News from the
Hearl of America
By B. K. ANDERSON
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (RC)-lf you were
in the Western Distributing C ompany
looking for Frank Schrogl along the last
of the month, you were told he was tak-
ing a few days off. In truth, Schrogl
was not only taking the days off but was
taking them in bed where a serious at-
tack of flu kept him for most of the
46
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
Viking Buys
huge almond crop.
SAN FRANCISC O (RC)-Einar Wil-
slev, of Viking Specialty C o., ha s been
smelling the wind of late and believes
that there is about to be an avalanche
of buying in the field of salted almonds.
Forthwith he made a contract this wee k
to take a $40,000 almond crop from
a n East Bay dealer. Almonds must be
of a particualr size to work in a vending
machine; hence his excitement when he
found just the right kind. Operators who
have used them find them just four times
as successful in their machines as any
other vending product.
The charm trade is still holding up in
other parts of the country, in spite of its
falling off slightly in San Francisco. 4000
gross were recently shipped directly to
New York alter their delivery to Viking
from Japan.
Viking has taken over the manufac-
ture and distributorship of a new penny
mint machine which vends Mason 's mint
chocolate s the size of a dollar. Accord-
ing to Wilslev, operators u sing these
have had phenomenal luck with them.
Most of the locations are in restaurants
and owners are anxious to have them
placed there. One operator was lucky
enough to place thirty in two hours. e
Phonograph Operators of
Eastem Pennsylvania and
New Jersey
President - PHIUP FRANI; Vice-President -
HARRY SCHERDORF: Treaaurer-mWIN NEW-
MAN: Secretary - JOHN MANION; Business
Manager-FRANK HAMMOND. Offices, 408-10
Schaff Building, Philadelphia.
By HARRY BORTNICK
Action was taken to admit distributors
of phonographs in this area to full mem-
bership in this Association at a meeting
week.
of February 9. The distributors will pay
Then too, you may have seen the am-
dues and have full rights of member-
bulance pulled up in front of Carl Hoel-
ship, will attend meetings, discuss prob-
zel's United Amusement Co. It came
about like this: Carl was bitten by the
lems and be able to vote and to use the
little flu villain, and at the same time
facilities of the organization. This ac-
contracteti a very severe head cold.
tion was taken because one member
Knowing Carl, as you probably do, you
operating machines was recently ap-
won't be surprised to learn that, al-
pointed a distributor. New members ad-
though he should have been in bed, he
mitted under this ruling are: J. D. Lazar,
stayed at work and with frequent puffs
distributor, Rock-Ola phonographs; and
on an inhaler tried to keep his cold-
Penn Coin-O-Matic, Wurlitzer distributor;
saturated head clear. But the inhaler
Keystone Novelty, distributor for Mills
was strong, as were the germs, and
Phonograph, was expected to be admit-
Carl was weak, and it all added up to
ted to membership soon. Automatic
the point where he fainted and medical
help was summoned.
Amusement Co., headed by Frank Engel,
distributor for See burg, was already a
We are very happy to report that both
Carl and Frank have recovered, and are
member.
back at their offices.
A new organization of phonograph
February was a bad deal, but March
operators in Delaware , upper Virginia
gives every indication of righting this
and eastern Maryland, will be started
weather set-back. The roads are clear
under the s ponsorship of the local organ-
again and the weather is warmer; busi-
ization. This new group will bear the
ness has increased with the same ra-
As to lessons of the month, there are name Del-Mar-Va Phonograph Operators
pidity which it showed earlier in the
two. Most important is that passed to
Association. Frank Hammond, business
year and rural operators report that they
me by an operator of bulk vendors in manager, will aid in organizing.
expect a big year.
the Kansas City, Kansas , vicinity. He
A delegation from the Del-Mar-Va
Among the forecasters in this line are
says that he has been stocking most of
Johnnie Johns, who operates cigarette
his machines with confections and group visited the local organization on
vendors extensively in the rural areas, charms until recently, when he switched Tuesday, February 21 , to discuss the
organization of their group with Frank
as well as the Kansas City metropolitan a large number of them back to assort-
district, and John Corse who makes his ed nuts. His profits have increased con- Hammond and also to secure informa-
tion re garding rules and regulations
rounds in the West Central Missouri siderably, he says, a s a result of this
used by the local operators.
move. This would tend to indicate that
area.
Another group in the formative stages
bulk vendors will profit from a trial
John Corse told us , on one of his re-
cent coin machine shopping trips to switch of merchandise at regular inter- is [n Atlantic City, N. J. All operators in
that area have become affiliated with
vals throughout the year.
Kansas City, that he expects to do more
the local organization. However, ii is
along the extension line in 1939 tha n he
The second lesson concerns merchan-
some distance from their city to Philadel-
has in any year to date . And judging dising of machines. Displayed in the
phia and this Association is discussing
from the trouble we've had in getting in
window of a Kansas City dealer, are
the p ossibilities of forming another
touch with Johnnie Johns recently, he's
quite a number of used, well-known-
already spreading them out in the stock brand-name, bulk vendors. An operator chapter in Atlantic City.
Members in the "seaside city" who
friend of mine called recently and asked
and crops districts.
would become charter members of a n
me to go with him to inspect them with
Type-of-equipment-hero of the winter
Atlantic City chapter are: Suri Music
an eye to buying up the lot. When
months has been and is continuing to
Co. (R. Black, F. Smith, R. Ruebenstein
be music. Not only have opera tors of we =lied on the dealer we found that
and E. Bess); Budnick Bros .; George
other types of equipment added music the machines were exa ctly in the same
very successfully to their lines of oper- condition as when removed from loca- Walter, Jr.; Charles Juniewicz, and
others .
ated machines in the past few months, tion. The b owls were badly in need of
The High-Point Amusement Co., friend-
but also there has been an influx of washing and p olishing a nd remnants of
ly Maurice Finkel's trade name, is dis-
new blood , which somehow or other nuts and confections still spotted their
tributing an excellent phonograph tube
always seems to give new life and stim- interiors.
which local dealers report gives excel-
ulus to any industry.
I could see by my operator friend 's
Ivan "Swede" Nelson, Kansas opera- face tha t he felt the same distaste for lent service.
tor, limpingly crossed our path the other merchan dise in this condition that I did.
Henry Margolis has opened a new
No d oubt the merchant thought that if
day and explained that a fall down the
used record shop at 1401½ Columbia.
the machines looked cheap prospective
basement sta irs of his home was the
Congratulations to him on enlarging his
cause. Iva n told us that he jumped out customers w ould feel that they were get-
business.
ting them at a b a rgain. As to the price
of bed, one of those cold February m orn-
Bill Ashmore and Bill Westphal, of
ings, and rushed toward the b a sement he had on them, it was low enough- the Casino Amusement Co., Asbury
even below market. But my operator
stairs intent on coaling the furnace. He
Park, N. J., associate members under the
says his feet touched only the top step. friend shook his head and hurried out of
N.J.-Pa. As sociation agreement, were
the store. He wasn't going to clean up
He lit on the base of his spine on the
guests at a recent meeting.
bottom, alter describing an arc over the another operator's dirt even if it would
Congratulations to Sam Cisenfeld,
save him a little m oney. Later in the
.intervening steps.
week he went to the distributor of this · who, we understand, "rode the goat" in
At the time we last saw Swede he
particular make of vendor and purchas- becoming a Mason .
had just come from his d octor who is
ed, at slightly higher prices, identical
Penn Coin-O-Matic Co., local distrib-
trea ting him for a dislocated spine and
ma chines. The only advantage the ma-
bruises. He sa ys that he is g radually
utors for Wurlitzer phon ographs, m oved
chines purcha sed at slightly higher
recovering, but w ould advise all opera-
to new headquarters at 821 N. Broad
tors who weigh more than two hundred prices had, other tha n being the mer-
Street, on Monday, February 20. This is
pounds, not to d o flips on basement chandise of a reputable d ealer, w a s tha t directly across the street from their old
they were clean.
stairs.
quarters.
e
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