Coin Slot Magazine - #047 - 1978 - December [International Arcade Museum]
From all indications the Brunhoff FIVE CIGARS machine of
1898 has a good chance of being one of the latter. No one seems
to have anything like it, and most collectors have never even heard
of The Brunhoff Manufacturing Company of Ohio. The first pop
ular clue to the company was at the landmark Shirley Mitchell
auction in the mountains of Virginia in November, 1977.
One of
the most exciting machines on the block was a stunning counter
trade stimulator that spun a red, white and blue top under a glass
dome after a nickel was played.
When the top stopped the num
ber on its side next to the pointer indicated the payoff in cigars.
The cast coin head carried the identification 'The Brunhoff Mfg.
Co., Hamilton, Ohio" with the serial number 126. The eye-blin
king reaction by most bidders was "Who's Brunhoff?"
Surprise!
Brunhoff was a major trade and cigar machine maker,
and made a lot of coin machines. The wonder is that so few have
shown up; or have they? Look closely at your unidentifieds for
the Brunhoff name, or the letters "BMC"; you might have one.
Take a look at this one; if you're lucky it's the one you've got.
But if it isn't, and now you know what FIVE CIGARS looks like,
start searching.
Your best bet is in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Mich
igan, Indiana and Illinois area.
Brunhoff was a funny outfit. They
started working machines in Cincinnati around 1897 - FIVE CI
GARS is one of the first, maybe even the first -- moved to Hamil
ton, Ohio, in 1899 and then moved back to Cincinnati around
1905. They made trade machines, dice throwers, cigar cutters,
displays and all sorts of stuff related to cigars and tobacco sales.
The coin machines were particularly flashy, as evidenced by FIVE
CIGARS and the later SPINNING TOP.
The play features of FIVE CIGARS are particularly interesting.
Itcameoutata time when the Decatur FAIREST WHEEL and the
Drobisch ADVERTISING REGISTER -- just to name a few pop
ular trade machines of the late 1890s -- were selling like hotcakes.
Brunhoff hyped the appearance of his machine by having two
.com
m
:
u
from -muse
d
e
oad .arcade
l
n
Dow //www
:
http
color wheels and two coin slots, one each at the tip-top of the end
cigars, with a pull-down playing handle on each side. Actually,
it was two machines in one - probably the only trade stimulator
"double."
Each wheel had its own slug detector window and
reward card. It was an either-or game, or players could go for both
sides at once. The top payout was probably five cigars; therefore
the design and name. You see it; you know what it is; and you
know its a pre-1900 machine. Now -- someone out there, please -
find it and let us know.
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/