Vending Machines
The “Soft Drink Machine” is as synonymous with the 50’s era as jukeboxes and finned cars once were and for that lucky few still are. It’s clear that we all have a special place in our hearts for nostalgia and what we like to remember as simpler times.
It can definitely be said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and once the fledgling soft drink companies realised they needed a way to sell bottles of their drinks cold, the rush was on to see who could come up with the answer.
It has been well documented that the first “cooler” was a wooden barrel sawn in half and filled with ice. From there, some ice chests were made with legs, some with lids and other with elaborate “selecting mechanisms.”
In the mid-30’s, starting in the USA, things began to change. Style, as well as functionality became important. The 40’s saw some very beautiful machines being produced and by the mid-50’s “soft drink styling” was at its pinnacle.
Whether you’re a serious collector or just someone who thinks old soft drink machines are cool, you can easily appreciate the workmanship and styling any which way you look at it.
The internet has begun to have a large influence on the collectible market. Many items get mis-represented on e-Bay and other places.
Be careful and make sure you know as much, if not more, than the person you’re thinking of buying from!
Show any antique to five different people and chances are you’ll get five different appraisals. Everybody has differing opinions on the worth of an item, so it is worthwhile to be careful out there when looking.
We all love original condition items. But no matter how great they look, when put next to a fully (properly) restored piece, they always look used.
I personally only collect original soft drink machines, and I have some very nice ones, but compared to all of my friends restored machines, these look “old.”
Nevertheless, I prefer the old and original items. The nicks, dents and scrapes tell a story. That soft drink machine delivered to the corner store by the Coke delivery man way back in the Summer of 1939 has been through some interesting times without a doubt. I love that and I like to see it as it really was!
Whatever it might be that you collect, may it bring you complete joy and happiness for many,many years to come.
Phil Adair
www.retroantiques.com.au
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