Old gas stations

[Benzadmiral]

Love the coke machine out front, but it looks like it has some competition form a generic type soda machine in the actual garage area? Anybody (Lizzie) know what the second vending machine is all about?

The one inside looks to be a cigarette vending machine. Those often had mirrors on them like this one appears to -- I suppose to encourage the lady patrons to pick up a pack of Luckies while freshening their lipstick.

 

[2jakes]

The Fading Fasts would cross six lanes of traffic with a full tank of gas just to go to that station. I never drove Route 66, but in its day, it would have taken us forever as we'd stop at all the kitschy things along the way. Life is too short not to enjoy the whimsey.

That's the only way when I'm on
vacation and traveling to a favorite
spot.
What would take most folks a couple
of hours, takes me half the day in
getting there.
I will stop at anytime anywhere if
I see something I like.

 

[Fading Fast]

The one inside looks to be a cigarette vending machine. Those often had mirrors on them like this one appears to -- I suppose to encourage the lady patrons to pick up a pack of Luckies while freshening their lipstick.

I'm sure your right and based on the top of the machine, that was my first thought, but the center looks like soda bottles. However, in truth, they look like modern shaped soda bottles, not of the era, so again, I'm sure you are right.

 

[dh66]

The Fading Fasts would cross six lanes of traffic with a full tank of gas just to go to that station. I never drove Route 66, but in its day, it would have taken us forever as we'd stop at all the kitschy things along the way. Life is too short not to enjoy the whimsey.

I'm with you 200%

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[dh66]

Love the coke machine out front, but it looks like it has some competition form a generic type soda machine in the actual garage area? Anybody (Lizzie) know what the second vending machine is all about?



Love the brick work and windows of that station.

Looks like the machine inside might be a cigarette vending machine. You don't see many of those around these days.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Benzadmiral]

I'm sure your right and based on the top of the machine, that was my first thought, but the center looks like soda bottles. However, in truth, they look like modern shaped soda bottles, not of the era, so again, I'm sure you are right.

Could be candy bars and other snacks too, I suppose, but the pale rectangles in each chute are all the same size, like stacks of Kents or Pall Malls.

 

[Fading Fast]

Could be candy bars and other snacks too, I suppose, but the pale rectangles in each chute are all the same size, like stacks of Kents or Pall Malls.

You obviously have a better monitor than I do (as does nearly every human being on earth) - but based on you "same size" observation, I'm sure they're cigarettes. Also, as noted, the top part of the machine has a design consistent with other cigarette machines I've seen.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep, pretty standard cigarette machine for the time. Many of them featured a mirror in the top of the cabinet so the user could admire his suave sophistication as he shoved his twenty cents in the slot for his pack of cancer sticks.

 

[2jakes]

As has been pointed out, that's a
cigarette vending machine.
The early gas stations in my area mostly
had soda or cigarette vending machines.
Candy whether gum or peanuts came
in round glass containers on metal stands for a penny.
The candy vending machines came later.
Mostly the penny candies and baseball cards with the bubble-gum were bought
at what are now known as "mom & pop"
stores. Although most of the time it was an old cranky man at these locations.
At least where I lived.

Also there was various styles of soda water vending machines.
One that I recall was built like a freezer
table type in that you would lift the door up and after depositing the coins you
would slide the glass soda bottle of your
choice to the area where it was released.
I remember some kids would carry a bottle opener and a straw.
When the man wasn't looking, they would sneak and use the opener &
straw to enjoy the drink without
paying,
They probably didn't get much to drink.

But it was the idea of enjoying a freebie
that they got a kick out of doing.

I never did that myself.
Honest.... cross my fingers!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Candy vending machines were very popular in the 1920s and 30s, and they looked very much like the cigarette venders -- the main difference being the size of the product display window. The mechanisms were identical, other than the width of the product supply channels. Most of these machines used the same chassis and cabinet, and the internal stack dividers could be adjusted to suit different sizes of product.

These machines were very commonly found in movie theatre lobbies, before the days of an integral concession stand -- most theatres didn't have a full concession setup until the late 1940s. But there'd be a row of vending machines, and they usually did a very good business.

One of the most common gas station candy vendors was used by the Tom's Snacks company. Thousands of these units were built in the 1940s and 1950s, and remained in use into the 1970s -- we had exactly this unit, and only retired it when the coin mechanism wouldn't accept a price increase to 15 cents. The machine was also made in a red and white paint job, which seems to have been more common than the beige machines like the one we had.

I never understood the use of scare quotes around "Lift Here" and always found it annoying.

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ it was that "wedding cake" deco-ness at the bottom of the mirror that said cigarette machine to me, but the display windows looked (on my monitor) like soda bottles or something which - quite obviously - through me off track. Great picture.

 

[2jakes]

The gas stations where I grew up were
not equipped with candy vending machines.
We relied on the local stores
which are now known as "mom & pop"
stores.
Back then we called them by who ever
owned the shop!

 

[Benzadmiral]

As has been pointed out, that's a
cigarette vending machine.
The early gas stations in my area mostly
had soda or cigarette vending machines.
Candy whether gum or peanuts came
in round glass containers on metal stands for a penny. . . .

I remember those in the stores in the Quarter. To this day, as much of a car guy as I am, the word "Ford" makes me think of those machines!

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . .
One of the most common gas station candy vendors was used by the Tom's Snacks company. Thousands of these units were built in the 1940s and 1950s, and remained in use into the 1970s -- we had exactly this unit, and only retired it when the coin mechanism wouldn't accept a price increase to 15 cents. The machine was also made in a red and white paint job, which seems to have been more common than the beige machines like the one we had.

I never understood the use of scare quotes around "Lift Here" and always found it annoying.

I suppose it was someone's idea of an instruction, as if the machine were telling you out loud, "Lift Here." But then why not have the quotes around the "Serve Yourself" text as well?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Having served myself to many of the products of that machine over the years, I personally would have put the quotes around "Delicious Sandwiches."

 

[2jakes]

I suppose it was someone's idea of an instruction, as if the machine were telling you out loud, "Lift Here." But then why not have the quotes around the "Serve Yourself" text as well?

A very instructional store in my neighborhood at one time.

Got fresh with the cute gal who worked there.
She told me where to “Go”.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[tonyb]

I learned to drive in a KG.

Rob

My first car was a Karmann Ghia, a '58, as I recall. A retired racer, but street legal (sorta). No reverse, which presented no insurmountable obstacle to a strapping 16-year-old with strapping contemporaries needing rides.

I think I paid 65 bucks for it. Or was it 35?

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's good to know that there's a motor oil out there endorsed by Donald Duck.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob