feet on the ground to the extent that they
have a pretty good line on which machines
make money and which do not," said the
late Fred Mills of the novelty company
bearing hIs name. "In our own business we
have seen such a decided swing to the good
old standbys, the bells, and venders, that I
look for 1937 to be' strictly a bell and
-
vender year:"
ators than ever before in its history. Under
Advertising Executive A. William Land-
the plan of registration first suggested by
sheft of Buffalo saw a great future in games .
THE REVIEW, this- show was for coinmen
with athletic appeal, such as bowling types,
only. Party crashers, hanger-onners and
and felt that they would have a permanent
free liquor hounds, who had jammed the
place in modern tavern life.
1936 gatbering to such an extent that it
"1936 has been the best year in the his-
was difficult for legitimate coinmen to get
tory of the Daval Co.," said A. S. Douglis,
close enough to a booth to find out what it
president of the firm, "and I confidently
contained, were nowhere to be seen.
believe that it is but the beginning of better
Following are some comments made by
leading men in the business: .
. years to come."
There was no talk of recession at 193Ts
"I think that by now the 15,000 or more
gathering. "The country in general is in a
operators in this business have gotten their
1947 Show Parallels 1937 Event -
In Some Resp.ects
CHICAGO-As you walk down the steps
of the train or bundle out of a plane or
alight from the running board of your car,
one significant element will hit you quite
forcefully: the weather. If you're from the
East, you'll probably say, "We've been
having fall climate back there and just
thought it was winter." If you're from the
West or South, you will wonder about the
identity of those swirling white flakes; you
will ask yourself if sunshine is being offered
in another form. If you're from the Midwest
Y9U'll jeer: "Ab, you folks are sissies; the
.
weather's fine."
As in 1937, the weather man will prob-
ably draw many top headlines and con-
siderable comment. Ten years ago it
brought forth suggestions from many quar-
ters for a change in date. October seemed
to ·be the favored month. Snow, sleet and
ice did not dampen coinmen's enthusiasm,
however, because the cold outside was
counter-balanced by the warmth inside,
aided and abetted by liquid refreshments
and entertainment.
Ten years ago operators who had planned
to purchase new cars and drive them home
were disappointed because strike tie-ups
prevented deliveries. Those who might have
been fortunate enough to gain possession of
a new vehicle were hesitant about driving
in stormy weather.
A dynamite-filled topic during 1936,
which brimmed over into show talk and will
again be subject to comment this year was
"spicy" or "party" records and their dangers
to continued operation. At the '37.show, the
president of Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp., David
C. Rockola, said: "I think all operators
have learned their lesson and will not 'kill
the hen that lays the golden egg' by allow-
ing suggestive phonograph records to kill
the present standard of enjoying such ex-
cellent income from electric phonographs."
(Music operators, please copy again.)
Tax fears were sore spots on Coinland's
horizon-even as they are today. Robert Z.
Greene, referring to this "dark cloud,"
commented: "This January, 44 state legis-
latures have convened -in regular session to
consider-and possibly enact-new legisla-
tion that may prove detrimental to our
business. We must be ready to oppose such
measures lind protect the progress we have
striven so hard to achieve."
A spirit of optimism pervaded the Sher-
man Hotel in January 1937, and coinmen
were confident that this would be the
Industry's greatest year. 258 booths were
filled with equipment.
The event attracted more bona fide · oper-
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15
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chine can be placed in the tank. Cold cleans
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speeds overhauling, reduces maintenance
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Agitor's Hi - volume Centrifugal Pump
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1 966 Ridge Avenue. Evan st on , Ill i no i s
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I
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______________________ :
Gray·Mllls CorporlllOft. Evanston. Illinois
Nam~e
P08ition
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:
COmpany _ __________________ I :
Addre.8' __________________ :
City
State:
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