Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Issue: 1947 July

lan, who phoned the same day, from Mor-
gantown; George Alexander, of Buckeye
Music Coo, Cambridge, who also came to
Columbus to fly in the Reserve Officers'
program, but was grounded by bad
weather; and Bob Taylor, of K T_ Enter-
prises, Portsmouth, who was in the office
to pick up a new Kilroy.
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
108
FOR
JULY
1947
Recently added to our list of benedicts
who share congratulations with Joe Flynn,
. at Shaffer's, are Tommy Moriarity of the
service department and Harry Hetterscheidt
of the parts department. Alma Kaiser be-
came Mrs. Moriarity and Evelyn Zinn
became Mrs. Hetterscheidt. Both girls are
Columbusites.
-Chatter From Coin Row: Ira Carpenter,
of New River Music Co., Oak Hill, travels
to Columbus often to see his wife who has
been ill. Best wishes for a speedy recovery
· .. A three-month vacation trip through
the West in a super-deluxe trailer is in
the offing for Henry Orum, of Ace Coin
Machine Co., Wheeling . . . G. E. (Tot)
Clay has leased' a new lot for a bus
station at Coeburn . . . Keiser of K & K
Music Co. is opening a new' office in Sofia.
He wi!! handle records and appliances
· .. Sporting a new Studebaker around the
Moundsville area is Jim Bodley, of City
Coin Machirie Service. His dad, Homer
Bodley, has a new Studebaker truck . . .
Another new car buyer is Charlie Hoof-
stetter, who finally managed to wangle
a new four-door Plymouth ... The daugh-
ter of P. G. Kesner, of Circle Music Co.,
Wytheville, suffered a broken leg recently
· ~ . One of the first to sport· a new
Tucker· automobile will be Lee Glessner
of Wheeling Coin Machine Exchange . . .
Emmett Yeary of Coeburn reports that
he will have a new route soon, with
all new equipment, records and a truck
· .. C. J. Starbuck of Colerain is driving
a new Ford these days . . . A new car
and a new truck which haven't arrived
yet, are holding up Roy Clemens, of Roy's
Music Service, Beckley, from taking his
vacation . . . Walter Sauvageot is moving
out .to his farm to "get away from it all."
He offered to let Charlie Hoofstetter,
Shaffer's Wheeling manager, rent his town
house, but Charlie and his wife feared
they'd be lost in it. The house has ten
rooms . . . Basil Palmer of the Music
Box at Kingsport keeps the salesmen in
"hot water" over new pin games . . .
Proud of their new Seeburg remote equip-
ment .are Hobart Lawson and his associa te,
Sturzllle. Lawson recently purchased a new
Chevrolet . . . Buck Edwards and Bob
Bender of Coin Machine · Service, Char-
leston, are now operating the route at
St. Albans formerly handled by Bert Ed-
wards . . . Turney Renick, of C & R
Music, Beckley, recently spent a few days
vacationing in Florida . . . Hall, of Hall
Amusement Co., Beckley, had the mis-
fortune of damaging one of the rear fen-
ders on his new Chrysler ... Frank King,
of. Newark, and Frank Hoop, of Modern
Music Co., same city, are both operating
arcades at nearby Buckeye Lake amuse-
ment park this summer . . . J. E. Ray, of
Hillsville, has been kept l?retty busy with
his new garage and agency for Plymouth
al}d Chrysler . . . M. E. White, of White
Amusement Co., Logan, has sold his entire
operation to the Caladros Brothers of that
city . .. A hard man to find is Elliot, of
Elliot , Sales, GaIe City. His new garage,
plus his coin machines -and real estate,
really keep him going ... Charles Bartlett,
of Christian burg, has just purchased an-
other coin machine route . . . Stephens,
of Wise Music Co., Wise, recently reported
that his partner, C. M. Dale, was enjoying
a swell vacation in Florida . . . Al Gallo-
way, of Whitesville, is building an addi-
tion to his home . . . Bill McCormack,
of Pratt, spent a week luring the wily
trout .. . G. C. Fauber, of Belle Amuse-
ment Co., Bell, is the purchaser of a new
truck . . . Ray Waybright, of Rex Spec-
ialty, Charleston, enjoyed the Daredevil
show recently, along with his little daugh-
ter . . . Nick Nebel has converted his
pick-up truck into a sound truck to ad-
vertise Zane Caverns which he purchased.
It's reported Nick can really be heard now,
when he turns up the volume . . . Lora
Mariotti, of Mariotti Music Co., Freeman,
is the proud papa of a new baby . . .
One of the speedier local operators is
Kenny Kelsey, of Central Music Co., Co-
lumbus. The boys say Kenny's always in
a hurry . . . Stanley Spenski, of Eagle
Automatic Music, Steubenville, is sporting
a new Chrysler sedan with all the trim-
mings.
. w. C. Arth.urs
Denver
Jack Arnold, of the Ajax Music Co.,
recently returned from Wyoming and re-
ports that he had a very successful trip,
with encouraging prospects for continued
growth of Packard popularity. In some
sections of the territory collections have
been a little slow due to bad weather
conditions, but, with the coming of spring
and with the tourists beginning to roll in,
conditions have improved and collections
in most· of the Ajax territories are now
beginning to zoom.
Eddie Zobec, who ha,s had many years'
experience in the business, has been added
to the Ajax service department.
Burnham & Son Music Co., Lovell,
operated by George Burnham, Jr., is se-
curing new locations every day in the
Big Basin Country. Jack Arnold reports
that while George has only been in the
business approximately two months, he is
already talking and acting like a veteran'
music operator. Jim Aimonetti, Newcastle,
reports very great success with his Packard
installations, both in Edgemont, and in his
home town of Newcastle. Forest Asa,
another newcomer in the Torrington field,
is operating phonos with great success.
According to Arnold, many operators
are looking for a 24-month payment plan.
With the cost of equipment today, many
operators believe it is 'a dvisable to have
their equipment financed on a 24-month
basis even though they realize their in-
terest rate will be somewhat higher.
A recent telephone communication to
Arnold from Mrs. Pat Stevens, of Great
Falls, Mont., advised that her husband
passed away May 28. Stevens was a punch
board operator, considered one of the best
in Montana, and was well liked by every-
body.
The Gaddis Distributing Co. is doing
some ' additional remodeling of its store,
installing new racks and enlarging the
display room to provide for more efficiency
in handling orders. Gaddis reports that
business is good in all lines and especially
in music boxes and pin balls.
The Gaddis family will celebrate the
third birthday of son, J ames P~ter Gaddis,
this month by a neighborhOOd gathering.
Young master Gaddis is named for his
two grandfathers. James after his father's
father and Peter after his mother's father.
W. E. Bosche, of Raton, N. M., is ex-
pecting ' a ,good tourist business. Opening
of the legalized horse racing season in
New Mexico, he said, would bring much
additional business.
Operator Paul Bosche of Alamosa, re-
ports that pin table business is excel-
lent and that the fishing 'is better. He is
contemplatin g the best tourist business
ever in southern Colorado. Gus Carter,
of Ft. Collins, is very happy as the proud
owner of a new Buick. He is opera to, of
punch boards, etc., and reports big business
in the mountain resorts. Ed Sully, of the
Sully Specialty Co., is on a trip to western
Nebraska and Kansas, then back by way
of Springfield, Colo., to Denver. Lou Bel-
otti of Walsenberg is reported very happy
with his new machines.
.
Recent visitors in Denver and reported
by Gaddis Distributing Co. are: Don
Tharpe, Automatic Music Co., Grand Junc-
tion; Don Chipp, Chipp Music Co., Rock
Springs; Dick Reeves, Rocky Mountain
Coin Machine Co., Pueblo; Frank Merin-
dino, Sportsman's Novelty Co., Cheyenne;
O. G. Gibbs, Laramie; Ralph Fuller, Mile
High Music Co., Greeley; Ned Manning,
Manning Sales Co., Colorado Springs;
Charles Whale, Western Novelty Sales Co.,
Colorado Springs; Vincent Pina, New
Mexico Novelty Co., Las Vegas; Walter
Paulk, Sportsman's Novelty Co., Sidney.
When I visited the Wolf Sales Co.
it seemed a very busy place. Wolf Rei-
witz said that in the past two weeks
the company has added four new employ-
ees, viz: Ronald M. Williams, porter;
Charles E. Sears and Flor J. Kloverstrom,
service department, and Derwood D. Chris-
tie, bookkeeping department. Reiwitz had
just returned from a trip to one of his
other offic_es, stop ping in San Francisco
for a short visit with his daughter. He
reports that in addition to recent remodel-
ing, which included finishing two large
executive offices, the company is now start-
ing to remodel its showroom, which oc-
cupies the entire front of the building.
The ~ew addition to the Al A. Roberts
family, a baby daughter named Kathy,
makes Reiwitz several times a grandfather.
A. C. and Al A. Roberts, who are presently
in the East on business, plan to meet
Reiwitz in the near future at Hammer-
gren's Lodge, Fishermen's Point, Cross
Lake, Minn., for a Wurlitzer distributors
meeting.
Customers who recently visited the Wolf
Sales Co. office were: Joe Warrington,
R. F. Fuller, Harold Rounds, · Tommy
Shockley, Lou Nuttall, Albert Richardson,
Charles Hetts, B. J. Drasky, Joe Magnone,
and Leo Benedetti.
Gibson Bra'dshaw, of the Denver Dis-
tributing Co., reports a booming business
at Denver parks and arcades. Lots of new
machines and equipment coming in all the
time. Out-of"town callers on business
were: C. W. Schlicht, manager music di-
vision of Mills Industries in Chicago, who
remained for several days following Me-
morial Day; Corley Phelps, representative
from the Coin-O-Matic Cashier, Chicago,
and Perry Kinzie from the sales depart-
ment of Mills Industries. Kinzie is a golf
enthusiast, residing in Tulsa, Okla., and
expects upon his return to that city to
compete in a golf Umrnament.
Jay Perkins, who recently returned to
the Denver Distributing Co. as mechanic
and service man, announces that he is the
proud father of a new son named Ronnie
Jay. During last month's late cold snap,
with rain and snow, Gibson Bradshaw and
his son spent half of one night building
smudges ih an effort to save the cherries
on his prize cherry tree-and believes he
was successful.
Modern Distributing Co. reports a war
romance in the marriage of Don· Whitney,
of the service department, to a French war
bride in Algiers, Africa, while he was
stationed there. Since their return Mrs.
Whitney became an American citizen. She
has been somewhat homesick for her fam-
ily and friend and left the latter part of
May fOT an extended visit, going first
from New York to England, then to
France for a visit, then over to Africa
and after a visit there will return by way
of South America and Mexico to California
and back to Denver.
Maynard Todd, sales manager phono·
graph division of Rock-Ola, visited all
Rock-Ola operators in this territory durin!!
May. Leo Negri, Modern's sales manager,
recently made a trip to the Western Slope
and to Wyoming. He is at present in
Wyoming.
The Blackwell Distributing Co. recently
received its new Aireon phonograph mod-
el. It is being shown and is very well
received, according to Mrs. Nilla King of
the company. The model is somewhat
smaller, with some minor differences, but in
the main has all the good qualities of
Aireon machines.
Clarence Burg, of the Walker Music Co.,
is planning on a vacation in the near
future, together with his family.
Frances Conrey
New Vending Department
At Ferrara Candy Co.
CHICAGO- Sweet Shell is a new trade
brand name to cover a variety of products
for selling in bulk vendors, now offered by
Ferrara Candy Co. here. Among the items
to be offered for bulk vending are coated
peanuts, lozenges, baked bean confections
and other forms well known to the trade. A
variety of peanut coatings will be offered.
George Eby, so well known to the vend-
ing trade during his many years of associ-
ation with Pan Confection factory here,
heads a new vending machine department
in the Ferrara firm. Eby refers to the sum-
mer season and says he will gi~ special
attention to operating needs for the warm
season. He has made a specialty of study-
ing hot weather problems that confront
operators and will be glad to offer his
suggestions to any inquiring operator. He
work ed in close cooperation with some of
the largest bulk vendor operators in the
country during recent years and his com-
pany is making its merchandise to conform
to ideas gained from the trade.
Eby says the firm also offers some five-
cent packaged items, including chocolate
coated nuts and beans, which will prove
good summer sellers in regular candy bar
machines.
Eby has long championed the idea of
cleanliness in vending machines and says
he .has not lost his enthusiasm for the idea.
He says cleanliness is more important dur-
ing the summer months than any other
time.
Columbus Vendors Popular
OAKLAND-Because Columbus vendors
are low in price and easy to service,
th ereby enabling operators to buy a large
quantity of machines for a small invest-
ment, more and more vending men are
climbing aboard the Columbus bandwagon
a nd riding to Profit Lane, according to
Bert Fraga, whose Standard Specialty firm
di stributes the machine in Northern Cali-
fornia.
"Due to a strike in the glass fa ctory,
production has been slowed down," Fraga
sa id, "and shipm ents from the factory have
likewise de creased. We ask our many cus-
tom e rs to bear with us for a short tillle
until thi s situation clears up. Take it from
thousands of successful ve llding operators
throughout th e country·-it pays to wait
for Columbus."
PersonalifY,,'I f.il11
o'fheMonlh l R I
THE REVIEWS HAlL OF FANE
Carl Trippe
Whenever any coin machine operator
around St. Louis calls Carl Trippe a
"South Side Dutchman," Carl takes it as
a compliment-for in 15 years of activity in
every phase of the Coin Machine Industry,
he's come to believe that it takes the
phlegmatic calm characteristics of a Dutch-
man to make a go of the business.
Now one of the best-known figures in St.
Louis Coin-machinedom, Trippe got into
the Industry "by the back way." In 1930
he was driving an express truck, which was
frequently called upon to deliver phono-
graphs, pin balls and vending machines to
locations in and around St. Louis. Carl,
like -everybody else in. the pre-depression
years, was on the lookout for a worthwhile
business to invest in, and when he found
that the most promptly-paid bills for his
express service were invariably connected
with the Coin Machine Industry, he said
to himself, "That's it."
Unlike many operators who plunged in
with big investments and lived to regret
it later on, Carl started on a small scale.
His firs t warehouse and office was a garage
in back of his home in South St. Louis,
where in 1932, he bought his first pin ball
machine, augmented by a stock of North-
western peanut and candy vending ma-
chines. At that time locations were to be
had for the asking, and Carl had no dif-
ficulty in spotting every machine he could
rake up the money to pay for.
Trippe invested in more and more equip-
ment. From the outset, however, he was
impressed with the role played by the dis-
tributor in the Industry, and he began
clamoring for distribution rights almost
from the start. Thus, in 1932, he was
awarded distributorship for the newly in-
corporated Bally line, and shortly afterward
Northwestern vending equipment, and a
couple of others which have since gone out
of business.
Distributing from a garage didn't carry
quite the necessary prestige, Carl decided.
Therefore, in 1936, he took over what had
been a grimy, narrow shop on Market St.
near downtown St. Louis, which quickly
became a sort of coin machine museum for
operators. Carl was one of the first dis-
tributors to set up a service shop available
to all operators, to carry a complete stock
of parts, and to both operate and distribute
with the same equipment. He proved him-
self so ·successful in both fields that he won
the Rock-Ola franchise for St. Louis, and
extended his operating activities. Since
then, of course, operating has become such
a headache that Carl has unwillingly sacri-
ficed most of his routes to the pressure of
a distributing business-all except for one
small phonograph route which he still main-
tains to more or less "keep his hand in."
The Market St. location soon overflowed
with pin balls, vendors, phonographs, parts,
punchboards, merchandise lines, and in
fact , everything related to th e coin machine
field. Carl gradually took over adjoining
shops, knocked out partitions to form a
huge warehouse, but still bulged at the
seams. During this period, St. Louis coin
machine operators and distributors got
together to form the old Phonograph
Owners of St. Louis Association, Missouri
Vending Machin e Association, etc., which
have since been tran smuted into the present
Missouri Amusement Machine Association.
.About 1939, when it was impossible to
get so much as another roller skate into the
Market St. headquarters, Carl took a big
breath and decided to put distributing on
a grandiose scale previously unheard of
in this area. By careful maneuvering, he
got the lease on a two-story, 7500 square
foot building at 2833 I;ocust Ave., where
the present Ideal Novelty Co. still holds
forth. A lot of operators will recall with
nostalgia the opening party and banquet
which Carl staged. Manufacturers' repre-
sentatives from all his lines were on hand,
photographers shot pictures, banquet tables
were loaded down with fine foods, and an
8-man bar went full-blast. The Locust St.
headquarters were the biggest thing in
coin machine circles at the time, with
extensive repair shop, huge warehouse
space in basement and second floor, and a
sales office complete with separate show-
rooms, executive offices, and vast display
windows. Just prior to the war, this build-
ing, too, became over-crowded.
"Anyhow it was a big improvement over
the catacombs we had to work in on
Market St.," Trippe has been known to
say.
About five years ago he became highly
interested in arcade management, with the
result that Ideal Novelty Co. arcades
popped up in the downtown district, and
in four amusement parks surrounding the
St. Louis area. Not content with buying
and seIling, as well as operating arcade
equipment, Trippe also looked into the
roller rink field, and has owned as many
as five or six at a time. Right now t!J.ere
are three . Ideal roller rinks. Buying and
seIling arcades, operating them in amuse-
ment parks, and enjoying substantial suc-
cess with his roller rinks, Trippe went
through a lot of refinancing manipulations
and loans, whit h has always kept the ljead
bookkeeper at Ideal Novelty on his toes.
For the past several years Trippe has kept
up his arcade operation in three amuse-
ment parks, one of which, "Chain · of
Rocks," he bought outright and operates
as a branch of Ideal Novelty. Thus, he
owns a distributing business, coin machine
route in central Southeast Missouri, a
phonograph route in St. Louis, a series of
arcades and roller rinks, and last but not
least, two roller coasters. Not a bad spread,
some observers say, when you realize he
began with a few peanut vending machines
in a one-car St. Louis garage!
Now 46, and slimmed down after a year's
tussle with a reducing diet, Trippe tears
himself away from work occasionally to
indulge in his three hobbies, fishing, photo-
graphy, and traveling. With Mrs. Trippe,
he frequently takes his two children, Mar-
lene and Carol, 9 and 11 years old re-
spectively, on extended trips to New York,
Chicago, and New Orleans. At Christmas,
the Trippe home annually wins St. Louis
awards for holiday decorations. As a
means of relaxation, Carl carries an ex-
pensive candid camera, and has at one
time or another snapped almost every cus-
tomer or business associate who will stand
still. For the past two . years he has been
teIling operator-customers that he's retiring;
that the pressure is too much-but the
chances are that ten years from now he
will still be on the scene.
Candy.Coated Gum
CHICAGO-Leaf Gum Co. will soon in-
troduce a new candy-coated chewing gum
to the market, in addition to several other
developments now ori the work boards.
The new product will be merchandised
under the trade name "Leaflets." P. R.
Trent, director of sales and advertising,
states that the gum will incorporate several
new factors in the field.
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
109
FOR
JULY
"47

Download Page 108: PDF File | Image

Download Page 109 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.