Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 279, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 April 1929 — Page 14

PAGE 14

QUALITY AND SPEED UNITED IN MAJESTIC Factory Methods Show Thorough Study of Radio Consumer Conditions. When tf-TCs an industry reach its saturation point? Does anybody know of any industry which has reached it ? Is it i>ossible for any indu try to reach it. provided that that meustry is backed by fertile brain capable o! making markets where apparently no market exists? When the Grigsby-Grunow Company of Chicago introduced the Majestic electric radio in June. 1928. the "experts" were already beginning to punt out that radio sales possibilities v,-re showing signs of slackening. The outlook was none too encouraging. Summer so the experts said, is not the time to sell radio sets. There v.rre already too many makes, too many dealers. Iti-fusc to Be Daunted Lurking around the rerntr was always the possimlity that some i ew development would make present set*, obsolete. Bu: iness was rone too pood, anywa-.. Radio was . upposedly a luxury and when fa. lories were laying off workers it was no time to try to induce them to make the fiist payment on some new. untried rcccivrr. All the c wet blank-ots did little i 10 disturb the stout hearts in the i management of Grigsby-Grunow. Competition (hd not worry them much. The danger of an already j saturated market was ignored. They had an idea. Good radio ets up to this time had been selling for around SSOO. Why not design the best. : G possible to sell for less than half this price, make it in big quantities, and put it over the same way Ford did the flivver? So thin Majestic electric radio was designed, and manufacturing methods on a large scale were carefully worked out. They explain how the idea was put into effect: -We invited fifty-five leading radio distributors or jobbers to Chicago. showed them the Majestic •rtdio. and told them that we planned to make 500,000 sets in six j months. “Wo showed them plans of our j factories, our facilities for the pur- i chase "i raw materials. We told | them that mass production requires j mass sales, and that if they would i lollow our plans they would make ■ money. We told them that mass ! ■-ales can not be expected in radio . .cts selling from S3OO up. •Wc told them that it was up , jn them to line up good dealers, i and to help keep sets moving. Os these fifty-five distributors, fifty j signed up before the Majestic radio j went into production. Sales Go Soaring "In five months, three of them summer mouths, .when radio sales j arc supposed to be slow, each of j lliese distributors has sold an aver-j avp of 10.000 receivers. "Todav wc have orders on our 1 books which will kceii us booked j solid until the first of the year, even i though we are producing at the rate j of 3,500 Majesties a day.” Until a few years ago automobile j owners drove their cars only in , pleasant weather. By various meth- ! ods motor car makers educated the j public on the idea of driving twelve j montns a year. Grigsby-Grunow reasoned that people could also be sold the idea of oiicratmg radio sets the year , round and so they went aftei the business intensively. At the very beginning they created a market which was not known to exist. The company lias no salesmen. Under the direction of Herbert E. Young, general sales manager, fifty men in the field co-operate with the distributors, and maintain contact with Majestic dealers. These men are not order takers, but men with intensive sales in training who give dealers practical aid in keeping Majestic radios moving. Can't See Slump An official was asked liow long he thought the present high rate of production would continue, and when the slack-up would come. He showed us that, if radios were produced at the rate of 3,500 a day every day for the next twenty-five years, there would be only one for every family in the country—not individuals, but families. Slogans in a plant are too often meaningless, or plain bunk. But two signs hanging in the Majestic plants arc worth our notice: OUE SLOGAN Make them fast, make them well— It makes a price that makes them sell. MAJESTIC'S POLICY Best construction, fast production means low cost aud satisfied customers. In these Grigsby-Grunow give their secret formula for successful mass production. And the best of it Is, they make the formula work.

Call Us Fo r a Home Demonstration STEWART’S RADIO SALES and SERVICE 108 W. 38th St. 654 Fairfield Ave. Washington 5466 Washington 1137

National Furniture Cos. Pleased With Majestic

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National Furniture (J ompany Radio Display

Patrons Give Radio Sets Critical Test and Buy, Kahn Says. 'American people, regardless of the fact that this country is in the most prosperous stage of its history, still are dicriminating buyers j and are almost super-critical when selecting merchandise for which , they must pay out their good i money.” This statement, made by Nathan Kahn, president of the National 1 Furniture Company, 335 West Washington street, was given as an illustration for one of the. reasons leading to the tremendous record established by his company in the sale of radios during the last year. This well-known West Washing-, ton street furniture company has one of the largest radio departments to be found in the city, with a complete stock of all models of Majestic radios on display. Mr. Kahn says: "Majestic's rise to a position of unchallenged leadership was not due to the fact that thou- | sands of people bought the product blindly just because it was new. j Every person to whom we sold this popular set critically compared it with other standard makes and selected Majestic because of its value from a standpoint of beauty, furniture value, mechanical excellence tone quality and general all-round performance, just the same as they do when selecting furniture and rues.” The National Furniture Company is extending the same liberal credit, terms to radio purchasers that is given to those buying house furnishings. An up-to-date service department insures perfect installation and se vice. AC RADIOS ~ FAVORED Power Tube Sets Increasing in Popularity. With the perfection of the line voltage lighted tube, the AC set has leaped into popular favor. Sets most in favor include power tubes singly or in push-pull. These sets deliver great volume, necessitating some good type of precise volume control. One popular way is to connect a volume control clarostat between the antenna and ground binding posts of the receiver. During their convention last De- ; cember. Majestic distributors placed orders for more than 1,200.000 sets for delivery during 1929.

Call Us For A Home Demonstration MAJESTIC RADIO AUTHORIZED SALES AND SERVICE JOHN F. MANIEN 927 N. West St. Riley 0831 Small Down Payment—Balance Easy Terms

Anew RECORD tiSllS Made by c/tfajeMk iY~T Electric Radio 5 A " i HEAR and SEE Y' ''Y the NEW MODELS , lYLet Us Prove by 1 DEMONSTRATION Lebanon Hardware Cos. Lebanon, Indiana

BREAKS RECORD IN RADIO SALES Makers of Majestic Sets to Enlarge Plants. A solid trainload of Majestic clecj trie radio receivers, fifteen carloads, valued at more than a half million dollars, has arrived in Pittsburgh in an effort to meet the demand for the Majestic product. This is the ! largest single shipment of complete 1 console radio receivers ever shipped by any manufacturer into the Pittsburgh market. A similar shipment was recently j made to Atlanta, Ga.; another to I Seattle, Wash., and other trainload ! shipments will go to various key ; cities in the United States this 1 month. Although February net sales were j the largest in the company’s hisi tory, totaling approximately $12,000,- ; 000 at retail prices, the Grigsby- | Grunow Company is more oversold | today than it has been at any pre- | vious time. It is expected that March sales will again set anew record. The recent release of the Majestic ; combination radio-phonograph with j the new type electric pick-up has j met with great favor, and plans are now r under way for increasing the | production on this model to 1,000 daily. Distributor orders at hand totalj ing $120,000,000 have caused Grigs- ■ by-Grunow Company to erect addi- | tional factories and take over j others. j New factories -are now being ' erected, w inch will be capable of I housing 4.000 more employes. ■ In addition to this Grigsy-Grunow | Company have recently acquired a large veneer factory in New Albany, ; Tnd., the purchase of which involved more than a million dollars. Radio Forum Talks The Columbia Broadcasting system recently inaugurated a series of weekly radio forum talks in which outstanding topics of the day are discussed by some prominent leader. Senator Borah gave the first talk. Others to follow are Nicholas Longworth, Senators Moses. Charles McNary and Allison j D. Smith. Enough wire is used in the Majes- . tiv Dynamic speaker each dafy to I circle the globe—over 25,000 miles.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

RADIO SERVICE FLOOR SPACE IS INCREASED + Victor Furniture Cos. Has Greatly Boosted Trade in Last Three Months. The Victor Furniture Company, 231-237 West Washington street, to take care more adequately of its large Majestic business, has been forced to increase the floor space of | its radio department. Saul Solomon, president, reports | the largest radio business in the I history ot the store during tire last three months, which he attributes to the fact that the home once more is the reatreat of the tired business man and his pleasure-seeking offspring. Solomon says. ‘‘A few years ago it freely was predicted that the American home was doomed. Outside distractions w ? ere disrupting family life, and the fireside was being left to the undisputed possession of the house cat. Suddenly the marvels of radio burst upon the world and a great scurrying back to the paternal domicile took place. "Today people are buying more and better furnishings for the home and the women are demanding radio sets that harmonize with the furniture. In this respect the Grigsby-Grunow Company, manufacturers of the famous Majestic radio and phonograph and radio combination, are producing a set that is not only an outstanding radio value, but a piece of furniture that will harmonize with the furnishings of any home.” The Victor Furniture Cos. is offering the complete Majestic line on its easy payment plan and will insure perfect installation on all models sold. It has a complete service department and will demonstrate any Majestic model in the home.

! In the “Majesty” of Motion from the boundless everywhere r ) Comes the word “Majestic” j,/ # m “Mighty Monarch of the Air” /J Buy Y our 4 Majestic at The Kirk Stores, r%4fJ*fGL %/tft 1 a j Where Your Satisfaction Is Guaranteed C#l 3 m\ \ ODEL 71 (left) has a post colonial j IVI design, with instrument panel of matched burl walnut framed by paneling of bird’s eye maple and matched burl stump walnut. Seven tubes —completely super <l^- | balanced'cit'cuit—7 completely shielded _' _ r \( | i tubes. The new Majestic super dynamic i I , built-in speaker produces an unequalled MmM df. I i richness and clarity of tone. The WgrfM Vr I I | matched walnut veneers Louis j matched oriental walnut. Genuine in- j ! " $167.50 rngj i ! (Less Tubes) 6 3 -i i Generous Terms — : I HIE KICK STORES enable you to buy this mighty ' Monarch of the Air” I at most liberal credit terms arranged to suit your convenience. A our satis- 1 ~ |T | faction is guaranteed—at Kirk's. Sf g- 1 ( | Dependability \Jj Select your Majestic at Kirk V.. .Kirk\s knowing you are getting the best in \5 radio, stand back of every Majestic radio viv ■ CkYrkT? ! STORES • S3? ! 22-24 East Washington St. 311-313 East Washington St. t:

Window Stirs Interest

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One of the outstanding window displays during National Majestic week was that of the William H. Block Company. This window, which created a great deal of comment, was entered in the national window contest by Grigsby-Grunow.

VONNEGUT WILL SELL MAJESTIC Radio Department Opened by Hardware Store. Majestic radio sets now are handled by the Vonnegut Hardware Company, one of the oldest hardware companies in the state. Anew and complete radio department just has been completed on the second floor of the Vonnegut store, which includes, besides a demonstration room, a complete service department. Ralph C. Vonnegut says, “In keeping with the policy of the Vonnegut Hardware Company offering only the best to the people of Indianapolis, we have added the Majestic line. We feel that the new Majesties

are everything that could be desired in radio. "They embody all important features of excellent tone quality, keen selectivity, volume and beauty of cabinet design. They are beautiful to look at and wonderful in perform- | ance. “Trouble in the past has been the inability to get enough Majestic sets to supply the demand, but we just have purchased a large supply and are able to make immediate delivery on any model on our usual easy term basis.” L. J. Murphy, formerly sales representative in central Indiana for the Vonnegut company, has been put in charge of the new radio retail department and personally will supervise sales and service. Set Sales Double More than 2,550,000 factory built radio receiving sets were sold during 1928, representing an investment of more than $306,000,000. In 1927 only 1.350.000 sets were sold for $168,750.000.

'HOME CO. GIVES EXPERT SERVICE Sales Reported Heavy on Majestic Radios. j The Home Radio Company. 2804 j Central avenue, is maintaining a | highly effiicent service department i in connection with its sale of Majestic radios. The service department is headed by a United States j licensed commercial operator, trained to render careful and accurate service on Majestic receivers, land a complete stock of replacejment paits makes it possible to get jspeedy repairs for all makes of 'radios. The Home company is handling service for other dealers in addition to its own and makes a specialty of aerial installation. This company reports an excellent Ma-

Call Us for a Demonstration r £ Sold on Easy Terms jv Let Us Install a Ms yjpjtfc | . New Model 72 'l^ Less Tubes Model 72 Hyland Plumbing & Hardware Cos. 2911 Clifton St. Talbot 1826

APRIL 11, 1529

j jestic business during the laot month ; and is out to break all sales records during April and May. All Ma- | jestic models are carried on the display floor and are sold on the popular payment plan.

AYRES’ . . f and . . i, Stands Bjacfc-bf the Stiffs Visit (ftifc'Fompli'te Stocks ■ *■ A? Sixth floor.