Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)
Issue: 1947 February - Page 105
Cold Spud To Hot Patootie
George and Lyle were not too optimistic
about it because they had been enthused
about . previous conversions, and always the
turkeys had come home to roost. There was
no proof so far that this one wouldn't come
home, too.
Sure enough, the Red Dot Special came
home at the end of the week. BUT defi-
nitely not to roost.
"What I want you guys to do," the lo-
cation manager said, "is to give this game
a careful, tender overhaul. I can't afford to
have it out of service. She grossed $800 this
week, and the boys have been keeping it
hot 16 hours a day.
"You know," added the operator, "that
machine pays out about 50 per cent, and I
think that is why the citizens love it so, but
don't you think it should be tightened a
bit?"
"Why?" the proud fathers wanted to
know. "Let's leave our baby as is. We
figure it's that liberal pay-off, plus the
game incentive supplied by the red dots,
that makes it hot. Let us not change any-
thing."
George and Lyle knew they had some-
thing that afternoon . . But their troubles
were far from being over. Some bad boys
had found a way to cheat their baby, and
enough bugs showed up, mechanically, to
make Lyle feel like screaming his way to
the nearest supply house for five gallons of
DDT. But with the customers lining up to
shove the buffaloes into that hot chute,
adversities were overcome one by one.
Schnabel installed his Coin-Masters on
the machines, which made them cheat
proof, and Tenn·ey tracked down the bugs
and quashed them with mechanical know-
how. Today, George and Lyle are getting
enough Specials fixed up for Seattle loca-
tions, but lack of parts and material, es-
pecially chromium, have held up produc-
tion. However, when the; get the stuff, you
can look to see a lot of Red Dots in plenty
of places. The Puget Sound boys love their
baby and so does the public.
All of which might be an object lesson
to the trade. Liberalize pay-offs, add some
flash psychology, stir well into an eye-
catching cabinet-and you've got a hot
patootie!
By Micha el Clary
.
"Mmmmmmm,"
reflected George. "You
The Red Dot Special, the boys at Puget
might have something there. We could put
Sound Novelty of Seattle fondly call their
some colored dots on the wheel, and make
new pin game, but it could be called the
it kind of a magic eye deal, like the radios
"Hot Patootie Special" just as well, for a
used to have."
pin game by any name capable of grossing
$800 per week is definitely no cold spud.
"That's it!" Lyle enthused, warming to
George Schnabel, boss man of Puget
the prospect, "red dots and green dots. Fix
Sound Novelty, and Lyle Tenney, head man
them so they get the field if Ii re,d dot comes
of the mechanical department, are proud of
up, give them the 4's for the green, and the
their Red Dots. The machines were con-
usnal play for a white!"
verted from a flock of cold turkeys: a
"Go to work on it," George said.
I
bunch of ugly duckling pin ball games of
Lyle, with the able help of Partsman
the hoss race va.riety, that had been stacked
George Preece and Dave Montgomery, shop
in the "graveyard" because they were · so
foreman, went to work. They improvised
cold they wouldn't pull a dozen nickels at
parts, rebuilt relays, borrowed here and
an Eagle's convention.
there, and generally worked like beavers.
We wanted to see what made this Red
Parts were scarce, but if George Preece
Dot machine such a c1ickeroo-we had
couldn't buy them, he made them. As a
heard reports that the customers kept it so
crowning finale, the boys dressed up their
hot you could fry an egg on the cover
baby with gleaming chromium. It wasn't
glass, so we dropped in to Ben Paris Recre-
long before one was sent out on location.
ation, Seattle mid-town hot spot, for a
gander at the Red Dot in action.
Ben Paris keeps about ten machines
lined up for play, various brands, but most
of them were forlornly alone when we
dropped in. Most of the players and rail-
birds were gathered in a chummy, tight
.
knot around the Red Dot Special.
We watched the machine. It looks like
any race horse game, except a lot of chrome
has been added, and when the nickel is
shoved home, an enclosed wheel revolves,
with green, red and white dots on it. The
chrome-trimmed instructions above the field
lights explain that if a red dot comes up,
the player has the whole field. If a green
dot comes up, he gets the house numbers
down the board (4's). If the white dot
comes up, the play is just the same as an
average pin game. With the green or white
dots up, multiples can be played.
The story of the Red Dot is not all sweet
music and red roses. The boys didn\ pop
up with it overnight. They sweated out a
At Ben Paris Recreation, Seattle mid-town
series of disappointipg experiments, and
pin ball hot spot, rail birds and players find
had to surmount plenty of discouraging
the Red Dot Special fascinating. Even the
obstacles before hitting the target, dead
fish mounted on the wall keeps a dubious eye
center.
on the activity.
The whole thing started one day when
George Schnabel and Lyle Tenney were
looking over their growing flock of cold
turkeys.
"My boy," said George, "unless we can
WE'RE SET UP FO!R.··
find some good use for these dead pin
games, such as splitting them , up for
kindling wood, we might as well dump them
in Elliot Bay."
Lyle Tenney suggested that they try a
few conversion ideas before discarding the
machines entirely.
"Okeh," compromised 'Schnabel, "but
they better be good."
.
The boys thought it over, and came up
with several conversion ideas that seemed
sound. So Tenney and his mechanical staff
wertt to work changing gadgets and wheels,
innards and hook-ups. But, when the con-
versions were tried on location, they
weren't good.
Plenty of seemingly good ideas were in-
corporated in the conversions, but no sooner
would they be sent out, then back they
would come. Then, Tenney came up with
one last idea.
"George," he said, "let's try one more
DISTRIBUTORS FOR: Pa ce And -Jennings Slot Machines
idea. Remember those old mechanical ma-
-0
' Compas
chines that had the revolving star wheels
Rock-Ola
on them? As I remember them, iliey were
dillies in their day. Plenty of flash and
fascination. How about sticking a revolving
PUGET SOUND . NOVELTY COMPANY
wheel on these turkeys, right up in the
114 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle 99, Washington
field, as an added incentive for customer
fascination ?"
ACTION!
'}Il~t Shop Service I
'}IlJt Shipments of Pin Games,
Phonographs, Slots, Arcade Pieces !
'}IlJt Delivery of ALL Types of Parts
For ALL Types of Equipment!
COIN
MACHINE
RV'EW
105·
FOR
FEBRUA RY
1947
George and Lyle were not too optimistic
about it because they had been enthused
about . previous conversions, and always the
turkeys had come home to roost. There was
no proof so far that this one wouldn't come
home, too.
Sure enough, the Red Dot Special came
home at the end of the week. BUT defi-
nitely not to roost.
"What I want you guys to do," the lo-
cation manager said, "is to give this game
a careful, tender overhaul. I can't afford to
have it out of service. She grossed $800 this
week, and the boys have been keeping it
hot 16 hours a day.
"You know," added the operator, "that
machine pays out about 50 per cent, and I
think that is why the citizens love it so, but
don't you think it should be tightened a
bit?"
"Why?" the proud fathers wanted to
know. "Let's leave our baby as is. We
figure it's that liberal pay-off, plus the
game incentive supplied by the red dots,
that makes it hot. Let us not change any-
thing."
George and Lyle knew they had some-
thing that afternoon . . But their troubles
were far from being over. Some bad boys
had found a way to cheat their baby, and
enough bugs showed up, mechanically, to
make Lyle feel like screaming his way to
the nearest supply house for five gallons of
DDT. But with the customers lining up to
shove the buffaloes into that hot chute,
adversities were overcome one by one.
Schnabel installed his Coin-Masters on
the machines, which made them cheat
proof, and Tenn·ey tracked down the bugs
and quashed them with mechanical know-
how. Today, George and Lyle are getting
enough Specials fixed up for Seattle loca-
tions, but lack of parts and material, es-
pecially chromium, have held up produc-
tion. However, when the; get the stuff, you
can look to see a lot of Red Dots in plenty
of places. The Puget Sound boys love their
baby and so does the public.
All of which might be an object lesson
to the trade. Liberalize pay-offs, add some
flash psychology, stir well into an eye-
catching cabinet-and you've got a hot
patootie!
By Micha el Clary
.
"Mmmmmmm,"
reflected George. "You
The Red Dot Special, the boys at Puget
might have something there. We could put
Sound Novelty of Seattle fondly call their
some colored dots on the wheel, and make
new pin game, but it could be called the
it kind of a magic eye deal, like the radios
"Hot Patootie Special" just as well, for a
used to have."
pin game by any name capable of grossing
$800 per week is definitely no cold spud.
"That's it!" Lyle enthused, warming to
George Schnabel, boss man of Puget
the prospect, "red dots and green dots. Fix
Sound Novelty, and Lyle Tenney, head man
them so they get the field if Ii re,d dot comes
of the mechanical department, are proud of
up, give them the 4's for the green, and the
their Red Dots. The machines were con-
usnal play for a white!"
verted from a flock of cold turkeys: a
"Go to work on it," George said.
I
bunch of ugly duckling pin ball games of
Lyle, with the able help of Partsman
the hoss race va.riety, that had been stacked
George Preece and Dave Montgomery, shop
in the "graveyard" because they were · so
foreman, went to work. They improvised
cold they wouldn't pull a dozen nickels at
parts, rebuilt relays, borrowed here and
an Eagle's convention.
there, and generally worked like beavers.
We wanted to see what made this Red
Parts were scarce, but if George Preece
Dot machine such a c1ickeroo-we had
couldn't buy them, he made them. As a
heard reports that the customers kept it so
crowning finale, the boys dressed up their
hot you could fry an egg on the cover
baby with gleaming chromium. It wasn't
glass, so we dropped in to Ben Paris Recre-
long before one was sent out on location.
ation, Seattle mid-town hot spot, for a
gander at the Red Dot in action.
Ben Paris keeps about ten machines
lined up for play, various brands, but most
of them were forlornly alone when we
dropped in. Most of the players and rail-
birds were gathered in a chummy, tight
.
knot around the Red Dot Special.
We watched the machine. It looks like
any race horse game, except a lot of chrome
has been added, and when the nickel is
shoved home, an enclosed wheel revolves,
with green, red and white dots on it. The
chrome-trimmed instructions above the field
lights explain that if a red dot comes up,
the player has the whole field. If a green
dot comes up, he gets the house numbers
down the board (4's). If the white dot
comes up, the play is just the same as an
average pin game. With the green or white
dots up, multiples can be played.
The story of the Red Dot is not all sweet
music and red roses. The boys didn\ pop
up with it overnight. They sweated out a
At Ben Paris Recreation, Seattle mid-town
series of disappointipg experiments, and
pin ball hot spot, rail birds and players find
had to surmount plenty of discouraging
the Red Dot Special fascinating. Even the
obstacles before hitting the target, dead
fish mounted on the wall keeps a dubious eye
center.
on the activity.
The whole thing started one day when
George Schnabel and Lyle Tenney were
looking over their growing flock of cold
turkeys.
"My boy," said George, "unless we can
WE'RE SET UP FO!R.··
find some good use for these dead pin
games, such as splitting them , up for
kindling wood, we might as well dump them
in Elliot Bay."
Lyle Tenney suggested that they try a
few conversion ideas before discarding the
machines entirely.
"Okeh," compromised 'Schnabel, "but
they better be good."
.
The boys thought it over, and came up
with several conversion ideas that seemed
sound. So Tenney and his mechanical staff
wertt to work changing gadgets and wheels,
innards and hook-ups. But, when the con-
versions were tried on location, they
weren't good.
Plenty of seemingly good ideas were in-
corporated in the conversions, but no sooner
would they be sent out, then back they
would come. Then, Tenney came up with
one last idea.
"George," he said, "let's try one more
DISTRIBUTORS FOR: Pa ce And -Jennings Slot Machines
idea. Remember those old mechanical ma-
-0
' Compas
chines that had the revolving star wheels
Rock-Ola
on them? As I remember them, iliey were
dillies in their day. Plenty of flash and
fascination. How about sticking a revolving
PUGET SOUND . NOVELTY COMPANY
wheel on these turkeys, right up in the
114 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle 99, Washington
field, as an added incentive for customer
fascination ?"
ACTION!
'}Il~t Shop Service I
'}IlJt Shipments of Pin Games,
Phonographs, Slots, Arcade Pieces !
'}IlJt Delivery of ALL Types of Parts
For ALL Types of Equipment!
COIN
MACHINE
RV'EW
105·
FOR
FEBRUA RY
1947
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).