who are endeavoring to earn a decent
living.
By MAC MOHR
I have an axe 0 grind. Some may
not like it, some may applaud. I'm sor-
ry.about those who don't like it, and I'm
sorry if any feelings are hurt. But the
coin machine business of today, as we
all know, is not what it should be-
not what it could be. Though I may use
my name , and that of my firm , more or
less frequently , it will be done simply
becaus e I can speak best from personal
experience . In this column I intend to
talk about some of the problems facing
the industry, as I see them, TODAY,
giving a solution wherever that is pos-
sible.
However, in analyzing the future pos-
sibilities of the coin machine business.
we cannot see the same picture con-
tinuing-for ourselves or others. The
jobber or distributor, whichever you
may choose to call him , in order to exist
must operate and operate openly, not
hiding behind any aliases or anybody's
s kirts. And if he has confidence in the
games he is going to sell to the opera-
tors, he should have confidence enough
to operate that equipment himself.
Also the old routine method of opera-
tion, t~ my way of thinking, has to be
altered completely. The trend is defi-
nitely toward legal amusement, and if
we are to exist and be successful and
remain in the coin machine business,
my contention is that we must diversify
our operations to three or four different
legal types of amusement machines.
We must choose machines which the
various manufacturers bring out, which
show merit, irrespective of their price.
Bear in mind, of course, that when I
say "irrespective of cost" I do not mean
something exorbitant, a game priced at
$200, for example, and worth not more
than $100.
All too often, because there is not the
volume of business formerly enjoyed,
the manufacturer runs away with him-
self in the matter of price. The fact
that they do not have volume should
not mean that they must, of necessity,
triple or quadruple the price of new
amusement e quipment they put on the
market. That very thing, it may be be-
lieved, is one reason why volume has
decreased s o markedly.
It is true that there are two or three
games that will appear on the market
shortly which will not, in my estimation,
be overpriced even though they will sell
in the neighborhood of $200. N everthe-
less there are too many games now
offered which do not have the appear-
ance their cost should warrant, nor the
earning capacities one might reason-
ably expect from such equipment, which
are , in fact , so overpriced that they are
virtually an insult to the intelligence of
the men in the coin machine business
My candid advice to operators would
be to test anything in the way of new
items which appear on the market and
seem to have merit, before going in too
deeply on expensive equipment. If tests
show that the earning power is there,
then play along with that type of game
for all it is worth. If that practice is fol-
lowed then the distributor, you, and
the manufacturer will all be more suc-
cessful and will remain friends.
A IJtt~~1I9t
... TO YOU
As for the manufacturers, r would rec-
ommend that they use a sane method
in pricing their equipment, put on the
market and offered for the operator to
buy. Any legitimate manufacturer who
wants to stay in business and looks for-
ward to the future of this industry will
not, I am sure, take offense at this sug-
gestion-and there are still a few in the
business who may be called legitimate
manufacturers.
Only by getting at the cause of the
sickness can a cure be accomplished,
and outside of the ever-present need for
something "new" in the way of game
ideas, the industry's greatest ill is un-
reasonably high price fixing.
•
Penny-at-Time
transactions handled
easily by vendors.
DA YTON, O . (RC) - The three com-
partment peanut and vending machine,
" Snacks," being placed in locations lo-
cally by W & L Service has been a win-
ner from the start, according to Robert
Lutes of the Dayton firm .
"The fact that the machines vend high
grade nuts and candies, rather than in-
ferior merchandise, make them particu-
larly popular with small store owners,
druggists, and similar business men. We
have placed quite a number of these
machines in drug stores where they al-
ready have nut selling set-ups. Of
course, the stores feature nickel and
dime sales, and our machines vend the
nuts for a penny. Druggists like the
machines, particularly, for the young-
sters don't have to bother them so much
with penny purchases," Lutes declares.
" It has been my own experience in
business that if a kid comes in with a
nickel to buy some candy, he will make
his 'purchases a penny at a time. He
will buy one penny item, and get four
cents change. Then he will stand
around a bit and make another pur-
chase, causing the proprietor to handle
another transaction .
"The new Snacks machine is going to
insure many a druggist a longer life,
besides saving him a good deal on shoe
leather."
•
VENDING
MACHINE
OPERATORS
WRITE FOR FREE SAMPLES AND PRICES ON OUR NEW
PEANUT-SHAPED CHEWING GUM
Will vend in any peanut vending machine
A fast seller-people buy it because they like it
U. G. GRANDBOIS CO., KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN
MR. OPERATOR
PUT YOUR DORMANT TERRITORIES
back on a profitable basis, by buying 5
and 10 ball PIN GAME SPECIALS from
the SOUTHWESTERN. OUR PRICES
ARE RIGHT, OUR GAMES ARE RE-
NEWED AND GUARANTEED.
Each
25 BALLY BU.MPERS, still a WINNER
AFTER ONE YEAR PLAY ................ $ 7.50
5 KEENEY FIRECRACKERS, BUMPER
TYPE ................................................ 9.00
2 RACKEM UP BUMPER TYPE POOL
GAME ...... ........................................ -11 .00
2 BALLY MERCURY'S-IT'S HOT IN
PLAY APPEAL .................................. 20.00
2 BALLY BOOSTERS ............................ 19.50
5 CHICAGO COIN HOME RUN-A
REAL BARGAIN IN BUMPER BASE-
BALL TROUBLE-PROOF - WHILE
THEY LAST ........................................ 11 .00
Out of 150 FURYS Only 10 Left
$6.50 Each
PICK ANY FIVE GAMES OUT OF FOLLOW-
ING FOR $19.99-PLACE THEM ON PENNY
COIN SHOOTS AND WATCH PENNIES
ROLL IN : California Express, Lite Up
Domino, Draw Ball, Rebound, Cheer Leader
Scorelite, Criss Cross, Torpedo, Bud'let
Rapid Transit, Tornado, Mad Cap, Ad:
vancelite, Fifty Grand, California Game
Co , 's Bells, Stock Exchan'le, Bi'l Shot,
Frolic, Ball Fan .
Have 200 such 'lames to choose from .
COUNTER GAMES
Exhibit Co . Selectem .............................. $4 .50
Exhibit Co. Horses ................•................. 4 .50
Chas . Fey's Cadet .................................. 6.50
Cent A Pack-Like New .......................• 7.50
Reel Spot .................................................. 15.00
PAYOUT TABLES
Each
Preakness, in Good Condition, Still
First in Play ...................................... $52.50
Stoners Turf Champs ............................ 35.00
Bally Derby Odd Chan'lin'l Lektro
Pack Equipped .................................. 17.50
Pacific Co . Palooka ................................ 15.00
All Other Tables Too Numerous to Mention.
NO TRANSACTION TOO SMALL OR TOO
LARGE, AND AGAIN MAY WE REMIND
YOU-OUR MOTTO : NO DEAL COMPLETE
UNLESS YOU ARE SATISFIED .
Write, Wire, Telephone . Terms 1/ 3 Down,
Balance C. O . D.
SOUTHWESTERN
VENDING MACHINE CO.
2711 W . PICO ST.
LOS ANGELI!S, CAL.
9
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW