AUTOMATIC AGE, $1.00 per year. Published bi-monthly by Automatic Age, Inc., 4021 N. Melvina Ave., Chicago. Entered as
second class matter February 20, 1943, at the Post Office at Chicago, 111., under the Act of March 3, 1897. Printed in U .S .A .
Centralized Buying Plan
The development of automa
tic merchandising through coin
operated machines is divided
into two areas: (1) operators
in city or urban territories, (2)
operators in small towns or
rural territories. This division
will be pronounced more sharp
ly in the postwar period. The
city operators usually have ac
cess to sources of supply near
by, particularly for merchan
dise and supplies, and their
buying of merchandise is not
a difficult problem.
In contrast, the small town
operators are confronted with
a definite problem in purchas
ing of supplies, due to the fact
that they are at a distance from
sources of supply, and because
these operators cannot buy in
volume on account of t h e i r
smaller volume of operations.
Nevertheless there is a tremen
dous volume of business which
can and will be developed by
and through the s m a l l town
operators.
An idea of the alertness of
small town operators is shown
by the planning that is being
turned over in the minds of
alert operators. For example,
the following letter from such
an operator indicates one phase
of the possibilities in develop
ing small routes:
“ Automatic A g e : I operate a
coin machine route which con
sists of music, cigarette and
candy machines. I also operate
a confectionery stand, and am
in contact with the operators
of some fifty similar s t a n d s
scattered throughout this state.
W e are considering the possi
bilities of centralized purchas
ing for the w h o l e group of
stands and vendors when mer
chandise distribution returns to
normal.”
Individually, these operators
could not buy economically and
efficiently. However, by organ
izing a central depot, where
they can pick up merchandise
and supplies in small units to
fit their needs, they can im
prove the quality of their oper
ations, and take a big step for
ward in spreading the method
of automaic merchandising.
The development of automa
tic merchandising in s m a l l
towns and rural areas will in no
way cut into the business of the
operators located in big cities
of thickly populated centers.
The city operators can develop
their routes most advantage
ously within a readily access
© International Arcade Museum
ible radius from their head
quarters. Beyond that radius,
their locations or stops would
not be profitable.
Sound planning by s m a l l
town operators will go a long
way toward expanding the use
o f automatic merchandising
vendors. This field of develop
ment will contribute much to
the over-all growth of the coin
operated machine industry.
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Organize Music Service
Leo Knebel has started his
own firm, Western Phonograph
Co., 767 Tenth Ave., New York
City, to specialize on repair,
will have a record department.
Knebel has many years experi
ence in phonograph repairing
and service work.
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CAPEHART ELECTED TO
U. S. SENATE
The next Congress will have
as a distinguished member of
the U. S. S e n a t e , Homer E.
Capehart of Indianapolis, Ind.
Prominent in Republican party,
Mr. Capehart is president of
t h e Packard Manufacturing
Corporation, well known firm
in the coin operated machine
industry.
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