Marketplace

MARKETPLACE
,,
The mfrs of video games, at least those who are left, are becoming better known to all
engaged in the industry. Yor a while back there it was absolute confusion. Opportunists
kept popping up, announcing themselves as video game mfrs, at the rate of what seemed like
one a veek. Like in the early days of pinball, it seemed every store, every loft, was a
factory of a video game mfr. The market expanded sharply and when conditions tightened the
one-shot mfrs began to fall by the wayside, mostly due to lack of proper capitalization.
Only a s mall nucelus of video game mfrs remain in business today. The same is true of the
foosbal makers. This, too, has become a replacement market in which only the well capital-
ized can exist today.
N. Peldman asks, "Do you remember 'Duy-Back'?" (We sure do. Was originated by Pat Buck-
.!.!l, of long gone Buckley Mfg. Co ., Chicago, for his large and well scattered "Buckley Dig-
ger" ope rations. Pat operated in Chicago, Terre llaute,Ind., Casper,Wyo., Las Vegas,Nev.,
other cities as well as in Paris, France . If you dug up a cigaret lighter and didn't want
it, the price pasted on it was your's when you took it up to the cashier in the "Digger-
land". ~ven N.Y.City "Cranelands" adopted this idea. Went along fine for a few yea.rs until
some politico cried, "This is a lottery and against the law." Some of Pat's best operators
were: Pete Schenone, Ca.sper,Wyo., Earl Gibbs, Terre Haute,Ind., the late John (Midge) Ryan
in Las Vegas,Nev. DeWitt (Doc) Eaton was the Buckley eastern salesma.nager. Fred Parsons
was general salesmanager. John Buckley, Pat's brother, was in charge of Chicago routes.
Pat had been nicknamed, "Baby Face" Buckley. Have been asked the following question many
times, 'What became of Pat?" Don't know. Does anyone?)
Gotta hand it to today's teenagers. City council of Margate, Florida, was approached
to ban all pin games featuring free plays. So wha' hoppen? Margate's teenagers flooded
the city council meeting the day of the voting this past Jan.,'75 , and the result was -
you guessed it - free play pins will continue to operate in Margate,Fla. (Only wish cer-
tain coinmen were just as vociferous as these teenagers where their city councils are
concerned - not only on free play action but also on doubling license fee costs.)
Probably biggest problem facing operators is security. Especially those operators whose
collectors come in very late in afternoon or evening. Regardless of safes, guards, alarm
systems, collections are endangered when left in offices overnight. Many operators fear
to take collections to bank night depositories due to muggings and holdups. (Recall sys-
tem used by late Joe Calcutt of Fayettevill e,N . C. who, at one time, operated over 3,000
pieces in North and South Carolina.. His men were ordered to so arrange their routes that,
before 5 P.M. when former Post Office savings closed, they could deposit all ca.sh collec-
ted in Postal Savings Account under firm's name. Money would be transferred to Payette-
ville bank after collectors turned in deposit slips.)
The mini-arcade boom has branched out into many facets. For example: "Game Rooms" set
up in various locations, like taverns. One astute operator, Ozzie Truppman of Miami, fla.,
advised where he had jukebox and a couple of pins in a tavern, expanded number of games
into a "Game Uoom" and also added only shuffle alley and bowler. "Because", as he advised,
"they haven't seen or played these in a long time." Result was his take jumped up, but
away up. Many operators all over the nation continue to open "Game Rooms" in taverns and
many other type locations. Then there are the very classy "Chandelier Centers" where not
only chandeliers but e.>q>ensive carpeting and wall paper featured. These are found in the
better hotels like on Miami Bea.ch,Fla. Another innovation, " Family Centers". Best example
of these in Dallas,Tex . where vell known operator, Ed Bla.nkenbeckler, now has five such
spots i n operation. There are also other versions but all come under the label of "Mini-
Arcade. ", found in shopping centers, malls, hotels, motels, etc., etc., in the cities, in
suburbs, on main streets and in naborhoods. (Call 'em what you will - the mini-arcade
boom continues booming along as the most outstanding development of this decade.)