origin of the vending box?

[Tim Zwick]

When I first started collecting large dealers were buying vending cases from Topps in the late 60's & early 70"s and selling complete series and sets in their catalogs. I usually would have to buy the last series or two through the mail because they never came to the local stores in my little burg. For some reason in 1971 we never got the 2nd series and I remember ordering one from Card Collectors Co.

The first vending case I bought was in 1974 along with a group of other small time dealer/collector types in Michigan. They came through Charlie Brooks who used to publish the Sport Hobbyist and also had a store. I think they cost us around $50 a pop. The next couple years I did the same and in 1977 or 1978 I bought direct from Topps for the first time. You had to have a sales tax license to order and there was a five case minimum. Did this for many years.

[bigfanNY]

Saw this thread and thought I would add the Picture I posted earlier this week of My Topps Veding machine. It was purchased from a local Woolworths that went out of business in about 1979. Starting in 1975 The Woolworth's manager would sell us the leftover stock of Wax each Fall and that last year he pulled this out of the storeroom. We happily loaded it in the back of the 69 Pontiac Wagon Dad poped the clutch on the 3 on a Tree and we have owned it ever since. Five hundred views on my original Post and I cannot belive No one else here saved one of these from the scrap yard? Weighs in at about 45 pounds and still works. You open the front and load up each slot with about a Thousand cards.

Enjoy
Jonathan

[Sterling Sports Auctions]

Thanks for the photo Jonathan very nice piece.

By the way, nice last name! :-)

Lee Behrens
Sterling Sports Auctions