Automatic Age

T
• 1'
he
A
u t o m a t ic
American peanut, gum, and weighing
machines are installed for the tourist
trade.
Commodity vending machines made
up nearly 88 per cent o f the exports
to Germany.
Coin-operated ma­
chines are increasing in popularity in
that market and are used extensively
for the sale o f confectionery, postage
stamps, books ,and railway tickets.
The market is rather limited, due to
the competition from about 70 local
manufacturers, who keep the country
Well supplied with all types o f ma­
chines.
Switzerland
and
Other
Europe
Commodity vending machines are
most popular in Switzerland, m a ­
chines bein g installed m ain ly on rail­
road p la tfo r m s , selling confectionery,
matches, cigarettes, and postal cards
to commuting workers and tourists.
Ship m en ts to other countries in Eur-
.
°Pe were valued at only $5,355,
which included small exports to the
Netherlands, Norway, Irish Free
State, D e n m a rk , Greece, Spain, Aus­
tria, and Italy.
Canada Second World Market for
A
13
ge
Latin America a Substantial Market
Latin America is the third largest
market area, with shipments valued
at $20,716 destined for 18 of the
countries south of the Rio Grande.
Cuba ranked first among the Latin
American countries and third in the
world as a market for coin-operated
machines. The sale of commodity-
vending machines is limited by the
dampness of climate, which injures
peanuts, chewing gum, and candy
contained in machines and renders
operation unsatisfactory.
Handker­
chief and stamp machines are finding
a fa'rly good market. Owing to a
surprisingly large sale of scales in
Venezuela, that country ranked se­
cond in Latin America and fifth in
the world as a market for vending
m achines.
T h e rem oval o f the p res­
ent hiRh ta x on commodity vending*
machines might open a market for
chocolate and other confectionery
vendors.
M e xico,
Argentina, and
Jamaica ranked third, fourth, and
fifth in the Latin America area, with
the remainder of shipments well
scattered among eight countries, in­
cluding Panama, Brazil, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, and Salvador.
Machines
Asia— Oceania— Africa
Canada was the second largest
market in the world for coin-oper­
ated machines of all types, exports
to that country being valued at $26,­
652 during the first quarter. Com­
modity vending machines had the
largest sale, 491 machines, valued at
$14,884, being absorbed by the Cana­
dian market, as compared with 395
machines, values at $9,618, of the
service
and
amusement
machine
group.
The Canadian market is
quite similar to our domestic mar­
ket, but the vending machine trade
is relatively undeveloped, and in
view of increasing interest it is
thought that larger sales can be ex­
pected.
Asiatic countries imported from
the United States vending machines
valued at $10,47(5 during the first
of quarter of 1929, of which Siam
took $4,997 and China $8,961.
Australia offers a fairly good
market for slot-vending Machines
for the sale of package gum, choco­
late, and other kinds of confection­
ery, matches, cigarettes, and hand­
kerchiefs.
In many lines competi­
tion is met from British, German and
other European automatic machine
manufacturers as well as from local
automatic scale manufacturers who
are protected by a high-tariff duty.
Relatively few automatic coin-oper-
(Continued on page 17)
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