C.O.C.A. Times

Issue: 2010-July - Vol 14 Num 2

The Superior Confection Company has an
interesting history behind it. Gustavus Snyder,
better known as 'Gus', started his slot machine
and mint Company in 1924. The business was
successful and sales were good for his Colum,
bus, Ohio company, but on March of 1936
everything changed. Gus was convicted of tax
evasion, amounting to $10,000. He was sen,
tenced to two years in the Milan, Michigan
federal prison as well as a $5,000 fine. While
in prison he needed an operation to have his
appendix removed. Snyders's family peti,
tioned the prison to let him be operated on by
a private surgeon but the prison officials said
he was a prisoner and he would be operated
on by the prison surgeon. So 10 days before
he was to be released from prison, he had the
operation, and on November 24, 1938, two
days before he was to be released from prison,
Gus died of complications from the surgery.
He was only 52 when he died, and that left his
wife and son to deal with the business. The
Superior company liquidated its stock and the
company was sold on July 26, 1939.
Printed on the inside of the flyer it states;
Buckley Manufacturing 2156,58 West Wash,
ington Boulevard Chicago. Racetracks consist
of 3 large revolving tracks, outside track 15
inches in diameter with choice of 14 horses
or 13 dogs and one rabbit, center track 13 _
inches in diameter with choice of 12 horses or
11 dogs and 1 rabbit, inside track 11 _ inches
in diameter with choice of 10 horses or 9 dogs
and 1 rabbit, all character horses, dogs, and
rabbits are numbered with special reward card
paying off win, place, and show combinations.
No dog races have ever been found as listed in
the flyer.
The list of serial numbers with this article
represents most of the known machines which
have survived to date. It is estimated that only
20, 25 of these horse race machines still exist
today. If you know of any Superior machines
please contact me at 816,835,3316 or by
email at johnny@kccoinop.com.
- SERIAL LIST -
Serial
There is only one known advertising flyer
of the horse race which has been partially
reprinted on page 121,122 of Dick Bueschel's
book, "Lemons, Cherries and Bell Fruit
Gum". This is a very interesting flyer since it
was printed up by Buckley Manufacturing in
C hicago. This 4 sided color flyer also shows a
machine filled with Superior play ball mints
to add to the confusion. We will never know
but it just makes you wonder if Buckley could
have built this machine for Superior just as
they did for others such as Bally with the Bally
Reliance.
RH-538
RH-546
RD-549
673
RH-684
RH-769
RD-780
D-794
RD-811
RD-821
870
RH-873
RH-876
RH-882
RH-906
RH-945
RH-947
RH-953
RH-974
RH-986
Denomination
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
25 cent
5 cent
5 cent
25 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
5 cent
25 cent
10 cent
10 cent
Date
02/03/37
06/29/34
06/29/34
Tag Missing
08/29/34
10/17/34
10/19/35
11/02/34
12/02/36
06/17/35
Tag Missing
09/04/35
09/16/35
10/21 /35
11/18/35
04/04/36
Tag Missing
04/19/36
07/27/36
Tag Missing
It~ a Mystery?
by Randy Razzoog and Dave Dennett
So you have hunted, advertised, and made plenty of contacts. The pickings are slim. If someone
does call you, it is about a plastic machine still being made to this date. Well, here we have a dandy
folks! It was found with Winchester Rifles, some oddball papers from the company, and various
other collectibles from Winchester. So the question is, could this be a machine made by the Win-
chester Company as well? A very strong possibility. This miniature vendor is roughly IO" tall, works
on a penny, and is mostly cast iron.This is thought to be a peanut vendor due to the original decal
and portion size of the vending wheel.To operate this machine, the coin is inserted in the slot and
then with thumb and forefinger you would pinch the two upright pins, activating the mechanism to
dispense its product. The globe and complete machine in general, are held together by a rod that
is extended from the top cap to the very bottom of the base. The locks utilized for this vendor
are the same style that the Bluebird, Grandbois, and other vendors of the late teens used. Partially
due to the locking style, along with its' cast iron body and top cap, it is pretty safe to date it in that
same time span. This appears to have been utilized on a location as the salt from the peanuts have
corroded the inside, but not to the point where any lingering damage has been done.The product
is dispensed out of the very bottom so you would have to hold your hand underneath to catch the
nuts. Not the best or most sanitary way, but there is no evidence of any tray ever being present.
Possibly due to that very issue, along with the fact that it appears top heavy is why this is so rare.
7

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