Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

REGIONAL REP ORTS
(Continued from Page 19)
July, was on hand May 25th, despite the
tourist influx mentioned above. Some of the
old-timers in the field blame some of the
lack of play on televising of ball games,
which keeps the phonograph fan at home
instead of visiting the local tavern. Natur-
ally, no music is played in taverns or cock-
tail lounges while the game is being broad-
cast, and this too, cuts down sharply on
nickel flow. Already some bar operators
are reported as scheduling television base-
ball only two or three nights per week, to
build up intake on the phonographs, pin
games and amusement equipment elsewhere
in the location.
Even penny arcade operators are ex-
"periencing the lowest take for many years,
according to Carl Trippe, of Ideal Novelty
Co. He has seen volume curves dip 25%
below this time last year, and once again,
pins the "blame" on television, which keeps
the entire family at home during evenings
once devoted to amusement park visits. At
Forest Park Highlands, which normally
installs several new penny and n ickel ma- "
chines each year, tbere has not been suffi-
cient play to warrant new units, according
to the management.
One exception to the doleful plaints of
the current month is Olive Novelty Co.,
where partners Ben Axelrod and Al Hanek-
lau are enthusiastic over sales of Gottlieb's
new Bank-A-Ball a five-ball game. Accord-
ing to Ben, there are more orders on hand
than can be readily handled, and extra ship-
ments are on the way. Advance orders on
J eanies are likewise flowing in "sight un-
seen," the distributor said. Al Haneklau
will leave shortly for his annual vacation
in the Wisconsin fishing country, inciden-
tally.
Ideal Novelty Co. has added a new
Chevrolet stake truck to its r01ling fleet.
}langing fartber afield in search of sales
was given as the reason by Carl Trippe.
Many hitherto specialists in either music
or pin games are eyeing the shuffleboard
and vending machine fields to build up
falling volume, it is reported by prominent
distributors. "The trend is toward less
specialization and more complete coverage
of the field today," one distributor voiced.
"Most operators recognize the fact that
where one field is not paying off in a partic-
ular season, another type of machine may
be enjpying boom times. Thus, I believe
there will be many more machine group
operators in the near future."
Spokane
R eported b y W . L. Ferrall
Business men "here are happy about the
first five months of the year and rightly so,
for almost every classification shows a plus
mark over figures of last year. Bank trans-
actions showed $1,414,977,206, a 2.6 " per
cent increase over the same five montbs
period of 1949. Building permits totalled
$11,500,000 as against only $5,500,000 for
'49.
The city is also growing at a fast pace.
About 2270 families have moved into the
city since the first of the year as against
1098 for last year. About 320 moved in
during May, showing a 33.9 increase over
May of 1949.
While all this looks good to most busi-
ness men, it is hard to get operators of
amusement games and phonographs to
smile at the situation they are in. Most
operators are trying their level best to
adjust themselves to the new order of
things since the state supreme court out-
lawed the pay tables. A leveling off period
is in effect at this time and probably by
JULY, 1950
",
PrllcticlIl!
F r om eve ry angle th e ACORN is a p r a c-
tical v e ndor. In a recent impartial s urvey
conducte d by a reputable organization. it
w as conclus ive ly shown that ACORN was
• FIRST in material use d in manufa c-
ture - Cas t aluminum!
• FIRST, in design for ease in servicing
- He ld toge ther by top lock only!
• FIRST in ' quality of p las tic slides fo r
cabinet models - Hard to marl
• FIRST in d esign w ith a complete
separate service h e ad - Des igned
to set upright!
• FIRST in appearance-streamlin ed to
the ultimate-The mos t eye -catching
machine on the marke t!
Proving completely, and conclus ive ly, why
th e s win g is to
ACORN
VENDORS
We invite your further investigation
of this unusual vendor.
OAK
CO. Inc.
11411 Knightsbridge Avenue, Culver City, California
fall everyone will have a clear opinion of
what course to follow.
Phonograph operators report ~ slump in
tavern location collections just when the
opposite should be true.
Shuffleboard is standing rather still as is
to be expected at this season, although
merchants report that the game is not dead
by any means and that a big revival will
come th is fall. One tavern owner has spent
over $5000 to make room for shuffleboard,
saying he feels he has lost much business
in the past by not providing his customers
with this fascinating game.
Bottled drink vendors are steadily show-
ing a nice volume of business and will be
on the rise for some months.
A quick check of the cup vending bever-
age business in the city and surrounding
territory shows only two operators with
about " fifty or sixty machines in use. More
machines are being added as locations pre-
sent themselves.
At least one old-time coin machine man
is known to be gettin!( his fee t wet in the
cigarette machine field. He states that
there is a field practically untouched in
the small business range for cigarette
vendors.
Bulk candy vendinl!; men in tbis territory
are never in need of more locations here
in th e Pacific Northwest. The ever-increas-
in!( number " of new businesses always pro-
vide outlets for all types of vendin!( ma-
chines and any man with lots of ambition
can make a success at it providinl!; he
devotes all his time to building a business
that seems to "know no bounds.
Candy bar vending is always on the in-
crease but is slowing for the " summer
months as always.
!;'opcorn vending has made a permanent
place in taverns, confectionery stores, etc.
New type machines are in evidence and do
a nice volume during the cooler months.
Weighing scales. seem to be a business
in themselves inasmuch as most machines
in this territory are operated by large com-
panies specializing in covering a large
area. This business remains on a fairly
even base year in and year out.
The coming special session of the legis-
la ture will be presented with one or more
proposals to bring back the pay tables and
the resulting revenue.
Wasbington, D.C.
R e ported b y R oy S. Ramsey, Jr.
Business in the nation's capital is rock-
ing along at its customary summer pace.
Vendor changeov.ers for hot weather have-
been completed, with hard candies and
cookies largely replacing chocolate. The
tourist season is in full force and is likely
to break all records. Mo re conventions are
slated for the 1950 summer than for any in
history. Coin men get some of the " tourists'
coins directly, but more, probably, from
locals who benefit from tourist spending
in other places. Most of the visitors seem
more interested in sightseeing than in pa-
tronizing coin machines.
Beverage dispensers are doing well. Spa-
carb of Wash i~gton, one of the city's larg-
est operators, has bough t all of the cup
dispensers, routes and goodwill of Auto-
matic Fountains, Inc. Under the extremely
capable leadership of Bayne Phipps, D.C.
Spacarb has made amazing gains in cup
vending.
Amusement games are slow;but operators
expect that the recent consolidation of their
association with the Washinl!;ton Music
Guild will revitalize operations. Special
committees are working on game "problems.
The supply of new machines is good, and
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