REGIONAL REPORTS
(Continued f rom page 42)
a legal standpoint and locations have all
th e games for which space can be found
in any way; games are in good condition
and buying of new games is fair. Occasion-
ally, there is a minor flurry about bells but
pin ball seems to be an institution.
Distributors who sell shuffleboard say they
think it has reached its peak here; coin op-
eration is not in vogue but may be tried to
see if it will pep up the boards. One dis-
tributing firm claims to have sold more
than 300 boards in the area, which gives
some idea of how shuffleboard has spread.
But the distributor agrees that shufflehoard
has cut heavily into pin ball sales and play.
After Derby Day the summer season
really begins. Vending machines have been
affected by the general slowing of indus-
trial activity here. The state generally re-
ports plenty of money, since farm ers made
good ·tobacco money this year. Vendors for
soft drinks are expected to show normal
increases during the summer and ice cream
vendors are said to be increasing.
SI. r.ouis
Operators r eport an optimistic view dur-
ing the summer months, with the Industry
in general feelin g less pinch than r etail
stores, amusement enterprises such as the-
atres, night clubs, etc. Particularly on the
upturn is the pin ball fi eld. " Looks like
people who used to spend $2 or $3 fo: a
show or evening in a tavern are contentmg
themselves with a pin game shootin g period
instead," Del Veatch of V. P. Distributin_g
Co. said. "It is obvious that everyone 1s
cutting down on unnecessary expense, but
the coin machine with its nickel and dime
'prices' isn' t suffering."
All but a very small percentage of St.
Louis venders have big plans for theatre-
lobby soft drink machines. About half of
the theatres in th e city are equipped with
at least one drink vendor, with as many as
six in the bigger pictu re houses on Grand
Avenue. Collections are excellent in all lo-
cations, surprising because St. Louis' blis-
teri ng summer weather is still many weeks
away.
Some of the smaller neighborh ood the-
atres are allottin g 5-minute intermission pe-
riods to increase candy bar and soft dri~k
sales between film s. Those in the Grand
Avenue theatres are bein g serviced twice
per evenin g. Ice cream machin es are fallin g
below the beverage vendors in sales fo r the
first time this year, it was reported by
members of the Missouri Amusement Ma-
chin e Assn.
Candy vendin g is takin g on a new aspect
due to the overall air conditioning of the-
atres, bowling alleys, etc., according to vet-
eran operator, Walter Bowman. "We can
keep candy machines in operation for sev-
eral additional months per year, with melt-
age no danger because of air co nditionin g,"
Bowman said. "I try to get the location
owner to let me spot the machine wh ere
it receives most cooled air coming out of a
grille, and thus semi-refrigerate the candy
successfully through the summer months."
Candy bar sales here normally must be
cut during July throu gh September, due to
heavy moist-heat conditions. Incidentally,
bar vendin g sales are at their prewar rate
throu ghout St. Louis, according to a check
of old-timers in the fi eld.
Nary an ' operator in th e 49th State but
that is holding off breathlessly, awaiting
price reductions on new equipment. This is
true in all fi elds, as operators wait for
lower costs to permit them to build up
routes without signing away heavy invest-
ments. "We've had four outstanding price
48
reductions in six months," Lou Morris of
Morris Novelty, stated, "which points to a
gradual return to normal pricin g in the
near future."
Shuffleboard continues to be the sensation
it was at th e first of th e year. Bowling
alleys throu gh the city have installed one,
two , fou r a nd even six units in the space
between entrance and all eys, and re port
heavy play. Increased vending machine
sales, etc., are makin g a big difference in
profits. Electri c scoreboards are definitely
the biggest fa ctor in buildin g play, ac-
cording to Universal, di stributors of Rock-
ola boards. Quite a few taverns and bowling
alleys are staging weekend tournaments,
with worthwhile prizes. "Plenty of shuffle-
board sharpies have developed in a few
months," Tom Collins, pioneer shuffleboard
deal er in St. Louis, says, "as contrasted
with th e cueball sharpi e of th e old-fash-
ioned poolhall."
Th e Greater St. Louis Shuffleboard Assn.
is busily setting up competitive tourna-
ments and otherwise promoting play.
Meetings are held twi ce a month to com-
pare methods and results, with 27 members
on the roster to date, including dealers and
distributors.
New proud fath er is Joe Boehle, deliv-
eryman for A. P. Distributing Co., as well
as Charles Douglas, shippin g clerk. Both
got a day off for the event!
The amusement parks opened on May 1,
with shuffleboard spots included in three.
R o bert A . Latimer
Spokane
This city seems to be hoi'din g its own
so far as general busin ess is concerned.
A recent report states tha t, next to San
Francisco, we show the biggest drop in
livin g costs, so fa r as the Pacific Coast
States are concern ed. This trend can mean
any one of many probable outcomes, but
most business men believe tha t it is just a
leveling off process.
A ii;eneral shake-up of business locations
in th e downtown section is under way. Two
of th e large old buildinirs are in th e pro cess
of dismantlin g and will be replaced by
small er modern structures.
Several of the new cocktail bars are open
and present a new look to th e city. Most
of the older clubs and lodges h ave received
their new Class H licenses and are running
fairly smooth, alth ough some of th e regu-
lations are causing considerable trouble.
The main confusion is about the rule for-
bidding wom en at the bar and one th at
states that the customer must sit down
while drinking. The latter rule has been
followed for many years in taverns in the
state. Th e new setup tends to standardize
the r egulations in all places wh ere liquor
is served.
Music is about normal, according to most
operators. A few more locations are show-
in g up right along and music installations
of the hi gher type will be in demand in the
new cocktail bars of the state.
The pin ball situ ation hasn't cleared up
to any great extent, although the efforts of
the tavern and restaurant men, with the
help of the operators, to block an ordinance
to outlaw them in th e city was successful.
There still remains the possibility that a
special election will be called by the School
Board to ask for a three-mill levy for
school costs. If this is done, and the council
doesn' t withdraw its ordinance befor e that
time, the question will undoubtedly be
placed on the ballot and th e results, every-
one concedes, will be disastrous for both
issues. A general feeling exists, however ,
th at the people won't go for more taxes.
This may scare an election off and save the
day for operators.
Shuffleboards a re the talk of the town.
Many new boards are being installed daily.
A rather new and unique idea has been
born in regard to the space angle. Many of
th e taverns are building bars parall el to
one side of the boards and installin g stools,
some as many as ten to th e side, thus mak-
ing seats for the players as well as spec-
tators.
T avern operators claim that this greatly
stimulates th e sale of drinks while th e play
progresses. Shuffleboard parlors haven't as
yet made th eir appearance. Lack of suitable
downtown locations and high rents hold
them back it is believed.
Beverage vendors are being patronized
in creasin gly as th e weather warms and of
course candy men expect the summer slump
which probably won' t be felt quite as much
this year, due to the fa ct that th ey have
more and better products to offer. Cigarette
men are getting prepared for the in crease
in cost due to the new tax which goes into
effect in June.
A number of the new type pop corn
vendors are to be seen in a variety of spots.
Scales don't seem to show any increase in
number.
W . L . Ferrall
'Z'win Cilies
Biggest stimulation, next to arrival of
shuffleboard here, is the summer season
which rolls around, with coinmen optimis-
ti c about the outlook as they eye r esort
locations and a record summer business fol-
lowing a better than usual winter income
from all types of coin machines in city
areas.
Encouragin g reports from resort owners
have operators stepping up activity and
moving equipment rapidly into locations,
with replacement of new equipment run-
ning high, particularly among music ma-
chines, shuffleboards and some pin · games.
Business is reported as stabilized, after
more than two years of difficult operation s
and so most operators and locations are
planning for the future.
Shuffleboard is expected to boom in the
resort areas this summer, after booming
along in Twin Cities for past six months.
Most Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa areas
have yet to feel th e full effects of the boar ds
and the summer seems the logical time to
open up. Many operators saw the boards
for first time at the 5-State convention in
Minneapolis at end of April.
Sales of boar ds were well above anti ci-
pated sales a t th e two-day convention. Get-
ting good play from operators were Rock-
Ola, Chicago Coin, National's board, Perma-
Top and others, including Mero's new steel
unit and 9 foot wood board.
In the Twin Cities play is leveling off
now that the boards are "in solid," but tlie
formation of leagues is expected to stimu-
late play this summer. Location s and play-
ers are linin g up with Standard and
National league plays.
The "52" game, introduced here a t the
convention for th e first time, is reported
quite popular already. It is handled by
J & F Sales of LaCrosse, Wis. Operators
liked the six-in-one combination which in-
cluded Big League, Lowball, Highball,
Touchdown , and Twenty-One, which can
be alternated with "52" by replacing identi-
fication cards.
Biggest problem fa cing coinmen now is
the recently adopted one-cent hike in ciga-
rette tax which makes it four'.cents per
pack. Vending machine operators are won-
dering how to pass the new increase along.
LeRoy Johnson, head of Canteen Co. in
St. Paul, said machine cigarettes would re-
main at 20 cents, althou gh they are 21 over
COIN MACHINE REVIEW
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