Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)
Issue: 1943 March - Page 17
• DOES SOB·LEASING ARCADE SPACE PAY?
Photo Gallery, Novelty Shop and 'Lunch
Concessions Prove Profitable and Ease the
"Nut" lor the Owners 01 the Columbus,
Ohio, Playland.
by H. E. Everschor
T
HE Penny Arcade has always been in
. my blood. When I was a boy, and I am
now past fifty, I worked around my uncle's
Penny Arcade which was located on the
main Street of McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
The business always fascinated me and it
was here that I was introduced to Conces-
sions within the Arcade for my uncle had
leased space to a lunch stand and a lead
shooting gallery on a percentage basis.
During the last world war and for the
five years thereafter F. W. Wittlinger and I
operated a Penny Arcade in Columbus,
Ohio. We leased space at that time to a
photo gallery, a lead shooting gallery, and
different pi tch concessions all on a per-
centage basis.
Today we operate the Playland Arcade in
Columbus, Ohio. We have a four story
building, 48 by 110 feet, on the main and
travelled street in the city. We occupy
the ground floor and lease two floors of
our building for furniture and storage and
one floor to an upholstering shop. We
opened here on November 1, 1941 with 92
machines in operation and today we 'oper-
ate more than 200 milchines of every type
and design . Some are old, some new, and
all are clean and interesting to our patron-
izing public.
Photo GaIIery Popular
We lease, on a percentage basis, a post
card size photo gallery. And, incidentally,
the same operator who was with us ouring
the first war is handling this concession to-
day. This operator makes many identifica-
The Greatest Mother
in the World
tion pictures for auto licenses, air raid
wardens, defense plan ts and the like and is
making a very good living. To us it is a
fine source of additional income and his
customers spend many pennies and nickels
in our machines.
Lunch Stand Draws Patrons
Our second concession is the lunch stand
which is leased on the same percentage
basis. Here are served sandwiches, coffee,
soft drinks, ice cream novelties, candied ap-
ples, caramel and buttered popcorn, candy
and ice balls in the warm weather months.
This concession has built up a nice business
and is operated by a middle aged couple
formerly in show business. Needless to say
this stand brings many customers to our
Arcade and helps cut our overhead.
Novelty Store Pays
Our third big concession is a novelty
store wh ich started in a small way and to-
day sells practically everything under the
sun. Tricks, pipes, wire jewelry, picture
frames, knives, compacts, cigarette cases,
watches, clocks, name pins, and almost
everything one's fancy might dictate is
available. One of our front street windows
is used fora display of their merchandise
and it is one of the finest crowd stopping
displays imaginable. In fact more people
stop to examine thi's interesting window
than any other window on the street. In-
side the merchandise is displayed and sold
from four large, well stocked glass show
cases and the operators engrave names on
jewelry and write on leather wallets and
leather pieces. Romance has stopped, or
hesi tated, at the jewelry counter in this
concession many times to buy diamond en-
gagement and wedding ring sets. This con-
cession likewise helps defray our overhead
and brings many, many customers into our
Arcaue.
Coin Operators Shy
We have tried to follow this same per-
centage lease procedure in adding a Photo-
matic picture machine and a cigarette vend-
ing machine but in both cases we were un-
successful in interesting an operator in mak-
ing the installation and consequently pur·
chased the equipment and installed it our-
selves. The picture machine .has been . a
very good moneymaking attraction and we
also use the pictures for identification pur-
poses by removing the plastic frame. The
cigarette machine. which ·is the very latest
model, is also doing well and shows a nice
return.
Sub-Leasing Recommended
• We find our concessions pay well, help
our business, and keep needed help to as-
sist each other with our operations. We are
on the lookout at all times for good, clean
money-making showmen who have a propo-
sition adaptable for a percentage operation
within our Arcade and we heartily recom-
mend other Arcade men to en courage
this outside help in the operation of their
business.
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your b est introduction to our advertis ers.
COIN
MACH iNE
REVIEW
17
' F~R
MAR.CH
'1943
Photo Gallery, Novelty Shop and 'Lunch
Concessions Prove Profitable and Ease the
"Nut" lor the Owners 01 the Columbus,
Ohio, Playland.
by H. E. Everschor
T
HE Penny Arcade has always been in
. my blood. When I was a boy, and I am
now past fifty, I worked around my uncle's
Penny Arcade which was located on the
main Street of McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
The business always fascinated me and it
was here that I was introduced to Conces-
sions within the Arcade for my uncle had
leased space to a lunch stand and a lead
shooting gallery on a percentage basis.
During the last world war and for the
five years thereafter F. W. Wittlinger and I
operated a Penny Arcade in Columbus,
Ohio. We leased space at that time to a
photo gallery, a lead shooting gallery, and
different pi tch concessions all on a per-
centage basis.
Today we operate the Playland Arcade in
Columbus, Ohio. We have a four story
building, 48 by 110 feet, on the main and
travelled street in the city. We occupy
the ground floor and lease two floors of
our building for furniture and storage and
one floor to an upholstering shop. We
opened here on November 1, 1941 with 92
machines in operation and today we 'oper-
ate more than 200 milchines of every type
and design . Some are old, some new, and
all are clean and interesting to our patron-
izing public.
Photo GaIIery Popular
We lease, on a percentage basis, a post
card size photo gallery. And, incidentally,
the same operator who was with us ouring
the first war is handling this concession to-
day. This operator makes many identifica-
The Greatest Mother
in the World
tion pictures for auto licenses, air raid
wardens, defense plan ts and the like and is
making a very good living. To us it is a
fine source of additional income and his
customers spend many pennies and nickels
in our machines.
Lunch Stand Draws Patrons
Our second concession is the lunch stand
which is leased on the same percentage
basis. Here are served sandwiches, coffee,
soft drinks, ice cream novelties, candied ap-
ples, caramel and buttered popcorn, candy
and ice balls in the warm weather months.
This concession has built up a nice business
and is operated by a middle aged couple
formerly in show business. Needless to say
this stand brings many customers to our
Arcade and helps cut our overhead.
Novelty Store Pays
Our third big concession is a novelty
store wh ich started in a small way and to-
day sells practically everything under the
sun. Tricks, pipes, wire jewelry, picture
frames, knives, compacts, cigarette cases,
watches, clocks, name pins, and almost
everything one's fancy might dictate is
available. One of our front street windows
is used fora display of their merchandise
and it is one of the finest crowd stopping
displays imaginable. In fact more people
stop to examine thi's interesting window
than any other window on the street. In-
side the merchandise is displayed and sold
from four large, well stocked glass show
cases and the operators engrave names on
jewelry and write on leather wallets and
leather pieces. Romance has stopped, or
hesi tated, at the jewelry counter in this
concession many times to buy diamond en-
gagement and wedding ring sets. This con-
cession likewise helps defray our overhead
and brings many, many customers into our
Arcaue.
Coin Operators Shy
We have tried to follow this same per-
centage lease procedure in adding a Photo-
matic picture machine and a cigarette vend-
ing machine but in both cases we were un-
successful in interesting an operator in mak-
ing the installation and consequently pur·
chased the equipment and installed it our-
selves. The picture machine .has been . a
very good moneymaking attraction and we
also use the pictures for identification pur-
poses by removing the plastic frame. The
cigarette machine. which ·is the very latest
model, is also doing well and shows a nice
return.
Sub-Leasing Recommended
• We find our concessions pay well, help
our business, and keep needed help to as-
sist each other with our operations. We are
on the lookout at all times for good, clean
money-making showmen who have a propo-
sition adaptable for a percentage operation
within our Arcade and we heartily recom-
mend other Arcade men to en courage
this outside help in the operation of their
business.
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your b est introduction to our advertis ers.
COIN
MACH iNE
REVIEW
17
' F~R
MAR.CH
'1943
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).