Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

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have recently shown concern and have been
in the markets more actively to buy sup-
plies_ A report from Brazil recently esti-
mated the crop for all producing areas as
well below demand_ The Gold Coast crop
is also short and growers are getting record
prices for the new crop.
Cigars-Latest reports available from
Washington suggest the excise tax may
be cut on cigars. Tobacco jobbers and re-
tailers grow more interested and concerned
about the increasing sales of cigarillos.
Bayuk recently reported that cigar sales
show gains after declining for the first
three months. Government report for April
showed a real downward trend in cigar
sales.
Ciga r e ttes-The government report for
April also revealed a real slump in cigarette
revenue stamps. Since the federal report
is based on revenue stamp sales it does /
not always show the exact trend in con-
sumption. New York state also reported
a slump in cigarette 'reven ue for the month.
Vending machine sales, of course, often
gain when retail trade may be slowing. Re-
ports from the cigarette makers will soon
be available on sales for the first six months
of 1950.
Cookies- Reports of manufacturers on
the first six months will be available next
month .
Coffee-In spite of a Senate investiga- '
tion of coffee, the price of the product in the
markets seems certain to continue high.
Recent price decli nes have been very minor
and the latest report is that Brazil will
put price supports in effect for coffee.
Consumption of coffee in the U. S. is said
to have declined due to the high price.
H osier y-An Elmer Roper survey shows
heaviest demand for nylons to be in the
Northeast, that average woman in this
area buys 15 pairs per year; about 45 per
cent of women pay $1 to $1.50 per pair.
At the beginning of June retail stores re-
ported nylon sales as "slow." Nylon yarn
is still allocated but hosiery trade is getting
full supply.
I ce Cr eam -The interim reports for the
first half of the year suggest that ice cream
demand has followed the seasonal pattern
for increases; the first two months of the
year started a good rising trend which
slowed later with colder weather. The ice
cream trade wants a hot summer to boost
demand or else the year will show another
decline.
Juices-Crop reports thus far have not
brought any encouragement 'for lower prices
on juices; scarcity of Valencias is holding
up orange juice. Canners have shown more
interest in juice vending this year and the
expansion in cup vending machines is also
helping the juice vending cause. Interest
in juice vending has recently been stimu-
lated by report of General Mills company
that a machine, many years in develop-
ment by Tracy Acosta, seems now ready for
the market. The machine holds oranges
under refrigeration and on deposit of a
. coin, slices an orange, squeeezes the juice
into a cup and vends it, and the customer
gets to see the show and also a drink of
orange juice.
Milk-From the price and supply stand-
point, milk and dairy products offer a
cheering picture. Milk is reported in abun-
dant supply and price trend is downward
as controls can be adjusted; recent price
reductions have occurred chiefly in the
East and North Central areas; 'consumption
is steadily rising.
Cussons Celebrate 25th
Wedding .llnniversary
PORTLAND, Ore.-Mr. and Mrs. Joseph
Edmond Cusson, better known to the coiro
machine fraternity as Eddie and Helen,
34
I
Nate Back!
William Nathanson who has been in
the Coin Machine business since the
days of Ballyhoo and who has been
active in other fields for the past six
or s.e ven years, is returning to his first
love and intends to associate himself
actively in some phase of coin machine
activity_
Nathanson has announced he hopes
to contribute some pertinent articles on
the Industry for future issues of THE
REVIEW_
celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary
here on June 10th with a reception from
8 to 10 p.m.
Eddie and Helen have been active in
the coin machine field in these parts for
many years and their friends all wish them
continued health and good luck as they
leave the 25 mark and head for the 50.
Grant Shay To
Wed in July
CHICAGO-Invitations are out for the
marriage of Miss Noreen Coakley to Grant
F. Shay at St. Philip Neri Church here at
10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 1st.
Groom is well known in the Coin Machine
Fraternity through his many years of asso·
ciation wi th Mills Novelty Co. and more
recently the Bell·O·Matic Corp.
Seattle
R eported b y W . A . P erine
Sales of Schutter's Bit-O-Honey bar
showed great improvement in May, accord-
ing to Walter Hoeller of Seattle's Glaser
Candy company office. Camels, Luckies and
Chesterfields led the cigarette sale parade
in that order on the west coast during May
in Glaser's chain of warehouses.
Wired music collections found the last
two weeks in May, the worst ever known
in Washington, according to Shyvers of
Multiphone, Inc. Seattle collections were
10% down. Phono collections were also
poor.
A cold winter and a late start in the
mines and lumber camps was one reason
for the slow business pickup. In Seattle,
the outside-the-city shopping centers con-
tinued to suck much of the business from
the city's main-stem stores. Restaurants,
whi ch found the going too tough, are clos-
ing down and stilJ paying their lease rent.
When th ey can make some money they
open up, preferring to lose a couple of
h undred doll ars a month rent rather than
a big operating loss in poor seasons.
"The 7'l!!c coin will be the higgest boon
to the Coin Machine Industry in some time
jf it is passed," was the consensus of local
coin men of all kinds. The lowering or
removal of the excise tax was another
necessity for the Industry voiced by Seattle
amusement business men as well as the
vending trade.
Verlina Smi th's wired music hit parade
saw Sentimental Me and the Ames Brothers
(Coral) on top. Billy Eckstine and Baby
Won't You Say You Love Me (MGM) was
next on the ladder, closely foll owed by
Cliff Stewart and The Old Piano Roll Blues
(Coral ).
Sterling Automatic, large Seatt~e ciga.
rette and cup vending firm, reports ciga·
rette sales up for May. The opening up
of the Far North (Alaska) has helped
offset any tendency towards a slump in
the Northwest.
.
Sterling is Wrigley's Seattle test station
for the vending of their gum, with ten ma.
chines on test runs in the city, according
to Cliff Bergerson, Sterling Automatic
manager.
Amusement games and their collections
are down. Patrons during the recent ban
learned not to play and haven't been re-
educated ·yet. T he sale of pin balls has hit
a new low in tqe state, due more or less to
the Supreme ,Court ban, some time ago.
Bowling games can only charge a nickel
under city regulations. Most taverns and
locations feel that 10c would be a more
reasonable fee for playing these popular
games.
George Trambitas, Western Distributing,
is quite happy over the upturn in music
and the increase in sales of the new AMI
Model C.
Bally Citations and others are helping col-
lect funds in Sea ttle for a very worthy
cause, The Associated Boys Clubs_ The
Jack Moore Co., Bally distributor, is await-
ing their first Turf King, Bally's new one-
shot. They are sold out of Shuffle Champs.
These are being fea tured in Seattle taverns
and amusement places by being placed
just inside the door in the middle of the
floor.
Popcorn is up in sales, with the Harlin
Fairbanks Co. expecting August and Sep-
tember to be their biggest months in 1950.
Despite poor box office showings, the
theatre vending business is good. Mars'
new vending pack for theatre use is becom-
ing popular. Hersheys, Milk Duds (Hollo-
way) and Jugy Fruit (Heide's) are one-
two-three in theatre candy vending sales.
Mills, Jennings, etc., bell machine re-
pairs and sales are also on the downgrade
in Seattle and King County, with one re-
pair firm considering going out of business.
The new National 7M is a "sellin' fool,"
says Farmer Bert, Pacific Northwest dis-
tributor, The Cigaromat sales have slowed
down somewhat, with' people havinp; to be
educated before they can see its advantages.
Leaf ball gum, peanuts and charms are
selling faster than ever, according to Mrs.
Grey (Farmer Bert's) . Business is booming
for the vendors and for the salesmen of the
mach ines in both Washington and Oregon_
Candy for local vending is panned several
times to give it a hard coating for pro-
tection against tempera ture changes. Sale
of candy vendors continues to increase.
Cigarettes are vending for 25c a pack,
with the location usually receiving a limit
of 3c a pack.
R. F. Jones Co., Northwest Seeburg dis-
tributors, report business good. They are
awaiting the arrival of the first Keeney
Double Bowler, one of the fastest two-
player bowlers.
A, S. Beutler, R. F. Jones Co. Seattle
branch manager, just returned from a busi-
ness trip through the Pacific Northwest
with Jim Lowe, salesman for the company.
He expects to leave immediately on a vaca-
tion trip with Mrs. Beutler which will in-
c1ude the Shrine Convention in Los Angeles.
Ralph Alger, Seeburg operator (Hi·Tone
Music Co.), is another vacationer going
east for a three months' trip with his wife.
Kentucky, New York, Virginia and Texas
are on their itinerary,
Puget Sound Novelty is hearing a lot of
wedding bells these days. Margaret Har·
rington married Sam Budnick on June 10th
and Don MacPherson wedded Margaret E.
Callander on June 16th. Rock·Ola's new
J.G.P. horseshoe ga'me attachments and
.,colored weights are the latest attraction at
. Puget Sound.
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We saw an anCIent Rock·Ola recently m
Guaymus, JY.Iexico.
had ten and, fifty
. centavos com chutes. You played It by
" putting twenty centavos in th e fifty centavos
chute. This played one instead of five rec·
ords (for. fif,ty) and p~lUred a~out 2c into
the machme scoffers m Amencan money.
Roy Hebard, Roseberg, Oregon operator,
took advantage of the warm weather reo
cen tly to help Farmer Bert catch the limit
in trout in southern Oregon.
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COIN MACHINE REVIEW