Evening star., 1924-10-17
GOODS
IN LIVELY DEMAND
Curling Irons Compete With
Radio Sets in Setting
Records for Sales.
BY j. c. ROYLE.


NEW YORK, October 17.-Britania
may rule the waves but electricity
governs the permanent wave which
has become a factor not only in
fashion but in business. The cleo
trio curling iron industry is flourish :
ing as never before. This advance.
however, has been paralleled by a
decline in the manufacture of hair
pins that has been startling.
1t all works back to the fad for
bobbed hair The hairpins which for
merly confined the black, brown, red,
yellow, gray and white locks on the
heads of American women have
largely disappeared from use. The
electric curling iron has taken their
places. More than $500, 900 worth
of electric curling irons will be sold
In this country before the year 1924
Is at an end
Device Very Popular.
So universal has the use OF this
toilet device become that nearly all
modern hotels are equipped with
electric connections to supply current
for the curriers'. The vogue for bobbed
hair has also affected the manufac-
ture of products in which human hair
plays a part. The factories making
wigs, switches, braids, puffs and re-
lated articles have fallen in number
from 12S in 1921 to less than 100.
Many of these which remain have
turned to the production of other than
hair articles. But the output of those
which continue operations will prob
ably come close to $l2,000,0O0 in VAL
ue for the current year.
Use of dyes and bleacheS on the
hair has also been curtailed by the
present fashion, since many reliable
hair dressers decline to attempt to
produce a permanent wave in halr
which has been bleached or dyed.
The cost Of human hair has dropped
perceptably in the last year, reach
ing only $5,56S, ,007 for the last year
as compared with $6,734.l8S for the
previous annual period.
Household Appliances in Demand.
The bobhed hair vogue has put an
awful dent in the chief industry of
Cheefoo, China Shipments OF human
hair from that port. which makes a
speciality Of buying tresses from
Chinese women, totaled only S319,SS4
for the first half of this year, as
compared with $4S1,3 ,39s in the corre-
spending period of 1928.
Electrical equipment sales in gen.
eral are expanding rapidly at present.
The aggregate sales of the two chief
manufacturers of miscellaneous cleo
trical equipment probably will reach
$3.50, 100000 for the last SIX months
of the year, making n total for the
1924 period of S2.000,0oo. Additions
to telephone equipment are being
made steadily in nearly every section
of the United States. Household
equipment sales show no signs of
slackening in spite of any regional
letup in new building operations.
Radio Sales Very Heavy.
The export sales of household cleo
trical equipment and radio supplies
has been running approximately 80
per cent heavier than last year and
probably will total between s72,000,-
600 and s75,000.0O0 for the year. The
radio business undoubtedly has
proved itself a seasonal one. Sales
since the industry got off to a flying
start have risen sharply around No
vember, maintained a level high point
throughout the Winter and then drop
ped as Summer approached. This year
the jump in demand came nearly two
months earlier than usual.
This undoubtedly is due somewhat
to the intense interest in the political
campaign now in progress and to
the increased attention being given
sports, both national and interna-
tional. Many fans who listened in at
the broadcasting of the progress Of
games in the world series declare
that the picture presented by the
broadcaster was SO vivid and graphic
that their enjoyment was nearly as
great as if they had witnessed the
contests in person.
Fans Increase Buying.
In radio supplies the chief demand
at present is for low loss" parts, but
the sales of receiving sets, batteries
and equipment have been large all
along the line. There are now over
100000 receiving sets in operation
in this country. OF these at least
one-third are cheap sets, which. how
ever, have turned their owners into
rabid radio fans, anxious and willing
to purchase more efficient and more