Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

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WURLITZER OPERATORS
THE FOLLOWING SPECIALIZED SERVICES ARE
AVAILABLE FOR WURLITZER OPE'RATORS:
Amplifier repair (minor).. ............................................................ $ 3.50 plus parts
Amplifier repair (when burned) ................................................ 3.50 per hour
plus parts
Repack and seal tone arm, also exchange................................ 3.50
Moto drive exchange .................................................................. 6.00
Stepper exchange (304) ............................................................ 6.00
Motor exchange .......................................................................... 12.50
National slug rejector-Model 700 to 850................................ 1.50 each
National slug rejector 3 in 1 unit................................................ 5.00
Coin Chute and register mechanism-412 to 500.................... 4.50 plus parts
Complete mechanism overhaul including rebuilding ................ 25.00 plus parts
Make appointment in advance. Machine will be returned to location same
day. (Above price does not include tone arm amplifier or coin assembly. )
Wall and bar box overhaul.......................................................... 3.50 plus parts
All Work Fully Guaranteed-Only Genuine Wurlitzer Factory
Accepted Parts Used.
COIN
MACHINE
IIEVIEW
28
FOil
CLARK DISTRIBUTING CO.
Exclusive Wurlitzer Distributors for the West Coast
SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES
SEATTLE
Don W. Clark
Aubrey V. Stemler, Mgr.
E. L. Ho riskey, Manager
415 Brannan Street 1561 W. Washington Blvd. 906 Elliott Ave. West
GArfield 0930
REpublic 4155
SUtter 5342
JUNE
1944
sell them one in the past. Now, the scene
has changed considerably, for no new
equipment is coming into the country and
locations are happy to take a phonograph
on a percentage arrangement just to have
music in the spot.
Rock·Ola phonographs seem to be in
preponderance and from my observations
I would say that 60 per cent of the loca·
tions are covered with Rock·Ola equipmen t.
Rock·Ola Standards and De Luxes are in
. evidence everywhere and a lot of the new.
Commandos are on location. The latest
Wurlitzers I ran across were 750's, 850's
and a few 950's.
What about earnings on automatic phon.
ographs? The current take is almost dou·
ble the figures of last year. That seems to
be the report from a number of operators.
The average seems to be from sixty to
eighty pesos ($12 to $18) a week net to
the operator. Increase in take is attribut·
able to the influx of tourists from "The
States" and the increase in the number of
machines on location in th e Republic. Then,
too, Pan·American broadcasts have served
to popularize tunes to the point that re·
peated performances on automatic phono·
graphs provide real dividends.
Phonographs in Mexico provide one play
upon th e insertion of diez centavos (2c
American); two plays for veinte centavos
(4c) and five plays for cinquenta cen·
tavos (lOc).
On wall and counter boxes Mexico is
virgin territory. I noticed only four loca·
tions that had wall boxes installed. Loca·
tions I contacted ~xpressed interest in
boxes and there is no doubt but what a
tremendous market is awaiting us in our
Sister Republic for wall or bar boxes when
our manufacturers again are ready to sup·
ply us with new and improved boxes which
are now just drawings on draftsmen's
boards.
On phonograph recprds Mexico doesn't
fare much better than the boys in "The
States." Shellac was a problem there also
and only 3 months ago was the old scrap
turn in of one·for·one abolished. RCA
and Decca make discs there, plus Peerless
and a few other lesser companies. Records
cost a little more than here but operators
are happy to get any records. The average
phono. program combines a list of Mexican
recordings and a nice smattering of Ameri·
can Jazz Tunes and Hit Parade numbers.
While I was there, "Pistol Packin' Mama"
was mowin' em' down and the operators I
talked with said it proved conclusively the
Mexican interest in American popular mu·
sic.
Mexicans, for the main part, have a
curious scale of musical values. They put
volume ' before ton e quality. Even when
the record is scratchy and worn out, if it
is played loudly there is a compensating
val ue, for the sheer volume covers a mul·
IF YOU WANT TO
SELL
Any Type of Coin-
Operated Equipment
--SEE-
PAUL .A. LAYMON
DISTRIBUTOR
titude of reproductional sins. Let me give
you an example.
We stopped at the Plaza Hotel in Cuero
navaca and the hotel manager very gra·
ciously told us he was giving us the choice
suite in the place, overlooking the plaza.
We inspected the room and it looked very
good. We were happy with our quarters
and thanked him profusely-a little chore
you do with silver, when in Mexico. Along
about midnight we elected to retire. Sleep?
Heavens no. Across the plaza a music box
was grinding out tunes all night and the
patrons were dancing in the patio of the
establishment. It was 4 a.m. before the
machine was shut off. There is no limit
or closing hour on Cantinas and they sel·
dom close until the last customer has left.
I made it a point the next morning to
visit the spo t and see what kind of equip.
ment serenaded us so surreptitiously. It
was an old Rock·Ola, still going strong.
Another spot I visited at Guadalajara
for lunch, had an 850 W urlitzer blasting
away on scratchy records. The music was
terrible, distorted and revolting to us, who
have found proper methods of rendition in
our own country. I asked the location own·
er to turn it down. He was reluctant, say·
ing: "That's the way my patrons like it-
volume full up!"
Mexicans love music and Mexicans play
phonographs profusely. A Mexican guide
of mine said a Mexican would put his last
veinte centavos (lOc) in a "Symphonola".
In the F ederal District there is a tax of
approximately $3.00 per month 'on auto·
matic phonographs. In outlying areas in
the Republic there is no tax. The "no
restrictions as to closing time" provides
some A·l spots for. the automatics.
In other coin machine fields there is not
much activity. There is one Playland in
operation in Mexico City proper. A sad
assortment of used machines is in evi·
dence, but th e spot seems to be enjoying
a fair amount of business. There may be
opportunities in this field which have not
been explored heretofore.
Slots are not permitted in Mexico and
pin, or marble games, are apparently not
popular for they can be operated only on
a "for amusement only" basis. This does
not appeal to the average Mexican who is
a confirmed gambler. Everywhere he goes
he is confronted with fellow Mexicans
selling lottery tickets for the national lot·
tery, and playing a modest pin game just
for the prize of a couple of more games
doesn't appeal to him. I saw 6 tables in
all of my visits in the various towns.
Another field that bids fair to becoming
an important one for coin·operated equip·
ment is the package vending field. Mexi·
cans are buying their supplies and luxur·
ies just as our grandmothers did. Go into
a store and ask for a dime's worth of pis.
tachio nuts and they'll cu p them out and
put them in a paper bag. Packaging is
unheard of. Sugar, crackers, meal, flour
and countl ess other items are still dispensed
from bulk stocks. Consequently there are
no cigarette vending machines, no peanut,
candy bar or bulk vending units in opera·
tion in Mexico. The population must be
taught the advantages of brand names in
packaged merchandising, and then a ter·
rific new field will be open to merchan·
dise operators who have equipment that
can vend the merchandise desired.
Mexico is a fascinating and ever·chang.
ing , coun try. They welcome the arrival
of outside business interests. Approaches
must be slow and properly planned and
when the war is over, intelligent business
men must carefully study this Jand of rna·
nana with th eir investments in what may
seem to be today-UTOPIA!
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