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Coin-operated machines combined mechanical novelty and automated convenience. At the drop of a coin, they vended goods, provided entertainment, and offered potential jackpot payouts and free merchandise. These intriguing devices incorporated decorative graphics and innovative mechanisms that captured the attention of people worldwide. This exhibition highlights coin-operated devices from the first sixty years of the 20th century, from wooden trade stimulators and curious, novelty gum vendors, to slot machines, racing games, and other automatic marvels. "The Automatic Age: Coin-Operated Machines" will open this Saturday, pre-security, in the International Terminal. This image was posted on December 15, 2017.

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Coin-operated machines combined mechanical novelty and automated convenience. This image was posted on December 15, 2017. #coinoperated #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #gamemachines #slotmachine #slotmachines
Prior to Prohibition and the Volstead Act of 1919, gambling was a mainstay of the saloon. This image was posted on January 08, 2018. #coinoperated #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #gamemachines #slotmachine #slotmachines
Fortune-telling was so fashionable in the first half of the 20th century that some machines, such as The Gypsy Fortune Teller, advertised the subject and did not actually offer a fortune. This image was posted on August 30, 2018. #coinoperated #fortunetelling #fortune #crystalball #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #gamemachines #slotmachine #slotmachines
Prior to Prohibition and the Volstead Act of 1919, gambling was a mainstay of the saloon. This image was posted on January 08, 2018. #coinoperated #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #gamemachines #slotmachine #slotmachines
“Who hasn't dropped a nickel in the slot of those seductive little machines to be found almost any place where men most do congregate?...They are located in nearly all the saloons and cigar-stores in the City, eating up nickels as fast as the ‘tiger’ (card game) can eat up dollars.” San Francisco Call, February 2, 1896. This image was posted on December 09, 2016.
Prior to Prohibition and the Volstead Act of 1919, gambling was a mainstay of the saloon. This image was posted on January 08, 2018. #coinoperated #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #gamemachines #slotmachine #slotmachines
Coin-operated vendors did not require their owner-operator to be present for every sale. This image was posted on January 19, 2018. #coinoperated #theautomaticage #coinop #vintage #antique #matches #slotmachine #slotmachines #vendingmachine

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