Michael Ford
Arcades have always been centers of excitement. The operators wanted them to be exciting and they were always looking for the newest and most attractive games. How did they find games in a time when there were no multimedia presentations, no television commercials advertising video games, no in-store demonstrations? The answer is catalogs! Gaming manufacturers and distributors sent catalogs to showcase their latest games and to entice arcade operators into buying their latest creations. The early catalogs are by far the most interesting. The game designs they depict are highly creative and unusual. The choices they made about what to show and what not to show, how to describe the game and what not to say are fascinating. Very few EM(Electro Mechanical) games had photos of the actual game play. That was left to the imaginations of the reader. The objective of arcade operators then was no different than it is today. They wanted to pick games that would keep customers coming back and spending more money. People were just as fascinated by a new technology in the 1930’s as they are today. A game that could promise something new and innovative could generate significant sales to operators. Whether or not that translated into customer interest was something else.Catalogs were considered disposable. In their day they were basically junk mail. Who would have thought they would be collectors items in twenty years. Now many are extremely valuable as references for game restorations and history buffs. .This book documents a number of catalogs from the 1930’s into the 1960’s. It is by no means complete, but it represents a significant number of games and other products related to arcade and vending. This edition includes catalogs that were sent to arcade dealers and route operators. These catalogs offer machines and parts. They can be an invaluable resource when restoring a game because they can have photos and part numbers that make the job easier. You may even find that a part used in one game was used in others which can make it easier to find.Enjoy looking back in time through these arcade related catalogs.This book includes the following catalogs, ads and references: Exhibit Supply 1948 Page 5Wanted Men Of Vision Exhibit Supply Book, Exhibit Cards 1949,Exhibit Cards For 1952, Exhibit Cards For 1953, Exhibit Advertising Poster,Exhibit De Luxe Arcade Equipment Poster,Exhibit Newest Machines 1946,Exhibit Machine Made The Penny Famous,Lagoon Amusement Concessions Company Catalog,Sicking Manufacturing,True Man’s Magazine by Mutoscope,Mike Munves Catalogs and Supplements for 1939, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1962.Mike Munves 1942 Profits In Pennies Book,Mike Munves Assorted Fliers and Price Lists,Joe Munves 1949 Parts Catalog,Chicago Coin Parts and Supplies Catalog 1948, 1950And too many more to list.
