Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

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decrease in phono play has been decrease
in tavern trade,. one of the first types
of locations to feel a decrease in
spending. Increases in food prices are
cutting down spending for amusement.
PRICES. Propaganda against high
prices in April had lost it~, fo~c~ by
June and major price trends 'started up-
SUMMER OUTIiOOK. June reports sug-
ward again. Downward price trends on
gested good seasonal increases in play
some items, such as tires, lumber, etc.,
of amusement games, and to a less.e r ex-
tent, phonographs. Increases would be . were regarded as spotty. In June prices
were dropping slightly on some materials
good but final totals not equal to last
summer. Big question mark in all trades that go into candy.
TRANSPORTATION. Operators face the
speculates on how freely will people
prospect that new cars and trucks will
spend their money on summer travel and
come at a premium during the rest of the
amusements. Early summer reports sug-
year. Reports from some centers suggest
gested people would travel · as much as
• usual but spend less per capita. A late that operators are among the early buy-
ers of new cars. Price reductions on
sprfng. delayed the tourist season in
tires and tubes ' were encouraging. Early
many sections.
MACHINE SALES. During June the supply in June reports began to circulate about
a gas shortage, but reports were con-
of amusement games was not equal to de-
~licting.
Needs 'for national prepared-
mand; operators were trying to hold
ness
program
seemed to be at root of gas
present locations and also take on the
situation.
summer spots; many of the games used
COPYRIGHTS. Three bills appeared in
during the war are now getting very old.
Congress to make changes in copyright
Summer trade began to boost phono play·
law. One bill aimed chiefly at amending
and also demand for new machines; new
1909 copyright law so that commercial
music operators were being enlisted in
phonographs would be subject to pay
some sections. Many sections reported
special fees to copyright owners. This
that supply of new cigarette and. candy
was
the eleventh session in which such a
bar vendors is not equal to demand.
bill
has appeared and powerful organiza-
Sales of bulk vendors were increasing
steadily and some new operators are co~­ tions have supported them. This is the
first year a public hearing has been
ing into this field • . Legal changes in
given by a Congressional committee and
some states boosted the sale of replay
at least a dozen men went to Washington
and novelty games.
to one or more of three different hear-
MANUFACTURING. One ~ observer said that ings to speak for the phonograph trade.
by June 1 manufacturers of games were
Representatives of the trade played for
getting out of a slump that had lasted
time in order to delay bill in committee
.eight months. Materials continued to be as much as p~ssible; but strongest hope
spotty and to prevent meeting demand for came from the fact that sharp division
games. One manufacturer had all metal
developed among the half dozen or so
parts for a big run o~ games but had de- organizations that have been pushing the
lays in getting cabinets; another had to amended copyright bills for years. At
go to New York to get 1,000 ft. of cop-
this writing, there are fears that one ·
per wire; and so on. Slowness on deliv- or more of the bills might pass the
ery of parts and also prices on ma-
House, but trade leaders do not expect
terials remained a major problem for
that a bill opening phonographs up to
manufacturers as the second half of the
special assessments would get through
year started.
the Senate this year.
·Manufacturers also explain that much
SUGAR. The big topic in the candy,
more time is no~ required to turn out
soft drink and chewing gum trades is
games. To turn out 8,000 games of one
still sugar. During June pressure in-
very popular make required several
creased for industrial decontrol of
weeks, when it could have been done in • Sugar and .by the time this issue of THE
three or four weeks before the war.
REVIEW reaches our readers, decontrol
Another games manufacturer said . it re-
may already be a fact. Many trade
quired as much or more time to make a
leaders have wagered that controls would
run of 2,500 games now than it did to
be removed sometime in July; the number
run 5,000 in former years.
who expect controls to last to October
Manufacturers of vendors are more con- 31 dropped considerably during June.
cerned with metals and more and more of
. COFFEE VENDORS. ·With at least three
them turn to aluminum. Manufacturers of makes of coffee dispensers getting onto
phonographs find the supply of elec-
the market this summer, it appears that
tronic parts increasing and a supply of
by fall operators may have a full new
machines has accumulated against slow
field to consider. Makers of the coffee
demand. Early summer brought an in-
machines say workers in plants will buy
crease in demand for phonographs.
more hot coffee than any other item;
also say that coffee vendors will be
SPENDING MONEY. Many lines of busi-
ness have reported that people are hold- used to relieve congestion at lunch
counters.
ing on to their money. Big reason for
COIN ·
MACHINE
REVIEW
13
FOR
JULY
1947