Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1775

24
PRI1TO
July 31, 1920.
TALKI
THROW THEM OUT
business if by misrepresentation he sells cheap
phonographs. His reputation is too valuable
in his piano business to be hazarded for the
sake of whatever profits he might make in the
sale of the inferior instruments.
Eventually the phonograph manufacturers
will work hard to secure the piano merchants
to represent their products. The "talking ma-
chine shops" cannot survive. The talking ma-
chine belongs logically to the musical instru-
ment trade.
Piano dealers will find the phonograph a
desirable adjunct to their business. But it
must be a good phonograph, to sell at a good
price, or better no phonograph at all.
No established piano dealer can afford to
handle cheap talking machines. If the piano
house is the logical home of the phonograph—
as it certainly is—there is no profit in selling
inferior machines. It is because a piano mer-
chant has become established, by selling repre-
sentative musical instruments, that he is well
equipped to introduce a thoroughly good pho-
nograph. He has the respect of his commu-
nity. He is recognized as an authority in tone
production, and he is conducting a store to
which the people have become accustomed to
visit when they want anything musical.
More than all, perhaps, he has the "pros-
pects" already "lined up." He knows just
where the people live who have bought pianos,
PERSISTENCY COUNTS
and he knows just how they bought and how
What is the proportion of talking machine
good their credit is in the event of their being
customers
who buy without being canvassed?
installment customers—as many of them are
The
question
was the subject of an unofficial
sure to be.
forum during the days of the Edison caravan
In short, the piano dealer is prepared to convention in Chicago recently. The number
do a phonograph business just as soon as he of different estimates provided fun and was an
can get a line of instruments fitted to his trade incentive of very interesting discussions. But
and as dependable as they must be to sustain the consensus of opinion was that the big
his established reputation. And that means majority of talking machine sales results from
that the phonographs into which he may put the personal solicitation of salesmen, plus the
a share of his energies, his organization, and advertising. It was even said that there is no
his local influence, must not be of the "cheap such thing as a spontaneous phonograph pur-
and nasty" kind. They must be as good as chase ; that customers coming to the store ap-
the industry can boast. They must be so good parently of their own free will and without the
that their prices suggest a fair profit and not invitation of salesmen have been influenced
the whatever-you-can-get basis of terms.
by the talking machine publicity.
If any established piano house has been sell-
That talking machine sales are for the most
ing the unreliable, cheap and flimsy talking part the result of persistency on the part of
machines—the kind that shine too brightly a salesman was the most frequent opinion ex-
when new and lose their luster next month; pressed. In fact, the general verdict of the
the kind that suggest nothing but a varnish veteran salesmen was that the average sale is
pot and a scratchy noise, befitting a few dol- a hard fight to get the prospect's name on the
lars in cost, it is good business to throw them dotted line.
out and begin again.
A short time ago the demand for phono-
A talking machine record department man-
graphs was so much in excess of the supply
ager says records made from musical comedies
that anything that looked like a talking ma-
are uncertain sellers. The reason, is that the
chine would sell to the trade. It isn't so to-
average musical comedy contains little music
day. The time has come when salesmanship and less comedy.
is required to sell phonographs, whether at
wholesale or retail. And salesmanship implies
A second talking machine bought on the in-
quality in the goods to be sold. It isn't sales-
stallment
plan led to the discovery of the
manship to give things away. There is no skill
double
life
of a Denver man. The man who
in taking a dealer's order for phonographs
tries
the
double
life finds he has to do two
that cost so little they suggest being thrown
men's
work
and
ten
men's lying. So what's
in to insure full measure. But anything that
the
use!
is so nearly "thrown in" is only good enough
¥ * *
to be thrown out again. It isn't fit to sell, be-
If the salesman shrugs his shoulders at the
cause it didn't cost enough to make it justify
mention
of the talking machine of a competing
any expectancy of durability or satisfaction
house
it's
a sign he can tell something that
to the "ultimate consumer" who may be
ethics
prevent
him from voicing.
tricked into its ownership.
The piano business has suffered by misrep-
A collector for the talking machine depart-
resentation. So has the talking machine. But
no piano dealer who has represented piano ment of a Minneapolis house, who is very
values can hope to continue successfully in the much "wanted," is said, in the descriptive in-
Sjs
3j!
Sjl
formation, to be averse to all kinds of humor.
It i said that on his first day in the store he
quarreled with a salesman because the latter
ventured a joke at the newcomer's expense.
It may have been a very poor joke, but anyway
the collector made it clear he would not take
a joke. Nine weeks later, in working for a
branch store, he took all the money he could
collect and skipped in a grave and serious
manner.
*
Sj!
*
Before giving the fair prospect advice about
the talking machine to buy, find out the gen-
eral direction of her tastes. Then agree with
her, but not too heartily, is the advice of the
wareroom cynic.
The Better Business Bureau might perti-
nently point out that the habitual trade adver-
tising liar is punished when he tells the truth.
Then nobody believes him.
DETERLING
Talking Machines
Challenge Comparison in
every point from cabinets to
tonal results.
Prices attractive for fine
goods. Write us.
Deterling Mfg. Co., Inc.
TIPTON, IND.
THE WONDERFUL
"FAIRY" Phonograph Lamp
Truly « Work of Art. Scientifically Constructed
Sale* Unprecedented. Secure Agency Now.
T h e greatest
practical nov-
elty offered to
the Phonograph
trade—
The
"FAIRY tt
A Phonograph
|l
Lamp
"looks" and
"a p e a k B" for
itself. In ap-
pearance luxur-
ious, It achieves
Its g r e a t e s t
triumph In Us
tone.
A newly pat-
ented s o u n d
a m p l i f y in g
chamber, radi-
cally differing
from the con-
ventional
de-
signs, give* a
true m e l l o w
tone of volume
equalling that
of most ex-
pensive Instru-
ments.
Electrically operated and equipped with a specially
designed invisible switch, regulator and tone modifier.
Let us tell how sales of the ".FAIRY" have re-
quired our maximum output ever since its appear-
ance In 1918.
ENDLESS-GRAPH MANUFACTURING COMPANY
4200-02 W e s t Adams Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
25
T O
July 31, 1920.
Columbia record. This selection is coupled with
Frank Crumit's comic song, "I've Got Those Profi-
teering Blues." Booze is the subject of Bert Wil-
Fine Specimens of "Shakespeare of Phonographs" liams' latest song. "In Ten Little Bottles" he recites
a series of catastrophies that would move even a
Still on Exhibition at Sherman House.
prohibitionist to tears of laughter. "Unlucky Blues,"
It has been decided to extend the exhibit of Strat- sung by the same artist, is the appropriate coupling".
ford phonographs which has been attracting scores Lanin's Roseland Orchestra is the latest well-known
of dealers to the Sherman House, Chicago, during dance organization to make records for Columbia.
the past two weeks. The display will remain in Its first Columbia record has the one-step, "Oh! By
room 105 until August 15, and no talking machine Jingo," on one side and the tango fox trot, "Rose
man who may be in Chicago should miss it.
of Chile," on the other side.
There are some Stratford features which must
be seen to be fully appreciated. One is the new
NEW VICTOR RECORDS.
J
"Oh! By Jingo!" and "Nobody But You," are two
new medley fox trots presented on a Victor record.
In "Oh! By Jingo!" the saxophone, the xylophone
and the piano bandy between them the melodies of
the song, but nothing could be finer than the way
they keep the beat. "Nobody But You" is a fit run-
ning mate for "Oh! By Jingo!" "Alexandria" is a
fox trot and "Oriental Stars" is a one step—each
with a bit of eastern flavor. "Alexandria" is from
the romance "Aphrodite" and is by Anselm Goetzl.
"Oriental Stars" is by James V. Monaco. "The Toils
Are Pitched" and "They Bid Me Sleep" are two
good songs aside from their connection with Scott's
poem—"The Lady of the Lake." They are sung by
Laura Littlefield.
THE STRATFORD DISPLAY
THOMPSON WITH STRATFORD
Well-Known Man in Music Trade Will Represent
Stratford Machine in Chicago.
J. B. Westlake, assistant general manager of the
Stratford Phonograph Company, Inc., who has heen
holding- an exposition of this make of machine in
Room 102, Sherman House, Chicago, left Chicago
on Friday night of last week.
But the company is not without representation in
Chicago in Mr. Westlake's absence, for Charles F.
Thompson, well known in the trade, has been ap-
pointed to represent the instruments in Chicago.
GOOD ORDERS FOR LORRAINE.
F. A. Kohler, head of the firm of F. A. Kohler &
Company, phonograph manufacturers and wholesale
dealers, 808 Isabella building, 21 East Van Buren
street, Chicago, says the company now has a good
list of orders on its books for the Lorraine machines
which it builds. "We sell to dealers," Mr. Kohler
said, "and we have quite a number of orders on our
books. Of course, just now is the slackest selling
season of the year for the wholesale business, but
we are turning out good machines and will advertise
them extensively soon."
motor which insures even distribution of power and
the very highest class of performance. The Strat-
ford cabinets are beautiful in design and finished in
the best piano style.
An illustration herewith shows one of the favor-
ite period styles of the Stratford and if it pleases
the eye it. will please the ear, if possible, even more.
Don't miss the Sherman House display of the Strat-
ford if you can get there. A representative from
the factory, at Ashland, Ohio, will be on hand to
greet you.
NEW COLUMBIA RECORDS.
Al Jolson imparts all his ideas about just the kind
of wedding he'd like in "Some Beautiful Morning
(I'll Find You in My Arms)," his latest song on a
CHARLES F. THOMPSON.
Mr. Westlake explained to a Presto representa-
tive, who called at the Sherman House Friday and
COLOMBIA COMPANY'S OUTING.
heard records of Caruso and others on the ma-
General Manager H. E. Gardiner closed the New chine, that all of the men in the different depart-
Haven, Conn., office of the Columbia Graphophone ments of the company's work are experienced in
Company on Thursday of last week to celebrate one or more of the branches of phonograph
their annual outing, which was held at Lake Quas- manufacture and promotion. There is not a man
sapaug. The entire party was transported by auto- in the organization, he said, but has been associated
mobiles. A large program of events was run off
with the phonograph in some capacity or other, and
and elaborate prizes given the lucky winners. The for years. This applies to every man from the en-
program was in charge of a committee consisting gineer to the president of the company.
of Miss Peggy Pickus, Miss Mary Flannery, F. C.
"We realize the importance of building our ma-
Collins, J. M. Kiernan and Assistant Manager H. C. chine on a quality basis," said Mr. Westlake. "We
Cooley.
have started out to make the best possible machine.
The country has been flooded with machines of the
cheaper grade, so we are going to make our ma-
A permit was granted last week to make altera- chines first-class and market them in a high-class
tions in the Denckla building, Philadelphia, for John way.
Schnabel, Inc., to be occupied as a phonograph busi-
"Our product has been very well received; we
ness. Cost, $3,750.
have had many compliments for it since we have
been showing it in Chicago. We are making de-
liveries now, and are in good shape for fall deliv-
eries. We have been anticipating a shortage of
goods and are making preparations to meet it. The
indications are that we could oversell our product,
but we will be careful not to do that; in this way
we are making our dealers' interests our own in-
terests—the protection of one is the protection of
both. The general office is located at Ashland,
Ohio, a town about midway between Columbus and
Cleveland. The instrument is named the 'Shake-
speare of phonographs,' and is known for tone-
quality and case distinction."
THE OLD WAY AND THE NEW
GREAT ARTISTS ENTERTAIN.
Wm. Volker & Co., 1628 Fourteenth street, Den-
ver, Colo., in advertising the Pathe machine make
reference to it as follows: "Visions of the artist,
the beautiful stage settings, tiers of beautiful wom-
en, all fill the mind's eye as your Pathe faithfully
reproduces the wonderful efforts of the world's
greatest artists—your home becomes enchanted
with the atmosphere of some metropolitan theater
as you feel the thrill and power of grand opera, the
concert or vaudeville. The greatest artists of the
world now entertain you on your Pathe."
FINE EDISON CABINETS.
The Denver Dry Goods Company, Denver, Colo.,
has this to say in advertising the Edison machine:
"Edison cabinets bring you the wealth of the
golden age of furniture. Here in our store you
can see Edison cabinets which express the dignity
of England's best periods, or the elegance of France
in its most luxurious days, or the aesthetic beauty
of Italy's inspired furniture art.
New England Piano & Phonograph Company has
notified the Commissioner of Corporations of an
increase in capital from $100,000 to $1,000,000 with
5,000 shares of common and 5,000 preferred, each
of $100 par.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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