Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-22
RADIO SETS SOLD
IN MANY CHANNELS
Survey Indicates Sales Fall
Far Below Total for
Last Year.
BY MARTIN C0nEL.

Radio dealers are heterogeneous lot
There are nearly 10000 of them in thu
United States. Many are in radio
merely as a side line to some othel
business.
The quarterly QUESTIONABLE on radio
stocks sent to the dealers by the De-
partment of Commerce reveals wide
variety of firms serving as channels for
distribution of radio sets and equip
ment. The radio industry Sprang into
major proportions so suddenly that
there are still relatively few shops that
do an exclusive business in radio. De-
partment stores and music shops are
still the predominating outlets for radio
apparatus.
An idea of the many and diverse other
channels that exist for radio distribu-
ton may be gathered from the fact
that some replies to the departments
QUESTIONABLE came from firms and in
dividuals giving their principal lines OF
business. These included a funeral di-
rector, matchmaker, barber, plumber
optometrist, patent medicine dealer, in
secticide dealer, harnessmaker, farmer
boat builder, poultry raiser and a baby
chick hatchery owner.
Average Set Costs $165.
The latest survey of dealers stocks,
taken as of July and reported for the
benefit of the radio trade, showed that
the average radio set marketed through
out the country retailed at about $165.
From Is to 20 per cent of the dealers
replied to the QUESTIONABLE for the first
two quarters of 1929, reporting aggre-
gate sales amounting to slightly less
than $40,000,000. Illinois, New York,
California, Pennsylvania and Ohio
ranked in order in the total volume
If the proportions may be taken as
fair index to the total radio trade for
the whole country, surveys would indi-
cate that at least 5000 900, 900 worth of
business in radio sets and equipment
was done by all dealers during the first
half Of this year. Except for the short
Winter period, this is regarded as the
poorest season in radio distribution.
Most radio business is done in the last
quarter of the year, particularly during
the holiday season.
The latest survey reveals that alter
mating current, or So-called electric sets,
are selling in about a SiX-to-one ratio
to battery sets. Sales of the latter have
been declining progressively in every
quarterly period, and along with them
the battery and battery tube markets
have declined. Dynamic speakers have
gradually crept up on the magnetic type
until the July report shows the market
for dynamicS to have been even greater.
Sales at Low Ebb.
Radio sales are probably at their low
est ebb now, but the New York radio
worlds fair in September and the Chi
cago exposition in october usually
launch the boom season. Many new
models will be displayed at these shows.
Henry B. Richmond, president of the
Radio Manufacturers Association, is
authority for a statement that business
this year will probably not be as good
as that of last year, when retail sales
were estimated at more than $780,
100000. Last year, he stated, the slim
illus to the radio trade was furnished by
the presidential election and the thrush
of customers seeking to replace battery
sets with the socket-power types. There
has been no artificial demand" so far
this year, he said.
Although the actual number of sets
sold this year will probably not equa,
last years record, Mr.. Richmond sees a
greater market than ever in replace
ment accessories, such as tubes. It is
anybody's guess, he said, whether or not