Presto

17
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
June 15, 1929
WESTERN MUSIC
AND RADIO SHOW
The Western Music and Radio Convention
at Salt Lake City This Week
Had Displays from Eleven
Western States.
By FRED L. W. BENNETT.
The Western Music and Radio Trades Conven-
tion at Salt Lake City, Utah, on Tuesday, Wednes-
day and Thursday of this week was largely attended
and proved to be the most interesting convention
ever held there. More than 1,500 radio dealers, job-
bers and manufacturers contributed to the displays.
The Salt Lake show was the first one in the United
States at which the new lines were shown publicly.
The Chicago exposition, which was held from June
3 to 7, was open to radio dealers and jobbers alone.
The Salt Lake convention attendants, therefore, had
the first opportunity to see the new lines of more
than thirty-four makes of phonographs and radios
produced by the world's leading- manufacturers.
Latest makes from the Chicago radio show of last
week were among the exhibits.
Radio and Music.
In the course of his remarks on the problems con-
fronting the music and radio industry, President
Daynes said: "Our slogan as an industry should be
'United Effort for Our Mutual Benefit.' Destructive
competition from all sources must stop; manufac-
turers must work more closely together; dealers must
be more united in their efforts and there must be a
closer cooperation between manufacturer, jobber and
dealer. I believe that radio will be helpful to the
sale of pianos rather than destructive. Radio is a
convenient w r ay of hearing music. It is a wonderful
and modern way, and the future developments are
beyond our conception." Mr. Daynes thought it was
possible that the depression in the piano business
might result in bringing dealers and manufacturers
closer together, and thus prove a great benefit to
the industry in the end.
Aubrey O. Andelin, president of the Andelin Music
Company, Idaho Falls, Idaho, was scheduled to speak
on the subject, "The Small Dealer in the Music and
Radio Business," but his address developed into much
more than the title indicated. Mr. Andelin said in
the final analysis they were in business to make a
profit, "and I am here to advocate making a legiti-
mate profit," he said. He pointed out that after all
great things were accomplished for the benefit of
the public in general by business firms that did make
a profit, rather than by those who went into bank-
ruptcy.
"The radio man makes radios obsolete in six
months," said Mr. Boykin, amid much laughter. He
said that he would like to see radio dealers who are
not selling pianos to handle them, for he thought
pianos were coming back and with the assistance of
radio there was going to be a greater love for music
than ever before.
T. J. Mercer on Financing.
Thomas J. Mercer, vice-president Rankers' Com-
mercial Security Company, Los Angeles, Calif., spoke
on "Piano and Radio Financing." He said the men
who do the financing are much maligned and slan-
dered. There were many things in relation to this
phase of the business that are not understood, he
said. Mr. Mercer contended that the importance and
necessity of fundamental capital in business is often
overlooked. "So many people," he said, "if they
can get a little store somewhere, think they are en-
titled to credit all around without any capital of their
own, and frequently such people do not have any
sound knowledge of business methods, either."
He concluded by saying: "Talk cash. Let the
customer talk terms. Don't sell terms yourself. The
music trade has been weak in adopting carrying
charges. He advised his dealer friends if they think
the financing men are hard boiled to let the finance
company seek them. They had the privilege of select-
ing their finance firm."
An "inspirational lunch" was held, with former
Governor Charles R. Mabey of Utah as the principal
speaker. Mr. Mabey discussed at some length Utah's
scenic, agricultural, mining and manufacturing re-
sources.
T. J. Farquarson, secretary of the Southern Cali-
fornia Music Trades' Association, discussed the big
gathering in Chicago, which he attended and urged
upon his hearers more activity along the lines of co-
operation.
Edward A. Geissler, vice-president and manager
Birkel Music Company, Los Angeles, spoke on "Es-
sentials That Go to Make a Profit or Loss in the
Music Business." In discussing salesmen, he said
that no man could stay with them if he is unable
to earn a good salary. He said there was a great
need for good salesmanship and told of some of his
experiences with salesmen. "We had one man," he
said, "who would sit in the store and answer a ques-
tion put to him by a member of the public without
rising. Of course he did not last five minutes."
Mr. Birkel of Los Angeles urged his hearers, who
were dealers, to handle none but well advertised
goods if they wished to play safe. Mr. Birkel con-
cluded his remarks amid laughter by telling of a suc-
cessful salesman who had not heard that business was
dull until after he had made a number of very im-
portant sales.
Player-Pianos as Accompanists.
Gene Redewill, Redewill Music Company, Phoe-
nix, Ariz, made a talk on "The Player-Piano," and
told how he is selling these pianos. This speaker
wants the player called "The Accompanist."
He
said he sells the buyer of an accompanist on the
basis of music and on its value as a musical instru-
ment, rather than an ornament. He pointed out the
great help which these pianos can render, as accom-
panists. He said he was working through schools
and other organizations. Mr. Redewill said the trou-
ble with the player has been that the person operat-
ing it has not been able to eliminate that portion of
the melody not wanted and he told how he had been
working on this and demonstrated the results before
his hearers on the Gulbransen, playing a violin as
he did so. The effect was very pleasing and brought
forth applause.
The speaker suggested that the dealer may arouse
interest in the player by taking one of these instru-
ments and placing it in the back of the store and
inviting patrons and friends in general to play it and
talk about it.
It is estimated that 6,000 attended the Radio Expo-
sition. The attendance was a little disappointing to
some of the exhibitors, but all say it has created
many prospects and they are satisfied. A few thought
the effect would have been much better, as far as
interesting the general public, if it could have been
held in September. The exposition was very artistic
and not too commercial in appearance.
OFFICERS OF CHRISTENA-TEAGUE CO.
The resignation of William Christena, president of
the Christena-Teague Piano Company, brought about
a reorganization of the company. The new officers
are: Walter W. Timmerman, president; Herbert J.
Teague, vice-president, and Miss Pearl Holloway, sec-
retary and treasurer. There will be no change made
in the line of instruments sold by the company.
RADIO CONVENTION
WAS WONDERFUL
The General Public Was Not Admitted to the
Third Annual Trade Show at Chicago
Last Week, But Much News Leaked
Out, Nevertheless.
The displays at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, last
week made by exhibitors at the Radio Men's con-
vention were intended for dealers chiefly, as the gen-
eral public was excluded. The crowds that attended
were immense. There were radio men and women
from all parts of the United States and many from
other countries.
The meetings were held at the Stevens Hotel
mostly, but there was a very interesting joint meet-
ing with the piano men at the Drake. At the
joint meeting it was brought out that radio has
grown to tremendous proportions in the past eight
years. It is estimated that more than one half
billion dollars worth of radio receiving sets and aux-
iliary apparatus are sold each year to the American
public, and this year the radio industry has set eight
hundred million dollars as the goal.
In the early years of the industry the bulk of the
business was handled by electrical stores, or stores
operating solely as an outlet for electrical merchan-
dise. And now, the radio store is primarily a music
store. "This is a very salutary condition," according
to William Hedges, who was speaking, "since radio
can be found as a real musical instrument, the posi-
tion cannot be regarded purely as a novelty.
"The radio industry is being assisted by other in-
dustries who are providing entertainment for its cus-
tomers. The radio industry is in an even better
position than the automobile industry since there
are always good roads to travel on the air, whereas
good roads must be built for the automobile.
There was much interest in the new radio sets
equipped with the screen-grid tube. There were also
high-grade radio-phonograph combinations without
tubes and many other instruments and devices
galore.
RADIO CONVENTION BREAKS
ALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS
There Were 31,589 Registrations and the Prediction
Was Made by Major Frost of Billion Dollar Year.
All attendance records were broken at the June
Convention and Trade Show of the Radio Manu-
facturers' Association in Chicago when 31,589 mem-
bers of the industry were registered.
This exceeds by 6,989 the record-breaking attend-
ance of 1928, with 24,600 registrations.
Pre-convention predictions that the present season
would establish new sales records seem likely to be
fulfilled on the basis of later reports by the same
manufacturers, jobbers and dealers, at the conclusion
of the convention. They pointed out that in all prob-
ability Major Frost's estimate of close to a billion
dollar year for the industry was not unduly opti-
mistic, and probable of fulfillment.
The 31,589 visitors attending the recent RMA Con-
vention and Trade Show in Chicago heard in opera-
tion one of the most pretentious public address in-
stallations ever designed. The cost to the two com-
panies, United Reproducers' Corporation and Sam-
son Electric Company, that designed and supplied
the apparatus, was more than $10,000.
99%
Interested prospects become customers
1"t wy* ^ A wy © IT*
PERFECTION BENCHES
are jsed by people who have good taste, appreciate fine things and know »oun4 value*.
De Luxe
Louis XV
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