Regional Business Reports
.._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ By REVIEW REPORTERS-----------
Cincinnati
Any trend in general Industry business,
which may have been expected to develop
by now, has not yet appeared. Receipts are
about the same as reported for the previ•
ous month. The situation is appraised as
"normal" because it is in line with the
general economic picture. •
Automatic music, with the advent of tele•
casting of ball games, did not enjoy quite
as good a month as last. The figures also
include 16 days of Lent, during which time
tavern attendance was down, and although
after Easter business showed a slight rise,
it was not enough to permit an even break
for operators. The taverns are so con•
cerned they are considering a cut in the
price of beer by the glass.
Pin ball and kindred games experienced
a slightly better month, possibly because the
shuffle craze has made folk game•conscious.
Shuffleboards remain the outstanding fea •
ture in inns, outdoing the talking pictures
in customer appeal. As yet no parlors have
been opened, but plans are under way for
a local tournament, which should be a hum•
clinger, as reports are that Cincinnati has
developed some very skillful players. Fans
do not know how lucky they are, as they
only have to pay a nickel to play here.
Operators say th e usual charge elsewhere is
a dim e, but they are afraid to raise the
price in the face of the intense interest in
the game. Several more old.time game oper•
ators are now handling the boards, with
good receipts, and they report demand is
increasing steadily for installations.
The soft drink machines got a heavy play
as mid.summer temperatures prevailed for
about a week. This caused an increase in
business over last month, but not over last
year. Bottlers who were working short•time
have now gone on a full production basis.
This branch of the industry is feeling shop
lay•offs very keenly.
Candy sales were off, due somewhat to
Easter over•the•counter box sales, and in
industrial spots because of layoffs. Cincin•
nati has been comparably hard hit by cur•
tailment of machine•tool shop work hours.
This is practically the machine shop of th e
world, an d many vending machines serve
the work t!rs, who patronize the automatics
prolifically.
Cigarettes . showed an in crease over last
month , as expected. However, business wa s
not quite as good as last year, probably for
the sa me reasons as in other branches.
There are a lot of cartons being shipped in
from . other states at $1.38 to avoid taxes.
The price here is $1.70, up . Wheth er the
automatics feel this is very doubtful. Legis•
lation is pending in several states to try to
stop the tax·evasion schemes, but operators
are skeptica l of the effectiveness of such
laws.
Pop corn did not do as well as last
month , but only because of the seasonal
change in eating habits, which set in earlier
this year than usual because of th e mild
weather. Receipts were good, and better
than for the same month last year.
For the first time in a long while chew•
ing gum showed a tendency to slough off,
and sales were down in sympathy with
candy, and for the same reasons.
,
Nuts of all kinds held their own, remain.
ing steady in sales as compared with last
JUNE, 1949
BUSINESS BAROMETER
applications down 2.9 per cent from last
month.
George Keith
Columbus
MAY
1949
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month and last year. Some slight evidences
of reduced prices were apparent, possibly
because of overstocked inventories.
The out•of•doors arcade season is about
to begin, and another big year for voice•
letters is expected. Nicer weather brought
the machines out on the side.walks and in
lobbies, where they were better' patronized
last month. Airport arcades report business
is thriving.
The penny scales showed favorably last
month, and a big summer season can be
expected.
'
The employment outlook brightened only
slightly, with unemployment compensation
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A slight over•all increase in the number
of Columbus workers in 73 manufacturing
firms took place, with metal fabricating
plants hiring nearly 1300 workers, the Un•
employment Compensation Burea.u has re•
ported. Other employment gains were fore•
cast for the ared by the BUC within the
near future.
All of this is, of course, good news to
local, coin machine men. With continued
good weather, more and more people are
getting outside which should show up soon
in increased arcade business around the
summer spots. Buckeye Lake has opened
for business and, with the name bands
there and on the way, operators at the mid•
Ohio fun ~pot should do well this season.
With employment steady at local plants,
vending machines there are doing a steady
business for this time of year. Candy, of
course, is the only item which takes much
of a drop in warm weather at the plants.
Automatic phono receipts are holding up
fairly well.•To be sure, television is putting
a crimp in music box play- especially
where bars have put in the competing
medium. Observers predict the novelty will
soon wear off-especially as the nicer days
lure people out for entertainment. There's
nothing concrete about th e way in which
television has hurt the coin machine busi•
ness yet.
The protecting arm ·of the courts is keep·
ing Cuyahoga Falls from collecting $25 a
year from each coin phono and pin ball
operating in the Akron suburb. In addi•
tion to the $25, the Cuyahoga Falls ordi.
nance would charge $1 per year for each
booth and bar outlet for receiving phono
nickels.
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3021 38th Avenue
Phone ANdover 1-9037
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Cable Address: ST ASP ECO
41
https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com