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Gumball Machines


Fire1981

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 Not many but some gum ball machines did actually sell and dispense marbles. Years ago I was spending a Sunday afternoon with Mary Jane Wilson. A widow and the last owner of Playright Marbles. Her brother stopped by and of course we talked marbles. Both are deceased now. She ask her brother if he remembered what they did on Saturdays, when they were young.  He said, sure and that he hated Saturdays. They would get up before daylight, pack cases of marbles in the car. Then start the day. The had a route of several rural country stores in three counties. They would stop at each store and have to refill the gumball machines with their company marbles. For one penny and one turn you got a marble. This was in the 1940's. 

Some oak machines that I had special painting done and fired on the glass. Three sides have pictures of the Alley marble factory sites.  Plus others.  All in working order. 

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I have ads for marble vending machines.  A couple were from before WWII.   But most are from during WWII and a lilttle after, when there was a shortage of the materials to make gumballs.  Gumball machine manufacturers still needed customers so they promoted marble sales to keep those machines in business.  

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I'm seeing 1929 as the date for the marble vending machine(s) I saw which were actually marked as selling marbles.  The ads I saw for the WWII war years were for machines which could be used for either gumballs or marbles and didn't specify marbles on the machine.  

Soirry, no pix.  I tried but the pix disappeared from the  old thread I consulted, so I would have to do some digging.  And what I'm supposed to be digging for is my address book.  Grrrrrr. 

Just checking in.  Later!

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