Automatic Age

th e a u t o m a t ic a g e
V o l . 4
CHICAGO, APRIL, 1928
No. 9
Amusement Arcades
Popular and Profitable
Tips on Location, Arrangement, Management
By WM. GENT, Cleveland
What is the secret of the penny
^cade’s growing popularity?
There are numerous reasons: The
Penny arcade offers a distinctive type
°f amusement which is interesting,
educational and varied. Here the pa­
eons obtain a lot of entertainment
^0r a trifling cost. It offers some­
thing which everyone can afford, and
^hile rich and poor alike come here
for a type of entertainment found no­
where else, the penny arcade appeals
*° the majority, or, as some term it,
masses. The general public is
V°ur customer.
The business is conducted on a
^gher plane; owners are catering to
spending class by making their
arcades more attractive. They are
adding new and novel machines, at­
tractive signs o f Neon, Sunray and
other types of illumination. They are
*eeping all equipment attractively
ecorated, and floors free from dust
aild litter. They are training at­
tendants to pay proper attention and
resPect to patrons. In brief, they are
E tching every detail of manage-
and studying the public to
^omote and retain its patronage.
Location
Selecting a location for an amuse­
ment arcade requires good judgment
as to local conditions. The ideal lo-
© International Arcade Museum
Wm. Gent
cation is on a crowded thoroughfare
for to be successful, you must cater
to the masses, not the classes. Look
for a neighborhood patronized by
such persons and locate on the side
of the street where the crowds are
thickest. This should be in a fairly
low rent district where you will not
be forced to pay the greater portion
o f your profits to the landlord.
Planning the Building
A wide entrance is very important
and very essential. While fifteen feet
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