Automatic Age

!
January, 1937
355
AUTOMATIC AGE
Bally Conducts
Earning Survey
P r o f it T ip s f o r O p e r a t o r s
o f B o w lin g G a m e s
•
By
Sales Manager
J. H. Keeney and Co.
R ay B ec k e r ,
JT has definitely been proved over
the extensive period in which bowl­
ing games have been in operation that
this game is not one of temporary
popularity, but one from which the
operator can expect a high average
°f uniformly profitable weekly earn­
ings, over a period of at least a year
or more duration. Bowling games in
general are now in their sixth month
of universal operation, and earnings
at this point are as great, if not
greater, than during the early intro­
duction of this game. This is due to
the fact that the large number of
bowling games now on location have
made the public bowling-game-con­
scious, and further due to the fact
that players have within this time
become expert and proficient in their
Play.
It is the writer’s observation, in
having hundreds of collection reports
submitted to him, that these bowling
games will in their first three or four
weeks on a new location pay for
themselves, because of the high rate
of play which the very novelty of the
game attracts. After that the earn­
ings accrue from the patronage of
regular players which the game has
won over to itself. These later aver­
age earnings can be increased by cer­
tain stimulation in the way of daily
or weekly prizes, or by offering prizes
for high scores. The operator or
location owner can also increase re­
ceipts by inagurating a “bowling
night” or a weekly bowling tourna­
ment, just as the bowling alleys have
their high score prizes and leagues.
R ay
B ecker
registers. I also conservatively be­
lieve that operators of bowling games
can look forward to another twelve
or eighteen months of profitable op­
eration, although it is possible that at
the end of five or even ten years these
games will be even more popular than
they are today
As a result of a nation-wide study
of earnings on “Bally’s Eagle Eye,”
photo-electric ray-rifle range, produc­
tion on this machine will be increased
at least fifty per cent over original
plans, according to a statement just
released by Ray Moloney, president of
Bally Manufacturing Company.
“Our earnings survey on ‘Bally’s
Eagle Eye’,” Ray stated, “is probab­
ly the most comprehensive ‘research’
of its kind ever attempted in this
field. It is based on a complete cross­
section of the location set-up, both
geographically and as to type of lo­
cations. Samples were shipped to key
distributors in all parts of the coun­
try, together with complete instruc­
tions for conducting careful two-
weeks location test.
We received
wonderful cooperation, which resulted
in increased sales, as testing distribu­
tors were quick to analyze their re­
ports as meaning an even greater de­
mand for the machine than they an­
ticipated. As more machines get on
location and operators find out what
‘Bally’s Eagle Eye’ will do, the al­
ready heavy demand will be swollen
to a point where our .present produc­
tion will be inadequate.
“It is evident from our tests that
operators can figure on a gross play
of $15.00 to $45.00 daily, depending
of course on the type of location,
hours of business and other variable
factors. This is particularly satis­
factory, inasmuch as nothing is de­
ducted for awards.”
N A T IO N A L H E A D Q U A R T E R S
It is safe to estimate that the
average percentage of earnings offer­
ed to the location owner would be in
the neighborhood of 40% of the gross.
This seems satisfactory to the loca­
tion owner because it has been proved
that these machines' attract business
into the establishment and tend to
increase daily sales figures.
It is my opinion that bowling games
have now become just as much a
permanent fixture in certain types of
locations as are the counters or cash
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