Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Issue: 1945 March

Patro'ns Slug Vendors
CO IH
MACHIHE
REVIEW
12
NEW YORK CITY- Vandalism of slug-
ging youngsters (and that means both fists
and metal discs ) which has resulted in
bad-mannered vending machines in the
local subway stations, probed by a news-
paper, has brought forth so me hith erto
unrevealed statistics on th e size and scop e
of this operation. For instance :
The IRT and BMT lines have give n the
concession to th e vendin g department of
the New York Subways Advertising Co.
which, in turn, ' is operating something like
6,000 machin es on th e platforms of th e
two lines. While the equipment is new,
sturdy and technically good, it takes 1.6
maintenance men to kee p the vendors in
repair.
" We can' t keep up with th e peopJ e-
mostly youn gsters- who jam up the
machines with slugs and everything in the
world but penni es," explain ed Ben D. Selt-
zer , general manager of the vending con-
cern. There are several oth er types of van-
dalism whi ch interfere with the workin g
of the machines, he said, but th ey weren't
being broadcast "because it might give th e
kids ideas." Impati ence is a major prob-
lem, too : Many peopl e turn the delivery
handle before th e coin has dropp ed into
pl ace; result is, th e penny is thrown into
the gears.
Independent Subway station vendors a re
the property of Interborough News Co.,
whose vice-president, George Booth, re ports
an operation of 300 ma chines in only 12
stations, wh ere before the war it consisted
of several thou sand vendors in a hundred
sta tions.
In addition to general abuse of equip-
ment, Booth pointed out that gum and
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1700 WASHINGTON BLVD .• CHICAGO 12. ILL.
cho colate are virtually unobtainable outside
the subway vendors, and when this supply
is r educed impatient customers subj ect the
machines to still further dama ge.
Th e Interborough operation is closing
its coin chutes on week-ends and evenings
when none of its personnel is on duty, as
a means of conserving supplies of mer -
FOR
MARCH
1945
chandise and preventing some of the prac-
tices that jam machines.
Both spokesmen reported that juvenile
vandalism had broken out on a bigger
scale with each war-depletion of the sub-
way poUce force, form erly numbering 400,
which used to patrol th e stations.
And both operators are trying to make
amends to disappointed customers; one
makes cash r estitution to complainants fo r
postage and money lost, while the other
sends a letter of apology and enough mer-
chandise to cover the cost of postage and
the lost penny.
The investigating newspaper's field-man
reported that about one machine in a
dozen accepted coins but didn' t deliver the
goods, thanks to kids and a careless public.
Columbus Considers License
COL UMBUS, Ohio- Th e city council re-
cently held here a public hearing on a
proposal to license music boxes, pinballs
~ nd oth er coin machines. T he proposed
license fees are considered fairly reason-
abl e by the trade, but the bill has bee n
tabl ed for th e time being, in order to dis-
cuss mOFe fully the provisions that would
ban minors under 17 from pl ayin g th e
games. Operators think that the clause re-
ferring to minors will not be practical. A
feature of the public hearing on the pro-
posal, was a large PTA representation .
. .
...
A sure-footed animal is an animal that
when it ki cks it does not miss.
Largest Business
Shipman's Coin-Operated
Postage Stamp Dispensers
Have Them In Stock-S29 .50
-SEE-
PAUL A. LAYMON
DISTRIBUTOR
'Di$lribuled
by
Bally
Manufacluring
Compan y
THE BLUE BLOODS OF THE INDUSTRY READ THE REVIEW EXCLUSIVELY I
Post-War Streamlining Will
Antiquate Present Equipment
"Most of the numerous reasons
manufacturers of -the nation, there will be
for modernizing coin-controlled equip- a vast change in equipment, both in th e
ment, are similar to the reasons for
amusement and service fields.
modernization of any manufactured
With this fact facing manufacturll.rs, dis-
article. Arguments for modern design
tributors and operators, it becomes an es-
, in the entire group of coin machines sential part of present-day wisdom, to think
may be divided in three rough classi-
seriously of the future. The post-war era
fica tions:
will bring the materialization of new ideas,
now evolving in the minds of those who are
(1) Reasons pertaining to public
acceptance.
responsible for the creation of coin ma-
(2) Benefits to operator or
chines.
dealer.
Manufacturers, who switched from mak-
(3) Manufacturing advantages.
_ ing coin machines, to war production, will
"The sheer modern appeal of the
revert back to their original products, with
sweeping lines of efficient airplanes; ~ greater realization of the need for as
carefully precisioned' work on coin ma-
trains, racing automobiles, has made
very popular the term 'streamlined.'
chines as was demanded for war products.
"We can feel sure that there will b e
Just as the trend, in the last decade has
some new process introduced to the been toward sleeker styles, artistic in ap-
peal, both in decoration and lightin g, and
coin machine industry within ten
years: increased production will per-
greater elficiency in ' operation, so will this
trend, in the coming years, be brought into
mit the use of different design forms
as well as the use of more beautiful sharper focus, with more beautiful and
metals, plastics, and finishes."
more ultra-modernized equIpment. It has
been proven that the public eagerly pa-
George Walker, style industrialist, ex-
tronizes machines, with designs that drama-
pressed .the above truths during an inter-
view in 1937_ The past eight years have
tize their function.
Up-to-the-minute operators, for sound
hrought some of the streamlined improve-
business reasons, will need and want the
ments, which he prophecied, but it will not
improved post-war machines. And it is for
be until after the war, that the real revo-
this reason, that the wise man will look be-
lutionary changes will take place_ With a
yond the now.
release of the materials, now being used
Profits have never been greater, for the
for war production, to the coin machine
operator, than they are today. The sun is
shining and he is making plenty of hay.
But, is he fortifying himself, financially,
against the time when new investments will
have to be made, to keep in step with the
march of progress? /
The machines of today will eventually be-
co me obsolete. The transition into this new
set-up, will, necessarily, be gradual. But the
change will not bring loss to anyone in the
business. The rest of the world will serve
as a market. Equipment discarded in this
country will find a ready market in other
parts of the world.
Europe, Canada, Australia and South
America are practically virgin fields. Be-
fore th e war, the leading buyers from the
United States were England, France and
Canada, but not to any large extent.
This country leads in the production and
operation of coin machines. As a writer in
a Los Angeles publication has said, "Com-
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COl':'
MAcHINI
REVIEW
13
FOR
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THE BLUE BLOODS OF THE INDUSTRY READ THE REVIEW EXCLUSIVELYl
MARCH
7945

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