Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Music Manufacturers
Association Formed
CHICAGO-The Automatic Phonograph
Manufacturers' Association is the name of
a new group formed recently, with offices at
120 South LaSalle Street. C. S. Darling,
former NACOMM manager, is secretary.
The John Gabel Manufacturing Company,
Mills Novelty Company, Rock-Ola Manu•
facturing Corporation, J. P. Seeburg Cor•
poration, and the Rudolph Wurlitzer Com•
pany comprise the membership.
In an announcement sent out to music
operators, Darling stated that "the Auto-
matic Phonograph Manufacturers' Associa-
tion-APMA-will, as an entirely volun•
tary association of manufacturers of auto•
matic phonographs, serve this industry for
the purpose of making the business of oper•
ating, distributing and manufacturing pho-
nographs a more permanent, satisfactory
and profitable business for all concerned."
The new association supersedes the for-
mer Musical Instrument Division of the
National Association of Coin-Operated Ma-
chine Manufacturers.
♦
Distributing Outlet formed
by Marquette Music
DETROIT - To better serve Michigan
operators with Wurlitzer phonographs, the
Marquette Music Company announces the
formation of a new and separate subsidiary
company to handle the distribution of ma•
chines for the state of Michigan.
The new company is to be known as the
Wolverine Music and Specialties Company,
with offices, showrooms and warehouse
space at 1010 Beaubien Street in Detroit.
Harold G. Graham has charge of the new
firm and is assisted by Max M. Marston,
former secretary-manager of the Michigan
Music Operators' Association.
♦
merchandi:Jing- the Chri:Jlma,i
mudic Seadon
ST. LOUIS (RC)-Getting the most out
of the holiday season for the phonograph
operator or music route man is exactly the
same proposition as for any other "mer•
chant," according to several prominent St.
Louis phonograph operators who have real-
ized the most from past Christmas dealings
-you've got to go out and meet the pros-
pect on his own terms, sell him something
he wants, and finally, music must be mer-
chandised just as strongly as tangible prop•
erty.
There are several fields in which the
phonograph plays a logical holiday role, a
survey revealed-churches, retail stores, en-
tertainments, grocery stores-in fact, every
kind of business establishment where build-
ing a Christmas atmosphere is vitally im-
portant. Likewise, phonographs draw a
better play with the merry attitude charac•
teristic of the December month-so it be-
hooves the phonograph operator to look at
both sides of the potential market before
making any definite efforts.
One St. Louis operator makes a yearly
policy of visiting all denominations of
churches around October 10th, offering a
table model or small phonograph to be
used in connection with exterior religious
or Christmas displays at a base price of $20
for the month-stepping this up according
to how many records are desired, ampli-
fiers, wiring, etc. He seldom goes below
$35 when the job is actually installed, and
inasmuch as this service requires older,
obsolete models only, there is a very real
percentage of profits involved. In contact-
ing churches, this operator suggests, the
music man must be careful to play up the
automatic, attention-free virtues of the coin
phonograph, and make careful plans for
hiding it - otherwise the average church
committee will be inclined to be doubtful
about its propriety.
In "hymnalizing" department stores or
other retail buildings, the operator must
figure closely with the management, an-
other St. Louis firm, specializing in this
branch of supply, reported. Most of the
department stores who realize the sales
value of pleasant Christmas music budget
so much income for this purpose-but fig-
ure installation on a strict cost-plus basis,
which means that the phonograph operator
must be absolutely sure of his own costs
and requirements before accepting such a
contract. One of the largest of this type
of job was a huge department store in St.
Louis which used eight machines last year
with over thirty amplifiers, at a total cost
of $800. Smaller stores are equally good
prospects, the St. Louis phonograph fir!IU!
reported, and can be sold on the idea by
early contacts and plenty of emphasis on
the goodwill and pleasant atmosphere pro-
vided.
Fred Pollnow, one of the veteran oper-
ators in this field, gets good results each
year from a small card printed after the
manner of a Christmas greeting card which
is pasted in the glass of his phonographs
in better locations. The card invites listen•
ers to rent a phonograph for home holiday
displays, entertainments, socials, etc. - al-
ways a score or more customers turned up.
He also uses a battery of old machines for
grocery store and supermarket rentals-
with two or more amplifiers figured at $10
each for the Christmas month.
The ideal method, according to general
consensus, of getting rental holiday busi-
ness is to figure several representative lay-
outs with complete costs, profits and other
figures plainly shown for the prospect's
benefit. In this way it is possible to put
the idea on a sound foundation which
opens up a wide new field for the phono-
graph operator.
♦
27
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
Bell Music Joins
Polka Parade
CHICAGO-Bell Music Company, pub-
lishers, have joined the "Polka Parade"
with a new release titled "Down at Polka
Joe's." This is another Hull-Heritier tune,
the team whose recent cowboy hit, "Han'-
some Joe," proved a money-maker for the
ops as waxed by Patsy Montana on Vo-
calion.
♦
Alec Templeton
Joins Vidor
len lennett, left, head of the lennett Music Company, Phoenix, Arizona, orders out
another carload of Rocl<-Ola Luxury Lightups, while George R. M urdocl<, Rocf<-Ola District
Manager, beams his approval.
CAMDEN, N. J.-Alec Templeton, bril-
liant young blind pianist, who is recognized
as one of today's cleverest musical carica-
turists, has been signed to record for Vic-
♦
tor.
https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com