» Restorations by Vintage Vending Inc.

Royal Crown Atlas 18 Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:26:36 +0000

This is an Atlas 18 Picnic Cooler that was manufactured for the Royal Crown Company Inc. by the Atlas Tool & Manufacturing Company of Missouri. We restored this cooler some years ago at Vintage Vending. It is embossed with the Royal Crown Cola logo and painted in the Royal Crown colors. This model was manufactured in the 1950s. It can be difficult to locate one of these coolers in good shape nowadays.

Originally the Atlas 18 was available with a sandwich tray. There is a bottle opener and a drain located on the side of the cooler, and interlocking handles on the top. Atlas also manufactured a variety of other items including ice cream vending machines and household fans. These picnic coolers are not only very collectible, but are a lot of fun to use today for picnics or tailgate parties.

Dimensions: 17”L x 9 1/4”W x 15 1/2”H
Capacity: 18 bottles
Produced: 1950s

Manufactured by: 
Atlas Tool & Mfg. Co. 
5147 Natural Bridge Blvd. 
St. Louis, Missouri

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Custom Cavalier 96 Soda Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:00:03 +0000

These are a pair of Cavalier 96 soda vending machines. Back when we were in the restoration business, we did a custom restoration of these two vendors for the Texas supermarket chain, HEB. They were doing a drawing to give them away as a marketing promotion.

These machines were manufactured sometime in the late 1950s. The Cavalier 96 is a popular machine today because it was made with adjustable shelves that allow a variety of bottle sizes to be vended. Bottles ranging in size from 6.5 ounces to 10 ounces are able to fit into the machine. It’s also possible to change the amount charged per bottle; the machine can be set to charge up to $1.00 per bottle.

Vintage soda vending machines are great to use in your home or office since you can fill your drink box with your favorite bottled beverage. With a 96-bottle capacity, the 96 is a good size vendor to have in your home. It makes for a fun and functional piece that’s also a real conversation starter.

Dimensions:
67”H x 24 3/4”W x 21 7/8”D

Manufactured by:
Cavalier Corporation
1105 East Tenth Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Hancock Progress A1 Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:00:52 +0000

This 1950s picnic cooler was manufactured by the Progress Refrigerator Company of Louisville, Kentucky. It has been restored and painted with the colors and graphics for the Hancock Oil Company of California.

This picnic cooler has an enameled steel exterior as well as a galvanized liner. On the interior there would have been a sandwich tray but it’s had to find a cooler today with the original tray. There are two handles on the cooler (one on the lid, one on the sides) that lock together for carrying. There’s also a convenient bottle opener mounted on the side, as well as a cap catcher on the cart. This cooler holds up to 32 bottles, as well as room for storing food above the bottles on the sandwich tray. This design was great, since it would keep the sandwiches above the bottles and ice, so the food could stay cool, but dry. There is also additional space on the rack below for uncooled bottle storage or empties.

Dimensions: 19”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

Seeburg Select-O-Matic KD-200 Jukebox

vintagevending — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:54:42 +0000

Pictured here is a 1957 Seeburg Select-O-Matic KD-200 Jukebox. It features the classic design style of the automotive industry that was so influential in the 1950s. The speaker grill has prominent chromed design elements to resemble the taillights and fins of a late 50’s automobile. This juke is a classic representation of the jukebox design qualities of the Silver Age of Jukeboxes that ran from 1952 to 1962.

The KD-200 was a Select-O-Matic, so it was able to offer 200 possible selections from both sides of up to 100 45rpm records. The song titles are displayed on a drum that rotates when a button is pushed. The KD-200 was manufactured with an electronic memory unit that could store multiple selections and recall them when it came time to play them.

Dimensions:
57”H x 34.75”W x27”D

Manufactured by:
J.P. Seeburg Corporation
Chicago, Illinois

M&S 80 Sunoco Gas Pump

vintagevending — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:43 +0000

Martin & Schwartz Pump Company began manufacturing gas pumps and industrial equipment in 1922 in Buffalo, NY. In 1939 they relocated to Salisbury, Maryland. From 1937 to 1949 the company was owned by a group of oil companies that included Sunoco, Mobil, Standard (Indiana) and Conoco. M&S customized their gas pump manufacturing for these four major oil companies.

In 1951 M&S was purchased by the Wayne Pump Company, who then moved all their manufacturing and headquarters from their Ft. Wayne, Indiana location to the M&S plant in Salisbury. For a short time after the sale of M&S, new gas pumps carried both the M&S and Wayne brands on them. But within just a few years the M&S was dropped and all the pumps manufactured in the Salisbury plant bore the Wayne brand name. These pumps became known as the Wayne 80 model.

The most collectible model of the M&S pumps is the model 80, shown here. This is a restored 1950 M&S 80 that has what is called the “Ad Glass top”, which refers to the illuminated inset on the top of the pump. The model 80 was also available as a “Script Top” with the oil company name stamped out of the metal with letters that were illuminated.

Manufactured by:
Martin & Schwartz Pump Company
Buffalo, New York

AMi Continental 2 Jukebox

vintagevending — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:33:47 +0000

This jukebox features the classic atomic design of the 1960s. The uniqueness of its design has resulted in the Continental 2’s appearance in several Hollywood movies. Built in 1962, the distinctive styling of the AMi Continental 2 reflects the esthetic of the modern space age. The Plexiglas dome over the turntable and the semi-circle of the song selection board give this juke a real “Lost in Space” appearance.

The Continental 2 is able to play up to 200 selections from either 45 or 33rpm records and features the AMi Stereo Round sound system. Still a relatively new concept, the first stereo jukebox was made by Wurlitzer in 1959.

AMi was founded in 1909 as the National Automatic Music Co., making coin-operated player pianos. AMi developed the first electric jukebox amplifier in 1927, greatly increasing the popularity of jukeboxes. They merged with Rowe Corp., a vending machine manufacturer, in 1959. Today the company is known as AMI Entertainment Inc. and is a worldwide supplier of digital entertainment, such as touch screen games and Rock-Ola jukeboxes.

Dimensions: 65”H x 30”W x 29”D
Weight: Approx. 350 lbs.

Automatic Musical Instruments, Inc.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Esso Visible Gas Pump

vintagevending — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:04:49 +0000

This is an Esso visible gas pump, called the G&B model 177, made in 1925. The manufacturer was Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company. The first gas pumps were “visible” gas pumps that drew the gasoline out of the ground and into a 5 to 10 gallon glass cylinder before it was released into the car. The glass allowed the customer to see how much gas was pumped and whether or not it was clean, which was too often not the case. The gas was pumped from the ground using a lever on the pump (not visible in this photo), by pulling it back and forth. When the gas was released, gravity allowed it to flow out of the tall cylinder and in into the car’s gas tank.

The Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company was located in Springfield, Massachusetts. They began manufacturing gas pumps around 1902. The company name was changed to Gilbarco in 1965. In 1966 they relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina where they operate today as Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a subsidiary of the Danaher Corporation. They remain one of the leading gas pump manufacturers in the world today.

Pepsi-Cola Vendorlator 27

vintagevending — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:56:06 +0000

Nicknamed by collectors as the “mailbox” or the “tabletop”, the Vendorlator 27 was the smallest soda machine made by Vendorlator. Being only 27 inches high and weighing about 100 lbs., this machine was designed to sit on a countertop or on an optional stand. Because of their small size, these vendors were very popular with owners of small stores having limited floor and counter space.

Built between 1948 and 1951, these machines are relatively easy to find, since most were used indoors and did not suffer from exposure to the weather. It vends up to 27 6.5-ounce bottles and had the space to pre-cool an additional 10. The bottles are loaded into an interior drum which rotates to vend each bottle. These machines originally sold for $125. This is a soda machine we restored when we were in the business years ago.

Dimensions: 27”H x 24”W x 19”D (without stand)
Weight: 100 lbs.

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Co.
4000 Railroad Avenue
Fresno, California

Seeburg 100 Wall-O-Matic

vintagevending — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:59:14 +0000

The Seeburg 100 Wall-O-Matic set shown here includes a remote song selector and two speakers. These components would have been connected to a central jukebox located elsewhere in the building. These worked with any jukebox in the Select-O-Matic series. The selector was designed to mount on a wall or it could also be placed on a table or countertop. It allowed the customers to remotely select songs from the jukebox and the selectors were placed in diner booths or on counters. The teardrop-shaped speakers were wall-mounted and also worked remotely, receiving the signal of the jukebox.

The Wall-O-Matics were manufactured between 1948 and 1958 and were initially released with a painted finish. The chrome finish was introduced in 1950. This early set has been restored and painted a trendy turquoise. These units were a very common sight in diners and restaurants and are recognized today as true icons of the jukebox era.

1950s Ford Gumball Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:48:05 +0000

The first stick gum machines were introduced in 1888, followed by the first gumball vending machines in 1907. Shortly after that, Ford Mason, a roofing salesman, was looking for a business to get involved in during the winter months, when sales were at a lull. He started by leasing about 100 gumball machines and placing them in stores throughout western New York. He found the gum business profitable enough that he considered leaving roofing sales altogether. But Ford realized he would never do as well as he could because most gum sales were from one-time customers. This was because the gum in vending machines was of poor quality and the machines were unreliable. So Ford set out fulltime to make a better gum. Shortly after Ford’s father, a Baptist minister, advised him to start making his own gum vending machines. The success of Ford’s machines lead to a nationwide business with over 500,000 gum vendors across the country.

This is a vintage Ford gum vending machine from the 1950s. This model was set up to vend gum for 1 penny. The glass globe has a flat top, because originally there was a metal frame positioned on the top of these gumball vendors that displayed the name of whatever local charity the vendor was collecting for. These machines had the capacity to fit 4 lbs. of gumballs. We restored this chrome gum vendor back when we were still in the restoration business.

Dimensions: 12”H x 8”W
Weight: 13 lbs.

Ford Gum and Machine Co., Inc.
18 Newton Ave.
Akron, New York

Streak-O-Lite Wagon

vintagevending — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:54:13 +0000

The Streak-O-Lite wagon was manufactured by Radio Steel & Manufacturing, a company that later became known as Radio Flyer, Inc. The company was founded by Antonio Pasin, a man who emigrated from Italy at the age of 16 and started his own toy wagon business in 1917 with little more than ingenuity and a lot of hard work. The Streak-O-Lite coaster wagon was introduced in 1934, amid the Depression of the 1930s. Although people were forced to live with less, they desired better lives for their children and continued to purchase wagons. Because of this, the wagon factory was able to remain open through the depression, producing 1,500 wagons a day.

The Streak-O-Lite’s styling was based on that of the Zephyr streamline trains with their Art Deco design. In addition to the streamline design, the coaster wagon came with details like control dials and functioning headlights. It retailed for $5 at the time.

Universal 7 Bottle Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:38 +0000

These photos are of a restored Universal Container built for a 7-bottle capacity. These were made between the 1940s and the 1950s. The soda bottles were cooled by being surrounded with crushed ice. These picnic coolers were painted a mint green by the manufacturer.

The Universal Cooler Corporation was a division of the International Detrola Corporation of Detroit, Michigan. Other Detrola-owned companies were manufacturers of radios, washing machines, furniture and machine tools. In 1950 the Universal Cooler Corp. was acquired by the Tecumseh Products Company of Tecumseh, Michigan.

Dimensions: Approx. 11” diameter x 12” high

Manufactured by:
Universal Cooler Corp.
Marion, Ohio

Antique Hanson Barber Chair

vintagevending — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:17:57 +0000

The Louis Hanson Company was a prominent Chicago furniture maker. The Hanson Company was founded in Chicago around 1883 by Danish immigrant, Louis Hanson. His company first established itself as a manufacturer of picture frames and moldings. Years later, the company was known for producing high-quality hall furniture and mirrors. Most likely it was an easy transition to other types of furniture, like barber chairs. American furniture companies began manufacturing reclining barber chairs in the early 1880s.

This early Louis Hanson barber chair was built before the turn of the century. It probably dates to around 1880, since chairs built later in the 19th century utilized hydraulics to adjust the chair height. The decorative carvings in this oak chair were typical in that time period, as well as the plush upholstery. Other features were the adjustable footrest and the swiveling seat, which could also be put in a reclining position.

We no longer own this item, but it is a great example of early Americana. Items such as these are highly desirable by collectors of barbershop ephemera.

Oilzum Gas Station Sign

vintagevending — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:35:28 +0000

The White & Bagley Company was founded in 1888 by F. W. White and H. P. Bagley. They set up shop Worcester, Massachusetts to create a reliable motor oil for the earliest automobiles. Formerly, car owners acquired their oil from blacksmiths and corner stores. These unbranded oils proved to be of inferior and inconsistent quality. As the cars became more reliable, the motor oil used in them needed to be more reliable and durable, too. So White and Bagley developed Oilzum which was introduced in 1905. I was the first branded oil and was a consistent, high-quality product. Oilzum became very among racecar drivers. Today the Oilzum brand is owned by Dennison Lubricants, Inc. of Lakeville, Massachusetts.

The famous Oilzum slogan appears on this restored gas station sign and reads, “If motors could speak we wouldn’t need to advertise”. This design was used from the 1930s to the 1960s.

GE Monitor Top Fridge

vintagevending — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:00:28 +0000

The Monitor Top Fridge is the most easily identified vintage refrigerator because of its unique top. It was named “Monitor Top” after the resemblance of its top to the turret on the ironclad Civil War warship, the USS Monitor. GE manufactured the Monitor Top Fridge from 1927 to 1936. It was finally replaced when GE released the “Flat Top” model fridge in 1937.

Priced at $300, these were considered the first affordable refrigerators for the typical American family. GE made it possible to make monthly payments of $10 a month, which was conveniently added on to the family’s utility bill. These were not the first household fridges, but they were the first to be sold in such great numbers.

Small changes were made through the years of its production, such as the condenser coils being enclosed and the addition of slide out shelves. But the basic design of the Monitor Top stayed pretty much the same for the nine years it was made. Cooling was accomplished with the use of either sulfur dioxide or methyl formate. It was the first fridge to come with an all-steel cabinet. The Monitor Top was available as a one-, two- or three-door fridge. The single-door fridge was the model most widely used in private homes, and provided 5 to 7 cubic feet of storage.

The Monitor Top is believed by many to be the best and most reliable fridge ever manufactured. As a matter of fact, many of them are still in use in homes today, like this model unit that we restored for a customer. This model is a 1929 or 1930 Monitor Top that was restored and finished with vintage ads for Frostie Root Beer, Squirt Soda and Kayo Chocolate Drink. (Please note we are no longer in the restoration business.)

Dimensions: 64”H x 24”W x 21½”D

Seeburg Q100 Jukebox

vintagevending — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:40 +0000

The 1950s were the Silver Age of jukeboxes and the Seeburg boxes manufactured during this time were considered the best engineered and made by many jukebox fans and collectors. First released in November 1959, the Seeburg Q100 is a Select-O-Matic jukebox that can hold 50 45’s for a total of 100 selections. It also plays 33½ rpm records with three selections per side. The 33½ rpm albums were a standard 7 inches in diameter, with a smaller center hole like on the 45s.

A new cabinet design was introduced with this model. This was one of the last Seeburg designs where the playing mechanism was visible. The graphics were getting larger on the newer models, and began to restrict the window space for displaying the inner workings of the jukebox.

This is a jukebox we restored that we no longer own. On the display at the back of the jukebox was space to list additional song titles. There is also an ad for the LP titled “Elvis Sails”. This album had recordings of the press interviews with Elvis when he enlisted in the US Army, just before he sailed from the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn, New York on September 22, 1958. The album was released in December 1958. Graphics like this could be replaced on the jukebox, as new ads became available.

National Sun Ray Gas Pump

vintagevending — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:37:54 +0000

Late 1930s National A-1 Pump Restoration

This is a gas pump we restored with the Sun Ray Gasoline logo and colors. This is a National A-1 gas pump manufactured by the National Oil Pump and Tank Company of Dayton, Ohio. The company was founded in 1907 and by 1930 the name had changed to the National Pumps Corporation. Tokheim bought National in 1948, and although they did use the National name on some of their pumps, the name was very soon eliminated.

The A-1 is a computer dial pump with an inside sight gauge. This style pump was manufactured from 1936 to 1940. It has an art deco design and an illuminated top unlike any other gas pump. The restoration process would have involved sandblasting, sanding, repairing of any damage and repainting. Finally, the pump was clear-coated and the decals added. This restored pump is an example of how colorful the original pumps could have been.

1940s Dr. Pepper Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:12:53 +0000

This picnic cooler for Dr. Pepper was manufactured, we believe by Progress. It appears to be a rare example, since we’ve been unable to locate any in reference books or online. If you can share anything about this cooler, please add your comments.

The slogan, “Good For Life” appears on the front of the cooler and was used on Dr. Pepper products throughout the 1940s. This picnic cooler has a unique fastening clamp to hold the lid in place. In addition, there is a bottle opener positioned on the side of the cooler, and a drain plug on the front.

Produced: 1940s
Manufactured by: Progress?

Park-O-Meter Parking Meters

vintagevending — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:22:54 +0000

This is an assortment of Park-O-Meter parking meters. They were manufactured by the Magee-Hale Park-O-Meter Company. The founder of this company, Carl C. Magee, is recognized as the first person to receive a patent for a paying parking meter. His patent was issued in 1938. Magee’s invention of the parking meters was the result of a request by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce to solve their downtown-parking problem. People were parking in the parking spaces for too long, including people who worked downtown that parked in the spots all day. This resulted in lost income for the local merchants. Paying for a parking spot assured that people would move once their time was expired on the meter. In addition, the meters earned significant revenue for the town of Oklahoma City.

The meters pictured here allowed 2 hours of parking for a nickel. They were manufactured in the 1950s and have been restored and painted in different colors. A great reuse of one of these meters would be as a conversation piece in a gameroom or office.

These items are not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Tokheim 350-P Twin Gas Pump

vintagevending — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:23:17 +0000

This is a gas pump that we restored at Vintage Vending years ago. It is a twin pump model called the Tokheim 350-P. Manufactured from 1956 to 1960, this pump was made by the Tokheim Corporation of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There is a large “face” on each side, allowing gas to be pumped from both sides as well as offering two different brands of gasoline on each side.

Restoration consisted of stripping, repairing and painting with our auto body restoration process. It was clear-coated and detailed with the Sky Chief and Fire-Chief Texaco brands.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Coca-Cola Multiplex 44 Soda Fountain Dispenser

vintagevending — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:30:43 +0000

The Multiplex 44 soda fountain dispenser was made by the Multiplex Faucet Company from 1961 to 1962 and total production was about 2,000 machines. It was the last metal model dispenser that they made as they changed over to plastic after 1961. The Multiplex 44 was a dual-valve dispenser made for dispensing two flavors of soft drinks.

The back of the machine is embossed with the Coca-Cola logo and the slogan, “Have a Coke” appears over one dispensing valve. The other valve is unspecified so a decal could be added for any other soft drink. The plastic nozzles mixed the carbonated water and the soft drink syrup as it dispensed them.

Manufactured by: 
Multiplex Faucet Company
St. Louis, MO

Vintage U.S. Mailbox

vintagevending — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:59:03 +0000

These are photos of a U.S. mailbox that we restored some years ago. It dates to the late 1950s or some time in the early to mid-1960s. The manufacturer is unknown, but the style of the box is very much like the early designs conceived of by Postmaster David C. Owens in the early 1900s. The original boxes Owens designed were made of cast iron and were produced until the 1940s. Because of the resemblance to those boxes, this style box has become known as an Owens-style mailbox. This particular box is made of a sheet metal and is modeled on the earlier Owens design.

1950s Stoner Univendor Theater Candy Vending Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:32:07 +0000

This beautiful red candy machine is a 1950s Stoner Theater Candy Vendor that we restored. It is one of several that we restored over the years. They are the most rare of the Stoner candy vendors, with an illuminated front panel. They are capable of vending up to eight different types of candy and accept nickels, dimes and quarters. These vendors, with their upscale Art Deco styling, would have been positioned in the lobbies of nicer movie theaters.

As you can see by the Univendor brochure, we took some creative license when restoring this machine, since they originally had a walnut finish. This model was even available as a 16-item vendor called the Dual De Luxe Theater Model that was able to hold 320 units of candy. If you go to the Retroplanet.com Museum, you’ll see two other Stoner Theater models we restored: one is blue and the other is maroon.

Manufactured by: 
Stoner Mfg. Corp. 
Aurora, Illinois

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Orange Crush Adco Fountain Dispenser Head

vintagevending — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:32:40 +0000

Here are some photos of an Adco Orange Crush dispenser. This was simply the valve; all of the syrup and carbonation would have been under the counter. Most likely it would have been positioned on the soda fountain, with the back facing toward the customers sitting at the counter. The orange-colored stand was something we made and was not part of the original dispenser. Our restoration was minor, but included giving it a good cleaning, replacing the drip tray (which are always missing) and making the before-mentioned stand.

Adco was a fairly minor player in the soda fountain dispenser business, but they manufactured some interesting and now very collectible pieces.

Red Rock A1 Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:23:22 +0000

This Progress A1 picnic cooler is referred to as the “tall” version. It shares the same dimensions in width and length as the smaller A1 coolers, but this model is 2 ½ inches taller. It has a 38-bottle capacity and is embossed with the Red Rock Cola brand. Red Rock was a soda brand founded in 1885 by Lee Hagan and G. T. Dodd of Atlanta, Georgia. When they started the Red Rock Company their first soda flavor was ginger ale. In 1894 they added a cola to their line that was sold in 12-ounce bottles. In their early days, Red Rock was a leader in soda distribution, but by the late 50’s their business was in serious decline. Today the distribution rights to Red Rock Cola are owned by American West Beverages of Kennesaw, Georgia.

Unrestored Progress A1 Cooler

Dimensions: 19L x 13”W x 21 ½”H
Produced: Late 40’s to 50’s

Detroit Police Telephone Call Box

vintagevending — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:00:49 +0000

The first police call boxes were created in 1883 for the city of Washington, D.C. They made it possible for both the public and the police to contact the local police station in the event of an emergency. The idea quickly caught on across the U.S. and call boxes were installed in other large cities. Police walkie-talkies eventually made call boxes unnecessary in most cities by the late 1960s.

This aluminum call box was manufactured by The Gamewell Company of New York in the mid-1900s. The original Detroit police call boxes were painted a solid blue. This one has been redone with a striking black, white and gold color combination, as well as the modern-day slogan, “No Drugs” painted on the side. Inside is a wall-style telephone. Northern Electric made this particular model called the Uniphone sometime in the 1940’s or 50’s.

Dimensions: 16”H x 11”W x 5”D
Produced: Mid-1900s

Antique White Frost Round Ice Box

vintagevending — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:48:32 +0000

In order to keep food from spoiling back in the days before electric refrigeration, it was necessary to keep it in an icebox. These units were made of wood or metal and the food was kept chilled by adding blocks of ice. The ice was delivered by the iceman on his horse drawn ice truck. He knew which customers were in need of ice by the sign the woman of the house would leave in a window that was visible from the street. The sign was on a square piece of cardboard with varying amounts of ice printed on it. For example: 25, 50, 75 or 100 lbs. of ice. The customer would turn the desired amount to the top of the card as a signal to the iceman so he would know how large a block of ice to cut. This was very handy to the deliveryman to prevent lugging a massive chunk of ice up several flights of stairs, only to find out the inhabitants didn’t need it. Stories tell of icemen hurling unwanted ice over balconies to avoid carrying it all the way back down. The ice smashing onto the street would be much to the delight of the children below who would pick up the pieces of ice to suck on them.

This unit was manufactured by the White Frost Refrigerator Co. around 1918 and was called the White Frost Sanitary Refrigerator. The ice was deposited into the top compartment of the icebox. The food was placed on one of three tiers of wire below. These racks turned, like a lazy-Susan. The ice normally lasted about three days before it had to be replaced. Water drained from out the base of the icebox to a pan that was positioned below. This pan had to be emptied as the ice melted, to avoid flooding the kitchen. This model also has a water dispenser located on the side.

Electric-powered refrigerators were made available to the public as early as 1913. But either because of economic considerations, or resistance to change, many people were still using ice and ice boxes in the US until as recently as the 1960s.

Produced: About 1918
Manufactured by: White Frost Refrigerator Co.

Steelcraft Fire Engine Pedal Car

vintagevending — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:54:10 +0000

Here are some before and after pictures of a 1930’s Steelcraft hook & ladder pedal car. As you can see from the before pictures, it was in decent shape for its age and was complete, except for the ladders. It was rusty but had no major dents, so the restoration was pretty straightforward. This was restored some years ago. Looking at the pictures now, I noticed we did not put the trim back on the side of the car. I am not sure why, but in any case, I think it came out just fine. And one other note: this pedal car was found in a basement in Methuen, MA.

Produced: late 1930s
Manufactured by: Steelcraft Co.

Mission Orangeade Simplex Juice Dispenser

vintagevending — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:11:51 +0000

This is a very unique looking dispenser. It is a juice dispenser made by the Simplex Manufacturing Company for the Mission Dry Corporation of Los Angeles, California, makers of Mission Orangeade. This Art Deco style model was called the Model H Simplex Dispenser and was constructed of metal for both the body and the footed base.

The spigot is positioned on the back of the dispenser so the stylized front with the great oranges on top would have faced the customers as the drink was poured. It’s a very striking dispenser and must have been very a successful point-of-purchase display promoting Mission’s “Real fruit juice” drink.

Produced: 1930s
Dimensions: 33”H x 16”W

Manufactured by:
Simplex Manufacturing Company

Canada Dry Multiplex Soda Fountain Dispenser

vintagevending — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:19:02 +0000

This is a Canada Dry Multiplex soda fountain that we once owned. The restoration was not extensive, as this came to us in pretty decent shape. We just had to clean it up a bit. This style of dispenser became known as “tombstone” due to the shape. This is a great little soft drink dispenser that doesn’t take up a lot of space, but was still able to fill tall glasses as well as shorter cups.

Produced: Late 1940s
Manufactured by: Multiplex

Pepsi VMC 81 Soda Vending Machine

vintagevending — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:13:49 +0000

This machine can vend up to 81 cold bottles of Pepsi-Cola and has room to pre-cool 17. There are nine shelves, so a machine restored for use today has the capability of vending up to nine different flavors, depending on your needs. The slant shelves can accommodate bottles ranging in size from 6 ½ ounces to 12 ounces, giving you even more flexibility. The vending door has a fluorescent light inside, to illuminate the soda bottles within, making it easy to see your selection.

The original Pepsi VMC 81s were painted a solid “Pepsi Blue”. We have restored this machine with a deeper blue, added the white top and changed the embossed lettering from white to red, creating much more of a contrast.

The resulting red, white and blue is very striking and would look great in any gameroom or office. Whereas Vendo only produced the 81 for the Coca-Cola Company, Vendorlator (or VMC, as they’re also called), produced soda machines for many soda companies. Despite the fact that the Pepsi VMCs had the second highest production rate (second only to Coke), these machines are not that easy to find today.

Dimensions: 58”H x 27”W x 16”D
Weight: 286 lbs.
Produced: 1955 to 1958

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Company
Fresno, California

The Westinghouse Half Junior Ice Chest

vintagevending — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:33:28 +0000

The Westinghouse Half Junior was a countertop ice chest produced from the late 30’s to the early forties. The cooler had embossing on the front and back, as well as the sides. It was designed to hold 24 bottles of Coca-Cola and 20 pounds of ice. These little countertop coolers are rare, although we did own two at one time and restored at least one. You can find them with built-in recessed handles or with no handles at all.

Dimensions: 14”H x 25.5”W x 12”D
Manufacturer:
Westinghouse Corporation
Springfield, Massachusetts

Howard Johnson’s Fiberglass Sign

vintagevending — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:25:29 +0000

Here is a fiberglass sign featuring the Howard Johnson’s Pie Man and Little Boy that we restored a few years back. These once graced the entrance to every Ho Jo’s in the country. Restoration is pretty straightforward; a very light sand or bead blast, body filling, sanding, priming, sanding again and finally, painting. This is really a great piece of Americana when it’s all finished.

To learn more about the history of Howard Johnson’s read our blog about it on Retroplanet.com.

http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/character-of-the-week/simple-simon-and-the-pieman/

Dallas Country Club Golf Ball Washer

vintagevending — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:43:55 +0000

Sometimes I can’t recall where some of the things came to us from years ago when we were in the restoration business. Take for example, this Dallas Country Club 13th hole golf ball washer. This probably came to us as part of a larger collection we purchased. In any case, it was a neat little item as well an easy restoration. The work consisted of some light sandblasting, some textured red powder coating and some hand lettering. When you’re finished, you have a neat little piece of golfing memorabilia.

The Ford Eco Air Meter Model 93 Tire Pump

vintagevending — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:18:35 +0000

The Ford Eco Air Meter Model 93 Tire Pump

We restored this Model 93 Eco air meter using a Ford theme, utilizing Ford graphics and colors. It is the same model air pump mentioned in our earlier blog featuring an air meter with Texaco graphics. This is an example of a great piece of roadside Americana that has been beautifully restored and updated so it can be used today as a display piece in a home, garage or business.

Many of us can remember pulling into a gas station to use one of these, or to watch our parents use one. These air meters have the distinctive bell that rings as the air is pumped into the tire. Each infusion of air was accompanied by a “ding” as the meter checked to see if the amount of pressure set on the gauge had been reached yet. These meters also were equipped with a handy reel and automatic recoil to wind the hose back onto the reel once tire inflation was completed.

Produced: From 1947 to late 1950s.

Manufactured by:
Service Station Equipment Company 
The Bennett Pump Division
Muskegon, Michigan

Squirt Progress A1 Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

This is a 1950s picnic cooler made by the Progress Refrigerator Company for the makers of Squirt soda. This Progress A1 picnic cooler was made of steel with a galvanized liner. They originally came with a sandwich tray, but today it is hard to find examples with these intact. Squirt is one of the many soda companies Progress produced coolers for. They also manufactured the A1 cooler for the makers of Canada Dry, Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper and Barq’s. Some of the cooler’s features are two handles that lock together for carrying and a side-mounted bottle opener. There’s also a handy drainage spout positioned on the front for dispensing the water once the ice has melted. This model was able to hold up to 24 bottles of soda in addition to the food that would have been placed on the sandwich tray above, keeping is nice and dry.

Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Victor C-31 Coca-Cola 3-Door Cooler

vintagevending — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:00:22 +0000

The Victor Products Corporation started out as a commercial refrigeration manufacturer in the 1920s. They became well known for producing their uniquely styled, yet functional counter coolers. Victor built a series of counter coolers for the Coca-Cola Company that included one-, two-, three- and four-door styles, in addition to the very rare Victor Kooler Grill.

The C-31 was a 3-door counter cooler. It had a large capacity, able to hold 756 bottles of chilled Coca-Cola. The bottles were placed in the cooler horizontally, positioned on top of each other in alternating directions, to fit together like a puzzle. The doors on the cooler were roll-top style so they could be pushed up out of the way to access the soda bottles. The cooler was available with an optional black laminate countertop. It extended the length of the cooler and served as a sales and lunch counter. There were two built-in bottle openers with cap catchers and all four sides were embossed with Coca-Cola logos.

A restored Victor cooler such as this one would make a terrific retro style bar in a home or business and would also make a great addition to a gameroom or home theater.

Capacity: 756 bottles
Dimensions: 40”H x 75 1/2”W x 29”D
Weight: 605 lbs.
Produced: Early to mid-1950s

Manufactured by:
Victor Products Corporation
Hagerstown, Maryland

Theater Ticket-Shredding Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:06:55 +0000

Here is a theater ticket-shredding machine from the 1930s that we restored. Stands like these were positioned in a theater lobby and manned by a ticket-taker, or usher. They collected admission tickets to shred them as the patrons entered the theater. The tickets were dropped into the top of the machine and then the ticket-taker turned the wheel on the side of the stand to grind them up. The reason behind destroying the tickets was so they couldn’t be used by another patron to gain entrance to the show, and perhaps also, to avoid ticket resale by the usher. In theaters today they tear the ticket in half and ask you to hold onto the remaining stub so you can prove you paid to get in.

We restored this machine to reflect the art deco design trend that was so popular in the 1930s. The art deco style is reflected in the graphics and type style, as well as the chrome details on the stand.

Produced: Late 1930s

Cigaromat 6-Selection Cigar Vendor

vintagevending — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:17:37 +0000

This is a cigar vending machine that we restored. It was made by the Cigaromat Service Corp. some time in the 1950s. They were available in either a smaller tabletop 3-selection style, or like this floor model 6-selection style. The pull handles are made of Bakelite. The graphics are ours and are not original.

This is an interesting machine as it dispensed a single cigar at a time. It was probably placed beside cigarette vending machines in the lobbies of restaurants, theaters and nightclubs.

Orange Crush Adco Soda Dispenser

vintagevending — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:09:52 +0000

Orange Crush has always been a very popular soft drink, and still is. This soda fountain dispenser was made by a manufacturer called Adco, but there is not much available out there about them. This dispenser is from somewhere around the mid-1930s to the early 1940s. It worked by mixing the flavored syrup and carbonated water when the handle was pulled and the drink was dispensed. The dispenser would have been mounted onto the counter of the soda fountain.

The lid of this dispenser has the Orange Crush mascot, Crushy, mounted on it. This stylized figure is shown holding an orange, supposedly squeezing the juice out of it as he is seen doing in vintage Orange Crush advertisements.

Produced: Mid-1930s to early 1940s

Studebaker Pedal Car by Midwest Industries

vintagevending — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:27:24 +0000

The Modern Tool & Die Company was started in 1932 by three men: Theo Moll, Emil Jochum and Erwin Gerhard. A new division was added in 1953 called Midwest Industries. They made their first pressed steel pedal car in 1956 and rapidly built a reputation for high-quality craftsmanship. The pedal car they produced was the Studebaker Jet Hawk sedan. It was based on the actual 1956 Studebaker Hawk car series (there was a Golden Hawk, Flight Hawk, Sky Hawk, Powerhawk and a Silver Hawk).

There were only three car styles made based on the single chassis stamping of the Studebaker pedal car. The sedan style was called the Jet Hawk and originally came with tail fins and a large hood ornament. The Sportster and Strato-Jet were produced from the same body with modifications to the paint and graphics.

Slight modifications to the body were made over the next few years including adding a platform to the rear to adapt the car to a hook-and-ladder fire engine model. Another change was to make the grille more flat and minor adjustments were made to the hood to create a new appearance.

Because of the short production period of these cars, and the fact that they were never mass-produced, they are not that easy to find examples of. This is a Studebaker Strato-Jet that we restored. The colors are not original, but rather, this is a custom paint job with airbrushed flames and grille.

Dimensions: 37”L
Produced: 1956 to 1962

Manufactured by:
Midwest Industries
Willard, Ohio

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in our museum for viewing, information and to further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also just want to share the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Ice Cream Tricycle Restoration

vintagevending — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:54:28 +0000

In the 1930s the Good Humor ice cream company saw the need to be able to sell ice cream where people spent their time in the good weather—outdoors. Their solution was to send out a fleet of ice cream vending tricycles. They went directly to Schwinn and asked them if they were interested in designing something for them. Schwinn turned them down, but not before directing them to Worksman, a small bicycle manufacturer in New York that was already producing something like that. Worksman was busy producing Good Humor ice cream vending trikes for 40 years. They still manufacture all sorts of recreation and vending bicycles today.

This 1950s ice cream tricycle is one that we restored. As you can see by the old paint, there was a generic brand of ice cream painted on it originally. All of the trike’s components are the original pieces. Everything was stripped, repaired and repainted. The restoration was completed with a custom paint job and new wide whitewall tires.

Produced: 1950s
Dimensions: 100″L x 25″W x 40″H

Manufactured by:
Worksman Cycles
Queens, New York

Canada Dry Progress A1 Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:36 +0000

This is a picnic cooler made by the Progress Refrigerator Company in the 1950s. It is embossed with the Canada Dry logo and this model is referred to as the Progress A1. Canada Dry is just one of the many companies Progress produced coolers for. Some of the other soda companies they made coolers for were Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper, Squirt and Barq’s. The cooler is made of steel with two handles that locked together for carrying the cooler. There is a bottle opener mounted on the side and a drainage spout on the front. This model was built to hold 24 bottles of soda. Collectors will be aware that A1s with the Canada Dry embossing are not that easy to find. Some years ago we restored this cooler back to its original glory, but please note we are no longer in the restoration business.

Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 19”H

Coca-Cola Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:37:39 +0000

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As you can see by the “before” photo of this un-embossed cooler, it definitely was produced as Coca-Cola. This was a great little cooler with a detachable tray on the bottom where you could keep things dry. There also were places inside the lid for a can/bottle opener and an ice pick. This was a relatively small cooler with not much room for more then eight to ten bottles of Coke. Manufacturer is unknown.

Pepsi-Cola Vendo Coin Changer

vintagevending — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:47:08 +0000

Here is a Vendo coin changer painted in Pepsi colors and fastened to a custom-made stand with custom graphics. Vendo put out the coin changer so you could get nickels in place of a quarter or a dime, primarily so you could buy a Coke from one of their soda machines. You would find them mostly painted in Coca-Cola red, but they could also be found in a generic color scheme. Not sure they were available in Pepsi colors, we just decided to paint one Pepsi blue for a change.

Dole Citation Coca-Cola Soda Fountain Dispenser

vintagevending — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:54:30 +0000

A big change in soda fountain dispenser design was seen with the introduction of the Dole Citation Dispenser in June of 1958. Manufactured by the Dole Valve Company of Chicago, Illinois, it reflected a totally new, modern design. It was Dole’s first dispenser to be made mostly of plastic. It was a square countertop model with a 1-gallon capacity.

Technology had advanced by 1962 so that dispensers were offered as either ice-cooled or mechanically refrigerated systems. The Dole Citation was produced through 1964 and was the predecessor to the multi-head self-serve soft drink dispensers we see in use at fast food restaurants nowadays.

Dimensions: 13.5”H x 17.75”L x 10.5”W
Weight: 39 lbs.

Coca-Cola Glasco GBV-50 Starlet Soda Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:30:22 +0000

This is a Glasco GBV-50 Starlet Soda Machine we restored. It was restored to original condition, but without the Glasco logo and we painted the cap catcher black, rather than red. We have replicated the classic Coca-Cola “fishtail” logo used from 1958 to 1965. Please note we are no longer in the restoration business.

Glasco actually began as the Glascock Brothers Manufacturing Company, a company that was founded in 1892 to build washing machines. In 1929 they produced their first Coca-Cola cooler. It was a cooler that held 72 bottles of Coke that was cooled with ice. It had space below to hold 3 additional cases of soda. The Standard, as it was called, was the first mass-produced Coca-Cola cooler. Because of this, Glascock is often referred to as the “grandfather” of all Coca-Cola vending machines. The company name was changed to the Glasco Corporation in the 1930s. Through the early 1960s, Glasco only made soda vending machines for the Coca-Cola Company. The Universal Match Company acquired Glasco in the 1960s.

The GBV-50 was a very significant vending machine for the Glasco Corporation. It marked their re-entry into the bottle vending business after dedicating several years to producing vendors that dispensed pre-mixed Coca-Cola into cups. The Glasco 50 was manufactured from the late 1950s to the early 1960s.

We’d also like to share these 1960 brochures we have for the Glasco GBV-50 Starlet. The Glasco 50 was built for dispensing bottles of Coca-Cola. This machine operated manually by opening the lid and sliding the bottle to the opening in order to remove it. The bottle was released once the coin was deposited into the coin box. This is a slider-style chest cooler that had the capacity to dispense 50 bottles and pre-cool 25. It was a dry cooler that used a compressor to cool the drinks. It was intended to hold a fair amount of product without taking up a lot of floor space as you can see in the brochure page. It was touted as being both compact and counter-high. It was also promoted as a soda vendor that could hold up to five different products. The slider had 5 rows that could each be filled with a different drink selection. It could hold regular or king-size bottles.

A very similar looking slider vendor had been introduced a few years earlier by the Ideal Dispenser Company. Where Glasco manufactured soda vendors exclusively for Coca-Cola, Ideal made machines for all the other soda manufacturers except Coca-Cola, with an exception. Ideal manufactured an Ideal 55 slider embossed with “Drink Coca-Cola in Bottles” in the late 1950s. It was the only machine they made for Coca-Cola, and therefore, is very rare. The Coca-Cola coolers were not embossed, while the Ideal 55B coolers were.

Dimensions: 37”W x 20”D x 41”H
Weight: 230 lbs.

Manufactured by:
Glasco
Muncie, Indiana

Dole Deluxe Coca-Cola Soda Fountain Dispenser

vintagevending — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:52:03 +0000

We restored this Dole Deluxe Coca-Cola soda fountain dispenser. It’s a countertop soda fountain dispenser that was introduced in 1947 by the Dole Valve Company. It was the very first dispenser they produced following WWII. Because of its shape, it was called the “outboard motor”. The design was created by Raymond Loewy, a famous industrial designer. The shape was reflective of the popular “streamline” style, suggesting speed.

The Dole Deluxe was manufactured from 1947 through 1951 and over 30,000 were sold. Although the dispenser had numerous improvements over previous models, it was still only able to dispense one 6-ounce glass of Coca-Cola at a time.

Manufactured by:
Dole Valve Company
Chicago, Illinois

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Cavalier 96 Custom Soda Machine Restoration

vintagevending — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:51:47 +0000

This late 1950s Cavalier CS-96 soda machine is a one-of-kind vending machine. On it we did a custom restoration for a college fraternity. The colors are inspired by their fraternity insignia and rather than dispensing soda, the shelves were adjusted so vending long neck beer bottles is no problem.

The Cavalier 96 is popular today because it was originally constructed with the adjustable shelves and also allowed varying amounts to be charged for dispensing. It is possible to charge up $1.00 per bottle and bottles from 6.5 ounces to 10 ounces are able to fit in the machine.

It’s a good example of how vintage soda vending machines can still be used in your home or office. Even if you keep the Coca-Cola embossing, you can fill your drink box with any bottled beverage that will fit for a fun and functional conversation piece in your home.

Please note we are no longer in the restoration business.

1940s Cigarette Vending Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:06:59 +0000

This is a 1940s cigarette machine that we restored. With smoking as popular as it was at the time, these machines would have been used nearly everywhere. Its beautiful art deco design indicates that it was probably used in a nice restaurant, nightclub or theater. We’re not sure who the manufacturer is, so if you have an idea, blog-in and let us know what you think.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Fire Department NY Call Box

vintagevending — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:54:47 +0000

Here is a New York City Fire Department call box we restored some years back. Not sure, but I would have to guess it was from the 1920’s or 30’s given what the insides looked like. You can still see these poles all over NYC, but the cool front doors and insides have been replaced with modern and efficient communication equipment.

What made this restoration somewhat challenging was its weight of roughly 400 pounds. Also, it was covered with many years of paint that needed to be removed. Once the paint was stripped, hundreds of little pits were revealed in the cast iron. It took hours and hours of filling these holes with Bondo that was applied by fingertip. Sanding before paint was also a very time-consuming process, especially trying to get into all the ornate details.

The lesson here is that it’s easy to underestimate the work involved when you first look at an item for restoration. It may not turn out to be as easy as you think. Sandblasting and throwing a coat of paint on an item can turn into a hundred hours if you want it done right.

1940s Stoner Candy Vending Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:50:47 +0000

This is a 1940s Stoner Candy Vendor that we restored some years ago. It has a very art deco look and was probably used in ritzier venues such as the lobby of an elegant hotel. It has a light on top that shines on the mirror below, as well as bulbs behind the “Fresh” and “Candy” signs to illuminate them. There’s a lot of pinstriping and chrome on this vending machine, making it a very beautiful example of a vintage Stoner Candy Vendor.

If you know more about this machine, or own one yourself we’d really like to hear what you know about it, so please blog-in.

Manufactured by:
Stoner Mfg. Corp.
Aurora, Illinois

1950 Garton Pink Kidillac Pedal Car

vintagevending — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:08:41 +0000

Toy manufacturers have been producing pedal cars just about as long as car manufacturers have been building cars. Karl Benz is credited with making the first modern automobile in 1885 and the first patent for a pedal car was issued in the early 1890s. Pedal cars became increasingly popular after the turn of the century and manufacturers began to model them on the current automobile designs. Pedal cars mimicked the design of the Buick, Packard or Pierce Arrow of that model year. This included the Cadillac, which was the inspiration for the Garton Kidillac.

The pedal car pictured here was based on the design of the 1950 Cadillac. The Kidillac was the top-of-the-line of all the pedal cars Garton produced. It had a steel chassis, chain-powered pedaling and a two-tone paint job, as well as chrome detailing like the big car. There was also an electric horn, head and taillights. Authenticity was key among consumers, so the Kidillac had a spare tire kit just like the real Cadillac.

There was a basic model available that came without the chain driven pedal system. There were Police and Fire Chief models as well. They came with accessories like horns, bells and spotlights. The Kidillac pedal cars were manufactured until 1963.

We restored our pedal car using different paint techniques than the original. We had custom airbrushing applied to the bumpers, trim and taillights, resulting in a souped-up version of the Kidillac. Please note that we are no longer in the restoration business.

View the video of this 1950 Garton Pink Kidillac Pedal Car

Coca-Cola Stadium Vendor

vintagevending — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:34:26 +0000

This is a Coca-Cola Stadium Vendor that we restored. Many collectors refer to these as “bottle carriers” but they were more than that. These were not used simply to transport bottles of Coca-Cola. They were used at baseball games and other events where there were large crowds. A hawker would circulate through the crowd and shout out that he had refreshing, cold soft drinks to sell.

You can imagine that these stadium vendors could get pretty heavy after a while. They were loaded up with glass Coca-Cola bottles and plenty of ice to keep them cold. In addition, this stadium vendor had a unique feature of also have designated spaces for both paper cups and straws. This particular stadium vendor was made some time in the 1950s.

Marx Lightning Express 3000 Ride On Train

vintagevending — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:22:21 +0000

This is a Marx Lightning Express 3000 Train that we restored. It was made in the 1950s by Louis Marx & Co. as a ride on toy for children. It’s made of steel, and in the 1950s, Marx was the leading manufacturer of metal toys in the world.

The front of our train engine is different than the original. It’s the same as that found on the Marx Pioneer Express model and to this we added an airbrushed headlight. And this train has been painted a shiny red, where the original toy was shades of grey with red accents. It’s a great bit of nostalgia for anyone who remembers toys from this era.

Dimensions: 12”H x 27”L

Stoner Fresh Gum Machine

vintagevending — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:29:36 +0000

Univendor One-Cent Fresh Gum Vendor

Here is a neat little gum machine we restored. Many years ago we purchased about 20 of these in various conditions and restored 4 or 5 of them. It is a Stoner/Univendor one-cent fresh gum vendor. They were designed to bolt onto the side of a larger Stoner candy machine. It dispensed a single piece of gum and had separate chutes for different flavors.

Dimensions: 17”H x 11.5”W x 4.5”D

Manufactured by:
Stoner Manufacturing Corp.
Aurora, Illinois

Stoner Fresh Gum Dispenser

Stoner Gum Vendor

Original Stoner Univendor Fresh Gum Machine

Picnic Coolers Assortment

vintagevending — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:01:45 +0000

Here is a picture of a nice assortment of picnic coolers we had restored. Starting from the front we have an Acton Low Boy, Acton Junior and a Cavalier Airline cooler. Also on the floor is a Progress A1 in Squirt and Dr. Pepper and two Hemp coolers—the 9022 “tool box” and the 925.

Lined up behind on reproduction coolerette stands are Progress A1’s in 7UP, Royal Crown Cola, Pepsi Cola, Grapette and a custom Chevrolet. There is also an Acton Coca-Cola cooler.

Picnic coolers are fun to collect. Whether you collect them in original condition or buy them to restore there are hundreds of brands and models to be had so you can always be on the hunt for the next great find.

Wayne 100 Swing-Arm Gas Pump

vintagevending — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:25:39 +0000

Another of the vintage gas pumps restored at Vintage Vending is a 1941 Wayne 100. It is a swing-arm style gas pump, designed so gas could be pumped from either side of the island. The hose was positioned on a reel inside the pump so the excess would retract when not in use. The glass on the face was curved toward one side of the pump.

This Wayne has a striking art deco appearance, with the sight gauge on the side of the pump, so it can be viewed from either side of the island.
The pump was stripped, repaired and painted with our auto body restoration process. It was painted, including pinstriping, and clear-coated. It was finished with Texaco decals.

Wayne 501 Island Oil Can Display

vintagevending — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:03:40 +0000

The 1955 Wayne 501 Island Display was designed to sit on the filling station island, making products available for purchase right at the pump. This unit was intended to be placed alongside the Wayne 500 series pumps. There wasn’t a pump on this unit; it was designed purely to encourage sales. Beginning in the early 1930’s, oil companies realized the opportunity to make sales right at the pump by making products available to the customer who didn’t usually get out of his car, as filling stations had gas attendants in those days. The 501 not only displayed cans of oil, it also has a glass display case on the top and within that is an electric rotating platform to display other necessary automotive products.

This Wayne 501 Island Display was restored by us at Vintage Vending. This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the Wayne 501 restoration, visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

The Stoner Light Up 180M Candy Machine

vintagevending — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:34:08 +0000

Here are some pictures of a Stoner 180M candy machine we restored. What made this a 180M was the little window you see on the left that held gum and mints. You would rotate the knob to make your selection and pull then pull the handle to vend. The candy bar section of the machine worked like any other Stoner.

This particular machine was an upgrade from our standard restoration. The Candy lettering you see along the bottom of the machine is cut out of the panel. It was then raised and offset from the cut out. The cut out had glass put behind it and then a rotating multicolored light was put behind it creating a great effect.

The lettering design on the base of the machine may look familiar if you have seen other candy machines on the web. That design originated with Vintage Vending and soon was copied by many others. As with all our restorations the machine was done inside and out and was completely functional.

The Vendorlator 27

vintagevending — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:00:51 +0000

The VMC 27 is the smallest soda machine made by Vendorlator. It is only 27 inches high and dispenses 27 6.5 ounce bottles. It had space to pre-cool 10 bottles. It is one of the smallest Coca-Cola soda machines ever made. It’s called the “Tabletop” because it could be placed on a counter. There were a variety of stands made for it, including a pipe stand made by Vendorlator and an all-wood stand made by Kay Display Products.

These machines were made between 1948 and 1951. Pictured here is a VMC 27 that we restored.

Dimensions: 19”D x 24”W x 27”H (without stand)
Weight: 100 lbs.

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Co.
4000 Railroad Avenue
Fresno, California

Art Deco Zenith Movie Projector

vintagevending — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:54 +0000

The Zenith movie projector was manufactured by the Safety Projector Company of Duluth, Minnesota. Old projectors make great decor for a home theater room. We restored this one years ago with an Art Deco color scheme. The projector did not work and was just cosmetically restored. Not sure, but I would guess this was from the 1930’s.

Victor Kooler Grill Restoration

vintagevending — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:57:22 +0000

This is the second part of our blog on the Victor Kooler Grill. Be sure to check out Part One where we give you a little history of this unique Coca-Cola cooler also known as the “Hot Dogger”.

Our restoration of the Victor Kooler Grill was probably one of the most challenging and time consuming restorations we had ever undertaken. According to the owner at the time, the cooler was found in a shed that pool chemicals were stored in. This left a lot of the parts in pretty tough shape because of the corrosive effect of years of being around chemicals.

As you can see from the ‘before’ picture, the stainless steel was in bad shape and it all needed to be remade or restored in some way. It was missing some parts like the hot dog grill itself and all of the signage. We also installed all new refrigeration equipment.

The Kooler Grill is essentially a three-door Victor with about a foot added to accommodate the grill, sink and bun warmer. Approximately the remaining two-thirds comprises the refrigerated section. As you can see by these photos we took the machine totally apart.

If not for all of the corroded and missing parts it would have been pretty much a straightforward restoration. The process was to take it apart, sandblast, execute bodywork, paint, reassemble and update the electrical and refrigeration systems. Of course, cleaning and remaking a lot of the stainless pieces including the distinctive arch, slowed down the process.

I understand that this cooler has changed hands a couple of times since the restoration and recently sold for a huge amount of money. So keep your eyes open, I am sure there are more of these sitting around somewhere collecting dust waiting to be found and restored. I hope you enjoyed our blogs and the photos of this unique machine.

The Vendorlator 3D-33 Soda Machine

vintagevending — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:00:29 +0000

The VMC 3D-33 is nearly the same machine as the VMC 33. One minor difference being the one-piece coin door on the 3D-33 where the 33 has a two-piece door. Also, the “empty” decal changed from white to yellow. The VMC 33 was designed to increase the vending capacity that was available on the VMC Dual 27. The same round drum design was used, but the center was widened to accommodate 6 additional bottles. The VMC 3D-33 was produced in the mid-1950s. It vends 33 bottles and pre-cools 27. This photo is of a VMC 3D-33 Coca-Cola machine that we restored.

Dimensions: 17 1/2”D x 26”W x 52”H
Weight: 231 lbs.

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Co.
4000 Railroad Avenue
Fresno, California

Drive-In Speakers

vintagevending — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:07:42 +0000

We restored a ton of drive-in speakers when we were in the restoration business. Why not? They are a great reminder of a simpler time when a Friday night meant piling in the car to go see a double feature on a warm summer night. Now they are great decor for a garage or TV room.

If you are thinking of sticking your toe into the hobby of restoration these might be a good place to start. You can still find them on eBay and they are an easy restoration. Scuff them up or sandblast them, apply paint or powder coating, make a stand and replace the speakers and wires and that’s that.
Good luck.

Amusement Park Patton Tank Kiddie Ride

vintagevending — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:30:33 +0000

We had restored this piece years ago for a client and it turned out fantastic. So when he offered to trade it back to us for some other items I jumped at the chance and now it sits in the Retroplanet.com world headquarters.

The tank was one of the cars in an amusement park ride for kids that went round and round and is most likely from the 1950’s. It sat five children and they all had their own noise making crank machine guns. Safe to say in this politically correct world of today they are not making many kiddie tank amusement rides with guns. One amazing thing about this piece was when we went to restore it we found it 100% complete. None of the chrome accents or trim pieces or even the name tag were missing which was surprising considering all the years of use and that there is so much of it.

We changed the paint scheme when we restored it but it was a pretty straightforward restoration. Take apart, sandblast, bodywork, clean or send out accent pieces for chrome, recover the seats, paint and then put it back together.

The real time consuming part was hand painting all of the camouflage after the base color of paint was laid down but I think all that time was worth it. Hope you like it.

View the video of this restored Patton Tank Kiddie Ride

The Ideal 55B Royal Crown Soda Machine

vintagevending — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:00:29 +0000

The Ideal 55B Royal Crown soda machine is the most common of all Ideal’s soda vendors. The Ideal 55B is a “slider”, which is a machine where, after you deposit your coin, you slide the bottle through a rack to the opening to get the bottle out. The Ideal 55B was made from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. It vends 50 bottles and pre-cools 80.

The Royal Crown embossed sliders are the most common among the 55Bs. The cooler design has an inherent flaw that it shared with a lot of other soda vending machines. The problem is that it was possible to consume a soda without paying for it. Evidently there were people that opened the lid, popped a cap off a soda, inserted a straw and drank the soda without removing the bottle or paying for it. Most likely, once the storeowner caught on, he’d watch the machine very closely, or better yet, have it moved to the front of the store where he would have been manning the checkout. This Ideal slider is one that we restored.

Dimensions: 19 1/2”D x 37”W x 42”H
Weight: 204 lbs.
Manufactured by:
The Ideal Dispenser Co.
Bloomington, Illinois

Chevrolet Picnic Cooler

vintagevending — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:30:30 +0000

Custom Chevy Progress Picnic Cooler

We restored this generic Progress picnic cooler as an accessory for a 1957 Chevy show car. Painted the same color as the car, it was set out next to it during cruise nights. This was a fantasy piece; Progress never made a Chevrolet picnic cooler.

The Chevrolet gold emblem was probably purchased from a supplier of reproduction Chevy parts like Danchuk Manufacturing, Inc.

The Manley Aristocrat Popcorn Machine Manual

vintagevending — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:18:59 +0000

Manley Aristocrat Machine Manual

We have a copy of a Manley Aristocrat popcorn machine manual available for download at the Retroplanet.com PDF Library. The Manley Aristocrat is a classic 1940’s deco-style popcorn machine that was used extensively in movie theaters and anywhere else large amounts of fresh popcorn was sold. Also in this blog is a photo of an Aristocrat we restored many years ago. Look for a future blog on that restoration. Hope you find the manual helpful and interesting.

1940s Manley Popcorn Machine

Restored Aristocrat Popcorn Machine

Carta Blanca Cerveza Ice Chest

vintagevending — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:55:29 +0000

Carta Blanca beer is produced by a Mexican brewery that has been in business since the late 1800’s. So it is no surprise that they know how to market their products, and in the 1950’s that included colorful coolers.

We restored this cooler about 6 years ago. It was in very tough shape, but they are rare, so we decided to put the necessary work into bringing it back. Check out the embossing and the de-bossing all over this cooler. Front, back, inside and outside the lid. We went with a bright yellow paint scheme and added the pinstriping to the sides. This cooler still resides at the Retroplanet.com offices.

We also restored a slightly different version in red, look for it in a future blog.

Manufacturer – Unknown
Size – 22”W X 14.5”D X 39 ”H

View the video of this restored Carta Blanca Cerveza Ice Chest

The Vendorlator 72 Soda Machine

vintagevending — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:44:16 +0000

The VMC 72 is a considered a small machine to have dual bottle chutes. It may be the smallest ever made. Typically the dual chute design appeared only on the larger soda machines. The VMC 72 has a very large Coca-Cola logo that manufacturers believed would attract more customers. It has the same coin door design as on the VMC 3D-33. The VMC 72 was manufactured from the early to mid-1950s. It vends 72 bottles and pre-cools 6. These photos are of a VMC 72 Coca-Cola machine that we restored.

Dimensions: 15”D x 25”W x 58”H

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Co.
4000 Railroad Avenue
Fresno, California

Embossed VMC 72

Coin Door on VMC 72

VMC 72 Coin Mechanism

Inside of VMC 72

Vending Rack Compressor

Acton Picnic Coolers

vintagevending — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:17:03 +0000

Acton Manufacturing is responsible for some very collectible items. The Acton Standard picnic cooler is fairly common, but finding one in mint condition with the box is hard to do. The Acton Junior or “6-Pack” is probably one of the most desirable Coca-Cola picnic coolers for collectors. Acton also made the “Low Boy”, another hard-to-find and collectable picnic cooler. But without a doubt the hardest to find, most desirable Acton item is the Coolerette stand. It was a stand they manufactured that was made to hold the Standard cooler, turning it into a low volume vendor.

Included here is an old Acton magazine ad as well as pictures of a few Acton items we restored at Vintagevending.com.

Hobart Coffee Grinder Restoration

vintagevending — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:35:28 +0000

Hobart Coffee Grinder

Here are some “before” and “after” photos of a Hobart coffee grinder we restored. Coffee grinders have been around for a very long time and come in all kind of styles and shapes. They range from commercial models you would find in supermarkets and restaurants to home hand crank grinders. I have always liked the commercial deco-style ones like this Hobart, so when I found one at an antique store we restored it. When complete they make great kitchen, restaurant and coffee shop decor.

1959 Cadillac Couch

vintagevending — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:45:23 +0000

1959 Cadillac Car Couch

We restored hundreds and hundreds of items over the years—but only one car couch. Car couches are typically made by cutting off the back quarter of a very distinct collectible car. The secret, however, is that it usually comes from the less collectible four-door model of that car or one that has severe front-end damage.

What makes this 1959 Cadillac couch different from most car couches is that it was done in reverse. When car couches are made, the seat is usually placed inside where the trunk formerly was. But the customer who commissioned this piece wanted it done differently, making the restoration a bit of a challenge. The couch was to go in their basement recreation room, so they wanted to be able to see the tail light fins when you walked down the stairs, but have the seating facing away. It would be freestanding in the middle of the room. This would be the opposite of most car couches you see that are made to go against a wall.

This was a pretty involved project with lots of welding, fabrication, bodywork, paint, upholstery & chroming. We have included a few pictures of the process in addition to the finished piece. Also check out the two hassocks we made to compliment the piece. This is definitely one item I would love to still own.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the Retroplanet.com Museum.

Cow Motif Vendo Milk Machine

vintagevending — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:20:12 +0000

1950’s Vendo Milk Machine

The 1950’s Vendo Milk Machine is very rare and highly sought after by collectors. We were lucky enough to find 4 of these at one time. So instead of restoring them all in the traditional blue they originally came in, we decided to have some fun.

As you can see, this particular machine was done in a cow motif with a customized milk sign. As with all of our restorations, this machine was redone both inside and out to make it fully functional.

The Vendo Milk Machine was one of a series of three upright machines put out by Vendo in the mid 50’s. Also available was the Vendo Hot Food Vender. It was very similar to the milk machine but vended small cans of hot food. I believe Vendo did away with it because it was a fire hazard. The last machine of the three was the Vendo Ice Cream Machine. Although all three machines are rare, the ice cream version is the hardest to find. We owned several milk machines and one hot food vendor, but never even saw an ice cream machine.

If you are searching for one of these machines to collect, the one you want is the early, smaller machine from 1950’s. Vendo came out with all kinds of upright milk and ice cream machines later on, but these machines are nowhere near as collectible as the original three. The exception to that is the Vendo Dairy-Vend ice cream vender, a chest style ice cream machine that we will blog about soon.

Parts for these machines are not available so you will need to find a complete machine or a second one you can use for parts. Happy hunting and blog in and let us know how you make out.

Dimensions:
58”H x 27”W x 16”D

Seeburg HF100R Jukebox

vintagevending — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:46:08 +0000

1954 Seeburg HF100R Jukebox — “The R”

The Seeburg HF 100R Jukebox was produced from 1954 to 1955 and is one of the most sought-after of all the 50’s jukeboxes. This model was made in 1954 and features the chrome accents and visible Select-O-Matic system that was, and still is, so popular among collectors of jukeboxes from the Silver Age. It holds 50 records and is capable of playing up to 100 selections at a time. There are 5 speakers with a high-fidelity sound and a lightning bolt design across the speaker grill. The glass lid is larger on this model than on previous models, to allow for greater visibility of the mechanism. The lid lifts easily to change the records or selection titles. A 25-watt fluorescent lamp illuminates the mechanism, the speaker grill and ornaments and backlights the selection titles. The 100R accepts nickels, dimes and quarters: a nickel for one selection, a dime for 2 and a quarter for 6 plays.

Dimensions:
59”H x 35 1/2”W x 27”D 
Weight: 325 lbs.

Manufactured by: 
J. P. Seeburg Company 
Chicago. Illinois

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

1950’s Cronstroms Cooler

vintagevending — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:09:59 +0000

Cronstroms Picnic Cooler

Here is a picture of a generic Cronstroms picnic cooler we restored a while back. Picnic coolers are pretty easy to restore, if you find them in decent shape. We painted this one a nice 50’s green and decorated it with original Florida travel decals. Original travel decals are easily available. Do a search on eBay for “vintage travel decals” and you will find them for every state, many cities and tourist spots.

When complete, picnic coolers make a great addition to your vacation home decor, gameroom or to show with your antique auto at car shows.

1946 Wurlitzer 1015 Jukebox

vintagevending — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:39:41 +0000

The Wurlitzer 1015 Jukebox was introduced in 1946, after WWII ended and building materials became available again. The 1015 brought the Wurlitzer Company great success, allowing it to rebound from near-bankruptcy brought on by the Depression. The 1015 pushed Wurlitzer forward as the leader of jukebox manufacturing, with 56,000 units being sold in less than 2 years. This was the Golden Age of jukebox production. And the 1015 wasn’t just a huge hit in the United States, but also appeared anywhere Americans went, following GIs all over the globe.

Also called the “1015-Bubbler”, this juke is arguably the most popular jukebox of all time. It was conceptualized by the famous designer Paul Fuller (who was chief designer with the Wurlitzer Company from 1935-1948). The ornate design of 1940’s jukeboxes has been referred to as “gothic” or having a “cathedral” look, but this juke has more of an art deco influence. With its illuminated, color-changing pilasters, 8 bubble tubes, shiny chrome and domed top, it is reflective of the positive, uplifted attitude of the post-war nation. The coin-operated 1015 plays 78-RPM records and has push-button Multi-Selector technology, allowing selected records to be played.

The model 1015 was produced from 1946 to 1947, and was so popular that many of them were utilized right into the 50’s. This longevity is responsible for the 1015’s association with the 1950’s sock-hop era. By 1954 the 45-RPM records were becoming so popular that the Wurlitzer factory introduced conversion kits for their jukeboxes so they could play them. In addition, the Wurlitzer 1015 was such a popular model of jukebox that in 1986 Wurlitzer celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1015 by manufacturing it once again and dubbing it the “One More Time”. It had the classic design of the 1015 with all the latest technology, including the ability to play CDs.

Through the years, there have been many Wurlitzer 1015s that appeared in background shots of TV shows and films like “Cheers”, “Friends”, “Back to the Future” and “On the Waterfront”.

Dimensions:
60”H x 32”W x 24 1/4”D 
Weight: 355 lbs.

Manufactured by: 
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. 
North Tonawanda, NY

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Coca-Cola Vendo 44 Soda Machine

vintagevending — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:00:06 +0000

Coca-Cola Vendo 44 Soda Vending Machine

The most desirable Coca-Cola soda machine ever made, the Vendo 44 was produced exclusively for the Coca-Cola Company from 1956 to 1959. The very narrow width of this machine has made it a highly collectible machine for both the veteran collector as well as newcomers to the hobby. These machines, when new, were very popular with storeowners because they didn’t take up a lot of floor space. They were always painted what has become the classic Coca-Cola red and white. It can vend 44 8-ounce bottles, and pre-cools 9. The Vendo 44 that appears here is a machine that we restored at Vintage Vending.

Every soda machine we restored at Vintage Vending followed the same process. First the machine was completely disassembled and all painted parts were sandblasted. All other parts were re-chromed, powder-coated, repainted or cleaned. The coin mechanism was re-plated and rebuilt. Automotive bodywork was performed on all of the sandblasted parts. The machine was painted with PPG automotive paint. Then the machine was reassembled with a new refrigeration compressor and all electrical was replaced. Also, this machine has been modified to vend 12-ounce cans in addition to bottles.

Dimensions:
57 1/2” high x 16” wide x 15 1/2” deep 
Weight: 225 lbs.

Manufactured by: 
The Vendo Company 
Kansas City, Missouri

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Lusse Bumper Car Restoration

vintagevending — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:22:13 +0000

1950’s Lusse Bumper Car Restoration

It’s hard to imagine that there is anyone alive that hasn’t ridden a bumper car at one time or another. Still one of the most popular rides at amusement parks today, bumper cars date back to 1920, when the first bumper car ride was invented by Max and Harold Stoehrer of Methuen, Massachusetts. Their invention was called the Dodgem. These rides that allowed people to bump into each other were so popular that others decided to get in on the action, and profits. Two cousins, Joseph and Robert Lusse of Philadelphia owned a machine shop that supplied rollercoaster parts to Philadelphia Toboggan (now the oldest rollercoaster manufacturing company still in business in the world). In 1922 the Lusses filed their first patent for a bumper car. Over the years, they filed a total of 9 patents for bumper cars, or as they called them, Lusse Skooters.

“Bumper car” is a term referring to an electric-powered ride that has a rubber surround, allowing the riders to crash into each other. The cars sit on a metal floor and have a pole on them, allowing the cars to draw electricity from a grid on the ceiling of the ride. Each car has a wheel for steering and an accelerator pedal to get it moving.

This Lusse Brothers Skooter is from the early 1950’s. We restored a total of 3 bumper cars over the years, including the stripping, repair work and painting of the cars. For more pictures of the finished Lusse, visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Manufactured by: 
Lusse Brothers Inc. 
2809 North Fairhill Street 
Philadelphia, PA

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Seeburg M100B Jukebox

vintagevending — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:47:01 +0000

1950 Seeburg M100B Jukebox — “The B”

This jukebox was not only a revolutionary new phonograph for Seeburg, but also for the jukebox industry. It was the first Select-O-Matic coin-operated phonograph that played only 45-RPM records. It allowed for 100 selections from 50 records. It played only the newly introduced, high-quality, unbreakable, 7-inch vinyl 45-RPM records. This phonograph made Seeburg the sales leader in the jukebox building business. The 100B was built for two years, from 1950 to 1951 and introduced the Silver Age of Jukeboxes. Whereas the jukeboxes from the 1940’s used catalin plastic (a resin that had a tendency to yellow), resulting in the term “Golden Age”, the Seeburg jukes of the 1950’s were decorated with chrome. For this reason they were referred to as the jukes of the Silver Age.

Another feature of the Seeburg M100B is the visible record mechanism. A nickel plays one selection, 2 plays for a dime or 6 plays for a quarter. Once the coins are inserted, you can watch the Select-O-Matic mechanism travel down to your record selection, the record is placed vertically onto the turntable, and the vertical arm plays the record. Then you can watch the lights and listen to the great sound of your Seeburg 100B.

Dimensions: 54”H x 34”W x 28”D Weight: 310 lbs.
Manufactured by:
J. P. Seeburg Company 
Chicago. Illinois

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Jacobs 56 Pepsi Vendor

vintagevending — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:33:47 +0000

The Jacobs 56 Pepsi-Cola Vending Machine

The Jacobs 56 Pepsi-Cola Vending Machine is one of the most sought-after Pepsi machines ever made. Serious collectors consider it the “Holy Grail” of all soda machines. Having been manufactured for only two years, between 1952 and 1953, makes this a very rare machine. We are proud to have restored several of these machines, and you can see one of them in our Retro Museum at Retroplanet.com.

Collectors know this vendor as the “Pepsi Light-Up”. This is because the Pepsi “cap”, or logo on the front lights up, by way of two bulbs located behind it. Above the cap, to either side, are a red and blue (or sometimes green) lens. The red lens indicates when the machine is empty, and the blue reads “nickels only”. This machine vends 56 bottles of Pepsi and can vend bottle sizes from 10 to 12 ounces. It also has the capacity to pre-cool 37 bottles. This model, unlike the Jacobs Coca-Cola machines, uses slant-shelves to vend the sodas.

The shape of the machine is typical of Jacobs soda machines. They have a rounded top, resembling a mailbox. This makes for a very unique and appealing appearance. So in addition to its rarity, these machines are also very desirable for their style. It can be difficult to find an original Jacobs 56 that has the Pepsi “cap” intact and in good condition which can complicate the restoration of one of these models.

Dimensions: 61” high x 27” wide x 21 ½” deep
Weight: 280 lbs.

Manufactured by: 
F. L. Jacobs 
Traverse City, Michigan

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

7UP VMC 81 Soda Machine

vintagevending — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:16:15 +0000

The 7UP VMC 81 soda vending machine is one of the most collectible models among soda machine collectors. It had a more limited production than its Coca-Cola counterpart, the Vendo 81 and is therefore harder to find. It was manufactured from the mid- to late-1950’s.

As the name indicates, this machine vends 81 bottles and pre-cools 17. It has 9 shelves that would allow vending of up to 9 different flavor choices. It can accommodate bottle sizes from 6 ½ to 12 ounces.

This is one of the VMC 81s that we restored at Vintage Vending. The original VMC 81s were produced as solid white machines, but we used the more popular green and white combination when restoring our machine.

Dimensions: 58” high x 27” wide x 16” deep 
Weight: 286 lbs.

Manufactured by: 
The Vendolator Manufacturing Company
Fresno, California

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Esso Tiger Advertising Statue

vintagevending — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:41:09 +0000

1950’s Esso Tiger Advertising Statue “Put a Tiger In Your Tank”

These pictures and video are of the Esso Tiger we restored a few years back and that still guards the Retroplanet.com world headquarters. The pictures show the ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ stages. At Vintage Vending we restored 3 of these over the years. This one is the smaller of the two sizes that were used by Esso, and is different then most Tigers because of the embossed Esso logo on the back leg.

The Tiger is fiberglass so the restoration process entailed stripping the old paint, fiberglass repair work, primer, sanding, a basecoat of paint, airbrushing the details and then clear coat to finish.

Here are a couple of tips if you decide to restore one.
1. If you sandblast—be very careful. Use a media that is not that abrasive; you do not want to break through that outer layer of fiberglass. I believe we used crushed walnut shells.
2. Also, do your best to find one with its tail. Many are missing theirs and they’re not the easiest things to duplicate.

All in all, it is not a hard restoration, especially if you have access to a good airbrush artist. Good luck.

Champion Kiddie Ride Restored

vintagevending — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:44:23 +0000

“Ride the Champion” — Kiddie Horse Ride

Children’s coin-operated rides first appeared on the scene in the late 1940’s. At that time, cowboys were all the rage, and the most famous of all was Gene Autry. For every child aspiring to be a cowboy, there was the coin-operated ride named after Autry’s horse, “Champion”. We restored this 1950’s “Ride the Champion” Kiddie Ride here at Vintage Vending. It was working when we got it. It was stripped and repainted. The base was powder-coated and the horse was airbrushed and then clear-coated. The sign was fabricated metal that was meticulously hand painted. We no longer own this whimsical piece, but we’re sure kids still get a great deal of enjoyment from it.

These very popular rides for kids are still being manufactured and used today.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby. To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Auto-Lite Spark Plug Counter Display

vintagevending — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:48:26 +0000

Auto-Lite Spark Plug Automotive Parts Store Counter Display

This was a great little Auto-Lite spark plug counter display we restored. It looked a little rough on the outside, but inside the case was pretty clean. Most importantly, it had all the original spark plugs and the curved glass was not broken.

It was a pretty basic restoration: take apart, sandblast, bodywork, prime, sand, paint, reassemble, apply decals and it was done.

I think it is safe to say they don’t make displays like this anymore, and I am happy to say I have this piece in my collection.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Pepsi-Cola 1940’s Mini Ice Box

vintagevending — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:39:19 +0000

Pepsi-Cola Mexican Mini Cooler

Here is a very interesting Pepsi cooler. Because it is a double-dot we know it is from the 40’s. We also think it is from Mexico because of the decals on the side of the original. It looks like more of a mini-fridge icebox than a cooler, and is definitely an original because it is embossed. We restored this many years ago and it is in the home of a private collector. We are showing the before and after but for additional photos, please visit the Retroplanet Museum at Retroplanet.com. If you have any information about this piece’s origin please blog-in and let us know.

It is a fairly small piece measuring 33”H X 18.5”W X 15″D

Paint code PPG DCC 18431 Light Blue
A sign painter applied all the other colors by hand.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Glascock Countertop Coca-Cola Cooler

vintagevending — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:48:43 +0000

Glascock Countertop Cooler

In 1929 the first officially approved retail cooler for dispensing bottles of Coca-Cola was introduced. It was a Glascock cooler. This particular Glascock countertop cooler was introduced in 1931. This open-top cooler was both the smallest and least expensive cooler made by Glascock. It hit the market priced at $5.95. It held 36 chilled bottles, with no additional storage space. Galvanized metal was used for its sturdy construction. Essentially, it was the same as the Junior model offered in 1930, but without legs. It was designed to sit on a countertop in a retail environment. As with other soft drink coolers of the time, it was based on an honor system, where the customer selected a bottle of Coke and paid the store clerk.

Filling the cooler up with ice chilled the bottles. There was a faucet at the base to drain excess water from the cooler after the ice melted. The cooler is painted a “Moroccan Green” in addition to the standardized red and white. The embossed logos on the cooler sides were panels that could be pulled out and changed. Glascock coolers are considered the “Grandfathers” of all Coca-Cola vending machines that were to follow. This particular Glascock cooler is rare and very desirable to collectors.
For more photos of our restored Glascock cooler, visit the Retroplanet Museum and look under “Chest Coolers”.

Dimensions: 14” high x 18” wide x 26” deep 
Capacity: 36 bottles plus 20 lbs. of ice

Manufactured by: 
Glascock Bros. Manufacturing Co. 
Muncie, Indiana

Shell Oil 1941 ArtKraft “Clamshell” Sign Restoration

vintagevending — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:41:51 +0000

Shell Oil “Clamshell” Sign Restoration: Before and After

There are a lot of collectors who think that signs should never be restored or touched up in any way. Personally, I have never had a problem with it depending on the sign, where it would be used and how bad the condition was. You should be careful, however. In some cases, touching up a very valuable and rare sign may actually lessen the value of it. A lot of collectors will not even consider buying a sign that has had work done on it. But when I came across this 1941 ArtKraft Shell “Clamshell” sign I knew it was a great candidate to be made new again. This piece had once been a component of a Shell filling station sign. It was originally double-sided and placed on a pole. There were neon lights around the edges. And now that it was going to be the first thing you saw when you entered my office, I wanted it to be perfect.

As you can see from the “before” pictures, it had some chipping issues and had faded over the years. To correct it, the sign was lightly bead-blasted to rough up the porcelain finish and eliminate any rust. The missing porcelain was then repaired with body filler. The sign was hand-sanded, primed, hand-sanded again to get ready for paint. At this point the sign was painted with the base coat of yellow. Next came the tedious part of masking and taping off the red portion of the sign, which took many hours. The red was painted and the mask was peeled away. The sign was wet-sanded and then clear-coated and, most likely, wet sanded again.

I think it was well worth the effort. The sign is beautiful, a work of art and a wonderful piece of Americana.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Production Notes:
This sign was painted with PPG paints. Not sure if the colors are 100% accurate to the original sign, but we liked them, so we used them.
Yellow DCC 83409
Red DCC 72356

Wayne 861 Clock Meter Gas Pump

vintagevending — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:01:18 +0000

1932 Wayne Model 861 Clock Meter Pump

Another piece from the Retro Museum is the Wayne Model 861 pump. Around 1929, gas pumps were beginning to be designed with indicators that showed the amount of fuel that had been dispensed. These indicators were first created as dials with clock-like hands that pointed to the number of gallons that were pumped. Because of the resemblance to a clock face, with its dial and “hands”, these early gas pumps were referred as clock face pumps. On this clock-like dial face, only the total gallons were displayed. The small hand measured gallons and the large hand measured parts of a gallon. To calculate the total price, the attendant would have to rely on price-per-gallon signs and his own arithmetic skills.

An original ad for the Wayne 861 pump listed the “10 Distinctive Features”:

1. Clock
2. Octagonal dial
3. Pumping unit
4. Expansion chamber
5. Piston meter
6. Motor protection
7. Non-shock nozzle
8. Chassis
9. Flow indication
10. Wiring

This restored pump is electric motor-operated. It utilized a see cage glass on its upper body to monitor the flow of the gasoline. This clock face pump has been stripped and repainted in a vivid blue and yellow, and is topped off with a globe featuring the Richfield Hi-Octane gasoline logo.

Restoration work was completed by Vintage Vending. This clock meter pump is not for sale. Please post any questions you may have. There may be a collector out there that can help you.

Wayne 60 Gas Pump

vintagevending — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:40:41 +0000

1935 Wayne Model 60 Gas Pump

Wayne is one of the oldest and most successful original gas pump makers, dating back to 1891. The Wayne Company revolutionized the service station industry in 1933 when it introduced the first computing pump with the Model 40. In response to the need for a more modern and attractive computing pump, came the new Wayne 60 narrow body pump. This pump has a more streamlined Art Deco-inspired design, with stepped sides, resembling the elegant design of the Empire State Building. The Wayne Co. promoted this 1935 model as the “World’s Most Beautiful Pump”. The new Model 60 was a tremendous hit in the service station industry, having been placed at the stations of major companies including Texaco, Shell and Phillips.

The people at Vintage Vending have restored this original 1930’s Art Deco style gas pump to its original glory. This 1935 Wayne Model 60 has been restored with the Mobilgas Special logo. Note the sight gauge is outside of and above the computer face. In the later 30’s, the gauge was moved inside, on the computer face. The purpose of the sight gauge is to see the flow of the gasoline.

The computer was first referred to a “variator” when it was released by the Wayne Co. in 1933. The term “computer” was first used by manufacturer Veeder-Root to describe their revolving number meter that displayed the amount of gas pumped and the price. Other companies adopted the term by 1940. These computers were in use until digital pumps were introduced around 1975.

The Wayne Model 60 pumps came with the factory option of glass insert panels that were painted with a generic or sunburst design or with an advertisement. This example has the sunburst design.

Features of the Wayne 60 Model Gas Pump:

● Volume computer unit
● Price synchronizing mechanism
● Gallon totalizer
● Rotary pump unit
● Air separator
● Four-cylinder piston meter
● Computer reset control mechanism
● Visible flow indicator
● Non-shock nozzle
● Explosion-proof motor
● Electric advertising sign

The 1935 Wayne Model 60 represents a high point in the evolution of gas pump design. Today these pumps are so desired by collectors that the demand far exceeds the supply. We’re sorry, but this restored gas pump is not for sale.

If you have any questions, please post it. Maybe another collector can help you.

Wayne 50 Displaymeter Gas Pump

vintagevending — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:31:09 +0000

1935 Wayne Model 50 Displaymeter

Displaymeters were the mega-pumps of their day. These gas pumps were outfitted with display shelves to facilitate sales directly at the pump. Gas retailers realized the potential for additional, impulse sales if products were displayed at the island for the customer.

(Remember: these were the days before self-serve gas, when a gas attendant came to your car and pumped your gas, checked the oil and washed your windshield. You didn’t need to get out of your car. Unfortunately, those days are gone.)

Pumps with display space were introduced around 1932. The built-in display cases showcased batteries and accessories, while some larger cases could even accommodate tires. As if these were not large enough, Wayne made the Model 56 in 1936 that combined two pumps and display cases into one structure. There was also the Model 55, with a single pump and a doublewide display case. In addition to oil and other small car accessories, these massive pieces were used to display tires, car batteries and other large merchandise.

Wayne Factory advertisements stated that the Displaymeter “makes your island a blazing front of light and your station becomes an attractive place to shop at night when other stores are closed.” And from a purely business perspective, “In the market of petroleum today it is conceded that the eye-appeal of the dispensing pump is a paramount importance. The island is the sign of service and the pumps tell what kind of service to expect.” The Wayne Co. was very successful, even through the Depression, so evidently, their strategy worked.

In terms of style, the Model 50 Displaymeter had the elegant Art Deco stepped sides typical in the 30’s Wayne pump design, with the addition of the 4 glass sides and shelves to display merchandise. Lights inside the case illuminated the products on display.

This pump was restored with the Texaco gas company logo and illuminated globe. The sight meter is outside of and above the clock face as was the design in the early 30’s. Not only are these pumps very striking, but also they are extremely rare. Not many of them have survived the test of time.
This Wayne Model 50 Displaymeter was restored by Vintage Vending and is not for sale. If you have a question for another collector that might be able to help you, please post it here.

Fisk Tire Boy Fiberglass Statue

vintagevending — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:16:37 +0000

The Little Fisk Tire Boy Fiberglass Statue

“Time to Re-Tire” was the slogan coined for Fisk Tires when they started using The Little Fisk Tire Boy around 1910. Not sure how old this fiberglass statue was when we restored it about 6 years ago, but like other fiberglass restorations it entailed stripping the old paint, fiberglass repair work, primer, sanding, base coat of paint, airbrushing the details and then clear coat to finish. Don’t remember how big it was, but I’m guessing around 5 feet tall. Hope you like him.