Expert: Rodger Knutson - 3/7/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have several LeHigh Hav-A-Snak five-cent vending machines.  I have been able to find out that the machines were test marketed in Febuary 1954 and they were attached to coffee machines.  I have not been able to find out any information on their current value. I would appreciate any help or direction. I have attached a photo of the front section of the machine. I have the full units in storage. Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Patricia,

I am not finding anything under Lehigh in my books or papers. I have found that Lehigh was, or is a foundry company located in Lehigh valley, who made parts for vending machines and other castings, but nothing under Lehigh as a vending machine manufacture or a vendor with the Lehigh only name on it. I wonder if there is some other name on this somewhere? Here is what I found on the foundry:

http://books.google.com/books?id=9RkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT105&lpg=PT105&dq=lehigh+found

This add in the above billboard magazine for June of 1946 is most likely before your vendor was made, or close to it, and it talks about Lehigh foundry and vending.

I'll keep digging but so far little is know about them. So, there must be to few of these vendors trading to establish a value, Looking like a late 40's early 50's vendor to me, a guess as to value on something like this could be around 100.00 to 250.00 but this is just a guess on my part as I haven't found anything on it yet. It's not even listed in Silent Salesmen Too, an encyclopedia of collectible vending machines, unless it's listed by another name? I'll keep looking.

Thank You

Rodger Knutson

http://www.coinslots.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your information so far.  Here is a picture of the instructions for the machine.  The SNACK in HAV-A-SNAK is spelled SNAK as shown on the instructions.

Answer
Hi Patricia

I didn't get the photo of the instructions you sent, if you still want to send them my email address is Jackpot7@q.com

I have had a chance to learn some more about these vendors after looking for the Hav-a-snak name. But, nothing on this machine in any of the books out on vending machines, and also no known value for it which is not that uncommon for the thousands of machines out there. If it's not something seen all the time, there is no record made on what they sell for when they are sold. This just means that it's not and item seen enough to be able to establish a running value on it, or even to see it get listed in a collectible book so I can only tell you that you might have to put one on ebay or at an auction and see what kind of value it will bring. Not everything old has a value set, most things don't but you can find them sometimes listed in value guides for a reference point, and this one is not listed. It was or did come from the LeHigh foundries, INC. as above. In 1954 LeHigh entered the cracker vending business with this Have-a-snak vendor which may be attached to Milk, coffee, soap, or drink vendors and this had a 90 package capacity with two columns and two shift columns. It was 7 3/4 inches wide, by 10 1/2 inches thick, by 36 1/2 inches high and was a .05 cent vendor using a slug rejector coin mechanism and this vendor was made in two different styles, one would fit on the right side of a vending machine and the other would fit on the left side, hence the curved outside edge on top. It came in different colors, gray, green, gold, maroon or red. It was first field tested in 50 locations in eastern Pennsylvania and from what I found out, vastly increased the amount of drinks sold my the hosting machine! So, I guess it must of been somewhat a success. But, if so I wonder why we don't see more of them? Most of the collectible type vendors are early ones, and this one fits there but on the high end of collectible vender's. One reason that I guess value around 100.00 to 150.00 but that is all we can do at this point as value as an antique has not been established on it at this point as far as I know about it, and according to what I found on researching it.

Thank You

Sincerely

Rodger Knutson

http://www.coinslots.com