Do any of you have stories from your vendor days?

Hi all,

I just signed up to this group. I've always enjoyed jukeboxes.
Unfortunately, I wasn't old enough to take part in the vending business and
mantinance of them (ex. changing records, repairing, etc.). That would've
been a fun job.

I'd like to hear from those of you who were in this business back in the
record (and even CD) days. What was it like to haul a bunch of new
records/CD's to a bar or restaurant and change the selections? Did you show
up early before they were open for business or would you be there with
people around wondering what you were doing? Any horror stories you'd like
share (like, did a jukebox go haywire and bust up a bunch of discs, or a
terribly worn needle trashing records, or heavy cigarrette smoke on
records)? Who had a favorite record that was in the box that you couldn't
take out?

I'm sure there's plenty of jukebox related stories out there and I'd really
like to hear them.

Thanks,
TheRollingRocker

On Aug 15, 11:40 am, "TheRollingRocker"
wrote:
Hi all,

I just signed up to this group. I've always enjoyed jukeboxes.
Unfortunately, I wasn't old enough to take part in the vending business and
mantinance of them (ex. changing records, repairing, etc.). That would've
been a fun job.

I'd like to hear from those of you who were in this business back in the
record (and even CD) days. What was it like to haul a bunch of new
records/CD's to a bar or restaurant and change the selections? Did you show
up early before they were open for business or would you be there with
people around wondering what you were doing? Any horror stories you'd like
share (like, did a jukebox go haywire and bust up a bunch of discs, or a
terribly worn needle trashing records, or heavy cigarrette smoke on
records)? Who had a favorite record that was in the box that you couldn't
take out?

I'm sure there's plenty of jukebox related stories out there and I'd really
like to hear them.

Thanks,
TheRollingRocker


Well. today I was at one of our more "interesting" locations to fix a
problem with a Rowe CD100A. Reached round the back of the machine to
turn the rear power switch on, and felt something like a cloth hanging
around where the power cord goes in the back. Had a look, and felt
sick when i saw what it actually was......

http://www.geocities.com/kenreed1999/nokia007.jpg

In this case a picture tells the story.

Everyone who works with me dreads going to this site.

Do TV shop stories count?

I worked in TV shop in the early 80's. An old couple used to come in
once in a while, bring in a set for service. You could smell them from
the back of the shop, they stunk so bad.

One day the boss tells me we're going on a service call. I tell him I
can do it alone, done it hundreds of times. No, he says, were going
together. I thought maybe just a bad neighborhood?

Turns out it's that old couples house. This time their console needed
service. Boss says, here's the plan. Take a deep breath, we're going
to run in, grab the console, run out. I just said Ok...So we did. 10
seconds into the house, the stench was so bad we were both gagging. We
ran back outside, I nearly puked. We'd located the TV on that first
run.

Second dash in, we did grab the set and get it out the door. Again,
gagging and eyes watering. Stench of feces, mouse, that sour ammonia
urine smell, and general decay. Incredible.

The whole time, this elderly couple stood there watching, oblivious to
the smell and our reaction to it. They were so used to it, they were
immune.

Took the set back to the shop, van doors and windows open the whole
way. Left it out back in the alley for 3 days to air out. Hit it with
the air hose and bleach on the cabinet interior, blew out mouse nests,
mouse turds, hair, rinsed out the urine... horrible. Never did take it
in the shop... swapped in a new module out in the alley, set was a
piece of crap old Maggotbox (Magnavox) anyway... Fortunately I didn't
have to make the delivery, another lucky tech got that job.

And that was an ordinary service call... never mind the time I got
shot at...

Rollin' Rocker,

After 33 1/2 years, I am finally a recovering juke-box mechanic. I've
probably seen most of it, just don't ever want to say I've seen it
all. (i.e. the "rag" mentioned and pictured by Ken...)

I came to the conclusion last year that every coin-op service tech
needs a shirt with lettering on the back reading:

I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE!

'Cause they always tell you the machine is broke AFTER you have opened
it and started working on it....

The front of the shirt needs to read:

....AND I'M NOT LEAVING ANY FREE CREDITS!!

'Cause that's always the second thing they ask / demand of you as you
close the machine and turn to leave.

If you would like the long version of visiting boot-leg joints, titty-
bars, biker hangouts, ****-kicker dancehalls, far-side-of-the-tracks
dives, airports, stand-alone game rooms, FEC's, fern bars,
discoteques, gay bars, head-banger hangouts, pool halls and
neighborhood watering holes to service jukeboxes, pool tables, condom
machines, cigarette machines, video games, pinball machines,
shuffleboards, kiddie rides, coke machines, candy machines, air
hockeys, redemption equipment, cranes, and video 8-liners for good
location owners, lousy locations owners, drunk clientele, idiot
clientele, thieving clientele, fighting clientele, sexy barmaids, ugly
barmaids, derelicts, and a few good people, get yourself a $4000 pre-
paid phone card and call me up. Be sure to have a couple of days open
on your schedule and you just might want a tape recorder handy.

I've got so many stories that I think I can do for the coin-op
industry what Jeff Foxworthy did for the Red-neck Nation... : - )

Hi DRebber,

I should get Vonage just for the unlimited calling. Although it'd be fun to
leave the phone off the hook, y'know, just to test if they really aren't
full of sh!t. That'll definitely save me the $4000.

Yeah, I'd be up for hearing your stories. Enough of them could make a nice
book truthfully, although I probably wouldn't be one to write it (my writing
skills stink). Rolling tape would definitely be worthwhile though.

By the way, I've seen a few new "jukebox" 45's being sold on Ebay. I was
wondering just how many vinyl jukeboxes are still in commercial use today.
There can't be that many. What was the year that you couldn't service vinyl
jukeboxes anymore? Late 90's? I know BMG (RCA/Arista/J) kept pressing
records until about 2005 and the other majors discontinued not long before
that.

Oh well, the days of the vinyl single are over. Ok, back to my Ipod (nope,
don't own one).

TheRollingRocker


"DRebber" wrote in message
...
Rollin' Rocker,

After 33 1/2 years, I am finally a recovering juke-box mechanic. I've
probably seen most of it, just don't ever want to say I've seen it
all. (i.e. the "rag" mentioned and pictured by Ken...)

I came to the conclusion last year that every coin-op service tech
needs a shirt with lettering on the back reading:

I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE!

'Cause they always tell you the machine is broke AFTER you have opened
it and started working on it....

The front of the shirt needs to read:

...AND I'M NOT LEAVING ANY FREE CREDITS!!

'Cause that's always the second thing they ask / demand of you as you
close the machine and turn to leave.

If you would like the long version of visiting boot-leg joints, titty-
bars, biker hangouts, ****-kicker dancehalls, far-side-of-the-tracks
dives, airports, stand-alone game rooms, FEC's, fern bars,
discoteques, gay bars, head-banger hangouts, pool halls and
neighborhood watering holes to service jukeboxes, pool tables, condom
machines, cigarette machines, video games, pinball machines,
shuffleboards, kiddie rides, coke machines, candy machines, air
hockeys, redemption equipment, cranes, and video 8-liners for good
location owners, lousy locations owners, drunk clientele, idiot
clientele, thieving clientele, fighting clientele, sexy barmaids, ugly
barmaids, derelicts, and a few good people, get yourself a $4000 pre-
paid phone card and call me up. Be sure to have a couple of days open
on your schedule and you just might want a tape recorder handy.

I've got so many stories that I think I can do for the coin-op
industry what Jeff Foxworthy did for the Red-neck Nation... : - )

On Sep 5, 2:16*pm, "The Rolling Rocker"
wrote:
Hi DRebber,

I should get Vonage just for the unlimited calling. *Although it'd be fun to
leave the phone off the hook, y'know, just to test if they really aren't
full of sh!t. *That'll definitely save me the $4000.

Yeah, I'd be up for hearing your stories. *Enough of them could make a nice
book truthfully, although I probably wouldn't be one to write it (my writing
skills stink). *Rolling tape would definitely be worthwhile though.

By the way, I've seen a few new "jukebox" 45's being sold on Ebay. *I was
wondering just how many vinyl jukeboxes are still in commercial use today..
There can't be that many. *What was the year that you couldn't service vinyl
jukeboxes anymore? *Late 90's? *I know BMG (RCA/Arista/J) kept pressing
records until about 2005 and the other majors discontinued not long before
that.

Oh well, the days of the vinyl single are over. *Ok, back to my Ipod (nope,
don't own one).

TheRollingRocker


The last record juke we had on site was in July 2000. It was in a
country pub that had poor earnings
We replaced it with a used Rowe CD-100 that month. The machine has
only had 2 service calls in that time.

The only record jukes we have left are an R-84, 89 and 83. The 89
still works well, I fired it up about a month back to show a
disbelieving 20 year old part time employee a record being played (had
no memory of ever seeing it before). He seemed to think it was
"extremely cool", and reckoned something like this would make a
fortune, just for people wanting to see the record player/changer in
action.


"DRebber" wrote in message

...

Rollin' Rocker,

After 33 1/2 years, I am finally a recovering juke-box mechanic. *I've
probably seen most of it, just don't ever want to say I've seen it
all. (i.e. the "rag" mentioned and pictured by Ken...)

I came to the conclusion last year that every coin-op service tech
needs a shirt with lettering on the back reading:

I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE!

'Cause they always tell you the machine is broke AFTER you have opened
it and started working on it....

The front of the shirt needs to read:

...AND I'M NOT LEAVING ANY FREE CREDITS!!

'Cause that's always the second thing they ask / demand of you as you
close the machine and turn to leave.

If you would like the long version of *visiting boot-leg joints, titty-
bars, biker hangouts, ****-kicker dancehalls, far-side-of-the-tracks
dives, airports, stand-alone game rooms, FEC's, fern bars,

I got to ask - WHAT are "fern bars"


discoteques, gay bars, head-banger hangouts, pool halls and
neighborhood watering holes to service jukeboxes, pool tables, condom
machines, cigarette machines, video games, pinball machines,
shuffleboards, kiddie rides, coke machines, candy machines, air
hockeys, redemption equipment, cranes, and video 8-liners for good
location owners, lousy locations owners, drunk clientele, idiot
clientele, thieving clientele, fighting clientele, sexy barmaids, ugly
barmaids, derelicts, and a few good people, get yourself a $4000 pre-
paid phone card and call me up. *Be sure to have a couple of days open
on your schedule and you just might want a tape recorder handy.

I've got so many stories that I think I can do for the coin-op
industry what Jeff Foxworthy did for the Red-neck Nation... *: - )