History of bulk candy and vending machines

In doing a lot of research on candy, I decided to take a little departure and write about the history of bulk candy. Sounds like “ho hum”. But really, bulk candy has a little twist in itself.

If you have followed my articles on candy, you will know that it was mainstreamed in the late 1800’s. Bulk candy did not come along until much later. In fact, it has only been around about 75 years.

Francis Arthur (known as F.A.) Wittern, in the 1920’s was employed as a private contractor, making everything you can imagine for home and on the job use. In 1931, he took $12.50 and created the very first vending machine. More about that in a minute.

What I find fascinating is the figure $12.50. With that, you can by a DVD, a purse, a case of sodas, a family sized package of hamburger meat, or really cheap sneakers. However, wait! In reality, if you compare the year…you would actually be purchasing DVD players, television sets, or computers (none of which existed in the year 1931!). According to CPI (Consumer Price Index), the equivalent of $12.50 in 1931 to today is $176.71. I know, you cannot buy a good television for that price. It gets better. If you compare the worth of “unskilled labor” from 1931 to today, that same $12.50 is now worth $528.69! Now, we are getting somewhere.

Okay, back to the original research. Bulk candy was first found in F.A. Witterns “Peanut penny dispenser”. He first placed it in a local bar. His company, Hawkeye Novelty, was innovative in several areas. First of all, with the bulk candy dispenser, every ninth “vend” would result in a bell ringing, meaning the person inserting the penny would win a free portion of peanuts! It also had the ability to differentiate between real coins and slugs. He developed this during the Great Depression, possibly as a means of income, since there were no jobs to be found. During World War II, as times got tougher, Mr. Wittern ventured out into other arenas, finally coming back to his original invention at some point after the war.

Vending machines, dispensing bulk candy has come a long way since then. In the late 30’s, the design was changed to be able to dispense larger items like matches. They have a different look about them even now. The original machines were small enough to sit on a table or countertop. Now it is very interesting and fun to watch as the gumball spins down a screw-type slide, or lights up the machine on its way down the chute. They not only come in a variety of shapes, but designs as well. I have seen machines that look like old time gas pumps, or have the old “Route 66” logo.

Today, you can see bulk candy machines in malls, children’s play areas, restaurants, gas stations, and probably bars, as well. They have become quite the nostalgic item, still dispensing that old bulk candy that we all love and remember so well.