Different Sort Of Vending Machine Labeling

[Steph]

What do we think about this one? Anyone seen this type of labeling back in the day, or aware of it as a modern trend? The seller doesn't say their location. Just "collection nation". Simpler than the usual etched ones. Almost makes it possibly almost maybe convincing sorta could be possibly I don't know what do you think?

Same seller also sold a Beatles one recently:

[marblemansion]

first thought is its a contemp remake - never seen those before - so am not positive.

[glangley]

The first place my eye went was the edges of the lables. Unless they are inside, the edges would be picked to death by the kids that actually drempt of twisting the knob but didn't have a coin. And, if they were inside you would see the wear from whatever prize was inside. I'd ask for inside pictures of the backs if these are indeed on the inside of the glass. Just my thoughts, I am in no way a professional antique shopper. God Bless!

[PlanB]

I think this is just another marketing ploy. The only word that I ever saw on these was "Marbles", no doubt

used by jobbers or vending machine makers.

I can't imagine a company like Akro to use a vending machine to sell their marbles ( or any other company,

for that matter). Why set aside their own proven packaging?

[Steph]

Gary, sounds like a good point about wear on the labels.

PlanB, I was under the impression that the ones which said "marbles" were fakes, at least the ones with the word etched into the glass. Real machines, possibly from the 40's to 60's, but the word "marbles" was added later -- is what I've heard. This one caught my eye because it didn't have the etching. Are you aware of any of them which said marbles in etching or decal form or whatever while they were actually dispensing marbles?

[PlanB]

I never saw the word "Marbles" etched into the glass. I believe it was painted on. That may have been done later, after the machines had been in use for dispensing gum balls.

Some marbles had been sold by a similar machine with a slightly larger opening at the bottom, to allow a larger object to fall through. The items in these were plastic trinkets, and some of these had marbles in them.

Perhaps some entrepreneurs converted the gum ball dispensers to address the demand for marbles.

[Steph]

Well, I know historically when and why marbles were sold. At least part of the time and part of the reason. I don't know how it started. It might have been a demand for marbles ... or for novelty.

But in the mid-40's, it was the opposite: a shortage of gumballs rather than a need for more marbles. During WWII sugar was in short supply, gum bases which had been imported were no longer available, and people were stressed out and were chewing more gum ... until it was gone. A 1942 article said about people chewing more because of stress and strain, but before long you just couldn't get gum.

I think in the early 40's some gum machines might have been physically converted to allow them to dispense marbles. In the mid-40's some vending machines were made more versatile out of the box. Nothing I saw in ads gave me the impression that these would have been permanenty designated for the sale of marbles. Marbles were one option in a changing marketplace. But I only came to this planet in 1962, and didn't pay attention to gumball machines until I had been here for many years. ;-)

Here is an ad from 1946:

(click to enlarge)

There was an ad from earlier in the 1940's which mentioned a "cherry red" marble as a prize marble. Could those have been Flinties? No brand was given in that ad so that doesn't answer about Akro branded stickers being on vending machines, but it's sorta interesting.

I think maybe I better gather up all 'my' ads and see what I have. I have another project I need to finish this week. Maybe I'll clip out ads for breaks.