Automatic Age

Issue: 1931 September

September, 1931
18
A u t o m a t ic A g e
“ The first question I then asked, was,
what is the paid circulation of the medium
in question? What do the other manufac­
turers in the trade think of it? What is
the cost of this advertising per head of
paid circulation? Do the operators like
it? How long has it been engaged in the
field? Has it successfully put over other
advertised products? From there I went
to the more human questions. Do I like
to read the magazine? Is it interesting?
Does it give me the news? Will it help
me to get information?
“ I questioned many of the men active
in the trade for their opinoin. The answers
were unanimous, advertise in tfie A u t o ­
m a t i c A ge , it is the operator’s own me­
dium. I also followed this with a session
of statistical reports. Let me tell you why
I was so careful.
“ SKE-BAL-ETE is a great financial in­
vestment. It carries with it the hard work
of every one in the plant, our hopes, our
very ambitions. In fact our whole plant
was interested in making the SKE-BAL-
E T E known to every operator, and then
allow the operator himself to judge that
this was the game of a million pennies, the
amusement achievement of the age. I feel
that this will therefore help you to realize
just what was placed on my shoulders, as
President of this organization, to decide.
Dick Wolff
that the cost per head of paid circulation,
WHICH IS THE KIND OF CIRCULA­
TION I FEEL THAT ANY A D VER­
TISER SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN,
was so much lower than any other medium
in the field that it at first seemed un­
believable. From my figures I found that
it cost less than one-half cent to reach
each reader. Its great and long-life in the
field naturally were also considered as vital
factors. The hundreds of machines and
products which it successfully helped to
put across was possibly one of the greatest
points in favor o f this fine medium.
“ As I said before, we chose the A u t o ­
A ge to help us introduce the greatest
amusement game of the century to every
operator in the world. We have placed
everything in us to bring about the SKE-
BAL-ETE. We know from the wonderful
praise it has received by the many who
have already seen it that it is without a
doubt, the amusement achievement o f the
age. We have everything tied up in this
great game, but we feel certain that our
decision as to the magazine first and always
to represent us was absolutely right, for
figures do not tell lies.”
m a t ic
“ I spent many an hour figuring this ad­
vertising question. After going through
everything that is known to this industry,
after laying out a complete set of statistics,
after getting the opinions of many manu­
facturers and operators in the industry,
I CHOOSE THE AUTOMATIC AGE TO
CARRY OUR FIRST MESSAGE, AND
TO BE OUR PERMANENT A D VERTIS­
ING REPRESENTATIVE. I felt sure
that this was the medium of main interest
to every operator in the world. In short
here is the manner in which I summed UP
the situation.
“ The A u t o m a t i c A ge presented me with
the exact figures of its paid circulation,
even classified in states, making it simple
for me to see towards just which states
I cared to place my greatest energies. I
found that the men in the trade, manu­
facturers, jobbers and operators alike, con­
sidered it their business bible. I found
© International Arcade Museum
There isn’t much to be said in conclusion.
Such statements speak for themselves. Mr.
Lieberman, like many other men, was
forced to a keen business decision because
the field had become glutted with maga­
zines. As he tells us of his calculations
there is an admirable lesson of business
efficiency. He first procured a sworn,
classified statement of circulation. Paid
(Continued on page 15)
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A u t o m a t ic A g e
14
September, 1931
THIS IS A 2000 YE A R OLD BUSINESS!!
By JOSEPH J. BETZ
The first coin controlled automatic mer­
chandiser was invented by a Greek more
than 2000 years ago! It was made by
Mr. Hero Ctesibius in the year 219 B.C.
The ancient history of Greece reveals
that Ctesibius (pronounced Se-tes ibius)
was a high priest and lord high muck-a-
muck of a great religious temple in
Alexandria on the shores of the very busy
Mediteranean Sea. His house of worship
was used mostly by the wealthy merchants
who made their money from the sea-faring
men whose ships anchored in the harbor.
In those times, even as now, the business
of saving souls was not over-profitable. It
probably irked Ctesibius greatly that he
could not wheedle from the merchants
more of their gold for the upkeep of the
temple. Passing the plate in a Greek
Temple was unheard of. The temple ex­
isted only by annual or semi-annual con­
tributions.
The kind of clergyman that Ctesibius
was, or just what manner of preparer of
souls for the hereafter he was, is not
stated, but evidently he was a shrewd busi­
ness man.
When the matter of getting more money
from the people became sufficiently bother­
some, Ctesibius invented his penny-in-thc
slot machine which was the great grand-
daddy of all coin-operated devices now
used the world over.
His contraption consisted of a tank of
sacred water which was used in the daily
rites of the ancient Greeks. The tank
was fitted with an ingenious tube, valve
and plug arrangement, the plug of which
was attached on the lower end o f a per­
pendicular rod. The upper end of this rod
was connected by a bolt to a horizontal
lever and vibrating beam. On the end of
the vibrating beam was a flat scoop so
placed as to receive everything dropped
through the slot. The beam when weighted
down worked very much like a pump han­
dle. Upon depositing in the slot five
Drachma (present value 19 cents) the beam
© International A rcad e Museum
would open the valve and the sacred water
would escape. Only a measured quantity
o f the liquid would flow out, for as the
beam became inclined, the scoop in which
rested the coins also was tipped and the
Drachmas would slide into the money box
and the valve closed. The apparatus would
then be ready for the next worshipper.
Ctesibius was more fortunate than
present day operators in that he did not
have to contend with the slug evil. While
five drachma was the stipulated price for
the water, the coin slot was capable of
taking gold and silver coins of greater
value. The customers would not dare drop
in stones or worthless pieces of metal for
it was a great sin to get the stuff with
slugs— if they understood that word.
Oddly enough this machine, despite its
hoary antiquity was patented in the
United States in 1884!
It is a long jump between 219 B.C. and
1800 when the next known contribution
to the automatic vending industry was
made. In 1829 an English tavern keeper
invented a box which vended a pipeful of
tobacco for a penny. A penny inserted in
the slot would open the lid into the box
where the smoker dipped his pipe. As
simple as this was, it was clever enough
to permit half-penny pieces to go through
the slot without permitting the would-be
cheat to get at the tobacco. Several of
these boxes are still in service in England,
two of them being on exhibition in the
British National Museum.
In 1890 the correspondent of a Paris
newspaper reported an application of the
nickel-in-the-slot principle which smacks
somewhat of present day racketeering. The
report is quoted as saying that in the city
of Boston there may be seen posts along
the sidewalks with the inscription, “ Drop
a nickel in the slot and I will hold your
horse.” As most of the Bostonians rode
from their homes to their offices on horse­
back, the steed holder was considered a
great convenience; but when the questrian
came back to his horse he was confronted
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