Adventures with Vending Machines and Rack Merchandising, by an Old Time Vendor as told to Ray Burkett, teaches you how to find profitable locations for gum and candy vendors, penny scales, jukeboxes, nut machines, and other coin operated devices. This 110-page book provides insights into smalltime vending operations in mid-20th century America.

I special-ordered my copy from the campus bookstore five years after it was published in 1967. Although the book was printed by the Adams Press of Chicago, the Adams name is covered by a sticker proclaiming the Ray De Vere Burkett Publishing Company of Decker, Indiana. Another sticker on the copyright page announces that the first edition is limited to 1000 copies. The flyleaf is signed by Ray De Vere Burkett.

Putter-Outter

For many years, the Old Time Vendor worked as a "factory trained locator" for business promoters who promised to setup clients in the vending business. The promoters' private name for this job was "putter-outter." Burkett claims,

There is no such thing as a factory trained putter-outter; no place to learn the trade, except this book, or by costly experience.

Burkett wrote Adventures with Vending Machines to teach skills to prospective putter-outters, to budding vending operators, and to service clubs. These same lessons can help collectors choose the best placement for each vendor, pinball machine, and jukebox—often with their spouse playing the role of the reluctant merchant.

See the Spot

In story after story, Burkett explains how to see locations that will maximize play. He describes which types of equipment to place in restaurants, bars, offices, factories, stores, etc., and the best spots in each location.

A nut machine on the end of a bar will gross from five to ten times as much if placed where the drinkers sit. One of mine jumped its "take" from 50¢ to $5.00 per week after it was moved just five feet closer to the patrons.

Burkett reports that each transient person spends as much as four local everyday customers. Even better, sidewalk spots with evening leisure traffic can earn five times as much as those same spots during business hours.

His advice helps collectors, too. If the same friends and family visit your gameroom week after week, try varying the games on display. Move one or two snack vendors to wherever people sit and talk. Reload vendors with different nuts or candy to maintain novelty. Change the records in your jukebox.

Dress and Talk Like a Vendor

Early in his career, the Old Time Vendor watched a uniformed water cooler service man gain easy access to an office manager. The service man handed out samples of his ice cold water as he made his pitch. Outside, he explained to the Old Time Vendor that he was a putter outter. His boss had complained that his drivers just fooling around between deliveries were placing more coolers in a day than the sales team placed in a week, so he put on a driver's uniform.

No time was lost in decking myself out as a vendor. White coveralls with Ole's Vending sewn on the back, and a uniform cap only needed a huge ring of keys (supplied by Fred, the supply man), loaded with tools to complete my uniform. I jingled when I walked; and, seemingly, I jingled right into the interest of my next prospects.

Dressed as a vendor, you saunter into a shop or office. Always saunter in, Burkett advises, even if you rush between stops. If the location owner shakes his head, no, he has fallen into a trap: Burkett presents pitches for this and dozens of other sales situations. Most pitches include these general points:

• The Golden Rule: What's bad for my location, is bad for me.
• Professionalism: Vending is my business. I am not a flimflam artist nor a hobby vendor.

Then the pitches continue to address the specific objections of a location owner. For example,

• Machines are serviced quickly by exchanging globes or entire machines.
• Coins are counted quickly on a Hanson scale and commissions are paid by check.
• Machines are painted to match a location's decor.
• Penny rolls are provided so locations can make change.

Acquiring Abandoned Machines Legally

Collectors will be interested in two chapters about acquiring abandoned machines. Burkett warns that you should make some payment and get a bill of sale marked, "sold for storage." Be sure the machine's description and serial number are included.

Often an abandoned machine will contain enough money to pay for itself. I once bought a penny scale from a drug store and found the coin box full to the brim. Burkett advises,

... abandoned machines, at times, present themselves. When finding one and buying it, don't shake it. It generally contains money, so don't advertise the fact.

Those in the know look for abandoned machines with most of their merchandise sold. They probably still contain the coins that paid for the merchandise sold.

Jingle Dollar Stories

Burkett's book tells how to place and maintain coin operated devices that were common in 1967, but seldom seen 40 years later: popcorn vendors, toilet door locks, penny gum and charm machines, typewriters, and others. His tips apply just as well to today's Internet kiosks, video games, and Red Box DVD vendors.

Best places are on vacation travel highways. Intersections of highways where all cars must slow down are super spots. Kids see the machine—Presto, daddy must pull in the station for corn for the kiddies. A machine at an intersection four miles South of Martinez, California earned $1.00 per day.

Thus were fortunes made.