THE VENDO 63 SQUARE TOP SODA MACHINE LIGHTED VERSION!

This webpage features Antique Vending's 2600.00 dollar restoration on a Vendo 63 squaretop.

This price includes round trip shipping of your machine.

SOME ORIGINAL PARTS ARE RETAINED IN THE RESTORATON OF THIS MACHINE FOR THIS PRICE. SEE BELOW THE COMPLETE MACHINE.

New Glass , insulation , rubber , feet , wire , compressor , thermostat , paint lights , lenses , screws , restored rack , coin mech , light system , refrigeration system , standard graphics package , screen printed logos, pick-up , return shipping with crate , new lock and key , chrome trim , polished cleaned chrome , soda , restored rack , inside , outside , mech , refer , light system , electrical .

Recognized as the standout among the manufacturers producing machines during the "Golden" years of the 1950's, the Vendo Company continued their strong tradition throughout the 1960's. Formed in 1937 in Kansas City, Missouri, the company is still in business today in Fresno, California. The Fresno location is a direct result of the acquisition of the Vendorlator Manufacturing Co., based in Fresno by Vendo on September 18, 1956. Vendo closed the Kansas City plant in 1977 and located in Corinth, Mississippi, for two years before finally consolidating their operations in Fresno. In 1988, the company became a subsidiary of the Sanden Corp. of Japan.

I want to start by turning the clock back to 1939 when E.F.Pierson, then Vendo president, came up with the idea for a machine that was really a harbinger of what was to come in the 1950's in the form of what we commonly call "cup" machines. Known simply as the "Decapper" machine, this gargantuan device make its debut at the first International Convention of Coca-Cola Bottlers on March 8-11, 1948, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Conceived as a mechanism for dispensing Coke to the customer and eliminating the need to deal with the empty bottle, this machine would automatically remove the cap from a bottle and pour the Coke into a cup without ever dispensing the bottle from the machine. As you might imagine, a device this complicated was going to be expensive. In 1949, the company was soliciting orders at $885 each based on a production of 5000 units, or $1,290 each based on 2500 units. Since only 261 were made, fet survive today. It is believed that actually 3 complete machines survive today. One pilot model ( first Decapper produced and two complete production models from 1948. It was significant, nonetheless, because it was an early attempt at satisfying a need that was to be filled 10 years later in 1959 with the introduction of Vendo's pre-mix Model V-800.

The post "round corner" era of Coke machines really began in earnest with the year 1959. From 1959 through the 60's, the competition for location to place vendors was really keen and this is reflected in the progressively larger and larger offering of different models by not only Vendo, but all the manufacturers throughtout the 1960's. As it is not practical to mention them all, I will point out some models that represented notable advances for the industry and picture representative models from the various time periods.

One such notable advance that was previously alluded to was the introduction of premix cup dispensing machines in 1959. In that year, the Model V-800 was one of the few "round-corner" machines in the Vendo line. It was quickly followed by the "square corner" Model VP-800-2 and its close cousin, the VP-400-2, in 1960. Billed as "the greatest advance in Pre-mix since Pre-mix was introduced, "the VP-400-2 had allowed for dispensing 400 7 oz. cups or 350 10 oz. cups. In the way of coparison, the VP-400-2 sold for $580 in 1960 at the same time the V-44 was $236.55.

The big sales pitch by Vendo in 1959 was the increased interchangeability of parts between models that did not exist previously. Three models in particular, the V-63-SS, V-90-SS, and V-126-SS ("SS" stands for Slant Shelf) were bottle machines that all used the same coin mechanism, regrigeration systems, shelf assemblies, control panels, and a host of other small parts. One of the features collectors especially enjoy that was not available on competitors' models was the light up bottle door opening.

Vendo did not really push the usage of cans in their vendors early on , but by 1961 they were offering can versions of their V-92, V-144, V-216, and V-304 bottle machines. A big deal ws made, however, about the machines being equipped with can openers since the pop-top hadn't been invented yet. When looking back at the operation of actually piercing the can with the same opener, day after day, the question of sanitation becomes and issue. The problem was solved by actually heating the opener divice to sterilize it.

1963 saw the introduction by Vendo of new models to their ever expanding line but, more importantly, a change took place in September to the familiar "Have a Coke" logo that had appeared on the sides of vendors for so many years previously. The new slogan became "Things Go Better With Coke" and was to continue until 1969. In addition to the new slogan, the illuminated "Drink Coca-Cola" panels on the front of signs became 3-dimensional with borders of green and blue "floating stars." Neon Products, Inc, of Lima, Ohio was responsible for the sign's design. This new look was relatively short-lived, lasting only 3 years.

Color Schemes continually changed through the 1960's with red and white panels interspersed with "woodgrain" detailing. The capability to vend 12 oz, cans became increasingly important with conversions offered to switch back and forth between bottles and cans for slant shelf models. "One way" bottles also came on the scene and Better With Coke" and the beginning of "Here's The Real Thing." It also marks the trend away from 10 cent Cokes to 15 cent.