Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

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here's ' what
music operators say ...
- - - - - - - Sorting the Mall With EL THOMAS _ _ _ __ _ _
are some excellent suggestions
for phonograph operators to be found in
the mailbag th is month, and they are
passed along to yo u for what they are
worth. These opinions and ideas are the
expressions of the music operators them·
selves and not just lofty advice fro m in·
experienced counselors.
/
* * *
Here are a few "do and don'ts" fro m a
Chicago opera tor:
Chicago, III.
EDITOR, THE REVIEW :
If anybody wants my suggestions
for successful music operat ing, here
they are:
1. Don't cut prices.
2. Don't give coupons for prizes
and put yourself out of business.
3. Change your records each week.
4. Before you put a phonograph in
a location that has had a machine be·
fore , insist on a minmum guarantee .
The other operator took his out be-
cause he did not do the business he
shou ld have. Some location owners are
too cheap to spend a nickel, and you
will 'only have to move out your ma-
chine if you don't take this precaution.
5. I always pay one of the location
employees a little something to keep
my machine clean, and when I make
a call I also clean it.
I figure my record cost at about one
dollar per machine per month. I use
a double card filing system , cataloging
records by names of songs, a separate
card for each title. In one corner I list
the make and record number, and date
purchased. Separate I ines on each card
are available for listing the locations
and the date the record is put in and
taken out.
I am depreciating my machines at
the rate of $100 each the first year,
$50 the second year, and so on. I have
them insured at $1.50 per $100 against
fire, theft, cyclone, lightning and trans-
portation risks. I have had no thefts
in the two years I have been oper-
ating, and very little slugging. We
have no license fee in Ch icago. I think
the straight salary plan for employees
is the best; I have found it so .
We have a phonograph operators'
association here but I have not joined
as yet. We all seem to charge the
same commission rate, that is 50 per
cent of the gross over our $5 weekly
guarantee.
When started in this business I
was asking a $3.50 weekly guarantee
and giving 25 per cent to the location,
even though I found many spots were
demanding 40 per cent. Now I have
places where I get $5 a week guaran·
tee and get it without any trouble. In
locations where I have no guarantee
arrangement, I deduct all shortages
from the following week's collection.
* * *
THE REVIEW received word during the
month that Bill Hogan of the J. C. Dorser
Music Co. of Fresno, Calif., has been put
in charge of all the territory between
Fresno and Bakersfield. This is a good
break for Bill , who can set a fast pace for
any service man in the country. Bill lives ln
BILL HOGAN
Corcoran and has the personal friendship
of every location owner yo u ever h eard of
in that vall ey territory. Speaking off \he
record, Bill has one of the niftiest looking
girl friend s you ever laid eyes on.
* * *
From Texas comes this information on
phonograph operating : Vernon, Texas.
EDITOR, THE REVIEW:
We are glad to supply some data
concerning our operations of electric
phonographs:
We find that our record costs run
from 7 to 8 per cent of the operator's
gross weekly income per machine. We
have not yet seen nor devised a meth-
Don' , put 0/1
od that seems entirely to fit the bill
for cataloging records.
We figure to depreciate our rna
ch ines out in three years. We do not
carry insurance on our machines.
We have had two thefts in ten
months of operati ng. We do not suf-
fer from excessive slugging.
Ordinarily we have to pay county
tax, in some instances a municipal tax,
but we have a suit against the state
now in an attempt to avoid payment
of the ten dollars per year per ma-
chine state tax.
We have a state mus ic operators'
assoc iation only.
I n operat ing 106 phonographs, we
have found that it is most practical to
pay our service men a straight weekly
salary and 4 per cent of the net take.
A. C. NOVELTY COMPANY,
By G. C. McMurry.
* * *
An Oregon operator wh o is desiro us of
obtaining informa tion as well as contrib-
uting some for the benefit of other oper-
ators wri tes as foll ows:
EDITOR, THE REVIEW
Although I have been operating
phonographs about six months and
have nearly 60 machines, there are
some things about this business which
I have not yet had an opportunity to
check.
For instance, I have been too busy
making the rounds of my locations
and buying records for them to know
just what my record cost is per ma-
ch ine . In indexing records , I keep a
master index and give each new rec-
o r d our own number. I also keep an
index on each location.
I estimate the depreciation of my
phonograph equ ipment at the rate of
2 V2 per cent per month, o r 30 per cent
a y ear. I have not insured my ma-
chines because I believe the cost is
too high at 3 per cent and no pilferage
coverage. I haven't had any cases of
theft and the slugging isn't too bad.
L icensing isn 't any great problem in
this territory, although some small
towns have a license fee, $10 a year
maximum so far.
We do not have a phonograph oper-
ators' association, but I think it would
help if every operator would join it.
Unprincipled competition is our worst
problem.
* * *
Here's a letter from the Rocky Mountain
territory :
Salt Lake City, Utah.
EDITOR, THE REVIEW:
We have had just a couple of phon-
ographs until recently, and are just
now getting 30 more.
We are very much interested in data
from other operators and would like
to know what they have to say, al-
though really we are not experienced
enough to give any accurate informa-
tion.
We have no phonograph operators'
association in this district, but the
problem of com,petition is not so great
here.
ALAN WELLS,
Special Rates to Operator8
ALL KINDS SUPPLIED: Fi~e, Theft, Transportation, etc.
INSURANCE PROTECTION!
Zeigler Insurance Agency I Inc.
f'
646 SOUTH LA BREA
76
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COIN
MACHINE
Phone ORegon 118 5
REVIEW
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
MARCH ,
1 9 3 6