for-
eign languages,—which do not lend them-
selves to long playing, or repetition. Selec-
tions in these classes will continue to be in
greatest demand and must be in such form
that users may select the titles they want,
without having to take and pay for others.
NEW YORK TRADE PASSES
QUOTA FOR UNEMPLOYED
The members of the music trade of New
York captured a new record for themselves
in the recent drive for funds for the relief
of the unemployed for, with a quota of
$5,000, they raised a total of over $19,000,
which is believed to be the largest over-
subscription of any industry. The committee
soliciting funds in the music trade was under
the chairmanship of W. H. Alfring, president
of the Aeolian Co., assisted by representatives
of the various branches of the trade such as
pianos, musical merchandise, sheet music, etc.
New Aeolian Dealers
There have been a number of additions
recently to the growing list of Aeolian Com-
pany's representatives, among them being
Edward T. Bates Co., Meadville, Pa., the
Stewart Hilton Co., Inc., a new concern in
Greenburg, Pa., and the R. E. Lightenberger
Piano Co., Johnstown, Pa.
The plant of the Mello-Art Player Roll
Mfg. Co., 414 East Pleasant street, Balti-
more, Md., was destroyed by fire recently.
Future plans of the company have not yet
been announced.
Godard's Music House, long established in
Syracuse, N. Y., will in future represent the
Mason & Hamlin piano in that territory.
The Knight Campbell Music Co., Denver,
Colo., has opened a branch store on South
Main street, Lamar, Colo., under the man-
agement of R. M. Booth.
JESSE FRENCH
and SONS
PIANOS—RADIOS
"A name well known since 1875"
fc:
A
New Castle
Indiana
JESSE FRENCH A SONS

Download Page 14: PDF File | Image

Download Page 15 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.