Mommy can I have a Quarter? A guaranteed question I asked my mom when she took me shopping and the same question I am always asked when I take my kids out shopping.
Oh those ever so tempting Gumball machines and little merry go rounds outside Zody's or Kmart how I loved them so.
I remember as a child I always was tugging away at mom or dad for a dime for the machines.
It was just not gumball machines either. It was the rocket ship ride that would slightly lift off, or the "ferris Wheel" seat that you sit in and it goes in circles , or the little mini theater you would sit in and close the tattered curtain and watch an old Heckle and Jeckle cartoon.
Anyways, it's not only old gumball machines that people collect but also the toys that were dispensed out. My grandmother had a drawer full of old plastic thin charms from the 40's and they had these frail little string on them. Than I remember the ones that had little mini books than you had Tattoos and Super balls ( Throw it down one time really good and it is gone forever) and you can't forget them Wacky Wall Crawlers that looked like an octopus and you bash them against the wall and they crawl down it. Only problem with that was once it hit the floor a couple of times it would get all hairy and that was it for the wall crawler.
In my opinon the coin op kid friendly machines will always be a past time favorite and a favorite for many years to come.
*pix taken from photos online*
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2 comments:
That is so cool. I always loved those machines. Anytime we went to a store I would beg (hound them would be a better word) my parents until they have me money so I could get something out of one of these machines. Sure, it was generally useless junk. I still thought it was cool though.
My son is writing a paper on collectors of gumball machines and would love to ask you just a few questions via e-mail. We hope you will respond.
Thanks Lora
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