Next to it was an old Parker Trade Stimulator made
After the deal was made, I
around 1910 by Parker Mfg. Co., in Kalamazoo,
took the machines out to the
Michigan, also missing the back door, but it worked
car and put them in the trunk.
My wife said I looked like the
cat that had just swallowed the
canary. On the way home I
told them about each of the
machines. I was especially
excited about the National
Breath Pellet machine, as I
had just seen Jack Freund's
machine and really liked it. I L..911E.oa-...::
told them that I was a little disappointed that mine
did not have a nice decal, like Jack's. As I carried
the machines into the house, my daughter noticed
that the National did have a decal on the back of the and it was all oak. As I was looking them over there
globe. This was the icing on the cake for this great was no one else showing any interest in them, which
made me all the more excited!
find.
When the auction started the first items up were
a lot of glassware, cups and saucers, brooms and
mops, things I had no interest in. While this was
going on I looked around the room and noticed that
Bob Bensinger titles his .....
there were not a lot of people at the auction, and I
did not see anyone from the coin-op hobby.
I called over one of the auction floor men and
asked him if he could place the two machines on the
My story and find will start when I was coming
table, for that was what I was there for. He told me
out of an auction stockyard in Cass City, Michigan,
that would not be a problem. As they were placed on
at the end of last October. I noticed an auction flyer
the table the old ticker started to beat pretty hard.
on a bulletin board as I was leaving. I walked over
The bid started at only $5.00. I went to $10.00
to it, tore a copy off, and noticed at the bottom of the
and from what I could see only one other person
flyer there were two machines listed. One had a
was bidding. I then went to $20.00. The auctioneer
wheel with a tiger on the front and it looked like all
could not get anymore; he even tried for $22.50.
the original paper was there. The other one appeared
Then the hammer fell and he asked me if I wanted
to be all oak and it had a horizontal wheel. I could
the both for $40.00. I replied "HO, YES I DO" and
hardly believe it.
they were mine!
The upcoming auction was going to be held in
I paid for them and left the building, looking over
about two weeks in a small church not too far out of
my shoulder with a big grin.
Cass City. Well, needless to say, I could hardly wait.
I found out later both of the machines were in a
On the morning of the auction I was up early and
Western Auto Store in Cass City, Michigan for
drove about 40 miles to the church. I was one of the
years. They then went to a bakery in Cass City and
first at the front door waiting for them to open.
were in the basement until the owner took them and
When I entered the building I noticed the two
placed them in his barn. Then he took them to the
machines on a table. I walked over to the table and
church, where they found their "new home in
could not believe my eyes. There sat a cast iron
Cassville, Michigan.
Caille Tiger all complete except for the back door.
''A Fantastic Find''
11