MA645

Walzer Peanut Machine

From my private collection, here is a boxed peanut vendor from the A. M. Walzer company of Minneapolis. I believe that this is a new old stock unit, based on the condition. Dick Bueschel once told me that he believed that these machines were made during World War II because of the extensive use of wood in the design, during a time when metals were being rationed. You can see, in the interior photo, the extensive work done to create the curved design with one solid piece of wood. There is a card in the window area that says free prize. Dick thought that they probably inserted a piece of paper in random boxes of peanuts good for some type of prize that was displayed in the window. It also has a very unusual A.B.T. coin slide (which initially is what attracted me to the machine) called the Illinois. This coin slide has you place the nickel on end and shows the last coin inserted in the magnifier window below. This was very much of an overkill design for a 5c peanut vendor but I believe that they had extras of this style in stock so could use them during the war. The coin slide was completely dismantled, cleaned and adjusted and works great. The finish is a little dry and could be redone but I chose to leave it alone. Includes one of the boxes that it was designed to vend. This was found, unfolded, inside the machine when I got it open. Approximately 28" tall, 8" wide and 12" deep. Has new rubber feet and lock.