This new mid-month publication will put more emphasis on music
than does the current Music Programming department of Play
Meter--featuring new singles charts designed specifically for the
phonograph operator, pick hits, reviews of 45s and other items of
mu ical interest to operators, not record companies, disc jockey's
and radio stations. You can expect the first one after publication of
our anniver ary issue-trade directory in January.
Because this new publication's circulation will be entirely paid, it
should qualify for second class postal rates, which means you will
receive it almost as fast as you would first class mail.
While on the subject of mail, I understand that many of you are
getting your magazine up to three weeks after we mail it.
Until now there was little you could do about it, but another
added service for our subscribers is our new VIP Delivery Service,
which will allow paid subscribers only to begin receiving Play
Meter via first class mail if they so desire. For more details on this
new service, see our house ad elsewhere in this issue.
But the best new subscriber service we will offer in the near
future concerns the numerous requests we have received over the
pa t 11 months about a price guide or index on used equipment.
In our post-convention issue last year, we stated that the task at
that time would be too difficult and costly for us to accomplish in a
profes ional manner with which we would be satisfied. Surely, we
could have copies someone else's price guide, mathematical
depreciation formula or other method, but we didn't feel that would
provide the proper service for our readers.
Aside from that, as a former distributor I know that aU machines
do not decline in value proportionally, but in relation to supply and
demand. Two good examples are Wurlitzer's 3400 and 3300. The
3300 i worth far more than the 3400 even though the latter is a
more recent model. Another example is Bally's Fireball, which can
be obtained for relatively little in some parts of the country, but
which demands top dollar in places like California.
oon, Play Meter will offer a system that is being devised to
survey the country's used equipment market and determine true
high and low values on different types of used equipment to our
readers. This intricate system will also provide information on
which pieces are being actively traded and provide aU this
information on a monthly basis.
The prices generated from all this information will reflect the
real fluctuations that occur on the used machine market from
month to month. We also hope to generate other vital business
indicators from the information the system gathers.
Thi additional information will be presented in chart form
together with the price listings and all of it when ready will be
pre ented in the pages of our music programming supplement as a
further effort to increase services to our paying readers.
To you we owe it aU.
Ralph C. Lally II,
Editor and Publisher
PlAt' ltfETER
Calendar
January 27-29
Amusement Trades Exhibi-
tion, London. World's largest
and most important trade ex-
hibition for automatics.
February 6-8
South Carolina Coin Operators
Association annual convention,
Carolina Inn, Columbia, South
Carolina.
March 2-4
Northern Amusement Equip-
ment and Coin-operated Ma-
chine Show, Blackpool, Eng-
land. Large and important
trade show for amusement
equipment.
March 19-21
Music Operators of Michigan,
annual convention. Weber's
Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Apri12-4, 1976
Wisconsin Music Merchants
Association, annual spring con-
vention and exhibition. Scots-
land Resort, Oconomowoc,
Wisconsin.
May 7-8
Ohio Music and Amusement
Association, annual conven-
tion. Site not yet selected.
May 14-16
Music and Amusement Asso-
ciation [New York), annual
convention. Stevensville Coun-
try Club, Swan Lake, New
York.