he advised that the chance of that happening appeared nately, after I showed them all my old letter with Sleep-
to be somewhere between "none, slim, and slim left ing Sam being one of the three machines not crossed
off, they all were accommodating, and Sam was headed
home."
for
Akron at a price far less than was justified. So I can
I then talked to my partner, "B.P." Peirce, and told
him of my situation. He suggested that "you only go reflect back on Dad and some very good friends every
around once in this world" and that, if you had been time I play Sleeping Sam and wake him up.
The machine pictured here is as it appeared in a 1927
looking for that rare of a machine that long, you should
make every reasonable effort. I took this advice and issue of Automatic Age. The machine was manufac-
sold a machine out of my collection to get "prepared" tured by Specialty Manufacturing Company of Chi-
cago as a "vending machine". Its rarity is obvious be-
to buy it.
I then called good friend, "Gussy" Gustwiller, who cause it fell under the radar of Bill Enes, as it neither
had asked me to go along with him to that auction just appears nor is mentioned in Silent Salesman Too. It is
for Friday, and told him I would go to his house and strictly a vending machine because it offered no reward
then drive with him to Ann Arbor for the day. But I was or chance to get your penny back. It came with a ma-
a little nervous and asked if he was interesed in any- hogany finished wooden case and an aluminum front.
thing. With his pokerface, his answer was "no".
To play the machine, you insert a penny in the slot and
So, armed with caution and optimism, off I went to twist the knob with your left hand to guide the released
meet Gussy with my Sleeping Sam ad and "letter of fif- gumball through wires toward Sleeping Sam's head. If
ty" in my hand. When I met Gussy and got into his car you catch the gumball in his hat, it passes through and
and started off for Ann Arbor, however, things suddenly causes his eyes to open and his tongue to stick out as he
got quiet when I noticed that he, too, also the collector wakes up to see you receive your gumball through the
of ads, had a Sleeping Sam ad in hand. After driving bottom chute.
in some silence, I pointed out to him that "way back
I have never seen another Sam, and will cherish him
when" it was I who had copied his ad for him. That fact always. And I certainly won't forget those seven friends.
did not seem to impress him much.
[f any of you have heard anything about this machine,
What made matters worse was that, after I arrived at please let me know. And NEVER give up; treasures are
the auction site, I discovered that six other friends in still out there.
attendance also had a serious interest in old Sam. Fortu-
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