Automatic Age

September, 1939 81 A U TO M A TIC AGE h a s b u il t u p o n e o f th e la r g e s t f o l ­ lo w in g s in t h e c o in m a c h in e b u s in e s s . H e h a s a s h is a s s is t a n t, A r t O ’M e a li a , o n e o f t h e m o s t p o p u la r c o in m a c h in e m e n , w h o t r a v e ls th e E a s t ­ e rn te r r ito r y . A v e r y s a t is f a c t o r y s a le s re c o rd h a s b e en e s ta b lis h e d in t h e D e t r o it o ffic e u n d e r t h e m a n a g e ­ m e n t o f J . M ik e K r a t z e . T r a v e li n g f o r h im in t h e t e r r i t o r y o u ts id e th e c it y o f D e t r o it is ‘ P a t ” P a t te r s o n . A T L A S N O V E L T Y CO. E a c h A t la s o ffic e h a s its o w n p e r ­ s o n n e l a n d d e a ls w it h its o w n p ro b ­ le m s u n d e r th e s u p e r v is io n o f M o r r ie a n d E d d ie G in s b u r g , w h o m a k e f ly in g v is its to t h e r e s p e c tiv e o ffic e s a t f r e q u e n t in t e r v a ls . T h e A t la s N o v e lt y C o . s lo g a n , “ F r ie n d ly P e r s o n a l S e r v ic e ,” is b e ­ c o m in g in c r e a s in g ly f a m i l i a r to c o in m a c h in e m e n in a ll p a r t s o f th e w o r ld . Ginsburg Brothers, Eddie, on left, and Alorrie, personable partners who head Atlas Novelty Company. 'J 'H E c o in m a c h in e in d u s t r y is n o te d f o r it s f a s t m o v in g , e v e r c h a n g in g c y c le s o f m o d e ls a n d ty p e s . T o cope w ith i t a r e som e o f th e m o st a g g r e s s iv e b u s in e s s m e n a n d in ­ g e n io u s in v e n to r s a n d e n g in e e r s t h a t a r e to b e fo u n d in t h is c o u n tr y . T h e A t la s N o v e lt y C o m p a n y is o n e o f t h e m o s t s t r i k i n g e x a m p le s o f h o w th e s e c h a n g in g c y c le s a r e m e t. As o n e o f A m e r i c a ’s la r g e s t d is t r ib u t o r s o f c o in o p e r a te d a m u s e m e n t m a ­ c h in e s , t h e c o m p a n y h a s a d d e d t h e d is t r ib u t io n o f th e S e e b u r g l in e o f p h o n o g ra p h s , to be a m a jo r p a r t o f a n d s o ld in c o n ju n c tio n w i t h t h e i r o t h e r lin e s . W i t h t h e t e m p o r a r y l e t d o w n in a m u s e m e n t g a m e s d u e to r e s t r ic t e d t e r r it o r ie s , M o r r i e a n d E d d ie G in s b u r g f e e l t h a t t h e a d d it io n o f th e p h o n o g r a p h lin e w i l l b u o y th e s p ir it a n d m o r a le o f th e o p e r a to r s a n d e n ­ a b le th e m t o c a p it a liz e o n t h e f o u n ­ d a tio n t h e y h a v e b u i l t w i t h c o in o p ­ e r a te d a m u s e m e n t m a c h in e s . I n a d d itio n to t h e n e w p h o n o ­ g r a p h s , th e c o m p a n y e n jo y s a la r g e r e c o n d itio n e d p h o n o g ra p h b u s in e s s w h ic h t h e y a ls o h a v e m a d e a n im ­ p o r t a n t a d ju n c t to t h e i r re c o n d itio n e d p in b a ll g a m e b u s in e s s . T h e re c o n ­ d itio n e d p h o n o g r a p h s a n d p in b a lls a r e s h ip p e d t o a ll p a r t s o f t h e w o r ld a n d A t la s h a s d e v e lo p e d a m o s t e f ­ f ic ie n t e x p o r t d e p a r tm e n t . T h e C h ic a g o o ffic e h a n d le s s a le s o f n e w p h o n o g r a p h s in Io w a a n d I l l i ­ n o is w h ile t h e i r r e c o n d itio n e d m a ­ c h in e s a r e s h ip p e d a ll o v e r t h is c o u n ­ t r y a n d f o r e ig n t e r r it o r ie s . A n o ffic e is m a in t a in e d in D e t r o i t f r o m w h ic h p o in t th e S e e b u r g lin e o f p h o n o ­ g r a p h s is d is t r ib u t e d to m u s ic o p e r ­ a to r s . T h e P it t s b u r g h o ffic e is r e ­ s p o n s ib le f o r p h o n o g r a p h s a le s in W e s t e r n P e n n s y lv a n ia a n d p a r t o f N e w Y o r k S ta te . W i t h t h e i r p e rs o n ­ nel b e in g in c r e a s e d , E d d ie and M o r r i e G in s b u r g n o w h a v e a n o r g a n ­ iz a t io n t h a t is c o n s id e re d o n e o f t h e la r g e s t in t h e c o in m a c h in e in d u s t r y a n d w h ic h is u s e d s o le ly a s a s e llin g u n it . E d d ie a n d M o r r i e G in s b u r g h a v e n o o p e r a t in g a f f ilia t io n s a n d c o n d u c t t h e i r b u s in e s s a s D is t r ib u ­ to r s a n d J o b b e rs e x c lu s iv e ly . T h e c o m p a n y h a s b u i l t u p a s p le n ­ d id o r g a n iz a t io n , e a c h e m p lo y e e h a v ­ in g s e r v e d a t le a s t t h r e e y e a r s o r m o re . T h is n a t u r a l l y m a k e s f o r a s m o o th w o r k in g o r g a n iz a t io n a n d e n ­ a b le s t h e A t l a s N o v e lt y C o m p a n y to e x te n d th e m a x im u m in e ffic ie n c y a n d s e r v ic e f o r t h e i r c u s to m e rs . A s s is tin g M o r r i e a n d E d d ie G in s ­ b u r g in t h e C h ic a g o o ffic e is I r v i n g O v it z , w h ile B o b V a n W e is s is th e t r a v e lin g r e p r e s e n t a t iv e f o r th e I l l i ­ n o is a n d Io w a t e r r i t o r y . P it t s b u r g h h a s h a d P h il G r e e n b e r g a s t h e h e a d o f th e o ffic e s in c e it s in c e p tio n . P h il © In te rna tio n al A rc a d e M useum B E T T Y ’S - V E N D I N G . M a c h in e s , H e n r y A . B e t t y , o f N e w a r k , N . J ., h a s been a d is t r ib u t o r a n d o p e r a t o r f o r f o u r y e a r s . A m o n g th e m a c h in e s f e a tu r e d a r e : S n a c k s , M a s te r s , N o r t h ­ w e s te r n , D e L u x e , S u p r e m e , L in c o ln , S t e w a r t & M c G u ir e , S ilv e r K in g s , A d v a n c e an d M a s te r c ig a re tte m a ­ c h in e s . M r . B e tty p u rc h a s e d one S te w a rt & M c G u ir e p e a n u t v e n d e r in F e b r u ­ a r y , 1 9 3 6 . F r o m th e p r o f it d e r iv e d f r o m th is o n e m a c h in e h e w a s a b le to a d d m o r e m a c h in e s u n t il t o d a y h e o p e r a te s 1 0 0 v e n d in g m a c h in e s . H e is a ls o p r o u d o f h a v in g s p e n t o n ly $ 1 .2 0 f o r t w o b r o k e n g la s s g lo b e s in f o u r y e a r s o f o p e r a t in g . H is m a c h in e s a r e p la c e d in c o n f e c t io n e r y s to re s , g a s s ta tio n s , d r y g o o d s s to r e s , c lo t h ­ in g e s ta b lis h m e n ts , e tc . B IR M IN G H A M V E N D IN G CO. B a c k in 1 9 3 1 , a g o o d f r i e n d s u g ­ g e s te d to M a x a n d H a r r y H u r v ic h , t h a t th e y in v e s t $ 1 .0 0 a n d se n d o ff f o r a y e a r ’s s u b s c r ip tio n to A u t o ­ m a t ic A g e . L i t t l e d id h e , o r t h e y fo r th a t m a tte r, kn o w h ow m uch th a t in v e s tm e n t w o u ld m e a n . F r o m th e A u t o m a t i c A g e t h e y s e c u re d th e n a m e o f C o lu m b u s V e n d ­ in g C o m p a n y , a n d w it h t h e l i t t l e f u n d s on h a n d , p u r c h a s e d s e v e ra l h u n d r e d p e a n u t m a c h in e s . B y w o r k ­ in g h a r d d u r in g th e d a y , M a x a n d H a r r y w e r e a b le to h a n d le th e s e r o u te s th e m s e lv e s . H a v in g b e en r a is e d in B ir m in g h a m , t h e y en­ c o u n te re d v e r y l i t t l e d if f ic u lt y in se­ c u r i n g lo c a tio n s . A t n ig h t th e y c le a n e d t h e i r e q u ip m e n t, a s b o th o f th e m r e a liz e d c le a n m a c h in e s w e r e h ttp ://w w w .a rc a d e -m u se u m .c o m /