Marketplace
Issue: 1978 June - Page 5
MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 6, JUNE , 1978
.JtJill~
llIZ
141ll)l~S.
Very few want to believe it. Can't believe that what
was called "the bread and butter business" part of their
routes is fast fading away. The clipping reproduced here
is but one such report of hundreds that have been made
over the pa.st ten yea.rs. And this one comes from a. house
organ - Peoples Gas Magazine of Chica.go.
Fact of the matter is - the jukebox dropoff started
a.bout the mid-'60s. ~rom 1934, when the modern jukebox
was introduced by Wurlitzer, the P-10, and just in time
to meet the tremendous mushrooming growth of taverns
right after prohibition, the jukebox soared into the
biggest boom in the history of this industry.
All thru the balance of the '30s, thru the '40s and
'50s and right up to the mid-'60s the jukebox continued
to dominate the attention of all engaged in this industry.
The price of the jukebox itself shot up from S250 in '34
to over ~2 , 00 in the '60s. A mechanic's salary soared
from $30 a week in '3~ to over $300 a week in the 1 60s.
Other changes and comparisons are too numerous to mention.
The phonograph and record in-
dustry received a tremendous push,
also in the '20s, with the rapid as-
cendancy of radio. The two sound-
oriented creations grew together
and withstood the Great Depression
and World War II. With the advent
of the radio "disc jockey," things
were never again the same.
A coin-operated phonograph us-
ing innovative turntables and record
changers-the lumbering juke box
- achieved widespread acceptance
especially after World War II. Res-
taurants and teenage hangouts
transformed the wondrously-lit ma-
chines into a unique form of Amer-
ican folklore. Some of the more
complex models could offer more
than 100 musical selections along
with colored lights and booming
sound. The juke box declined in
popularity as television and home
phonographs became common .
Coinplay jumped from 5¢, 6 for 25¢, up to "1-Play 25¢" . ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hack at the beginning, in 1934, old time music operators begged the newcomers "to pay
no more than 20% commission". They were ignored. Just like on their pingames, the new-
comers split 50/50, regardless of all the extra expenses on jukes they didn't have on
pins. And have been doing so to this day - 44 years later.
But what is most sad, even though jukeboxes will be found in this industry in oper-
ation 50 years from now, just as punching bags in old arcades are still operating af-
ter 100 years , the big time play action is gone. The U. S. manufacturers that remain
are gradually easing into a new and shorter production system as orders fade. The time
has come to make a precious rarity of the jukebox and, thereby, obtain top income from
all locations. Or else lease off the jukes to locations and enter into a new type of
leasing business. There just aren't many choices left.
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 6, JUNE , 1978
.JtJill~
llIZ
141ll)l~S.
Very few want to believe it. Can't believe that what
was called "the bread and butter business" part of their
routes is fast fading away. The clipping reproduced here
is but one such report of hundreds that have been made
over the pa.st ten yea.rs. And this one comes from a. house
organ - Peoples Gas Magazine of Chica.go.
Fact of the matter is - the jukebox dropoff started
a.bout the mid-'60s. ~rom 1934, when the modern jukebox
was introduced by Wurlitzer, the P-10, and just in time
to meet the tremendous mushrooming growth of taverns
right after prohibition, the jukebox soared into the
biggest boom in the history of this industry.
All thru the balance of the '30s, thru the '40s and
'50s and right up to the mid-'60s the jukebox continued
to dominate the attention of all engaged in this industry.
The price of the jukebox itself shot up from S250 in '34
to over ~2 , 00 in the '60s. A mechanic's salary soared
from $30 a week in '3~ to over $300 a week in the 1 60s.
Other changes and comparisons are too numerous to mention.
The phonograph and record in-
dustry received a tremendous push,
also in the '20s, with the rapid as-
cendancy of radio. The two sound-
oriented creations grew together
and withstood the Great Depression
and World War II. With the advent
of the radio "disc jockey," things
were never again the same.
A coin-operated phonograph us-
ing innovative turntables and record
changers-the lumbering juke box
- achieved widespread acceptance
especially after World War II. Res-
taurants and teenage hangouts
transformed the wondrously-lit ma-
chines into a unique form of Amer-
ican folklore. Some of the more
complex models could offer more
than 100 musical selections along
with colored lights and booming
sound. The juke box declined in
popularity as television and home
phonographs became common .
Coinplay jumped from 5¢, 6 for 25¢, up to "1-Play 25¢" . ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hack at the beginning, in 1934, old time music operators begged the newcomers "to pay
no more than 20% commission". They were ignored. Just like on their pingames, the new-
comers split 50/50, regardless of all the extra expenses on jukes they didn't have on
pins. And have been doing so to this day - 44 years later.
But what is most sad, even though jukeboxes will be found in this industry in oper-
ation 50 years from now, just as punching bags in old arcades are still operating af-
ter 100 years , the big time play action is gone. The U. S. manufacturers that remain
are gradually easing into a new and shorter production system as orders fade. The time
has come to make a precious rarity of the jukebox and, thereby, obtain top income from
all locations. Or else lease off the jukes to locations and enter into a new type of
leasing business. There just aren't many choices left.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).