Play Meter

Issue: 1975 February - Vol 1 Num 3

distributing
tilted prices,
tight finances
affect buying
\ \ \
\ , . \
I
Wh a t
bu yin g? We d o n t bu y
a nym o re. "
" We ' re still bu yin g."
Co ntradic tory tatement s lik e
the se - made by o perator s
disc us ing how th e gen eral reces-
sio nar y atmosphere ha a ffec ted
th eir machin e-bu yin g habits -
pinpo int the foo lhardin e s o f
making ge ne ra li za tio ns about
busin ess in a co untry a varied a
th e Unit ed Stat es. De pe nding o n
th e eco no mi c co nditio n in th e ir
parti cul ar local e, o pe ra t o r at th e
beginning o f 197 5 were bo th
su ffering and prospering.
Ma chine purcha ses by
Kram zar Amu seme nt s Co . in
Springfield. III. , ha ve fall e n dra s-
ticall y, says Dwa in Kram za r,
primaril y beca use o f upward
spira lin g prices.
" Let s put it thi way - if I
ca n make an y mo ney, fin e. But
the price of equipm ent is go ne
fo r no w . It 's wo rn o ut. Either
the play appeal 's w o rn o ut o r the
equipme nt is wo rn o ut be fo re
yo u can pa y fo r it. Yo u can ' t
c harge e no ugh t o overco m e th e
cost. either. In fac t . I think with
th e pricin g no w - th e qua rt er
pla y - I d o n' t think it 's he lped
business, " Kram za r o pin es.
Ye t Ba rbin No velt y In c. of
Ray ne, La. , is still buyin g. o wne r
Do nald Barbin re po rt s. " I made
so me mist a kes no t bu y in g
en o ugh o f a partic ul ar m o del
juk e box ." says Ba rbin. ;'but we
till need t o have new m ac hin es
fo r new loca tio n ."
If a ny thin g has hurt Ba rbin 's
o verall busine s eco no m y, it 's th e
cost u f rec o rd s, he say s. Th e cost
u f supplies and part s have al so
sli ced into his pr u fit , "I think
m o re than the co t uf m ac hine s,
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16
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ri b ut i g
sales take dip,
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but continue
floati ng in '75
Hig he r ga m e price s a nd ti ght
m o ne cau se d two maj o r
di stribut or " sa le to dip sli ghtl
in 197 4, but s po ke m e n fo r th e
firm bo th ee 1 975 a a ea r fo r
in c re ase d gro wth in the coin
a mu se m e nt s a nd ga m e indu str y .
"Th e re s a re ista nce to
hi gh. pri 'e d m ac hin es. ' a
W rid Wide Oi tributor Inc . 's
Fn:d ko r. " but we re e llin g a
lo t o f use d m a h ine.· ," a le
ca n t rca II y be c n id e red ff
bec au e o f th a t fa c t, ko r add s,
no ting th a t the o pe ra to r wh o
bu fro m Wo rld Wide h ave no t
stopp e d wa ntin g m ac hin es.
" We re a littl e ff in o ur
sa les," o rthw cst a le s
o mpa n
Ha ro ld He e r
re m a rk , " but it ' mo n: beca u e
o f t h e ' re dit squ ee~e ra th e r th a n
a lac k f initi a ti ve in bu in g.
pe ra to rs a rc bu in g a nd we' re
bu in g. but w e' re hav in g tro uble
e ll in g th e co ntrac t to the
bank. In o ther \> o rd s, the ' re
m o re part ic ul a r. Th e 're no t
freez in g up o n u , but th e 're
wa ntin g to loo k a t fin a nc ia l
ta t e l11 e nt a nd thin g lik e th a t
be fo re th e , ju mp in . We' re
cIlin g s m a ll e r co ntrac t a nd no t
ho ldin g fo r th e bi g o nes.
" Bu t o th e r th a n th a t , it ( th e
ge ne ra l eco no mi c recessio n ) is
no t a ffec tin Cf o ur indu str a
suc h c r. " He er co ntinue . " I' ve
bee n in it sin e 1937, eve r s ince I
go t o u t o f h igh h 0 1, a nd
traditi o na ll , thi i a ' ha rd
tim es' bu in c s, wh ere a n tim e
we ha e a ti g ht e nin g o f th e
eco no m a nd ti ghte nin g of j o b
in se(.u rit a nd thin g lik e th a t. it
see m s li ke pe o pl e tend to pend a
littl e bit m o re 111 0 ne in
loca t i n ·. Mi cr lo vcs co mpa n
17

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