Automatic Age

14
AUTOMATIC AGE
July, 1939
was estimated that during the pres­
ent year this value would exceed
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As Revealed by the Columns of
A u t o m a t ic A ge
rp H E All-American automatic base
ball game made its appearance in
a two-page spread in Automatic
Age. Fully protected by patents al­
lowed and those pending, this base
ball game was equipped with auto­
matic scoring devices for strikes,
balls, outs, hits and runs. The ma­
chine was being manufactured by the
Amusement Machine Corporation of
America of Los Angeles, Calif., who
announced that the premier showing
would be held in the Hotel Sherman,
July 22 to 28, 1929.
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The Mills Novelty Company was
advertising its selective coin-operated
phonograph, calling the attention of
operators to the distinctive qualities
of this musical instrument.
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Automatic Age suggested that op­
erators exchange experiences through
its medium on the subjects of con­
tracts for locations and leasing ma­
chines. Operators were asked to sub­
m it their forms for publication, to­
gether with comments on their ex­
periences. Requests poured in to
Automatic Age for copies of manu­
facturers’ leases to operators where
the operator was obliged to buy his
supplies from the manufacturer.
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The U. S. Department of Com­
merce advised that the climate of
Panama was an unfavorable factor
in that territory. U. S. coins were in
general use throughout the country,
but the humidity was destructive to
both machines and their contents.
Peanuts became soggy in three days
and candies and gums deteriorated
almost over night. The department
said that if there was any oppor­
tunity at all for vending machines,
it would be for comb venders and
certain types of penny arcade ma­
chines.
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The management of the exhibition
of agriculture, forestry and communi­
cation, held at Harlstad, Sweden,
from June 22 to July 28th, made it
known to the American consul that a
place was arranged for the sale of
coin-operated devices, and that manu­
facturers avail themselves of the op­
portunity to display their products.
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Breaking all monthly production
records, Autosales Corporation dur­
ing the month of May assembled and
installed 10,297 vending machines,
compared with the previous monthly
record in April of 7,688 units. May
installations were divided among
7,692 five-and-ten cent vending cabi­
nets, 2402 penny machines, and 203
scales, while those of April included
6,880 five-and-ten cent vending cabi­
nets, 559 penny venders and 249
scales.
May sales from nearly 200,000
vending machines of all types oper­
ated by Autosales were 33% greater
than in like period last year and in­
cluded 1,105,825 boxes of confection­
ery from the new type five-and-ten
cent vending machines first intro­
duced by the company in November,
1928. April sales of these boxed
products were 909,000 packages.
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The Franklin Radio Company of
Chicago announced a complete line
of four coin-operated radios in addi­
tion to its regular instruments for
home use. Before deciding to turn
out coin-operated radios as well as
its regular line of radios for use in
the home, the Franklin Radio Com­
pany made a thorough and intensive
investigation of coin devices. The in­
vestigation resulted in the Franklm
Radio Company’s entrance into the
field.
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More than $50,000,000 in merchan­
dise would be sold automatically in
1929, it was estimated by the Con­
solidated Merchandising Corporation
(C A M C O ), which pointed out that
last year’s sales amounted to over
$25,000,000.
Government
statistics
showed that in the eight years be­
tween 1919 and 1927 the value of the
coin-operated, automatic “sa’esmen”
produced annually in the United
States increased 328 per cent and it
© International Arcade Museum
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1). W. Wachter, former vice-presi­
dent and general manager of the
Blue Bird Products Company, Kansas
City, Mo., severed his connection with
that company. # # ^
It was reported from London that
the Associated Automatic Machine
Corporation, British makers of auto­
matic vending machines, reached an
agreement with the Consolidated
Automatic Merchandising Corpora­
tion (C AM CO ) of the United States.
The agreement specified that there
would be complete interchange of
patents and information between the
two companies. Each company would
deliver to the other a number of
machines as required at cost.
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The latest creation in automatic
musical instruments made its appear­
ance. It was called the Amplam atic
Excelletone, and was manufactured
and distributed by the Icy-0 Com­
pany of Charlotte, N. C. In an adver­
tisement it was referred to as “A new
creation in a multiple disc, amplified,
automatic music cabinet.”
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Harry E. Steiner, general sales
manager of the Mills Novelty Com­
pany, opened factory offices in New
York, Boston, Cleveland, Greensboro,
Toledo, Dallas, San Francisco, M in­
neapolis, Detroit and Memphis. In
addition distributors’ offices were
opened in Cincinnati, St. Louis, K an­
sas City, Denver, Evansville, Louis­
ville, W ichita, Los Angeles and
Indianapolis.
Mr. Steiner, in directing the selling
forces of the Mills Novelty Company,
secured what promised to be one of
the largest and most thoroueh’y
groomed sales organizations operat­
ing in the automatic phonograph field
to sell the coin-operated phonograph
which the Mills Novelty Company
was manufacturing.
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Call meetings of operators and
manufacturers of coin machines in
England resulted in the organization
of the “ Coin Operated Machine As­
sociation.” This move was taken be­
cause the English operators felt they
were less organized than the National
Federation of Automatic Interests in
Germany.
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A report stated that a company
was formed in London in order to
purchase the world rights of a new
automatic chocolate machine, called
the “ Midget,” and to attempt placing
them in the movie theaters.
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