July, 1938
AUTOMATIC AGE
9
By C a r r o l l E . V e t t e r i c k
W
EBSTER says: “Pessimism is the dis machine, location, territory— the personality of
position to take the least hopeful every operator, jobber and manufacturer— the
view of things; a depressed or melan personalized nature of the coin machine busi
choly mental attitude.”
ness.
If you take this definition straight, all you
The pessimists in the coin machine business
can do is decide that pessimism is something are those who are waiting for “THE OTHER
to be avoided— like the plague.
FELLOW” to restore favorable conditions.
But pessimism is not often found in chronic
Among the operators we have pessimists who
form. I can’t say that I know a single person are waiting for “THE OTHER FELLOW” to re
whom I would term as a chronic, uncurable open closed territory — to restore amusement
pessimist. And I hope I never meet one. Most and novelty games to full legal status when
folks are optimistic, hopeful, confident. But operated with premiums and prizes— to rigidly
Practically everybody at some time will run up enforce a schedule of commissions to locations
against conditions or circumstances which that will make operating profitable.
forces them to be temporarily pessimistic—
Among the jobbers and distributors we have
temporarily fearful and depressed mentally.
pessimists who are waiting for “THE OTHER
Perhaps it takes an extreme optimist to be FELLOW” to re-open territory for more ma
lieve that pessimism has its virtues, or that it chines— to establish and maintain a sensible
serves some wholesome purpose. But I believe margin of profit on machines they sell.
this is true. I believe there is such a thing as
Among manufacturers we have pessimists
constructive pessimism, which, if experienced who are waiting for “THE OTHER FELLOW”
at the right time in the right place, might serve to re-open new territory so that new machines
to curb reckless action or put you on your guard can be sold in greater volume— to design that
against unfavorable conditions or circumstances. new type of machine which will start another
I believe that the normal, well-balanced per cycle and create volume sales— to somehow, in
son is an optimist most of the time, and a pessi some way, stabilize and maintain a constant
mist only when extreme conditions or circum market for machines of all kinds.
stances seem to warrant an unhappy, or least
In every case, “THE OTHER FELLOW” will
hopeful, view of things. But I also believe that be found to be a spirited optimist, who is con
when conditions or circumstances are sufficient fident that the coin machine business is the
ly unfavorable to warrant pessimism, that the finest business in the world and who is working
smart person is too damned busy trying to change feverishly to accomplish the many things re
conditions to harbor pessimistic thoughts for long. quired to make things run smoothly again.
The Coin Machine Industry has its pessimists
In every case, “THE OTHER FELLOW” could
today because conditions and circumstances are tell you why things are not more favorable in
such that they provoke a “least hopeful view the coin machine business, but he won’t. He
°f things”. But you won’t find pessimistic doesn’t do much talking. He sees what has to
thoughts in the minds of progressive coin ma be done and starts doing the job, hoping that
chine men because they are too busy trying to next time the careless element in the business
change unfavorable conditions in the coin ma ivill not make the same mistakes over again.
chine industry. More particularly, they are
The pessimists always do the squawking; the
trying to improve conditions in their own indi optimists do the work.
vidual business or territory. And here we put
The pessimists are busy telling the industry
°ur finger on che very essence of the coin ma that the days of coin machine profits are all
chine business — the individuality of every over— that the days of open territories are all
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