58
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
Company, who stopped over to talk with
operators in this district and to comment
favorably on the trade acceptance 'of the
new "Heads-Up" Selectors.
Proud Bill Gross was busily passing out
cigars to th e numerous operators who
crowded into his large quarters of the
Lehigh Specialty Company, to congratu•
late the rotund baldie on becoming papa
of a seven-pound baby girl, whom he named
Salina Ruth. Mother was doing well at the
Jewish Hospital, but Bill felt in need of a
convalescent home.
The Century Radio Company, local dis-
tributors of the Sylvania tubes, many of
which are used by phonograph operators,
held a special showing of their full line of
merchandise October 3, in the Architects
Building; the exhibit included a complete
demonstration of the various products
wholesaled by the company, which is
headed by Norman Sewell.
After many years as an exclusive phono-
graph operator Jack Sheppard has finally
invaded the pinball machine business and
is now a full-fledged operator and member
of the Coin Machine Operators' Associa-
tion. Jack operates the Bell Amusement
Company with headquarters on North Third
Street. He is still local distributor for the
United States records.
Newest members of the Philadelphia
Coin Machine Operators' Association are
George Stein, who operates under the trade
name of George Barry; Howard Levin,
whose business cognomen is Howard
Amusement; Joe Kaplin-formerly service-
man for Phil Dribin-whose trade name is
Stanlee Music & Amusement Company,
and who is now operating on his own under
his own name; and Louis Suskin, who has
severed his partnership with Herman Mead-
ow; each of these now is operating under
his own name.
Big Bill Rodstein was married Septem-·
her 29 at the classy Ritz-Carlton Hotel to
Esther Rosenberg; the newlyweds will
honeymoon extensively in South America.
Edward Stern will handle Bill's large
route while the Coin Machine Association's
handsome treasurer is away,
Lewis Sokolove of Imperial Vendors re-
ports considerable success with his re-
cently introduced Orange Drink Vendor
which has already been extensively placed
about the city by many operators who pur-
chased the machine. Lew expects to begin
a national distribution of the Orange Drink
Vendor after completion of factory manu-
facturing facilities.
The Pasadena Novelty Company, which
was rapidly approaching the status of the
largest pinball operating organization in
this section, was reorganized during the
past month. Withdrawing from the organi-
zation were partners Max Brown and Nat
Choderker, while Al Roth and Harry Men-
delsohn will continue their operations as
previously. Max Brown will continue oper-
ating a part of his route but will devote
most of his time to organization of a con-
siderable chain of luncheonettes to be
known as Triangle Sandwich Bars. Nat
Chodecker will also continue his operations
independent of his former associates. While
the men will OJ?erate their routes individu-
ally they will still maintain offices on Green
Street and will utilize the same servicemen.
Roy Torr happily reported that accept-
ance of his newly inaugurated "Time Pay-
ment" plan on vending machines has been
enthusiastically accepted by operators from
all over the country. "Business has boomed
considerably since I announced my new
plan because operators realize that now
they can increase their routes and pay for
the new equipment from the profits of their
new locations," said Mr. Torr.
Sales of Victor records have leaped con-
siderably since the price change to fifty
cents of the better RCA labeled disc.
Raymond Rosen Company have continued
a strong promotional campaign with their
keynote a cooperative program with coin
machine operators. Eddie Heller, promo-
tional manager for the distributor, deserves
much of the credit for the operators' great
use of the Victor and Bluebird waxes.
Eddie pulled several ·clever promotions with
Tommy Dorsey and subsequently with
Glenn Miller, when both orchestras played
here during the past month.
Incidentally, Mort Gellard, radio sales
manager for Raymond Rosen, is back at
his desk after a lengthy Florida honey-
moon.
Sam Lerner reports that he had about
the best season in his experience with his
music machines at roadside taverns, and
thinks that the jitterbugs are about the
best customers an operator could want.
In fact, Sam hopes that he can corner the
jitterbug-shops in the city, and so far he
has done a good job in that direction,
Harry Steinberg's trade name was regis-
tered at city hall, September 28, making an
almost complete roster of trade-registra-
tions for the members of the Philadelphia
Coin Machine Operators Association,
ARCO, Al Rodstein's distributing organi-
zation, has just doubled business on coin
machines every month since he organized
the company. Operators appreciate his
swell bargains and are increasing their
purchases from the friendly Al.
♦
A.O.L.A.C. Stresses
Service to Members
LOS ANGELES-Special bulletins di-
rected to members of the Associated Opera-
tors of Los Angeles County, Inc., stress
the active and effective part a live-wire as-
sociation may play in furthering the aims
of those affiliated wi th the organization.
Unique among trade groups was the issu-
ance in September of excerpts from Kriete's
News Service with the thought that mem-
bers could build their own good will by
passing on to locations the information it
contained. Helping the coinmen to "talk
important shop," the data included data on
new deductions in sales tax, dates for phar-
macists' examinations, a warning on re-
newal of narcotic licenses, alien registra-
tions, and the danger of violating Califor-
nia Fair Trade prices in sales of liquor.
Typical of a regular series of timely bul-
letins was one urging careful driving, par-
ticularly after the opening of the new
school term, and resuming the association's
community traffic safety campaign. This
bulletin was headed by the slogan, "Have
a heart, mister."
Games approved for use in Los Angeles
County, beginning October 1, were: Band
Wagon, Big Chief, Dixie, Fleet, Fox Hunt,
Gold Star, Landslide, Leader, 1-2-3 Ani-
mals, Progress, Record Time, Speed Demon,
Speedway, Sport Special, and Three
Score.
♦
• •
Customer: "The new butcher across the
street is giving you tough competition."
Butcher: "That's all right. The time for
me to worry is when he starts giving me
tender competition."
• •
Patient (in waiting ro~m of doctor's
office) : "How do you do?"
Se~?"~ Patient: "So, so. I'm aching from
neunus.
First Patient: "Glad to meet you. I'm
Mendlebaum from Chicago."
New York
(Continued fr.o m page 21)
vibrator kept the people going? How about
interesting our museums, the libraries, even
the movies and "standing room only" thea-
tres in these machines?
Second down ; but we'll make it yet. ...
A new wrinkle in making operators' associa-
tion-conscious is to provide pay for the
board of directors. Ops point out that di-
rectors, time and again, donate precious
time to settle trade difficulties and mis-
understandings, often with the sole result
of earning not the thanks but the abuse
of the association members. By reimburs-
ing a director for his time, it would keep
the board happy at the same time that ops
would realize that dissension in the ranks
cost money to straighten out.
The spread of penny games seems a good
idea, but many coinmen are questioning the
value of this type of appeal. In the first
place, it is pointed out that the game seems
slanted for the younger element and, in
this connection, the word is caution. Point
number two, your volume has to be five
times as great as for the nickel games, and
that might be asking too much from any
location. Even at a much cheaper invest-
ment, you still haven't got the play.
Queries directed at us make us wonder
whether ops read their trade journals as
they should. Many are unaware that ser-
vice elements advertise and that alarms
and devices to protect their machines are
available. We just can't get around to have
spiels with all of you; but if you get the
CMR inaybe one of these days we'll talk
the same language. Also, write in. Write
to advertisers, to our boss in Cally, and
drop us a line next time you think we
spotted you at the right place but with the
wrong gal. You know how it is-by us it
can happen, too.
♦
Sports Arsenals
Growing in Number
LONG ISLAND CITY, N. Y.-Tying in
naturally and profitably with the rising
military trend as .;,mericans become more
and more conscious of the need to learn
to shoot, an increasing number of spots
are springing up in cities all over the
country in imitation, of the Sky Fighter
"Blitzkrieg" Sports Arsenals of New York
City which have had a tremendous success
in providing this opportunity for learning
conveniently and inexpensively.
Newark, Philadelphia and Chicago are
among those reported as having installa-
tions of braces of the machines which, by
reason of being one complete unit with
built-in target, require a minimum of space;
10 or 15 or even more Sky Fighters can
be set up in two rows along the wall, with
aisle space between, in a location of very
small frontage, and the mere sight of this
barrage is reported to be enough to attract
attention.
International Mutoscope Reel Company,
Inc., manufacturer of Sky Fighters, de-
clares a 24-hour production on the machine
is scarcely enough to supply the constant
demand.
"Sky Fighter was built to help operators
cash in on the war news abroad, and it is
clicking as few machines have done in the
anna ls of the industry," explained Bill Rab-
kin, Mutoscope president.
♦
• •
Dentist : "Stop waving your arms and
making faces, sir. Why, I haven't even
touched your too th."
Patient: "I know you haven't, but you' re
standing on my corn."
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