As told by Carl Hoelzel ,
president, Hobbies , Inc. ,
to 8. K. Anderson
Every day, I have operators ask me,
"Carl, why in the world don't we slow
down a little? Sure, our organization,
Hobbies, Inc., is swell, it has done a nice
piece of work, but why must it always be
trying to change our way of doing busi-
ness and even the names of the things we
do business with?"
And I can understand what prompts
these questions. Events, revolutionary in
nature, have been transpiring with such
rapidity in the last six months that most
coin machine men have not kept abreast of
them. In some sections operator organiza-
tions have kept their members informed,
but in most sections confusion is resulting,
especially about the new terms that are
being introduced into our business.
Several weeks ago, in my office as presi-
dent of Hobbies, Inc., I directed a letter
to 15 of the leading manufacturers of nov-
elty tables in which I requested that they
use the new terms and names at their
earliest convenience on the machines that
are coming off their assembly lines. Many
machines now in our showrooms testify to
the success of this suggestion made by our
and other organizations. So, an explana-
tion of them is certainly in order.
Most important of these new terms, I
believe, is "Re-play". It replaces "Free
Play", for we have found that this latter
term has been too widely misunderstood
and is misleading. The greatest objection
to the words, "Free Play", is that it gives
the impression of gambling, of prizes and
other awards.
Our council long had this subject under
consideration and finally came to the con-
clusion that not only the word but the
idea, "Re-play", must be continuously
stressed in present operation of coin-con-
trolled amusement games. We have ac-
cepted this policy because we have found
that in most cases, if it is thoroughly un-
derstood that nothing of a material value
can or is carried away from a novelty or
amusement machine, then the operation of
this equipment is allowed unhampered.
Also, we have adopted the word "Par"
to take the place of "Win", or "Winner",
or "Skill Awards". In other words, "Par"
is an explanation of the "Re-plays", the
number of them and how they are ob-
tained.
To explain the necessity for these
changes it is best to understand that with
an ever-expanding investment in our indus-
try it has been necessary to rid ourselves
of the general wide-spread mis-conception
that exists about our business in the mind
of the general public.
There was a time, before we learned the
technique of "Amusement for amusement's
sake," when to realize a profit out of nov-
elty or pin tables, there had to be prize or
award stimulus to interest the player in
what amounted to a mechanical grab-bag.
Many of the terms and expressions now in
common use grew out of that period.
To show how out-of-date these expres-
sions are today-it would be the same as
calling a 1940 model streamlined auto·
mobile a "Horseless Carriage".
Take a look at our new novelty or amuse-
ment games. What are they? To me they
represent two things: Our interest in
events, and our interest in recreation.
Now what I would like to know is how
could anyone object to these two inter-
ests? One of them is today's newspaper
headlines, the other is tomorrow's baseball,
football, or basketball game. What the
amusement machine, that dramatizes or
places in miniature one phase of these in-
terests, does is simply bring the average
man closer to these than actually, in real
life, it is possible for him to get.
For instance, here is a middle-aged man
who is a rabid football fan. All Saturday
afternoon at the game he shouts, "Boy, if I
were only out there!" He consumes his
limit of physical energy as he moves in
sympathy with the play on the field. He
paid several dollars for hi's ticket and what
did he get? He got amusement and re-
lease of physical energy at the rate of
about two and one-half cents per minute.
Now this same man puts his nickel into
an amusement machine. What does he get?
In the first place he does get out on the
playing field, the only difference is that it's
in miniature. He does expend physical
energy and for about the same rate of
two and one-half cents per minute; and
the chances are that if he plays several
times, his cost for these services will be
reduced to one or two cents per minute.
WAN'l'ED
Distributors, Jobbers, Operators and Mer•
chants Beware.
Man posing as manufacturer's
ag,e nt taking deposits for merchandise and ob•
taining money under false pretenses . Driving
1940 Dodge coupe with Illinois license, now on
West Coast, lives in New Yor k and most likely
will travel East. Description-Gives name as
Harry Schifren . Dark complexion, stout and
about 5 _feet 7. inches . He is in:iposter and any
money grven wrll be lost . Last information pre•
tending to represent Baker Novelty Co. and
Daval Mfg. Co . Wanted by Police . Arrest on
sight if approached and wire Coin Machine
Industries , Inc . , Sherman Hotel , Chicago.
I wonder if anyone would object if half
the ticket price were refunded to the root-
ers for the losing team at last New Year's
football games? After all, they couldn't
have received the same dollar-and-cents
value in entertainment and amusement out
of it that the winners did.
And, as to the novelty tables that are
using war themes, particularly anti-aircraft
and aviation. Picture yourself how close
the average American is going to get to
either anti-aircraft or aviation. Yet as he
reads his paper and stores up a tremen-
dous emotional response that actually calls
for physical outlet it wouldn't be practical
for him to go out and bang away at
imaginary enemies with an actual rapid-
fire gun.
In the first place, it would cost more than
a dollar a second, and in the second place
~e cou},dn't be sure whether he hit his
dream enemy or not. But put the same
man on an amusement machine all fixed
with gun, target, and record of hits. For
about a cent or two a minute he can com-
pletely work out his ire, receive a certain
degree of physical action, and certainly
receive his money's worth of entertain-
ment.
In a few short words: THERE IS NO
FAULT TO FIND WITH THE NEW
GAMES NOW ON LOCATION, except
that the sins of their ancestry have clum-
sily been allowed to pass down through
their generations. These "sins" summed
up amount simply to the fact that the Son
is carrying his Grandfather's reputation
only because he also carries his name.
The present widespread move by coin
machine associations to change and adopt
new wording on and in connection with
amusement devices will not only improve
the machines' position legally, but should
also do much to give the games the good
reputation with the general public that
they deserve.
As we see it there is only one thing that
can cause a depression in this new and ex-
panded coin machine industry of ours;
that is for public opinion to freeze against
us because we do not collectively go to the
trouble of showing that there has been a
change in our merchandise i.n the past
decade.
The sooner we get our new idea over the
better off we're all going to be. Each in-
dividual operator can help in this public
relations campaign by dressing up his own
machines in accordance with the new
terms, words, and themes. In his discus-
sions with his locations and the civic offi-
cials in his neighborhood he can explain
the "whys?" of his new equipment, what
it merchandises, how and at what cost.
He can immediately stop using such words
and statements as: Winner, ways to win,
prizes, awards, free-play, and everything
else that has to do with chance or
gambling.
There is no reason in the world why it
shouldn't be common knowledge that fifty
percent of the machine's receipts go to the
location for space rent and electric power,
and that the other fifty percent is divided
into taxes, maintenance, replacement of
machines, and other costs experienced in
operating. Any one at all connected with
business will understand that this doesn't
make for an exorbitant profit and will
know rather than envy the operator's
position.
And so we come back to the question
of "What's in a name?" Well, picture
yourself how much you would like yours
to be "Hitler" right now, and you'll see
how importantly public opinion and names
tie-up.
♦
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
17
FOR
FEBRUARY
1941
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