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

We have a large number of vintage photos in our archives, and thought it would be fun to share some of them with you. The following photos are of 1930s and 1940s Mills Coca-Cola vending machines that were being used in a variety of locations.

The first two photos show people gathered around a Mills 47-N, manufactured between 1939 and 1945. These machines are located in workplaces for the use of the employees. In the first instance, there are bus drivers taking a break, and the second photo appears to be taken inside a beauty salon. (Note the vintage Coca-Cola advertising on the wall behind the soda machine.)

The next two photos are of the Mills 47-A, manufactured between 1938 and 1940. The first location appears to be a school and the second is most likely an office break area. From the looks on the faces of the people in the pictures, it appears that the Coca-Cola Company was able to find an abundance of willing subjects to be photographed using their Mills vending machines for promotional advertising.

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

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.

This is a vintage ad for a soda cooler manufactured by S & S Products Co. of Lima, Ohio. This cooler, referred to as the “All-Syze” Bottle Cooler, was introduced in the mid-1940s. This soda chest was designed to promote better sales of bottled soda by displaying the bottles very prominently for potential customers. According to this ad, a leading U.S. soda manufacturer claimed their national sales of bottled soda increased in one year directly because of the use of these coolers by storeowners.

The “All-Syze” was available in the Model 80 with an 80-bottle capacity and the Model 128 with a 128-bottle capacity as well as space for 100 lbs. of ice. The display rack was able to accommodate 72 bottles. Both models came with a blue porcelain top and gray enamel body. All were equipped with mechanical refrigeration. Casters were standard equipment, as well as the cap catcher on the front of the cooler.

Manufactured by:
S & S Products Co.
123 W. Hee Street
Lima, Ohio

This is a brochure from the 1950s that features the Univendor Junior 120 made by Stoner. This candy vendor was made with 6 rows for displaying and vending candy. The brochure features the Univendor Junior as a tabletop model and includes all the specifications and unique features of the 120 model.

Note the stainless steel delivery tray that comes with an optional “Sanitary Lift Cover”. This plastic cover was an available option to keep candy clean until it was removed from the delivery tray.

The final photo is of an illustration of the Univendor Junior on a stand. This machine with the stand measures 71 inches tall x 24 inches wide x 13 inches deep and weighs 185 lbs.

Manufactured by:
Stoner Mfg. Corp.
Aurora, Illinois

One thing in life that is certain is that gas prices will always go up. Just how high they’ll go up was a bit of a surprise to gas pump makers of the past. When pumps (or fuel dispensers) first came out, they were used to dispense gasoline and kerosene for lighting fixtures. The gas pump design as we now know it evolved following the mass-production of the automobile that began at the turn of the 20th century. The first gas pumps for cars actually didn’t have meters, but rather the gas was measured by sight.

The first meters were installed on pumps between 1905 and 1910. These early meters were soon replaced by clock meters, which became the standard through the 1930s. In 1933 the “computer” meter was invented and within a few years all the major gas companies were using them. Computer gas pumps were made with 3-digit dial readouts for the price of gas per gallon, the number of gallons pumped and the total sale amount. This was because, back then, it was inconceivable that gasoline would ever be more than 99.9 cents a gallon. This also meant that a total sale could never exceed $9.99. (Imagine that today!)

Well, the day did come when gasoline sold for $1.00, and more. The Oil Embargo of 1973 resulted in climbing gas prices. Many gas companies and station owners were taken by surprise. As a result, some pumps can still be found today that have handpainted gas prices on them. Many station owners, in order to create an interim solution, displayed prices on their pumps that were indicated as being 1/2 of the actual price per gallon. When the customer was finished pumping, they paid double the amount on the pump. Following the price increases, new gas pumps were manufactured to accommodate 4-digit gas sales as well as gas prices up to $9.99/9 per gallon.

Computer style gas pumps were made well into the 1980s, but for the most part, have since been replaced by digital gas pumps. First released in 1975, digital pumps were to be the solution everyone hoped would allow for never-ending flexibility with prices.

Unfortunately, not all privately owned gas stations have been able to make the changeover to digital pumps. Many “Mom & Pop” stations, because they can’t afford to replace their computer style pumps, are going to be or have been forced out of business. This occurs when the local price of gas exceeds $3.99 a gallon. Many pump manufacturers did not have the foresight to see that gas may cost $4.00 or more per gallon at some point and the pumps were made without a “4” in the dollar dials. Either the pumps or the dials would need to be replaced in these cases. To make matters worse, many of these same pumps cannot count over $99.99 for the total gas purchase.