Automatic Age

AUTOMATIC AGE
12
September, 1939
By C arro ll E. Vetterick
utter lack of enthusiasm and
interest on the part of the sub­
Defense of Rights, Not Exploitation,
jects to be organized. “Organize
the operators” has been a famil­
H olds Key to O pe rators’ Fut ur e
iar plea and challenge during
the
past fifteen years or more.
EXT month the oldest practically the only one which
And
there were leading oper­
operators’ association in has held the formula for success?
ators
in every city who gave
the country will cele­
Definite Purpose Necessary
time
and
energy unselfishly to
brate its 20th anniversary when
What
is
the
formula
for
suc­
the
cause.
With a few scattered
the Chicago Vending Machine
cess
in
conducting
an
operators’
exceptions,
all of the local asso­
Operators’ Association will be
association?
There
are
probably
ciations
that
were formed lacked
hosts to representatives and
several.
But
unquestionably
the
definite
objectives
and withered
friends of the industry at its
most
important
one
must
be
from
sheer
lack
of
interest and
Twentieth Anniversary party.
that of having a definite objec­ support. Probably the most com­
The entire coin machine in­ tive. The Chicago Vending Ma­
mon mistake was that of trying
dustry should be hearty in its chine Operators’ Association was
to have the association’s activi­
approbation, and unstinting in formed as an organization in­
ties cover all classifications of
its recognition, of what the tended to serve the interests of
machines with the result that
Number One Association repre­ operators of vending machines one man’s poison always proved
senting the industry has accom­ and scales. Today, as it was
to be the other fellow’s meat.
plished. What could be more ap­ through the feverish era of “get-
Diversification of equipment on
propriate than that Chicago, the rich-with-pin-games,” it is still
an operator’s route is one thing
coin machine capitol of the concerned principally with the
but diversification of interests at
world, should be the home of the business of collecting more pen­
an association meeting is quite
world’s oldest fraternity of coin nies from scales and vending
another. Slots, scales, venders
machine men? What could be machines. Individual members,
and games make a well-balanced
more encouraging than to know of course, operate diversified
mixture for operating success,
that the members of a coin ma­ equipment wherever possible,
but they just don’t seem to mix
chine association have enjoyed a but they depend upon vending
in the conduct of association
unity of purpose and an unfalt­ machines and scales for their
meetings. Perhaps this is why
ering devotion to business prin­ unvarying and certain income.
“vending machine” associations
ciples over a period of twenty And they depend upon their as­
and “music operators’ ” associa­
years? What could be more com­ sociation and their fellow mem­ tions have always been more suc­
mendable than leadership which bers to help keep the vending
cessful than the all-purpose “op­
has kept the association spirit machine business and the scale erators’ ” associations. The vast
alive and expressive among all business the dependable, profit­ majority of successful operators
its members to the extent that able and enjoyable business that always have at least a skeleton
this oldest trade association has it is.
route of either merchandise ma­
held its regular meeting every
chines or phonographs or scales.
Operators W a n t Stability
month over a period of twenty
The majority of organization For this reason, it is likely that
years? And what is more sur­
prising than that the first and efforts, until recently, have been every operator would like to be­
oldest operators’ organization, invariably characterized by an long to an association which
of the scores of organizations abundance of spirited and con­ would further dignify, promote
that have tried to serve opera­ scientious leadership on the part and protect these stable founda­
tors throughout the country, is of the organizers, and by an tions of his livelihood. The aver-
N
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