Play Meter

PIAY METER
METER
PLAY
EXPLIRIHG
THE
EX
PLORING TH
E
GRAHE
CRANE
BY
BY
N ti
M
EXPLOSIOH
EXPLOSION
BONN IE
BONNIE
THEARD
THEARD
one in in this
this industry
industry
o o one
could
miss
the
miss
d
coul
the
veritable
explosion
of
veritable explosion of
ES !!
crane
and
rotary
crane
and
rotary
LIDE
merchandisers
that have
have
ers
merchandis
that
inundated
the
coin-op
inundated
the
coin-op
industry
over
the
last
year.
industry over the last year.
Only
a
handful
of
a
handful
of
Only
manufacturers exhibited
exhibited the
the
manufacturers
equipment at at ACME
ACME '86
'86 in in
equipment
March.
Then,
at
AMOA
Expo
March. Then, at AMOA Expo
ES IST AND
'86 in in November
November there
there were
were
'86
19 companies
companies represented!
represented!
19
What
happened
to turn
turn
What happened to
cranes into
into such
such a a hot
hot item?
item?
cranes
Jeff Smart
Smart of
of Smart
Smart
Jeff
Industries in
in Des
Des Moines,
Moines,
Industries
Iowa credits
credits the
the crane
crane
Iowa
explosion
to
several
factors
explosion to several factors, ,
FANTASY
ISLAND
and said,
said, "For
"For one,
one, we
we were
were
and
getting out
out of
of a a video
video
getting
depression
.
Video
game
Video
depression.
game
grosses
dropped
off
grosses
dropped
off
considerably.
The
public
had
considerably. The public had
reached a a saturation
saturation point.
point.
reached
Then
a
machine
(cranes
Then a machine (cranes) )
came out
out that
that was
was g1v111g
came
giving
something
to
the
player for
for
something to the player
his
quarter.
Winning
a
prize
his quarter. Winning a prize
has always
always been
been a a great
great thing
thing
has
on
the
fairgrounds.
When
you
on the fairgrounds. When you
give
something
to
the
public,
give something to the public,
the gross
gross is is unbelievable."
unbelievable."
the
Players crowd around Betson's Fant;1sy Island rotary unit.
Smart
Industries Players crowd around Betson's Fantasy Island rotary unit.
Smart
Industries
the
Clean
the
Clean
Sweep
crane
in
si
ngle,
super
Sweep crane in single, super
man ufactures
manufactures
si ngle, double,
double, and
and triple
triple
single,
models;
also
the
Diamond
models; also the Diamond
Mine four-
four- player
player rotary.
rotary.
Mine
"In
the
13
years
that I've
I've
"In the 13 years that
been
an
operator,
I've
never
been an operator, I've never
come across
across a a machine
machine that
that
come
comes
close
to
grossing
what
comes close to grossing what
crane does,"
does," added
added Smart.
Smart.
a a crane
"A
triple
crane
at
a
truck
"A triple crane at a truck
stop
takes
in
$2
,000-$3
,000
stop takes in $2,000-$3,000 a a
week. A A double
double unit
unit at at a a
week.
roller
skating
rink
bowling
roller skating rink or or bowling
alley
takes
in
$1
,200
or
alley takes in $1,200 or
$1,500
a
week.
Super
singles
$1,500 a week. Super singles
or singles
singles at at groceries
groceries and
and
or
c-stores
take
in
$800-$1,
l 00
c-stores take in $800-$1,100
a
week."
"
a week.
Smart
knows
the
Smart
knows
the
fairgrounds
well
after
being
fairgrounds well after being
the traveli
traveling
arcade
in in
the
ng arcade
business
wi
th
his
dad,
business with his dad,
Gordon
Smart,
and
operating
Gordon Smart, and operating
street route
route business
business in in
a a street
Des
Moines.
"Being
an
Des Moines. "Being an
operator,"
said
Smart,
"we
operator," said Smart, "we
could see
see the
the options
options that
that
could
would
be
needed
on
cranes
would be needed on cranes
and we've
we've provided
provided those
those
and
options
in
our
machines."
options in our machines."
Cranes appeal
appeal to to men
men and
and
Cranes
women
over
the
age
of
30.
women over the age of 30.
"That's
a
very
hard
group
"That's a very hard group to to
.January 1987/ l'LAY METER 11
1987/PLAY METER 11
January