February, 1938
13
AUTOMATIC AGE
REVIEW ING THE 1938 COIN
MACHINE SHOW
By A r t h u r W . L u c h s
H E 1938 Coin Machine Conven
tion, held at the Hotel Sherman,
January 17 to 20 has now be
come coin machine history. Once
again the convention has more than
fulfilled its promise of being “bigger
and better” than any other previous
convention of the coin machine indus
try. This year’s show exceeded all
former conventions in attendance,
booths, exhibitors and banquet at
tendance.
The varieties of machines which
were on display had a psychological
effect in liftin g the cloud of gloom
■which permeated the minds of many
of those in attendance when the con
vention opened. The oldtimers espe
cially were a bit pessimistic about the
future of the industry. It was prac
tically impossible for the pessimistic
note to endure in the face of the
diversified assortment of machines
designed to meet operating conditions
Jn all types of territories.
The attendance at the 1938 conven
tion was reputed to be about 7,500.
This includes approximately 4,657 op
erators, jobbers and distributors.
Many pai(j admissions were also re
corded. The new system of advance
legistrations for trade members, and
Paid admission for those who had not
registered, which was adopted for last
year’s show, was again in force and
Proved to be very successful. Once
again the w’ives and children of those
attendance were not counted in on
e total registration. Approximately
>390 banquet tickets were sold. The
anQuet was served in four of the
argest rooms of the hotel, Grand Ball-
r°°m, Louis X V I Room, Crystal Room
and Old Town Room, in order to ac
commodate the large crowd.
Representatives were in attendance
fro
m 47 states, the District of
Columbia, Canada, France, Holland
ar,d South Africa.
The success of the convention is not
gauged by the number of people in
a f i a n c e , but the volume of buying
!ch was transacted. Many exhibi
t s confessed complete satisfaction
Wlth the volume of business they re
T
ported. Rough estimates of the total
volume of sales may be computed
from the 125,000' tickets issued to p u r
chasers of merchandise at the show.
Estimates of total sales made range
from $4,500,000 to $6,500,000. Each
purchaser was given a ticket for each
purchase made. N aturally there would
be a discrepancy between the amounts
of purchases made on various tickets
viz. a ticket showing the purchase of
ten phonographs would involve a
larger volume of business than one
covering ten peanut venders.
Once again the commercial im
portance of the industry, as indicated
by the quantity and variety of its
manufactured products, may be re
garded as the outstanding character
istic of the 1938 convention. More
significant, perhaps, than any of the
records attained, so far as coin m a
chine progress is concerned, was the
number and quality of the new type
of machines displayed.
The importance of the coin machine
industry is shown by the value of the
products exhibited and their quantity.
It is expected that the 1938 exhibit
will take rank with any of the large
national exhibits to show in Chicago
during the year. Again, attention has
been directed to the commercial im
portance of the industry, by the de
velopment of the larger and more
expensive machines, such as phono
graphs, shooting games, cigarette m a
chines, pop corn machines, bowling
games and other high grade products.
Types of Machines Displayed
There was a decided trend toward
the so-called legal machines at the
1938 show. Some hits of former years
were in the minority. The machines
displayed were the manufacturers’ an
swers to the operators who were hope
fully looking forward to something
different, that would open up the
closed territories. There was enough
variety on display to satisfy the hopes
of even the most pessimistic operator.
The types of machines displayed were
an important factor in dispelling the
clouds of gloom which appeared at
© International Arcade Museum
pre-convention groups and during the
early part of the convention.
A M U S E M E N T M A C H IN E S — As
in former years the range of the
amusement machine field is very
great. Beginning with the small count
er machines it ranges from the vari
ous cabinet styles, all the way through
the de luxe console models. In a short
article of this kind, it is impossible
to do any more than just skim the
surface. It is impossible to go into
detail and do each machine justice.
C O N S O L E S — The console machine,
regardless of its principle, has as
sumed a front rank in the amusement
field. There were about 28 different
types of consoles exhibited this year,
ranging from the dice principle to the
high grade, de luxe novelty game. At
the 1937 show there were 21 different
consoles displayed. The console m a
chine has become an im portant factor
in the industry. Their de luxe appear
ance adds appeal and beauty to any lo
cation in which they might be placed.
P A Y O U T S — The payout type of
game is still popular. A t the 1937
show this type of game had shown
progress in merchandise, refresh
ments, novelty playing fields and
beauty of cabinet, which was exem
plified in the 32 models exhibited.
Payouts had a stormy year in 1937;
some of the manufacturers of same,
not even appearing at the show.
Fourteen distinct payout models were
shown in 1938. This drop in the num
ber of models may be the “handwrit
ing on the wall” for them in the
future.
R E E L OR B E L L S — There were 28
different models of the bell or jack pot
machine displayed at the 1937 show.
There were 63 small counter games
operating on the principle of the re
volving wheel. In 1938 there were
some 32 models of the reel or bell
machines. Streamlining effects were
in order in the new models, with some
of them featuring new symbols. The
1938 show featured 44 counter mod
els, which was a drop from the num
ber shown last year. These machines
are very good as trade stimulators.
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