Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

tributors who are busily remodeling and
conducting general housecleaning-not for
spring, but for samples of new models
said to be just over the horizon. Among
those so active are Frank Navarro at the
Navarro Distributing Co.; Ray Powers at
Mape Music and Nels Nelson.
~'alter McDow, serviceman at Laymon's,
had an artery in his arm severed in an un-
usual accident which put him home for a
•
few days.
Art Weiss, IQcal operator, just out of
the navy, is in the hospital with gall
stones.
quarters at the Clark Distributing Com-
pany's premises.
The next exciting event is scheduled
for the 21st of January when Jack R.
Moore Co. will hold its Seeburg showing
at their showrooms. Expected to arrive
for the occasion are: Jack R. Moore, head
of Jack R. Moore Co.; Dan J. Donohue,
District Sales Manager for Seeburg; J.
Kamys, Seeburg Sales Engineer, and Don
Hugenin, Sales Director of Jack R. Moore
Co.
Johnny Ruggiero, manager, recently re-
turned from the Seeburg distributors meet-
ing, spoke with the utmost enthusiasm
about the new Seeburg phonographs. Ac-
cording to Johnny the new Seeburg is
"phenomenal-nothing short of phenom-
enal!" The postwar Seeburg is not a
compilation of old ideas in a new cabinet
but something really new. Seeburg dis-
tributors, under factory instructions, made
a national survey of operators to determine
what they want and what they don't want
in postwar phonographs. The new See-
burg was then built according to these
specifications.
Johnny was also very favorably impressed
by the new Seeburg policy which was
presented at the distributors' meeting-
namely that distributors will have to re-
strict themselves to "sell music on a sound
distribution basis and not engage also
in the operating field. Distributors must
not set up competition to operators."
Jack R. Moore Co. has taken over the
entire second floor of the building in
addition to the first floor and basement
now occupied. The second floor will be
strictly a shop where some new Seeburg
factory designed and built test panels will
be installed in the near future. According
to Johnny, with these new test panels
it will be possible to service every equip-
ment Seeburg ever built and there is
additional space for testing equipment See-
burg might build in the future.
While Associates has not set a definite
date for a Rock-ala showing, the recently
acquired additional space is getting read-
ied for one of the finest display rooms.
The walls are all Celotex, entirely sound
proof, and the windows are covered with
gorgeous burgundy velvet drapes. The
showroom further boasts of a permanent
bar.
George R. Murdock, head of the far
flung Associate interests, said: "Our plan
is to hold an operators' meeting when
we can back up the showing of Rock-ala
automatic phonographs with deliveries, but
not before."
Associates' San Francisco staff was re-
cently augmented by Fred S. Neumann and
George Szakall, just out of the Navy.
George Schnabel, from Puget Sound
San Francisco
January promises to be a month of teem-
ing activities. The Coin Machine Industry
is beginning to hit its stride after years
of compulsory inertia. Postwar equipment
is starting to make its debut and various
long postponed expansion plans are being
rapidly converted into actualities. Another
proof of the new vigor pervading the in-
dustry is the large number of newcomers
who wish to become integrated into the
coin machine business either as jobbers
or operators. All in all things really are
humming.
The first important event of the month
was Clark Distributing Company's Wur-
litzer showing on January 6 and 7. The
firm kept open house during the two days,
and according to Kenneth W. Popkey,
manager, about two hundred Northern Cali-
~'N
MACHINE fornia operators came to inspect and ad-
mire the brand new Wurlitzer model.
UflEW
Popkey stressed the fac t that this was not
a hand made sample but one actually off
the production line.
Mike Hammergren, vice president of
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., and director of
fIOR
sales of the North Tonawanda Division,
FEBRUARY
arrived here for the Sunday opening, and
together with Don Clark, owner of Clark
Distributing Co., explained the new Wur-
litzer policy to operators.
Wednesday noon Clark Distributing Co.
entertained franchised Wurlitzer operators
from throughout Northern California at a
luncheon meeting at the Palace Hotel.
Featured speaker at the meeting was Ham-
mergren who further explained the new
Wurlitzer policy. W. H. Schetter, Clark
Distributing Company's Los Angeles man-
ager, was among the guests. E. L. Horiskey,
Seattle branch manager, was unable to
attend due to transportation difficulties.
During the week John Schwartz arrived
here. Schwartz had been connected with
the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. for 26 years.
H~ will manage the San Francisco branch
of American Phonograph Cooperative, Ltd.
Until he finds a satisfactory independent
location, Schwartz will have his head-
74
'''6
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5c Play
Special Thin
Takes in. 1200 Holes @ 5c .................................................... $60.00
Pays out 8 Gray. Finished Metal. High Grade Cigarette
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Cutouts. 5 @ SOc. 36 @ 25c. Total...................................... 35.50
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w.
•
B. LEUENBAGEN &. CO.
1813 W. PICO BLVD.
EXposition 7162
LOS ANGELES 6. CALIFORNIA
Novelty Co., Seattle, one of the Associates,
was a visitor here recently.
A glamorous touch has been added to
the Associates premises. A small room
bas been entirely given over to a beau-
tiful collection of oh! so arty pictures.
There is little lacking there to feast the
eyes on female pulchritude. George R.
Murdock explained: "We received all
these beautiful calendars-we couldn't
slight anyone, so we decided to display
them all. Result: this art gallery."
Over the holidays Mr. and Mrs. Murdock,
accompanied by their daughter Sharline,
drove to Los Angeles, where for the first
time in years, there was a grand reunion
of the immediate Murdock clan repre-
sented by four generations and comprised
of 26 members. Richard G. "Dick" Mur-
dock, Combat Captain of the Infantry,
flew from Chicago with his wife, Sherle
to be present at the occasion. Captain
Murdock is just out of the Army, and
during his service years was awarded the
Silver Star, Bronze Star, the Purple Heart
twice, the Croix de Guerre, British Mili-
tary Medal, 9 Campaign Stars, and a
Presidential Citation, awarded to his Com-
pany. Murdock's younger son, George R.
Murdock, Jr., who served in Naval Avia-
tion, was released December 29, and with
his wife, Lucille, and son Michael (a/!:ed
2) participated in the family gathering
thus completing the picture.
Al Armos, owner of Golden Gate Novelty
Co., prominent jobbing and distributing
firm, handles any and all types of coin
operated equipment. There is also a very
fine service department equipped with pre-
cision instruments and staffed with expert
mechanics. Armos commented on the tre-
mendous new interest shown in the coin
machine business. He said: "Every day
new people come in who wish to enter
the coin machine business. We are be-
sieged with inquiries how best to go
about it. We use great discretion in advis-
ing them. While there is plenty of room
for new blood, we only encoura/!:e those
who can be a credit to the industry and
to themselves." Another interesting de-
velopment is that old operators are becom-
ing increasingly aware of the necessity of
keeping up-to-date. To quote Al Armos:
"We have become a veritable disseminat-
ing center for new information about im-
proved methods of operating. It is a very
healthy sign for the business as a whole."
Armos plans to leave for the East early
in February to look over the situation,
and get a clearer idea what the prospects
are for the future.
A very busy spot is Viking Specialty
Co., distributor of Northwestern bulk vell-
dors and of the Groetchen Rotary Cooker.
Samples of the new Northwestern De Luxe,
and model 33 are now on display at Viking
Specialty Co.'s headquarters at 530 Golden
Gate Ave. E. M. Dutton, head of Viking
Specialty Co., said: "Things are moving
awfully fast, conditions are chan/!:ing rap-
idly. and we are very, very, busy."
Dick Parina, prominent operator of cig-
aret vending machines, left on the 20th
to attend the NAMA directors meeting
in New York on the 22nd.
Cigarets, of course, have become plentiful
and that phase of the business has ceased
to be a headache. Now the main effort
is to keep old equipment in the best pos-
sible shape so it will give adefluate service .
But the top news at the R. A. Parinas'
is the advent of Richard Francis Parina,
who arrived on the 14th of December. Mr.
and Mrs. Parina have now two daughters
and a son.
Hank Maser and his wife Mary plan
to drive East sometime after the 15th.
Hank hopes to have some real news upon