1 00:00:02,035 --> 00:00:03,003 - [Narrator] For thousands of years, 2 00:00:03,136 --> 00:00:03,971 they've provided us with everything, 3 00:00:04,104 --> 00:00:06,039 from gum, 4 00:00:06,173 --> 00:00:08,909 to stamps, to holy water? 5 00:00:09,042 --> 00:00:10,978 Offering better entertainment, 6 00:00:11,111 --> 00:00:13,647 communication, and transportation. 7 00:00:14,648 --> 00:00:16,984 These coin operated machines can be addictive, 8 00:00:17,117 --> 00:00:18,418 (man laughing) 9 00:00:18,552 --> 00:00:20,721 annoying, and sometimes really weird. 10 00:00:20,854 --> 00:00:21,955 (chicken clucking) 11 00:00:22,089 --> 00:00:23,957 - This is made by a San Quentin prisoner. 12 00:00:24,091 --> 00:00:25,292 - [Narrator] Once said to contribute 13 00:00:25,425 --> 00:00:27,461 to an immoral society, 14 00:00:27,594 --> 00:00:31,298 and today they contribute to billion dollar industries. 15 00:00:31,431 --> 00:00:34,935 You'll never think of that loose change the same way again, 16 00:00:35,068 --> 00:00:36,336 on Modern Marvels. 17 00:00:36,470 --> 00:00:39,006 (intense electronic music) 18 00:00:48,749 --> 00:00:49,983 (upbeat music) 19 00:00:50,150 --> 00:00:52,753 Small change is big business, 20 00:00:52,886 --> 00:00:55,055 and vending machines are the biggest source of revenue 21 00:00:55,188 --> 00:00:56,657 in the coin operated industry. 22 00:00:57,891 --> 00:01:00,894 A hundred million people use them every day, 23 00:01:01,028 --> 00:01:04,231 most stay open 24 hours, seven days a week, 24 00:01:05,699 --> 00:01:10,137 and you can buy anything from aspirin to ice cream. 25 00:01:13,140 --> 00:01:15,208 But the most common vending machines are those that 26 00:01:15,342 --> 00:01:16,944 dispense drinks and snacks. 27 00:01:19,179 --> 00:01:20,948 The food and refreshment vending industry 28 00:01:21,081 --> 00:01:25,185 in the United States is approximately $37 billion a year 29 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,955 and a hundred million Americans a day walk up to 30 00:01:28,088 --> 00:01:30,924 nearly five million machines and make a purchase. 31 00:01:31,058 --> 00:01:33,427 - There are approximately a million people employed 32 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,861 in the industry, 33 00:01:34,995 --> 00:01:38,265 and over 13,500 companies providing service. 34 00:01:38,398 --> 00:01:39,566 - [Narrator] Making the job of those who 35 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:42,035 maintain vending machines more efficient 36 00:01:42,169 --> 00:01:44,972 is having technology at the tip of their fingers. 37 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,809 - Here, at Ace Vending, we use handheld computers. 38 00:01:48,942 --> 00:01:51,812 What the driver does is open the machine, 39 00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:54,715 plugs it into the computer board of the vending machine, 40 00:01:54,848 --> 00:01:57,551 downloads the financial and sales data, 41 00:01:57,684 --> 00:01:59,720 and then we collect that data 42 00:01:59,853 --> 00:02:01,421 and bring it back to the warehouse. 43 00:02:01,555 --> 00:02:02,956 (upbeat music) 44 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:05,092 - [Narrator] Every time the drivers finish their rounds, 45 00:02:05,225 --> 00:02:07,628 they download the data into the company's computer system. 46 00:02:07,761 --> 00:02:09,830 (upbeat music) 47 00:02:09,963 --> 00:02:12,599 This gives an exact accounting of the money collected 48 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:15,235 and of every product sold. 49 00:02:15,369 --> 00:02:18,238 By continually updating the sales history of each machine, 50 00:02:19,272 --> 00:02:22,042 warehouse workers are able to accurately build containers 51 00:02:22,175 --> 00:02:24,011 for the anticipated restocking needs 52 00:02:24,144 --> 00:02:26,079 of the machines on each driver's route. 53 00:02:26,213 --> 00:02:27,748 (upbeat music) 54 00:02:27,881 --> 00:02:31,084 - And what that does is prevents him from coming in twice. 55 00:02:31,218 --> 00:02:33,153 By coming in, and looking in, and seeing 56 00:02:33,286 --> 00:02:34,488 what the vending machine needs, 57 00:02:34,621 --> 00:02:36,189 then going back to the truck and getting it, 58 00:02:36,323 --> 00:02:39,192 it's already preloaded for him based on the download. 59 00:02:40,761 --> 00:02:43,563 - [Narrator] Vending machine technology has come a long way. 60 00:02:43,697 --> 00:02:45,432 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 61 00:02:45,565 --> 00:02:48,135 Scholars believe that the first vending machine was 62 00:02:48,268 --> 00:02:51,104 a holy water dispenser used in Greek temples, 63 00:02:51,238 --> 00:02:53,707 dating back to 215 BCE. 64 00:02:55,108 --> 00:02:57,844 When deposited in the machine, the weight of the coin 65 00:02:57,978 --> 00:02:59,579 caused a lever to lower and dispense 66 00:02:59,713 --> 00:03:01,481 a small amount of the water. 67 00:03:02,516 --> 00:03:05,085 Today's vending machines can be complex, 68 00:03:06,586 --> 00:03:09,956 able to take all kinds of payments, deliver change, 69 00:03:11,692 --> 00:03:14,194 and offer an almost dizzying variety of goodies. 70 00:03:17,164 --> 00:03:18,498 At Crane Merchandising's 71 00:03:18,632 --> 00:03:22,369 enormous 500,000 square foot facility in St. Louis, 72 00:03:22,502 --> 00:03:24,871 snack and drink machines are born. 73 00:03:25,005 --> 00:03:28,008 The process starts with large rolls of steel sheeting. 74 00:03:29,509 --> 00:03:34,314 Each coil will manufacture about 125 to 150 machines. 75 00:03:34,448 --> 00:03:36,950 - We will mount the steel, the coiled steel 76 00:03:37,084 --> 00:03:39,052 onto the dual mandrel, 77 00:03:39,186 --> 00:03:42,789 and the mandrel will take it over to a decoiling process. 78 00:03:44,124 --> 00:03:46,259 There's a deep impression into the floor, 79 00:03:46,393 --> 00:03:47,961 and we'll take the bend out, 80 00:03:48,095 --> 00:03:50,864 and then we shear it to about 15 feet in length. 81 00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:56,169 - They move from there to a punching, notching station. 82 00:03:56,303 --> 00:03:59,306 From there, they move into a roll forming station, 83 00:03:59,439 --> 00:04:00,874 and the front and the back edge of the cabinet 84 00:04:01,007 --> 00:04:02,109 are rolled on. 85 00:04:02,242 --> 00:04:03,443 And once they've left there, 86 00:04:03,577 --> 00:04:04,811 they move into the welding station, 87 00:04:04,945 --> 00:04:07,748 where the components for the inside of the cabinet are added. 88 00:04:08,849 --> 00:04:11,685 - [Narrator] The next stop is the tangent bending station, 89 00:04:11,818 --> 00:04:14,321 where the long steel sheet is bent to form the top 90 00:04:14,454 --> 00:04:16,323 and two sides of the cabinet. 91 00:04:16,456 --> 00:04:19,292 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 92 00:04:19,426 --> 00:04:21,094 Further down the assembly line, 93 00:04:21,228 --> 00:04:23,230 the bottom and the legs are attached. 94 00:04:23,363 --> 00:04:24,698 (upbeat music) 95 00:04:24,831 --> 00:04:26,933 Then workers hang the cabinets in various parts 96 00:04:27,033 --> 00:04:28,335 on a moving conveyor 97 00:04:28,468 --> 00:04:30,537 that carries them through a washer and dryer. 98 00:04:31,605 --> 00:04:32,939 (air whooshing) 99 00:04:33,073 --> 00:04:35,408 Next, it's onto a room where they are coated with 100 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:37,144 a dry, powdered paint. 101 00:04:37,277 --> 00:04:39,880 - This line has an electrostatic charge on it, 102 00:04:40,013 --> 00:04:42,315 so that, when the powder is sprayed on them, 103 00:04:42,449 --> 00:04:44,417 it is like a magnet, and holds it on there 104 00:04:44,551 --> 00:04:46,019 while they're being painted. 105 00:04:46,153 --> 00:04:48,822 That charge is held on them until they go into an oven. 106 00:04:48,955 --> 00:04:51,424 They're heated to 450 degrees. 107 00:04:51,558 --> 00:04:52,993 That melts that paint powder, 108 00:04:53,126 --> 00:04:55,462 becomes a liquid, and then no longer needs 109 00:04:55,595 --> 00:04:57,297 the electrostatic charge. 110 00:04:57,430 --> 00:04:59,299 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 111 00:04:59,432 --> 00:05:00,534 - [Narrator] Once the basic structure of 112 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:02,068 each type of machine is completed, 113 00:05:02,202 --> 00:05:05,405 workers install all the internal and electronic parts, 114 00:05:05,539 --> 00:05:06,840 (upbeat music) 115 00:05:06,973 --> 00:05:09,442 including the defining electronic coin mechanisms. 116 00:05:09,576 --> 00:05:10,544 (air whooshing) 117 00:05:10,677 --> 00:05:12,112 - This is the standard coin mechanism, 118 00:05:12,245 --> 00:05:13,580 sits inside a vending machine, 119 00:05:13,713 --> 00:05:14,814 and when coins are put in 120 00:05:14,948 --> 00:05:15,782 through the front of the machine, 121 00:05:15,916 --> 00:05:17,450 routes 'em through here, 122 00:05:17,584 --> 00:05:19,686 and there's a series of sensors inside, 123 00:05:19,820 --> 00:05:21,855 and it uses this to measure how the coin going through 124 00:05:21,988 --> 00:05:23,223 changes the frequency. 125 00:05:23,356 --> 00:05:25,492 From that, it can very accurately determine thickness, 126 00:05:25,625 --> 00:05:26,526 what the diameter is, 127 00:05:26,660 --> 00:05:28,461 what alloy it's made out of. 128 00:05:28,595 --> 00:05:30,830 Used to be lots of problems with frauds 129 00:05:30,964 --> 00:05:33,200 and counterfeit coins going through. 130 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:34,968 That's more or less disappeared with the advent 131 00:05:35,101 --> 00:05:36,836 of this electronic recognition technology. 132 00:05:36,970 --> 00:05:38,071 (air whooshing) 133 00:05:38,205 --> 00:05:39,406 - [Narrator] And to avoid losing sales 134 00:05:39,539 --> 00:05:41,775 from consumers not carrying enough change, 135 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:44,544 most of today's vending machines have options; 136 00:05:44,678 --> 00:05:46,680 paper money or a credit card. 137 00:05:46,813 --> 00:05:50,116 - Virtually every vending machine has a bill validator. 138 00:05:51,585 --> 00:05:53,854 It recognizes bills by shining light through it, 139 00:05:53,987 --> 00:05:56,890 little LEDs that go through at known points on here, 140 00:05:57,023 --> 00:05:58,358 and depending on the ink 141 00:05:58,491 --> 00:06:01,228 and if the paper that had been made by the mint, 142 00:06:01,361 --> 00:06:02,629 it'll know that it's a good bill, 143 00:06:02,762 --> 00:06:04,197 it'll know what denomination is. 144 00:06:04,331 --> 00:06:05,465 It also checks magnetic inks. 145 00:06:05,599 --> 00:06:07,434 Many people don't realize this, 146 00:06:07,567 --> 00:06:10,837 but the black ink on the front of a dollar bill is magnetic. 147 00:06:10,971 --> 00:06:12,505 - [Narrator] When manufacturing snack machines, 148 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:14,674 customer specifications determine 149 00:06:14,808 --> 00:06:17,844 the types of metal spirals to be installed on the shelves. 150 00:06:17,978 --> 00:06:19,512 (upbeat music) (air whooshing) 151 00:06:19,646 --> 00:06:21,948 - This is the heart of a snack machine. 152 00:06:22,082 --> 00:06:23,617 You notice, they'll come in different varieties. 153 00:06:23,783 --> 00:06:26,086 This is a 30 count, this is an 11 count. 154 00:06:26,219 --> 00:06:29,256 Your 11 count usually produces chips or pastry, 155 00:06:29,389 --> 00:06:31,925 and this will do candy bars, and peanuts, 156 00:06:32,058 --> 00:06:33,660 and things like that. 157 00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:36,329 - [Narrator] The back end of each spiral is attached to 158 00:06:36,463 --> 00:06:39,699 a small 24 volt motor that rotates once 159 00:06:39,833 --> 00:06:41,868 to push the selected product forward, 160 00:06:42,002 --> 00:06:44,404 (upbeat music) 161 00:06:44,537 --> 00:06:47,240 dropping it into the tray at the bottom of the machine. 162 00:06:48,742 --> 00:06:51,144 Crane Merchandising has come up with an entertaining way 163 00:06:51,278 --> 00:06:53,446 to dispense 20 ounce bottled soft drinks 164 00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:54,914 without dropping them. 165 00:06:55,048 --> 00:06:58,885 - The XY delivery mechanism rises to the height of the shelf 166 00:06:59,019 --> 00:07:00,854 and delivers the product conveniently 167 00:07:00,987 --> 00:07:02,055 to the delivery port. 168 00:07:02,188 --> 00:07:04,658 There's a good bit of theater, but most importantly, 169 00:07:04,791 --> 00:07:07,761 when the product is delivered, it hasn't agitated the drink. 170 00:07:07,894 --> 00:07:10,430 So, when I open the cap, it doesn't explode. 171 00:07:10,563 --> 00:07:12,065 - [Narrator] Some vending machines can dispense 172 00:07:12,198 --> 00:07:14,134 more than just soda, candy, and chips. 173 00:07:14,267 --> 00:07:16,603 Others can sell you an entire meal. 174 00:07:16,736 --> 00:07:17,804 (horns honking) 175 00:07:17,938 --> 00:07:19,639 New York City's East Village was home to 176 00:07:19,773 --> 00:07:22,976 one of the last giant vending machines in the United States. 177 00:07:23,109 --> 00:07:25,946 Bamn! Automat launched in 2006, 178 00:07:26,079 --> 00:07:27,213 and was the talk of the city 179 00:07:27,347 --> 00:07:29,282 before the owner moved on to other ventures. 180 00:07:29,416 --> 00:07:31,151 - Some people look at it as a vending machine, 181 00:07:31,284 --> 00:07:34,754 but we look at it more like little peep windows for foodies. 182 00:07:34,888 --> 00:07:36,890 (upbeat music) 183 00:07:37,023 --> 00:07:38,558 - [Narrator] Unseen by the public, 184 00:07:38,692 --> 00:07:41,127 the shelves are being restocked by the kitchen 185 00:07:41,261 --> 00:07:43,229 on the other side of the wall of doors. 186 00:07:43,363 --> 00:07:46,132 - The way it works is get a bunch of coins, 187 00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:48,234 and then you just drop 'em into the slot, 188 00:07:50,070 --> 00:07:52,472 and then you just pull any of these doors 189 00:07:52,605 --> 00:07:53,707 with the food in it, 190 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,742 and you can pull the food out. 191 00:07:55,875 --> 00:07:56,976 Voila. (air whooshing) 192 00:07:57,110 --> 00:07:59,746 - [Narrator] The concept of automats isn't new. 193 00:07:59,879 --> 00:08:03,016 They were first seen in both New York and Philadelphia. 194 00:08:03,149 --> 00:08:05,418 At their peak of popularity in the 1950s, 195 00:08:05,552 --> 00:08:08,655 there were 180 automats in the two cities, 196 00:08:08,788 --> 00:08:11,658 and they fed more than 800,000 people per day. 197 00:08:12,859 --> 00:08:14,461 Back then, they were large restaurants, 198 00:08:14,594 --> 00:08:16,963 with dining areas offering a full selection of items 199 00:08:17,097 --> 00:08:19,599 to put together substantial meals. 200 00:08:19,733 --> 00:08:23,837 The last of the original automats closed in 1991, 201 00:08:23,970 --> 00:08:25,905 with the explosion of fast food restaurants. 202 00:08:26,039 --> 00:08:27,040 (upbeat music) 203 00:08:27,173 --> 00:08:29,442 - Back then a typical grilled cheese 204 00:08:29,576 --> 00:08:31,845 would be probably a nickel. 205 00:08:31,978 --> 00:08:35,515 Now, it's two dollars, but two dollars in today's value, 206 00:08:35,648 --> 00:08:37,016 it's worth it. 207 00:08:37,183 --> 00:08:38,985 - [Narrator] But while fresh foods in vending machines 208 00:08:39,119 --> 00:08:41,020 were all the rage in the 1950s, 209 00:08:41,154 --> 00:08:42,756 over a century ago, 210 00:08:42,889 --> 00:08:44,424 all it took was a stick of gum 211 00:08:44,557 --> 00:08:46,860 to launch the US coin operated vending business. 212 00:08:50,630 --> 00:08:51,664 - [Narrator] America is home 213 00:08:51,798 --> 00:08:54,267 to the most vending machines in the world, 214 00:08:54,401 --> 00:08:55,335 with the current estimate of 215 00:08:55,468 --> 00:08:57,570 over seven million coin operated machines, 216 00:08:58,805 --> 00:09:01,441 serving everything from electronics to makeup, 217 00:09:02,375 --> 00:09:04,577 to chips and soda. 218 00:09:04,711 --> 00:09:05,979 According to the 219 00:09:06,112 --> 00:09:07,747 National Automated Merchandising Association, 220 00:09:07,881 --> 00:09:09,449 consumers worldwide purchased 221 00:09:09,582 --> 00:09:11,684 over 88 billion bottled beverages 222 00:09:11,818 --> 00:09:14,054 from vending machines last year. 223 00:09:14,187 --> 00:09:16,056 But what launched the vending industry in America 224 00:09:16,189 --> 00:09:17,290 wasn't a beverage. 225 00:09:17,424 --> 00:09:19,492 It was the humble ball of chewing gum. 226 00:09:19,626 --> 00:09:20,593 (upbeat music) 227 00:09:20,727 --> 00:09:22,762 Today, 20 million Americans chew 228 00:09:22,896 --> 00:09:25,198 16 or more pieces of chewing gum per day. 229 00:09:25,331 --> 00:09:26,399 (air whooshing) 230 00:09:26,533 --> 00:09:28,168 The Spearmint Stick from Wrigley's Doublemint 231 00:09:28,301 --> 00:09:30,770 remains America's leading chewing gum brand. 232 00:09:30,904 --> 00:09:32,238 (upbeat music) 233 00:09:32,372 --> 00:09:34,808 The OK Manufacturing Company in Salt Lake City proves 234 00:09:34,941 --> 00:09:37,610 you can still build a thriving business on gum. 235 00:09:37,744 --> 00:09:38,845 (bubble popping) (upbeat music) 236 00:09:38,978 --> 00:09:40,280 Despite offering a cheaper product, 237 00:09:40,413 --> 00:09:41,815 this machine can earn more than 238 00:09:41,948 --> 00:09:43,483 any vending machine offering. 239 00:09:43,616 --> 00:09:45,952 Brothers, Jeff and Kurt Ostler, know this well. 240 00:09:46,086 --> 00:09:48,054 They entered the business in a big way. 241 00:09:48,188 --> 00:09:51,024 - The idea in vending is to capture the quarter, 242 00:09:51,157 --> 00:09:52,425 and in order to capture the quarter, 243 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,427 you have to capture their attention first. 244 00:09:54,561 --> 00:09:55,895 There is nothing better than 245 00:09:56,029 --> 00:09:58,565 the big and giant gumball machine to capture attention. 246 00:09:58,698 --> 00:10:01,601 This machine holds 40,000 pieces of gum. 247 00:10:01,734 --> 00:10:04,404 - It stands about 6'10 up here, 248 00:10:04,537 --> 00:10:06,339 holds the 40,000 gumballs, 249 00:10:06,473 --> 00:10:09,709 which, if we equate in dollars, that's $10,000 250 00:10:09,843 --> 00:10:11,544 that this machine would dispense out 251 00:10:11,678 --> 00:10:12,812 and put in its cash box. 252 00:10:12,946 --> 00:10:14,614 Our very first time we went and put one out, 253 00:10:14,747 --> 00:10:18,017 three days after we had it there, it had over $500 in it. 254 00:10:18,151 --> 00:10:20,820 That's when we knew we had a great concept. 255 00:10:20,954 --> 00:10:24,023 - I used to put my child into the side. 256 00:10:24,157 --> 00:10:25,458 They would go in to collect the machine, 257 00:10:25,592 --> 00:10:26,426 'cause that's where the money was, 258 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,394 and push the quarters out. 259 00:10:28,528 --> 00:10:29,362 (upbeat music) 260 00:10:29,496 --> 00:10:30,864 - [Narrator] For the Ostlers, 261 00:10:30,997 --> 00:10:32,599 the giant gumball machine was just the beginning. 262 00:10:32,732 --> 00:10:34,033 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 263 00:10:34,167 --> 00:10:36,069 Another standout in their growing product line 264 00:10:36,202 --> 00:10:37,604 is the Roadrunner. 265 00:10:37,737 --> 00:10:40,473 - We decided people wanted a little more entertainment, 266 00:10:40,607 --> 00:10:43,009 maybe a little more bang out of their quarter. 267 00:10:43,142 --> 00:10:44,744 We made a spiral machine, 268 00:10:44,878 --> 00:10:46,513 so that, after you put your quarter in 269 00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:47,780 and you turn the handle, 270 00:10:48,715 --> 00:10:50,183 you get a little bit of a show, 271 00:10:51,384 --> 00:10:54,187 in addition to getting a piece of gum. 272 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:55,922 (quarter clinking) 273 00:10:56,055 --> 00:10:58,424 - [Narrator] While these gumball machines are entertaining, 274 00:10:58,558 --> 00:11:00,293 they all begin the same way. 275 00:11:00,426 --> 00:11:01,227 (air whooshing) 276 00:11:01,361 --> 00:11:02,495 - Here, at OK Manufacturing, 277 00:11:02,629 --> 00:11:04,697 we make almost all of our own plastic parts. 278 00:11:04,831 --> 00:11:07,066 For instance, we start with plastic sheets 279 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,737 that we put into our plastic vacuum thermal former, 280 00:11:10,870 --> 00:11:12,705 where it's heated up and sucked over a mold, 281 00:11:12,839 --> 00:11:14,073 which we also make here. 282 00:11:14,207 --> 00:11:15,808 (upbeat music) 283 00:11:15,942 --> 00:11:17,944 We make a lot of our own circular globes here 284 00:11:18,077 --> 00:11:20,113 through a custom process, 285 00:11:20,246 --> 00:11:22,715 where we take sheets of clear plastic, 286 00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:25,318 place it in an oven where it's heated up, 287 00:11:25,451 --> 00:11:27,820 where it becomes nice and pliable. 288 00:11:27,954 --> 00:11:29,856 It's placed in our custom machine, 289 00:11:31,291 --> 00:11:34,894 where we actually inject air that blows the globe up 290 00:11:35,028 --> 00:11:36,829 until it hits a micro switch. 291 00:11:36,963 --> 00:11:38,898 and that micro switch is set at a certain height, 292 00:11:39,032 --> 00:11:41,634 depending on the diameter of the globe. 293 00:11:41,768 --> 00:11:44,571 (upbeat music) 294 00:11:44,704 --> 00:11:46,239 (upbeat music) (router whirring) 295 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:49,342 - [Narrator] OK's craftsmen cut and clean up any rough edges 296 00:11:49,475 --> 00:11:51,477 on the globes and other plastic parts. 297 00:11:51,611 --> 00:11:53,379 (upbeat music) 298 00:11:53,513 --> 00:11:55,481 Then, assemble them into gumball machines. 299 00:11:55,615 --> 00:11:57,283 (upbeat music) 300 00:11:57,450 --> 00:12:00,820 The coin mechanism purchased from an outside manufacturer 301 00:12:00,954 --> 00:12:02,622 is one of the last parts to be attached. 302 00:12:02,755 --> 00:12:03,756 (air whooshing) 303 00:12:03,890 --> 00:12:05,124 - This is our standard coin mechanism 304 00:12:05,258 --> 00:12:07,126 that we put inside all of our equipment, 305 00:12:07,260 --> 00:12:08,461 because the quality. 306 00:12:08,595 --> 00:12:10,330 You'll go ahead and you'll put quarter in. 307 00:12:10,463 --> 00:12:14,000 As the quarter then starts to turn here on the back side, 308 00:12:14,133 --> 00:12:15,602 you'll notice the circumference check 309 00:12:15,735 --> 00:12:17,303 to make sure it's the correct size. 310 00:12:17,437 --> 00:12:18,905 If it happens to be a penny, nickel, or dime, 311 00:12:19,038 --> 00:12:20,473 it will go ahead and just drop through, 312 00:12:20,607 --> 00:12:21,741 and as it starts to come, 313 00:12:21,874 --> 00:12:23,343 you'll notice you have a little ratchet arm here 314 00:12:23,476 --> 00:12:26,112 that's making sure that a kid can't rack it back and forth 315 00:12:26,246 --> 00:12:28,481 to try to get the extra product. 316 00:12:28,615 --> 00:12:29,549 And as you come down, 317 00:12:29,682 --> 00:12:31,284 the quarter will come and fall on out. 318 00:12:31,417 --> 00:12:33,052 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 319 00:12:33,186 --> 00:12:34,921 - [Narrator] The Ostler brothers keep finding ways 320 00:12:35,054 --> 00:12:38,124 to stand out in the gumball market. 321 00:12:38,258 --> 00:12:40,526 It could be thanks to their competitive natures. 322 00:12:40,660 --> 00:12:43,396 - This is our most interactive gumball machine, 323 00:12:43,529 --> 00:12:47,500 our Soccer Ball, which allows you to be able to play. 324 00:12:47,634 --> 00:12:48,868 - Now you can play with your food. 325 00:12:49,002 --> 00:12:51,971 - Get ready to go and lose! (machine rattling) 326 00:12:52,105 --> 00:12:55,208 - [Narrator] This hybrid machine mixes sport and gumballs. 327 00:12:55,341 --> 00:12:57,310 It makes it a viable addition to 328 00:12:57,443 --> 00:12:59,679 another major coin operated industry. 329 00:13:01,014 --> 00:13:03,449 (laughing) 330 00:13:03,583 --> 00:13:05,218 Arcade games and amusements. 331 00:13:05,351 --> 00:13:07,954 (upbeat music) 332 00:13:08,087 --> 00:13:11,357 For more than a century, it's been a hypnotic realm of 333 00:13:11,491 --> 00:13:15,495 flashing lights, crazy mechanics, 334 00:13:15,628 --> 00:13:18,564 and freaky visuals. 335 00:13:18,698 --> 00:13:20,633 (jaunty music) 336 00:13:20,767 --> 00:13:23,936 Before radio and TV, penny arcades offered the public 337 00:13:24,070 --> 00:13:25,571 a variety of entertainment, 338 00:13:25,705 --> 00:13:28,508 including the earliest forms of moving pictures. 339 00:13:29,575 --> 00:13:31,678 - This is an early motion picture machine 340 00:13:31,811 --> 00:13:34,047 built in the late 1800s. 341 00:13:34,180 --> 00:13:36,482 It's called a clamshell mutoscope. 342 00:13:36,616 --> 00:13:38,785 It's what they used before film. 343 00:13:38,918 --> 00:13:42,088 And if I open this up, I can show you the insides. 344 00:13:44,023 --> 00:13:47,660 And it's actually the coin that starts the mechanism 345 00:13:47,794 --> 00:13:49,796 which activates the flip cards. 346 00:13:51,564 --> 00:13:53,900 The person operating the machine is the motor, 347 00:13:54,033 --> 00:13:56,269 and the faster you turn the handle, 348 00:13:56,402 --> 00:13:58,504 the faster the picture will go by. 349 00:14:00,907 --> 00:14:04,677 The flip cards do one complete rotation, 360 degrees, 350 00:14:04,811 --> 00:14:08,081 which is approximately 1500 cards, 351 00:14:08,214 --> 00:14:09,982 and then it shuts off. 352 00:14:10,116 --> 00:14:11,584 (upbeat music) 353 00:14:11,718 --> 00:14:13,119 - [Narrator] Mutoscopes were soon replaced 354 00:14:13,252 --> 00:14:14,887 with kinetoscopes, invented by 355 00:14:15,021 --> 00:14:16,723 Thomas Edison and William Dixon. 356 00:14:17,957 --> 00:14:21,227 The first kinetoscope parlor opened in 1894, 357 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,096 offering the public its first chance to see 358 00:14:23,229 --> 00:14:24,497 motion pictures on film. 359 00:14:24,630 --> 00:14:25,998 (upbeat music) 360 00:14:26,132 --> 00:14:28,601 One side of the cabinet contained a battery 361 00:14:28,735 --> 00:14:30,336 that powered a small motor, 362 00:14:30,470 --> 00:14:32,605 and, on the other side, behind a wooden panel, 363 00:14:32,739 --> 00:14:35,007 a projection lamp lit 50 feet of film 364 00:14:35,141 --> 00:14:36,442 that ran through the machine. 365 00:14:36,576 --> 00:14:38,611 But, when Edison perfected the movie projector, 366 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:41,147 he made kinetoscopes instantly obsolete. 367 00:14:45,918 --> 00:14:47,053 (upbeat music) (air whooshing) 368 00:14:47,186 --> 00:14:50,289 From arm wrestling a mechanical brute, 369 00:14:50,423 --> 00:14:54,026 trying to keep up with a virtual jumprope. 370 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:55,795 From those creepy, old fortune tellers 371 00:14:56,929 --> 00:14:59,065 to dancing cowboys, 372 00:14:59,198 --> 00:15:02,201 coin operated machines have been amusing and entertaining us 373 00:15:02,335 --> 00:15:03,936 for more than a century. 374 00:15:05,605 --> 00:15:07,840 Coin operated music machines first appeared in 375 00:15:07,974 --> 00:15:09,542 the late 1800s. 376 00:15:09,675 --> 00:15:12,311 Some of the earliest were basically big music boxes. 377 00:15:16,115 --> 00:15:17,483 And soon, many became 378 00:15:17,650 --> 00:15:19,986 very elaborate technological fantasies. 379 00:15:20,119 --> 00:15:22,688 (upbeat music) 380 00:15:22,822 --> 00:15:26,058 The mechanics were often a big part of the entertainment. 381 00:15:26,192 --> 00:15:29,862 - This is a Seberg Nickelodeon from the early 1900s. 382 00:15:29,996 --> 00:15:32,365 I'll open it up, so you can see what's inside. 383 00:15:33,633 --> 00:15:34,967 When you put your quarter in, 384 00:15:35,067 --> 00:15:38,538 it drops into a slot which operates an electrical switch, 385 00:15:38,671 --> 00:15:40,807 which sends a signal to the electric motor, 386 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:44,777 and all of its function came from the paper roll. 387 00:15:44,911 --> 00:15:46,546 In this particular instrument, 388 00:15:46,679 --> 00:15:51,450 we have piano, and we have a set of violin pipes, 389 00:15:51,584 --> 00:15:53,619 and we also have what's called a mandolin rail, 390 00:15:53,753 --> 00:15:56,489 which makes the piano sound like a honky tonk piano. 391 00:15:57,924 --> 00:15:59,492 When the tune is completed, 392 00:15:59,625 --> 00:16:01,761 this perforation crosses the tracker bar, 393 00:16:01,894 --> 00:16:04,797 sends a pneumatic signal to the electrical switch, 394 00:16:04,931 --> 00:16:06,833 and drops the coin into the coin box. 395 00:16:06,966 --> 00:16:08,634 (coin clinking) 396 00:16:08,768 --> 00:16:11,370 (upbeat music) 397 00:16:11,504 --> 00:16:12,638 - [Narrator] Penny phonographs became popular 398 00:16:12,772 --> 00:16:14,173 in the early 1900s, 399 00:16:15,408 --> 00:16:17,343 and were the precursors to the jukebox, 400 00:16:17,476 --> 00:16:19,178 which first appeared in the 1920s. 401 00:16:19,312 --> 00:16:20,646 (air whooshing) (rock music) 402 00:16:20,780 --> 00:16:23,850 Companies like Rock-Ola are still making jukeboxes, 403 00:16:23,983 --> 00:16:27,320 but with a 21st century flair. 404 00:16:27,453 --> 00:16:30,890 - The first jukeboxes played the very large 78 RPM records, 405 00:16:31,023 --> 00:16:32,258 just one side. 406 00:16:32,391 --> 00:16:35,661 And, of course, that transcended into the 45 RPM record 407 00:16:35,795 --> 00:16:39,065 with a big hole in it in about 1949. 408 00:16:39,198 --> 00:16:42,034 And then, eventually, the CDs came in in the mid eighties. 409 00:16:42,168 --> 00:16:44,504 But this has transcended from CDs 410 00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:49,041 over to a jukebox that is connected to the internet, 411 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:52,078 literally plays hundreds of thousands of CDs. 412 00:16:52,211 --> 00:16:53,679 This is a touch screen. 413 00:16:53,813 --> 00:16:56,315 You can just go on it, touch what you would like, 414 00:16:56,449 --> 00:17:00,386 and it blasted out of this jukebox with 900 Watts of power. 415 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:01,554 (upbeat music) 416 00:17:01,687 --> 00:17:02,822 - [Narrator] Jukeboxes have managed to 417 00:17:02,955 --> 00:17:03,990 keep up with the times. 418 00:17:04,123 --> 00:17:04,924 (air whooshing) 419 00:17:05,057 --> 00:17:06,325 But more coins are inserted into 420 00:17:06,459 --> 00:17:08,995 another part of the amusement business; gaming. 421 00:17:10,129 --> 00:17:11,731 In fact, at its peak, customers spend 422 00:17:11,864 --> 00:17:14,000 over eight billion dollars a year, 423 00:17:14,133 --> 00:17:16,235 mainly due to the lure of video games. 424 00:17:16,369 --> 00:17:17,803 (tires screeching) (air whooshing) 425 00:17:17,937 --> 00:17:18,938 - This is an example of 426 00:17:19,071 --> 00:17:20,373 one of the first successful coin operated 427 00:17:20,506 --> 00:17:21,941 pong style video games. 428 00:17:22,074 --> 00:17:24,043 It's very primitive by today's standards, 429 00:17:24,176 --> 00:17:28,014 but by 1972 standards, this was ahead of its time. 430 00:17:28,147 --> 00:17:29,982 Everyone was very impressed to be able to play a game 431 00:17:30,116 --> 00:17:32,051 on a TV set instead of just watching it, 432 00:17:32,184 --> 00:17:34,754 and then the micro processor made the game 433 00:17:34,887 --> 00:17:36,722 10 times more complex and amazing. 434 00:17:36,856 --> 00:17:39,458 And with the advent of games like Pac-Man a few years later, 435 00:17:39,592 --> 00:17:42,261 the public got really excited. 436 00:17:42,395 --> 00:17:44,230 - [Narrator] Some players were even more excited 437 00:17:44,363 --> 00:17:45,598 when they found out they could fool 438 00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:48,501 the simple coin mechanisms used back then. 439 00:17:48,634 --> 00:17:50,436 - In the late '70s and early '80s, 440 00:17:50,570 --> 00:17:53,739 when video games came out, people became so creative. 441 00:17:53,873 --> 00:17:56,576 They would go and drill holes through their quarters, 442 00:17:56,709 --> 00:17:58,811 tie a little bit of fishing line in there, 443 00:17:58,945 --> 00:18:01,647 put it in 'til it hit the micro switch, pull it back out, 444 00:18:01,781 --> 00:18:03,616 get their quarter, get a free game. 445 00:18:03,749 --> 00:18:05,051 Eventually, the industry wised up 446 00:18:05,184 --> 00:18:06,852 and they put cutters in there, 447 00:18:06,986 --> 00:18:09,455 where, as soon as you tried to pull anything back out, 448 00:18:09,588 --> 00:18:12,325 it would cut that line, quarter would go into the box. 449 00:18:12,458 --> 00:18:13,559 You'd still get your game, 450 00:18:13,693 --> 00:18:15,895 but the operator would still get his money. 451 00:18:18,030 --> 00:18:20,766 - [Narrator] Before video games, pinball was king. 452 00:18:22,368 --> 00:18:26,806 In 1932, there were around 150 pinball machine manufacturers 453 00:18:26,939 --> 00:18:31,277 in the US, but now only one survives. 454 00:18:31,410 --> 00:18:35,748 Stern Pinball, located in Melrose Park, Illinois. 455 00:18:35,881 --> 00:18:38,017 The company's president, Gary Stern, 456 00:18:38,150 --> 00:18:40,186 has been around pinball most of his life, 457 00:18:41,387 --> 00:18:42,989 and the games his company now produces 458 00:18:43,122 --> 00:18:45,725 are much different than the ones his father used to sell. 459 00:18:45,858 --> 00:18:48,127 (upbeat music) 460 00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:52,031 - This is a pinball machine from the late '60s. 461 00:18:52,164 --> 00:18:54,066 These days, they were much simpler games 462 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,201 than we make today, 463 00:18:55,334 --> 00:18:58,104 with electromechanical logic, relay step up units, 464 00:18:58,237 --> 00:19:00,806 much like in an old telephone system. 465 00:19:00,940 --> 00:19:02,742 You can't make something this simple today. 466 00:19:02,875 --> 00:19:05,044 People are looking for more entertainment, 467 00:19:05,177 --> 00:19:07,146 more to do, much like you can't make 468 00:19:07,279 --> 00:19:08,914 cars with roll up windows. 469 00:19:09,048 --> 00:19:10,616 People want power windows today, 470 00:19:10,750 --> 00:19:14,286 so now we make games with a lot of toys to play. 471 00:19:14,420 --> 00:19:15,654 (upbeat music) 472 00:19:15,788 --> 00:19:17,456 They're much more complex, 473 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:21,293 they do a lot more, and a lot more entertainment value. 474 00:19:23,029 --> 00:19:24,330 - [Narrator] Stern Pinball produces 475 00:19:24,463 --> 00:19:26,098 three or four titles a year, 476 00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:29,902 like this Indiana Jones game. 477 00:19:30,036 --> 00:19:31,137 (air whooshing) 478 00:19:31,270 --> 00:19:33,439 Stern's game designer first rendered it into 479 00:19:33,572 --> 00:19:35,541 2D computer graphics. 480 00:19:35,674 --> 00:19:38,744 Then, 3D computer artists created virtual versions 481 00:19:38,878 --> 00:19:39,979 of the working parts. 482 00:19:41,614 --> 00:19:44,583 Next, Stern built a prototype play field 483 00:19:44,717 --> 00:19:47,520 to test the electronics and basic gameplay. 484 00:19:47,653 --> 00:19:50,389 Once approved, the game went into production. 485 00:19:50,523 --> 00:19:51,891 (air whooshing) - This is cable department. 486 00:19:52,024 --> 00:19:54,493 We use an average of over a half a mile of wire 487 00:19:54,627 --> 00:19:56,462 in every pinball machine we manufacture. 488 00:19:56,595 --> 00:19:59,665 We have operators that are on the line over here. 489 00:19:59,799 --> 00:20:01,200 It's a progressive line, 490 00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:04,036 and each operator will add one wire at a time 491 00:20:04,170 --> 00:20:06,372 until a complete wire harness is built. 492 00:20:07,673 --> 00:20:10,509 - [Narrator] The wire harnesses travel down assembly lines, 493 00:20:10,643 --> 00:20:14,013 as workers carefully craft an incredibly complex maze 494 00:20:14,146 --> 00:20:16,916 that includes all the electronic components and lights. 495 00:20:17,049 --> 00:20:18,718 (upbeat music) 496 00:20:18,851 --> 00:20:21,153 On the top of the surface of the play field, 497 00:20:21,287 --> 00:20:23,255 workers attach all of the hardware, 498 00:20:23,389 --> 00:20:26,492 including the flippers, bumpers, and the custom design props 499 00:20:26,625 --> 00:20:28,294 for each game. 500 00:20:28,427 --> 00:20:29,895 By the time they're done, 501 00:20:30,029 --> 00:20:33,933 each of Stern's games contain an average of 3,500 parts. 502 00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:35,134 (upbeat music) 503 00:20:35,267 --> 00:20:36,736 - We're in the play field test area. 504 00:20:36,869 --> 00:20:38,471 In this section over here, 505 00:20:38,604 --> 00:20:40,740 we test to make sure, electrically and mechanically, 506 00:20:40,873 --> 00:20:43,109 all the components on a play field are working. 507 00:20:43,242 --> 00:20:44,610 You have your flippers down here, 508 00:20:44,744 --> 00:20:46,712 you have your ball kickers, 509 00:20:46,846 --> 00:20:49,215 shoot the ball back out onto a play field. 510 00:20:49,348 --> 00:20:51,517 The other thing, you have easy access to all the components, 511 00:20:51,650 --> 00:20:53,185 so you could troubleshoot quicker. 512 00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:55,087 You could flip the play field around, 513 00:20:55,221 --> 00:20:56,322 but you have complete access to 514 00:20:56,455 --> 00:20:58,891 all your electrical and mechanical components, 515 00:20:59,024 --> 00:21:00,659 and that's how we troubleshoot 'em. 516 00:21:00,793 --> 00:21:01,760 (air whooshing) 517 00:21:01,894 --> 00:21:03,963 - [Narrator] If everything is working properly, 518 00:21:04,096 --> 00:21:06,966 workers install the completed play fields in the cabinets, 519 00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:09,869 fully test the finished games, 520 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:13,339 and then prepare them for shipment. 521 00:21:13,472 --> 00:21:15,474 - These games will ship throughout the world. 522 00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:18,344 We export about 40 percent of our games. 523 00:21:18,477 --> 00:21:20,513 Today, we're making Austrian games, 524 00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:23,349 so they have to be set up for Austrian coinage, 525 00:21:23,482 --> 00:21:25,918 actually Euros, and with German language, 526 00:21:26,051 --> 00:21:27,319 and what have you. 527 00:21:27,453 --> 00:21:28,454 (air whooshing) 528 00:21:28,587 --> 00:21:29,889 - [Narrator] While pinball games have changed a lot 529 00:21:30,022 --> 00:21:31,123 over the years, 530 00:21:31,257 --> 00:21:33,025 there's one key element that hasn't; 531 00:21:33,159 --> 00:21:35,027 the pinball. 532 00:21:35,161 --> 00:21:36,228 (upbeat music) 533 00:21:36,362 --> 00:21:38,864 - It's one and 1/16th inches in diameter, 534 00:21:38,998 --> 00:21:43,736 weighs 0.17 pounds, and it's gonna move along the play field 535 00:21:43,869 --> 00:21:46,272 at 100 inches per minute. 536 00:21:46,405 --> 00:21:48,274 These were originally just ball bearings. 537 00:21:48,407 --> 00:21:50,709 I don't know if they're used for anything else now. 538 00:21:50,843 --> 00:21:53,979 I do know that our manufacturers moved offshore, 539 00:21:54,113 --> 00:21:56,682 and we had a little problem getting these for a while, 540 00:21:56,816 --> 00:21:59,118 which would've been the end of the pinball business. 541 00:21:59,251 --> 00:22:00,386 (air whooshing) (pinball clinking) 542 00:22:00,519 --> 00:22:01,854 - [Narrator] For decades, 543 00:22:01,987 --> 00:22:04,523 making a gleaming pinball roll around and rack up points 544 00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:07,359 has endlessly fascinated gamers, 545 00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:09,695 (bell dinging) but other arcade machines 546 00:22:09,828 --> 00:22:12,164 turn your shiny coins into the game piece. 547 00:22:12,298 --> 00:22:15,134 (upbeat music) 548 00:22:15,267 --> 00:22:16,969 When inserted into the machine, 549 00:22:17,102 --> 00:22:19,672 they don't fall directly into the coin box, 550 00:22:19,805 --> 00:22:21,507 but become part of the play, 551 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:24,510 adding a little edge to winning or losing. 552 00:22:25,544 --> 00:22:27,146 When customers insert their coins into 553 00:22:27,279 --> 00:22:29,114 a certain variety of machine, 554 00:22:29,248 --> 00:22:32,318 they hope they will cause other coins to fall off shelves. 555 00:22:32,451 --> 00:22:33,586 (air whooshing) 556 00:22:33,719 --> 00:22:35,854 But all those coins teetering on the edge 557 00:22:35,988 --> 00:22:38,424 tempt some into not playing fair. 558 00:22:38,557 --> 00:22:39,825 - Now, you get a lot of people 559 00:22:39,959 --> 00:22:41,594 who are always trying to cheat the arcade and the game. 560 00:22:41,727 --> 00:22:43,028 They think, give it a good, swift shake 561 00:22:43,162 --> 00:22:44,530 and you'll win some of those. 562 00:22:44,663 --> 00:22:47,299 But as you see, you shake it, the alarm goes off, 563 00:22:47,433 --> 00:22:49,768 those quarters fall down, but you don't get any tickets. 564 00:22:49,902 --> 00:22:51,270 (coins clinking) (upbeat music) 565 00:22:51,403 --> 00:22:54,473 - [Narrator] In arcades you win tickets instead of coins, 566 00:22:54,607 --> 00:22:55,908 no gambling allowed. 567 00:22:58,777 --> 00:23:01,347 Of course, countless fortunes have been deposited into 568 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,049 casino slot machines by those hoping to turn 569 00:23:04,183 --> 00:23:06,719 a small investment into big winnings. 570 00:23:06,852 --> 00:23:08,454 (coins clinking) 571 00:23:08,587 --> 00:23:11,023 But, for some reason, in an arcade, 572 00:23:11,156 --> 00:23:13,959 inserting way too many quarters to pluck a puny prize 573 00:23:14,093 --> 00:23:17,196 out of those claw machines is considered a victory. 574 00:23:17,329 --> 00:23:19,765 (upbeat music) 575 00:23:19,898 --> 00:23:22,268 Before legislation, operators were able to 576 00:23:22,401 --> 00:23:24,236 change the tension on the claws, 577 00:23:24,370 --> 00:23:26,138 or program the machine to allow a win 578 00:23:26,272 --> 00:23:27,973 every certain number of plays. 579 00:23:29,441 --> 00:23:32,177 Now, everybody must get an equal, if still slim, 580 00:23:32,311 --> 00:23:33,846 chance of winning. 581 00:23:33,979 --> 00:23:37,082 When OK Manufacturing, the gumball guys, 582 00:23:37,216 --> 00:23:39,518 decided to manufacture a crane game, 583 00:23:39,652 --> 00:23:41,887 they came up with a kinder, gentler variation 584 00:23:42,021 --> 00:23:43,589 called Tractor Time. 585 00:23:43,722 --> 00:23:45,958 (upbeat music) 586 00:23:46,725 --> 00:23:49,662 - If you don't win a prize, it will keep going. 587 00:23:50,896 --> 00:23:52,865 It senses there's no prize, 588 00:23:52,998 --> 00:23:55,267 and in our machines, 'cause they're winner every time, 589 00:23:55,401 --> 00:23:57,102 you get a second chance. 590 00:23:57,236 --> 00:24:00,105 (machine whirring) 591 00:24:01,573 --> 00:24:05,477 A sensor and an eye will see the product pass through. 592 00:24:07,313 --> 00:24:09,448 Once the eye sees the product pass through here, 593 00:24:09,581 --> 00:24:12,151 it activates, and tells the machine to stop. 594 00:24:15,921 --> 00:24:18,424 (upbeat music) 595 00:24:23,429 --> 00:24:24,997 - [Narrator] There's a blue collar side 596 00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:26,899 to coin operated machines. 597 00:24:27,032 --> 00:24:28,834 They provide all kinds of services, 598 00:24:30,903 --> 00:24:33,439 from lockers and luggage cart rentals 599 00:24:33,572 --> 00:24:35,908 (air whooshing) to laundromats. 600 00:24:36,041 --> 00:24:38,610 Today, there are about 18,000 laundromats 601 00:24:38,744 --> 00:24:42,881 in the United States, a 20 percent decline since 2005. 602 00:24:43,015 --> 00:24:43,916 (upbeat music) 603 00:24:44,049 --> 00:24:45,784 The Census Bureau attributes this steep drop 604 00:24:45,918 --> 00:24:49,088 to more washers and dryers being offered in apartment units. 605 00:24:49,221 --> 00:24:51,090 This isn't to say that they aren't profitable. 606 00:24:51,223 --> 00:24:52,624 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 607 00:24:52,758 --> 00:24:56,996 The average machine can bring in $20,000 to $30,000 a year. 608 00:24:58,097 --> 00:25:00,165 Coin operated machines are available to help 609 00:25:00,299 --> 00:25:01,734 clean out and wash our cars. 610 00:25:03,202 --> 00:25:04,370 But then again, 611 00:25:04,503 --> 00:25:05,804 it's because of our cars that we had to 612 00:25:05,938 --> 00:25:07,439 start paying for air, 613 00:25:07,573 --> 00:25:09,141 and also must deal with many people's 614 00:25:09,274 --> 00:25:11,844 least favorite coin operated machine. 615 00:25:16,582 --> 00:25:19,118 There are currently over five million parking meters 616 00:25:19,251 --> 00:25:20,886 in the United States. 617 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:23,155 The first one was installed in Oklahoma City 618 00:25:23,288 --> 00:25:26,091 on July 16th, 1935. 619 00:25:26,225 --> 00:25:29,294 For the first 50 years, they were all mechanical. 620 00:25:30,329 --> 00:25:31,697 But over the past few years, 621 00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:34,600 they are quickly becoming obsolete. 622 00:25:34,733 --> 00:25:37,236 - What we have here is a parking meter 623 00:25:37,369 --> 00:25:39,038 that was made in the 1950s. 624 00:25:39,171 --> 00:25:41,073 This is a Park-o-meter. 625 00:25:41,206 --> 00:25:44,109 This has a big main spring in the meter. 626 00:25:44,243 --> 00:25:46,345 The technician would come by weekly, 627 00:25:46,478 --> 00:25:49,314 and put the crank inside the back of the meter, 628 00:25:49,448 --> 00:25:50,816 and would wind the timer, 629 00:25:50,949 --> 00:25:54,453 and they would store energy for the remainder of the week. 630 00:25:54,586 --> 00:25:55,888 - [Narrator] Other mechanical meters 631 00:25:56,021 --> 00:25:59,358 let the customer do the winding after inserting each coin. 632 00:25:59,491 --> 00:26:00,192 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 633 00:26:00,325 --> 00:26:01,660 Then, in the mid '80s, 634 00:26:01,794 --> 00:26:04,196 there was a new meter on the block. 635 00:26:04,329 --> 00:26:06,031 - In 1985, the City of Beverly Hills 636 00:26:06,165 --> 00:26:08,066 began to replace their mechanical meters 637 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,936 with this first generation electronic meter citywide. 638 00:26:11,070 --> 00:26:13,338 The benefits are the single coin slot 639 00:26:13,472 --> 00:26:16,742 for all of the coins, less moving parts, 640 00:26:16,875 --> 00:26:18,210 and an electronic log of 641 00:26:18,343 --> 00:26:20,345 the valid and invalid coins that are inserted in the meter. 642 00:26:20,479 --> 00:26:22,681 Because it's electronic, it does take a nine volt battery, 643 00:26:22,815 --> 00:26:25,084 which we replace about once a year. 644 00:26:25,217 --> 00:26:26,552 (upbeat music) 645 00:26:26,685 --> 00:26:28,921 - [Narrator] Beverly Hills, California currently has 646 00:26:29,054 --> 00:26:31,490 3,100 meters in operation, 647 00:26:31,623 --> 00:26:34,259 and they bring in about $2.5 million a year. 648 00:26:34,393 --> 00:26:36,862 (coins clinking) 649 00:26:36,995 --> 00:26:38,697 Will that be a cash or credit? 650 00:26:38,831 --> 00:26:40,432 - The City of Beverly Hills was 651 00:26:40,566 --> 00:26:41,633 the first city in the United States 652 00:26:41,767 --> 00:26:43,469 to deploy a credit card meter on street. 653 00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:46,505 It still accepts coin, but you can insert your credit card. 654 00:26:48,874 --> 00:26:51,910 You can add more or less time, press okay, 655 00:26:52,044 --> 00:26:54,480 and the meter will process your credit card immediately. 656 00:26:54,613 --> 00:26:56,114 It also has a solar panel, 657 00:26:56,248 --> 00:26:57,983 and it's capable of text messaging 658 00:26:58,116 --> 00:26:59,718 our enforcement and our maintenance personnel 659 00:26:59,852 --> 00:27:02,221 if the meter is vandalized or jammed. 660 00:27:04,122 --> 00:27:05,424 - [Narrator] While parking meters are 661 00:27:05,557 --> 00:27:07,893 surviving and thriving in the 21st century, 662 00:27:08,026 --> 00:27:09,294 (coins jingling) 663 00:27:09,428 --> 00:27:11,563 payphones are barely hanging on. 664 00:27:11,697 --> 00:27:13,065 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 665 00:27:13,198 --> 00:27:15,868 But there was a time when the payphone was indispensable. 666 00:27:16,001 --> 00:27:18,437 - In 1964, when the US mint was ready to change 667 00:27:18,570 --> 00:27:21,240 the metallic composition of US coins, 668 00:27:21,373 --> 00:27:23,008 they consulted with the Bell System 669 00:27:23,142 --> 00:27:24,776 and other interested parties 670 00:27:24,910 --> 00:27:27,045 to ensure that the new coins would still work 671 00:27:27,179 --> 00:27:30,549 in the public payphone system of the US. 672 00:27:30,682 --> 00:27:31,683 (jovial music) 673 00:27:31,817 --> 00:27:32,818 - [Narrator] The first payphone, 674 00:27:32,951 --> 00:27:34,753 called a coin phone back then, 675 00:27:34,887 --> 00:27:37,422 went into service in Chicago in 1898. 676 00:27:37,556 --> 00:27:42,294 By 1902, there were over 80,000 in the United States. 677 00:27:42,427 --> 00:27:45,264 In 1910, there was even a portable model. 678 00:27:45,397 --> 00:27:48,333 - This is an example of a three slot payphone 679 00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:50,936 that is not mounted on a wall or found in a phone booth, 680 00:27:51,069 --> 00:27:52,437 but has a handle. 681 00:27:52,571 --> 00:27:54,206 It's made out of aluminum, it's fairly lightweight. 682 00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:55,908 It could be carried all over 683 00:27:56,041 --> 00:27:58,477 the Wanamaker Department Store for whom it was made. 684 00:27:58,610 --> 00:28:00,812 It was made so that the store employees could 685 00:28:00,946 --> 00:28:02,281 carry it into the restaurant, 686 00:28:02,414 --> 00:28:04,883 or to other parts of the store, for customer use. 687 00:28:05,050 --> 00:28:06,785 It had a long cord that could be plugged in 688 00:28:06,919 --> 00:28:08,287 wherever there was a phone jack. 689 00:28:08,420 --> 00:28:09,655 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 690 00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:11,256 - [Narrator] In the 1920s and '30s, 691 00:28:11,390 --> 00:28:12,791 special devices turned 692 00:28:12,925 --> 00:28:16,328 the regular phones of small businesses into pay phones. 693 00:28:16,461 --> 00:28:18,363 - If I take the receiver off the hook, 694 00:28:18,497 --> 00:28:20,098 in preparation for using the phone, 695 00:28:20,232 --> 00:28:22,267 and drop a nickel in the slot, 696 00:28:22,401 --> 00:28:25,971 and press the lever, it pulls the little arm or fork 697 00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:28,640 out of the dial, leaving the dial free to turn, 698 00:28:28,774 --> 00:28:30,008 and for me to dial my call. 699 00:28:30,142 --> 00:28:31,476 When I'm finished with a call, 700 00:28:31,610 --> 00:28:33,278 I place the receiver on the hook, 701 00:28:33,412 --> 00:28:37,683 and the arm returns to the lock position in the dial, 702 00:28:37,816 --> 00:28:39,585 and it's ready for the next person to come along 703 00:28:39,718 --> 00:28:40,852 and make a call. 704 00:28:40,986 --> 00:28:42,454 - Here's a good example of a three slot payphone 705 00:28:42,588 --> 00:28:43,655 from the '50s. 706 00:28:43,789 --> 00:28:46,458 A local call would cost a dime or a nickel. 707 00:28:46,592 --> 00:28:48,026 If you wanted to make a long distance call, 708 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:49,695 you had to get the operator involved. 709 00:28:49,828 --> 00:28:51,330 - That'll be 35 cents. 710 00:28:51,463 --> 00:28:52,531 - [Narrator] The most surprising thing 711 00:28:52,664 --> 00:28:54,733 about commercial payphones, however, 712 00:28:54,866 --> 00:28:57,769 is how simple the coin mechanisms were, 713 00:28:57,903 --> 00:29:00,539 all the way up to 1965, 714 00:29:00,672 --> 00:29:02,641 before electronics were first incorporated. 715 00:29:02,774 --> 00:29:05,611 (coins clinking) (phone ringing) 716 00:29:05,744 --> 00:29:08,213 - And by getting the operator involved, 717 00:29:08,347 --> 00:29:10,882 she would be listening to a series of sounds 718 00:29:11,016 --> 00:29:13,118 as you put the coins through. 719 00:29:13,252 --> 00:29:15,053 (coin clinking) 720 00:29:15,187 --> 00:29:17,189 In order for her to put the call through, 721 00:29:17,322 --> 00:29:19,958 she would listen, and they made distinctive sounds, 722 00:29:20,092 --> 00:29:23,228 A quarter would go the slot and go right to a bong sound, 723 00:29:23,362 --> 00:29:25,030 (quarter bonging) 724 00:29:25,163 --> 00:29:27,165 and she'd know that you put a quarter in. 725 00:29:27,299 --> 00:29:29,034 Next would be the dime. 726 00:29:29,167 --> 00:29:31,236 She would listen for two ding sounds. 727 00:29:31,370 --> 00:29:33,005 (dime dinging) 728 00:29:33,138 --> 00:29:35,173 So, it actually came around and hit the top of the bell 729 00:29:35,307 --> 00:29:38,810 and the bottom of the bell, remarkably simple. 730 00:29:38,944 --> 00:29:39,778 Then, you put the nickel in, 731 00:29:39,911 --> 00:29:41,613 and it'll hit the bell one time. 732 00:29:41,747 --> 00:29:43,015 (nickel dinging) 733 00:29:43,148 --> 00:29:44,950 The phone had no idea of knowing 734 00:29:45,117 --> 00:29:46,885 how much money was collected. 735 00:29:47,019 --> 00:29:48,120 It was up to the operator, 736 00:29:48,253 --> 00:29:50,188 and she kept count at the central office, 737 00:29:50,322 --> 00:29:53,158 and then she would go ahead and put your call through. 738 00:29:53,292 --> 00:29:54,626 - [Narrator] In the 1990s, 739 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:56,595 the number of payphones in the United States 740 00:29:56,728 --> 00:29:59,131 reached over 2.6 million. 741 00:29:59,264 --> 00:30:00,565 (air whooshing) 742 00:30:00,699 --> 00:30:02,668 But because of the explosion of cell phone usage, 743 00:30:02,801 --> 00:30:04,836 the payphone is fading fast, 744 00:30:04,970 --> 00:30:07,072 with only roughly 100,000 of them remaining. 745 00:30:10,909 --> 00:30:12,277 (upbeat music) 746 00:30:12,411 --> 00:30:14,980 - [Narrator] Many coin operated machines are becoming 747 00:30:15,113 --> 00:30:17,249 less reliant on coins, 748 00:30:17,382 --> 00:30:19,718 and more on alternative payment methods. 749 00:30:19,851 --> 00:30:22,354 Bill acceptors were only the beginning. 750 00:30:22,487 --> 00:30:25,290 Now, many apartment tenants can simply swipe a smart card 751 00:30:25,424 --> 00:30:26,725 to do their laundry, 752 00:30:26,858 --> 00:30:29,294 and vending machines selling high priced items, 753 00:30:29,428 --> 00:30:31,129 they only take credit cards. 754 00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:34,366 - Here, at Macy's, we found that our customers really enjoy 755 00:30:34,499 --> 00:30:35,867 getting their gadgets from the vending machine. 756 00:30:35,967 --> 00:30:37,269 It's really quick and easy, 757 00:30:37,402 --> 00:30:39,171 and you can buy it within a matter of seconds. 758 00:30:39,304 --> 00:30:40,105 (air whooshing) 759 00:30:40,238 --> 00:30:41,506 - [Narrator] It's estimated that 760 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:45,377 the average US household has about $113 of spare change 761 00:30:45,510 --> 00:30:46,912 just sitting around. 762 00:30:47,045 --> 00:30:50,315 Nationwide, that's about $15 billion worth. 763 00:30:50,449 --> 00:30:53,285 The Coinstar Company found a way to cash in on 764 00:30:53,418 --> 00:30:54,853 the public's coin reserves, 765 00:30:54,986 --> 00:30:56,822 by placing its high speed counting machines 766 00:30:56,955 --> 00:30:59,558 in supermarkets and other retail outlets. 767 00:30:59,691 --> 00:31:00,625 (coins clinking) 768 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:02,961 In the 17 years Coinstar has been in business, 769 00:31:03,095 --> 00:31:06,364 it has processed over 350 billion coins, 770 00:31:06,498 --> 00:31:10,936 with an average transaction of $68 at each Coinstar machine. 771 00:31:11,069 --> 00:31:12,671 - Right from the beginning of Coinstar, 772 00:31:12,804 --> 00:31:14,372 we networked all of our machines, 773 00:31:14,506 --> 00:31:17,209 so we know all the information from every single machine 774 00:31:17,342 --> 00:31:18,577 right across the world. 775 00:31:18,710 --> 00:31:22,347 and our largest ever transaction was $13,000 in pennies 776 00:31:22,481 --> 00:31:24,015 from a gentleman in Alabama. 777 00:31:24,149 --> 00:31:26,051 (upbeat music) 778 00:31:26,184 --> 00:31:27,919 - [Narrator] Coinstar's main manufacturing facility 779 00:31:28,053 --> 00:31:30,188 is located in Kent, Washington. 780 00:31:30,322 --> 00:31:32,958 Workers assemble about a thousand machines a year here. 781 00:31:33,091 --> 00:31:34,226 (upbeat music) (air whooshing) 782 00:31:34,359 --> 00:31:35,761 - The Coinstar machine is very simple to use. 783 00:31:35,894 --> 00:31:37,963 You bring your coin jar to the machine, 784 00:31:38,096 --> 00:31:39,865 (machine beeping) follow the prompts, 785 00:31:39,998 --> 00:31:41,500 (machine beeping) choose your language, 786 00:31:41,633 --> 00:31:43,368 (machine beeping) and the coin machine asks you 787 00:31:43,502 --> 00:31:45,237 to put your coins directly into the machine. 788 00:31:45,370 --> 00:31:46,805 (coins clinking) 789 00:31:46,938 --> 00:31:49,174 This is the first stage of actually cleaning the coins. 790 00:31:49,307 --> 00:31:51,243 (coins clinking) 791 00:31:51,376 --> 00:31:52,677 - As the consumers bring these in, 792 00:31:52,811 --> 00:31:54,079 you'd be shocked at what we see in here. 793 00:31:54,212 --> 00:31:56,648 We see paper clips, washers, 794 00:31:56,782 --> 00:31:59,151 we see all kinds of gum, and everything else. 795 00:31:59,284 --> 00:32:00,452 As they put it in here, 796 00:32:00,585 --> 00:32:01,753 notice that there are holes in here 797 00:32:01,887 --> 00:32:03,855 that are smaller than any of the coins. 798 00:32:03,989 --> 00:32:04,890 (coins clinking) 799 00:32:05,023 --> 00:32:06,424 Then, it goes through this piece, 800 00:32:06,558 --> 00:32:08,393 where you have a turning mechanism here 801 00:32:08,527 --> 00:32:10,729 that actually is beating the coins apart. 802 00:32:10,862 --> 00:32:12,230 And as they beat the coins apart, 803 00:32:12,364 --> 00:32:14,332 also any debris that'll fall out of there. 804 00:32:14,466 --> 00:32:16,535 (coins rattling) 805 00:32:16,668 --> 00:32:18,436 - I'm now gonna open up the machine. 806 00:32:18,570 --> 00:32:19,971 And, once all the debris has been removed 807 00:32:20,105 --> 00:32:21,606 through the cleaning process, 808 00:32:21,740 --> 00:32:24,342 all the coins drop down into the coin counting device 809 00:32:24,476 --> 00:32:25,744 at the bottom here. 810 00:32:25,877 --> 00:32:27,579 - This here is our coin counting device 811 00:32:27,712 --> 00:32:29,347 outside of a machine. 812 00:32:29,481 --> 00:32:31,416 Over here, behind this fancy black box, 813 00:32:31,550 --> 00:32:34,452 is our intellectual property that we use 814 00:32:34,586 --> 00:32:36,221 to actually run this device. 815 00:32:37,622 --> 00:32:39,224 A consumer comes up, they drop their coins in. 816 00:32:39,357 --> 00:32:40,492 (coins clinking) 817 00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:41,960 As it goes through here, 818 00:32:42,093 --> 00:32:44,696 you'll notice that this machine starts running through here. 819 00:32:44,830 --> 00:32:47,299 Each one of these arms are picking up coins 820 00:32:47,432 --> 00:32:49,534 and running it down this coin rail. 821 00:32:49,668 --> 00:32:50,735 (coins clinking) 822 00:32:50,869 --> 00:32:51,937 As it runs through the coin rail, 823 00:32:52,070 --> 00:32:53,538 notice how the coins are separating. 824 00:32:53,672 --> 00:32:56,975 This allows time for each coin to be sensed. 825 00:32:57,108 --> 00:33:00,312 This sensor knows that it's a penny, a nickel, a dime, 826 00:33:00,445 --> 00:33:01,880 quarter, half dollar, dollar, 827 00:33:02,013 --> 00:33:04,349 and actually will recognize that and keep track of that 828 00:33:04,482 --> 00:33:05,617 in our system. 829 00:33:05,750 --> 00:33:07,085 (coins clinking) 830 00:33:07,219 --> 00:33:10,055 - [Narrator] Just past the coin sensor is a metal plate, 831 00:33:10,188 --> 00:33:12,257 moving too fast to be seen by the naked eye. 832 00:33:12,390 --> 00:33:13,792 (coins clinking) 833 00:33:13,925 --> 00:33:15,927 When the sensor detects a good coin, 834 00:33:16,061 --> 00:33:18,330 the plate jumps forward and sends it down a chute 835 00:33:18,463 --> 00:33:20,131 leading to the holding bins below. 836 00:33:21,533 --> 00:33:22,801 The plate doesn't jump 837 00:33:22,934 --> 00:33:25,403 when foreign coins and non-valid objects, like slugs, 838 00:33:25,537 --> 00:33:27,939 are sensed, and they fall down another chute, 839 00:33:28,073 --> 00:33:29,875 so customers can recover their rejects. 840 00:33:31,076 --> 00:33:32,110 - At the end of every transaction, 841 00:33:32,244 --> 00:33:34,012 a voucher is produced, a fee is charged 842 00:33:34,145 --> 00:33:35,247 for using the service, 843 00:33:35,380 --> 00:33:36,615 and you then take the voucher to the checkout 844 00:33:36,748 --> 00:33:37,883 to exchange for cash, 845 00:33:38,016 --> 00:33:39,551 or you can choose a gift card now 846 00:33:39,684 --> 00:33:40,852 and get free coin counting. 847 00:33:40,986 --> 00:33:42,354 (coins rattling) 848 00:33:42,487 --> 00:33:44,456 - [Narrator] The counted coins are held inside the machine 849 00:33:44,589 --> 00:33:46,091 in two secure steel bins. 850 00:33:46,224 --> 00:33:48,793 - Each bin holds over 500 pounds of coin. 851 00:33:48,927 --> 00:33:51,363 Our network tells us when to collect these bins. 852 00:33:51,496 --> 00:33:53,098 We have special moving devices 853 00:33:53,231 --> 00:33:55,567 that allow our companies to come in and collect these coins 854 00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:56,668 and take them directly to 855 00:33:56,801 --> 00:33:58,203 the processing centers for counting. 856 00:33:58,336 --> 00:33:59,237 (upbeat music) 857 00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:01,139 - [Narrator] In the Los Angeles area, 858 00:34:01,273 --> 00:34:03,742 trucks bring Coinstar's bins to a coin processing center, 859 00:34:04,943 --> 00:34:06,111 operated by Brinks. 860 00:34:06,244 --> 00:34:07,646 (upbeat music) (air whooshing) 861 00:34:07,779 --> 00:34:09,814 The driver rolls the bins off the truck 862 00:34:09,948 --> 00:34:11,616 into a secure loading dock 863 00:34:11,750 --> 00:34:14,019 in which the inner and outer doors are never opened 864 00:34:14,152 --> 00:34:15,287 at the same time. 865 00:34:15,420 --> 00:34:16,821 (upbeat music) 866 00:34:16,955 --> 00:34:19,891 Once all the full bins are exchanged for empty ones, 867 00:34:20,025 --> 00:34:22,527 the inner door opens, and the full bins are rolled 868 00:34:22,661 --> 00:34:23,995 into the facility, 869 00:34:24,129 --> 00:34:25,263 (upbeat music) 870 00:34:25,397 --> 00:34:28,133 Brink's employees place each bin on an elevator, 871 00:34:28,266 --> 00:34:30,201 and then unlock it, so the coins can pour into 872 00:34:30,335 --> 00:34:31,603 a sorting device. 873 00:34:31,736 --> 00:34:32,737 (upbeat music) 874 00:34:32,871 --> 00:34:34,806 Vibrating discs full of holes 875 00:34:34,940 --> 00:34:37,943 eliminate anything bigger or smaller than US coins. 876 00:34:39,044 --> 00:34:40,745 Then, they travel up a conveyor 877 00:34:40,879 --> 00:34:43,582 and into a counting and sorting mechanism. 878 00:34:43,715 --> 00:34:46,618 - These machines here have the capability of processing 879 00:34:46,751 --> 00:34:50,588 approximately 5,000 to 8,000 coins per minute. 880 00:34:50,722 --> 00:34:53,224 Not only is it verifying and counting the coin, 881 00:34:53,358 --> 00:34:56,461 but also it's separating the coin by denomination. 882 00:34:56,594 --> 00:34:58,029 (coins clinking) 883 00:34:58,163 --> 00:35:00,065 - [Narrator] Each denomination pours down a tube 884 00:35:00,198 --> 00:35:01,232 and into a bin. 885 00:35:02,267 --> 00:35:05,937 When a bin is full, it's moved over to a scale. 886 00:35:06,071 --> 00:35:07,906 - They get weighed to verify that 887 00:35:08,039 --> 00:35:09,574 the appropriate amount of money that was processed 888 00:35:09,708 --> 00:35:11,643 is actually in the bin. 889 00:35:12,811 --> 00:35:13,912 (air whooshing) (machinery beeping) 890 00:35:14,045 --> 00:35:15,180 - [Narrator] When it's time to 891 00:35:15,313 --> 00:35:17,082 prepare the coins for recirculation, 892 00:35:17,215 --> 00:35:20,018 workers dump them into another series of machines, 893 00:35:20,151 --> 00:35:23,054 each designed to handle a specific denomination. 894 00:35:23,188 --> 00:35:24,823 (coins clinking) 895 00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:26,624 This machine is counting quarters, 896 00:35:27,926 --> 00:35:30,295 organizing them into a steady stream, 897 00:35:30,428 --> 00:35:33,231 and inserting 40 quarters at a time into a plastic sleeve. 898 00:35:33,365 --> 00:35:36,501 (coins clinking) 899 00:35:36,634 --> 00:35:38,269 Now, human hands take over, 900 00:35:38,403 --> 00:35:42,207 and place the plastic wrapped tubes of coins into boxes, 901 00:35:42,340 --> 00:35:44,509 and box after box onto pallets. 902 00:35:44,642 --> 00:35:45,977 (air whooshing) 903 00:35:46,111 --> 00:35:47,512 - This is the largest coin center in the world. 904 00:35:47,646 --> 00:35:50,982 We process over three billion coins just for Coinstar alone. 905 00:35:51,116 --> 00:35:53,251 These boxes here are going back into circulation 906 00:35:53,385 --> 00:35:56,454 for our customers, such as banks, supermarkets. 907 00:35:56,588 --> 00:35:59,557 And, as well, here we have canvas bags filled with coin 908 00:35:59,691 --> 00:36:01,559 that will be going to the federal reserve 909 00:36:01,693 --> 00:36:02,761 for recirculation. 910 00:36:02,894 --> 00:36:04,162 (air whooshing) 911 00:36:04,295 --> 00:36:05,330 - [Narrator] A circulating coin can last 912 00:36:05,463 --> 00:36:07,732 approximately 30 years. 913 00:36:07,866 --> 00:36:09,567 Once the federal reserve takes those coins 914 00:36:09,701 --> 00:36:11,136 out of circulation, 915 00:36:11,269 --> 00:36:13,405 they're replaced with new ones from the US mint. 916 00:36:13,538 --> 00:36:14,472 (air whooshing) 917 00:36:14,606 --> 00:36:16,341 Once those coins are then minted, 918 00:36:16,474 --> 00:36:18,676 a new circulation cycle begins. 919 00:36:18,810 --> 00:36:21,713 So, how long is the life expectancy of a penny? 920 00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:22,914 Just 12 years. 921 00:36:23,048 --> 00:36:23,882 (coins clinking) 922 00:36:27,652 --> 00:36:30,221 (electronic dance music) 923 00:36:31,489 --> 00:36:34,292 - [Narrator] Modern arcade games may offer wild interactivity 924 00:36:34,426 --> 00:36:36,494 and imaginative graphics, 925 00:36:36,628 --> 00:36:37,996 (air whooshing) 926 00:36:38,129 --> 00:36:40,065 but some of the mechanical coin operated amusements 927 00:36:40,198 --> 00:36:43,368 of the past deliver their own special brand of 928 00:36:43,501 --> 00:36:47,972 fascinating, eccentric, and often bizarre entertainment. 929 00:36:48,106 --> 00:36:50,542 (upbeat music) 930 00:36:50,675 --> 00:36:52,510 At Musée Mécanique, located 931 00:36:52,644 --> 00:36:54,813 on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, 932 00:36:54,946 --> 00:36:58,116 Dan Zelinsky uses roller skates to race around a huge room. 933 00:36:58,249 --> 00:37:00,185 (cheerful organ music) 934 00:37:00,318 --> 00:37:01,920 It houses the vast collection 935 00:37:02,053 --> 00:37:04,856 his late father began for the public to enjoy. 936 00:37:07,192 --> 00:37:08,827 Most of the machines will set you back 937 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:10,328 just a quarter or two. 938 00:37:10,829 --> 00:37:12,464 - Of all the machines that my father and I 939 00:37:12,597 --> 00:37:14,265 have collected here, at the Musée Mécanique, 940 00:37:14,399 --> 00:37:16,401 this is the largest one in the collection. 941 00:37:16,534 --> 00:37:18,703 It was made in the 1930s, 942 00:37:18,837 --> 00:37:21,806 and it was all hand carved by a single individual. 943 00:37:23,007 --> 00:37:25,410 This is a great deal for the public in general. 944 00:37:25,543 --> 00:37:28,580 For 50 cents, you can get 10, 20, or 30 people 945 00:37:28,713 --> 00:37:30,615 to crowd around this, and watch the entire thing 946 00:37:30,748 --> 00:37:32,784 come to life at the drop of a coin. 947 00:37:32,917 --> 00:37:34,819 (cheerful music) 948 00:37:34,953 --> 00:37:36,287 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 949 00:37:36,421 --> 00:37:39,357 - [Narrator] Usually, the appeal of the machines is obvious. 950 00:37:40,458 --> 00:37:43,428 Who doesn't enjoy an all monkey band? 951 00:37:43,561 --> 00:37:45,029 There are some machines that must have been 952 00:37:45,163 --> 00:37:46,197 a bit of a letdown 953 00:37:46,331 --> 00:37:47,966 when customers first had the chance 954 00:37:48,099 --> 00:37:50,368 to put their hard earned coins in them, 955 00:37:52,403 --> 00:37:55,306 but other curiosities are well worth the investment. 956 00:37:56,841 --> 00:38:00,044 This circus is made entirely out of toothpicks. 957 00:38:00,178 --> 00:38:02,480 Obviously, this sort of intricate work is done by 958 00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:05,083 someone with a lot of spare time on their hands. 959 00:38:05,216 --> 00:38:06,451 (air whooshing) 960 00:38:06,584 --> 00:38:08,920 - This is a toothpick Ferris wheel. 961 00:38:09,053 --> 00:38:10,455 It's not terribly elaborate, 962 00:38:10,588 --> 00:38:11,790 but what makes it interesting is 963 00:38:11,923 --> 00:38:14,959 it was made by a San Quentin prisoner. 964 00:38:15,093 --> 00:38:16,761 It's part of a larger display 965 00:38:16,895 --> 00:38:20,865 that was constructed of over 150,000 toothpicks. 966 00:38:20,999 --> 00:38:22,233 (air whooshing) (upbeat music) 967 00:38:22,367 --> 00:38:23,468 - [Narrator] The vintage oddities 968 00:38:23,601 --> 00:38:25,870 at the Musée Mécanique are certainly 969 00:38:27,338 --> 00:38:30,308 unique, but a search for truly weird coin operated fare 970 00:38:31,743 --> 00:38:33,978 inevitably brings you to Farmington Hills, Michigan. 971 00:38:35,413 --> 00:38:37,849 - Welcome to Marvin's, known from coast to coast, 972 00:38:37,982 --> 00:38:39,350 like butter and toast. 973 00:38:39,484 --> 00:38:41,486 Nowhere in the contiguous United States 974 00:38:41,619 --> 00:38:44,422 or other environments is a place like Marvin's. 975 00:38:44,556 --> 00:38:46,357 Welcome, have fun! 976 00:38:47,859 --> 00:38:49,260 - [Narrator] Just about every inch of 977 00:38:49,394 --> 00:38:52,363 ceiling, wall, and floor space is jam-packed. 978 00:38:52,497 --> 00:38:55,500 The museum is over 5,000 square feet, 979 00:38:55,633 --> 00:38:57,902 and has over a thousand electrical outlets 980 00:38:58,036 --> 00:39:00,638 to power all the historic and modern machines, 981 00:39:00,772 --> 00:39:03,374 (upbeat music) 982 00:39:03,508 --> 00:39:05,610 His interest in these mechanical wonders 983 00:39:05,743 --> 00:39:07,579 began about 50 years ago. 984 00:39:07,712 --> 00:39:09,080 - When I was in college, 985 00:39:09,214 --> 00:39:10,982 I was fascinated by these coin operated machines, 986 00:39:11,115 --> 00:39:12,951 and I started collecting. 987 00:39:13,084 --> 00:39:15,486 Well, after I graduated in the early '60s, 988 00:39:15,620 --> 00:39:17,388 I couldn't quit collecting. 989 00:39:17,522 --> 00:39:19,724 - He started collecting and collecting this stuff. 990 00:39:19,858 --> 00:39:21,860 He overtook my mother's house. 991 00:39:21,993 --> 00:39:23,828 1980, she took me to a food court, 992 00:39:23,962 --> 00:39:25,096 and thought, "What a great place for 993 00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:27,532 "your dad to get this stuff outta my house 994 00:39:27,665 --> 00:39:30,068 "and put it for other people to enjoy." 995 00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:31,336 (air whooshing) 996 00:39:31,469 --> 00:39:32,971 - [Narrator] Marvin is the ultimate collector, 997 00:39:33,104 --> 00:39:34,572 always on the lookout for, 998 00:39:34,706 --> 00:39:37,976 well, unusual coin operated contraptions 999 00:39:38,109 --> 00:39:39,210 to add to his museum. 1000 00:39:39,344 --> 00:39:41,346 (air whooshing) (organ music) 1001 00:39:41,479 --> 00:39:42,880 - [Marvin] These wooden automata 1002 00:39:43,014 --> 00:39:45,650 that the craftsmen are still making these machines here, 1003 00:39:45,817 --> 00:39:49,354 so there's a place to buy old ones and new ones, 1004 00:39:49,487 --> 00:39:52,724 which I like equally well. 1005 00:39:52,857 --> 00:39:54,993 - [Narrator] Many of the old penny arcade machines 1006 00:39:55,126 --> 00:39:57,128 have a decidedly dark bet. 1007 00:39:57,262 --> 00:39:58,963 (coin clinking) (ominous music) 1008 00:39:59,097 --> 00:40:01,633 Intricate motors and gears cause small robotic figures 1009 00:40:01,766 --> 00:40:04,836 to act out all sorts of ghoulish scenes, 1010 00:40:04,969 --> 00:40:07,305 including the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition. 1011 00:40:08,373 --> 00:40:10,708 In keeping with this grisly tradition, 1012 00:40:10,842 --> 00:40:12,644 Marvin decided his customers might enjoy 1013 00:40:12,777 --> 00:40:15,213 firing up an electric chair. 1014 00:40:15,346 --> 00:40:18,750 - Now, this machine, I found as a Halloween prop, 1015 00:40:18,883 --> 00:40:23,755 and I added a case and a coin accepting mechanism, and watch. 1016 00:40:23,888 --> 00:40:26,491 (man screaming) 1017 00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:40,271 It may be a little too intense for younger children. 1018 00:40:40,405 --> 00:40:41,372 - Another machine 1019 00:40:41,506 --> 00:40:43,775 turns the tables on Marvin's customers, 1020 00:40:43,908 --> 00:40:46,878 and delivers a shocking experience. 1021 00:40:47,011 --> 00:40:49,147 - This machine is Challenge Killer-Watt, 1022 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,449 a machine unique to my museum. 1023 00:40:51,582 --> 00:40:53,384 It was built by a friend of mine, 1024 00:40:53,518 --> 00:40:55,853 a robotics engineer from Ohio, 1025 00:40:55,987 --> 00:40:57,689 and the idea of the machine 1026 00:40:57,822 --> 00:41:02,293 is to keep your hands as long as you can on these handles. 1027 00:41:02,427 --> 00:41:07,799 - Ah, a cute little hero to take on Killer-Watt, huh? 1028 00:41:07,932 --> 00:41:10,902 - Actually, a little static electricity is produced, 1029 00:41:11,035 --> 00:41:14,472 very light, and very non dangerous, 1030 00:41:14,605 --> 00:41:16,240 but it does give you a little tingle. 1031 00:41:16,374 --> 00:41:19,243 - Don't worry, try a little of this. 1032 00:41:19,377 --> 00:41:22,113 Whoa, I love it! 1033 00:41:22,246 --> 00:41:23,948 - In the old days, there were some machines 1034 00:41:24,082 --> 00:41:25,950 that did give you a shock, 1035 00:41:26,084 --> 00:41:27,352 (laughing) 1036 00:41:27,485 --> 00:41:30,154 but, of course, in today's litigious society, 1037 00:41:30,288 --> 00:41:31,622 we can't have anything like that. 1038 00:41:31,756 --> 00:41:33,091 (upbeat music) 1039 00:41:33,224 --> 00:41:34,592 - [Narrator] From pinball to fortune tellers, 1040 00:41:34,726 --> 00:41:37,695 it's easy to spend a small fortune in coins here. 1041 00:41:37,829 --> 00:41:40,865 But with the fun and excitement these machines provide, 1042 00:41:40,998 --> 00:41:43,735 (kids shouting) it's money well spent.