lllllllllllttttttlltllttlttttttlllllllllltllltlllllllllllllllttiHII . . . . . . . . . . HtiHIIHIIIIIHIIIIIItlllllllllllllllllltltllltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltll 1111111111
UP FRONT
BUYERS HAVE MORE OPTIONS
THAN EVER
As I scan the pages of equipment in this Buyers '
Guide issue, I realize how many good games were
introduced in the last several years. Sure, there were
some pretty bad games, but they don't dilute the
success of the good equipment.
In the last couple of years, the emphasis has been
placed on video games so that other types of
equipment were passed over, considered second
best. Suddenly pins, phonos, and pool tables and
those alternate or non-video pieces are garnering
more attention . " My flippers are doing $100 a week!"
some operators exclaim . This is great today. But when
videos were drawing all the money, this figure
wouldn ' t have been so spectacular . It' s a matter of
perspective.
The jukeboxes are still a special favorite of many
operators. Though legislation and ASCAP and friends
have sought to add that final straw destined to break
the jukebox operator's back , already weakened with
the advent of stereo systems, hopefully the jukebox
will win and be as strong as it was years ago.
Its styles and construction may change , but pool
is here to stay. Pool tables are the focal point in many
locations and there is a style bound to please anyone.
And once the table has been retired from a location
after years of faithful service, you ' ll probably find it in
someone ' s home giving the same dependable
service .
Jukeboxes and pool tables are long term
equipment. Another example that comes to mind is
the Standard Metal Typer. It is such a simple machine,
yet it has the potential to make decent money for the
operator. The Standard Metal Typer is a mechanical
machine that lets the customer punch letters onto a
metal disk about the size of a half dollar spelling out
messages such as " I love Mom " or " Jane loves Tom ."
You 've probably seen the machines but didn 't give
them much thought. Now ma y be the time to do so.
The company who makes them has one in its office
that was made in the 1930s and it' s still working!
We have a section in our Buyers' Guide named
Specialty Machines for just this type of equipment.
Breath analyzers, air vend machines, and sticker
dispensers are keeping the industry up with the times.
The newest fad seems to be stickers. Kids love to
collect and trade the latest stickers. A company has
taken advantage of this fad and developed a machine
to dispense stickers. This could be a viable alternative
in arcades where the clientele is kids who are sticker
fans.
And who can resist dropping a quarter into the
horoscope machine to find out what the future holds?
Sure you don 't really believe your horoscope, but it's
exciting to read that " Tonight will be extra special!"
Private coin-op pay phones are an up and coming
attraction in the industry . Minnesota set the
precedent by making it legal to install private coin-op
phones. Private phone manufacturers are submitting
their product to the FCC to receive the required FCC
number. It seems inevitable that other states will
follow Minnesota 's lead .
As we review the equipment types, we can ' t
forget the video . There are some good videos coming
out in the near future and there are some excellent
pieces on location now. But, as has been the case
for some time , buyers must be selective and get the
most they can for their money.
Meanwhile, Mike Shaw, who recently went to
work for Digital Controls in Atlanta but will still
contribute to Play Meter, wrote about the used
pinball market in this issue. This has been explored
before, but his findings are different than past
conclusions. The used flipper market is surprisingly
good .
The industry has done more than just come full
circle as interest is renewed in old equipment types . It
has expanded and encompassed new technology and
old ideas and become a bigger and better industry
than ever b~fore .
~~~~
Valerie Cognevich
Editorial Director
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6
PLAY METER. October 1. 1984