Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

NEW Y O R K
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1 RVING SHERMAN
80
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
Happy New Year Everybody! And now
down to work. Prospects for '41 are upper-
most in ops' minds. After a little survey
of our own, here's the lowdown on the
New York situation. Vending machines:
The employment of all available manpower
on defense leaves merchandising in a
lurch which means the one great chance
for the machines; Commodity lines as well
as luxury goods to be in demand; such
staples as apples, fruits of all kinds, small
packagings are a great bet. Amusement
vendors: Arrangements might be made with
draft authorities to entertain soldiers; spots
near camps might be licensed. Ideal games:
Skyfighters, submarine depth charge games,
torpedo shots and general marksmanship
outfits. General price situation: Prices will
probably be higher, not as many games
will be on the market as previously, and
ops will have to be on the jump to get
their share of bestsellers.
We're still hot on slugs. Foremost in
the fiight is the Rowe outfit with George
Seedman in charge. They don't have to tell
George to do it. He is. United States Sena-
tors are being interested, the trade is being
regimented and, at the moment, George is
flooding the associations with appeals for
united action. The passage of a bill to
make the possession of a slug equivalent
to the intent to the use, is the big ace in
the hole George is aiming at. Let's get
together and see what . we can do about
this evil.
Getting back to our old self. . . . How
was Santa Claus by you, brother? By us
it was pretty good, although that loaded
cigar we picked up in Mike Munves' place
must have been put there by the other
fellow. But did we get even! We used a
real nickel in playing a machine and one
of the ops almost dropped dead at the
sight of the dough.
Wait 'till the Mrs. sees this. . . . The
idea that pretty girls must always be pic-
tured embracing new games is being ridi-
culed by a number of operators whose tales
of woe, poured into our waiting ear, are
to the effect that this reAects on the char-
acter of the trade, generally. Coin machine
operation is a dignified and legitimate busi-
ness and each new machine demands its
own and thorough scrutiny without the
suggestion that a nice pair of female legs
and other parts of the female anatomy will
decide the issue. Ops demand that ad-
vertisers cut out the phony stuff and get
down to business. We pass the word along
for what it's worth, hoping that no honey
is going to waylay us some dark night and
hammer the daylights out of us for spread-
ing the gospel.
The Chicago convention will have a
goodly supply of the New York crowd as
usual. After the Los Angeles display the
boys want to see what CMI can do. Most
of the associations will have delegations to
represent them, and leadi'ng distributors
plan excursion trips that will include
batches of ops as in past shows. If our in-
formation is correct, many wives will ac-
company the boys, inasmuch as some of
the gallants overstayed their last leave.
Annual banquets are shaping up very
nicely. The CMA of New York plans the
biggest sellout of its career. These boys
can go some, and the last blowout was
something to see. This year Matty Forbes
and his entertai'nment committee promise
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Each in Lots of
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Sample
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a turnout that will approach the sensa-
tional. Far be it from us to spill the beans,
but if we merely mention that every person
who attends will be feted like a prince we
know we haven't violated any confidences.
Saul Kalson of the Greater Amalgamated
Machine Operators was th e guest speaker
at the New Jersey Amusement Board of
trade honor meeting for Leroy Stein. Kal-
son took the spotlight to pay tribute to 11
real go-getter in the trade association field.
Incidentally, in the short time that Stein
has been with the New Jersey organization
he has more than tripled the membership,
he has raised the standards of the busi-
ness, and his idea of "re-play" instead of
the previous "free-play" shows what can
be done when we use our heads for some-
thing else than housing for a nickel cigar.
Lou Goldberg, managi'ng director of the
Amalgamated Vending Machine Operators
Association has gone on record that 1941
will be a banner year for the wide-awake
operater. Goldberg reports he is well satis-
fied with ihe progress made in 1940 to keep
the trade going, and every cooperation has
been had from the authoriti es. "So long as
operators adhere to the laws and by-laws
of our association," he stated, "we know
there will be no trouble for anyone. It
is only when operators think they can make
their own rules and do not heed what we
tell them, that we have all the adverse
legis!~tion and other headaces in this busi-
ness.
Rumors to the effect that robberies are
increasing have not been substantiated by
your reporter. There have been some cases
among vending machines and a few of the
pinball crowd have been clipped, but, by
and large, there is no epidemic. A help
in this connection is the reward offered by
the CMA of New York, $50 being paid to
the location owner who succeeds in bag-
ging a culprit. Usually a single arrest
may clear up a dozen or so unsolved cases.
SPECIAL DE LUXE
The Aristocrat of Vendors
Contact your nearest distributor
Reliable Vending Machine Co.
1827 S. Hope St.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Dick Tyrrell Company
3218 Grove St.
Oakland, Calif.
Vending Machine
Headquarters
489 Hayes St.
San Francisco, Calif.
Viking Specialty Company
530 Golden Gate Ave .
San Francisco, Calif.
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