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Featured here is Play Ball, manufactured by Cawood Novelty of Danville Illinois in 1913.
I am only aware of two examples of this machine, and the graphics are much brighter on this one than the other. The sport of baseball was just gaining traction as America's Game at the time Cawood brought Play Ball to market. Sports theme trade stimulators in general were not prominent until the 1930s, making Play Ball that much more unusual. It is a bit suprising that this machine operates on a nickel. Most machines of the time period were penny operated, so five cents was quite a sum. But alas, virtually every play was rewarded with a least one cigar, so perhaps it was not so bad. The example shown here is original with the exception of a replacement spring or two inside. |