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Bluebird Universal Products

(Click on image to enlarge it)

Bluebird Products Co., Kansas City, MO, c. 1915, 12". This is a small aluminum gumball vendor. The examples pictured above have mechanisms that give one pull for a penny, but this model was also available with a taller midsection that housed a 1-2-3 mechanism. These are almost always found unpainted with a bare aluminum finish, which is one reason I like the one painted red---it's unusual for this model, and has more personality because of the "vendor touch" that the paint represents.

Universal Products are not uncommon, and anyone who wants one can find a nice one without waiting long. Many have befallen the fate of the buffing wheel, but those with their original patina are beautiful machines that have the rich gray finish that old aluminum gets.

The examples shown above have small differences between them, such as different numbers or dates stamped in different spots, slightly different contours to the midsection, lid, receiving cup, and push-knob on the vending wheel, and different coin slots, among other things.

• The example above left has a conventional bare aluminum finish with a nice old satiny patina. This specific machine was an ebay purchase, and I was told by the seller after the sale that its home was a St. Louis, MO, hardware store until 1974, at which point the store closed and the family packed this away until they sold it to the guy from whom I bought it. It's shown above exactly as it was packed away, including the gumballs.

• The red machine is 100% original except for the paint, which was undoubtedly applied by a vendor during the machine's service years. I'm not aware that Bluebird ever painted their machines at the factory.

• The third machine is what a polished Bluebird looks like. This has acquired a mild satin patina since it was buffed, and doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look good the way a crusty gray patina looks good. This has the bigger-footprint baseplate, which is correct.

• Speaking of crusty gray patinas, the fourth machine has it. This machine looks identical to the first machine except for the patina. The key sticking out of the lid on machine #4 is an original Bluebird key, and is the only one I've ever seen. It was included with the machine when I bought it on ebay, and I consider myself lucky for having got it. You can see a closer shot of it here.

• The last picture in the series has an unusual wall bracket, which is why I'm showing it here. I've never seen another one like it. It's industrial-looking but who cares?--it's a very cool piece. The bracket itself is 2 pieces. One piece is a single run of sturdy steel that bends at a right angle at the bottom. The long vertical run attaches to the wall and the short horizontal run juts out from the wall to support the machine. The longer run in back attaches to the wall, and as you can see you have plenty of attachment points to choose from. The bottom of the bracket has 2 holes that line up with 2 holes in the bottom of the baseplate, and the baseplate is screwed into the bracket with a bolt through each hole so the machine can't rotate. The middle of the end of the bottom piece is notched out so a standard Bluebird lock can be screwed through the center of the baseplate onto the center rod. The top piece is hinged and looks and functions like a door hinge. It tapers and the front has a nifty set-up that's tough to describe in detail, but you can kinda sorta see the details in the picture. The knurled knob screws down through the hole in the lid and threads onto the center rod, taking the place of a conventional Bluebird lid lock. The bottom 70% of the knob is split just wide enough to fit the U-shaped piece of metal through it. The end of the U-shaped piece has a hole in it that lines up with holes in 2 stationary tabs that are part of, and stick up from, the top of the bracket. Run the shaft of a padlock through all the holes and everything is locked in place and is like totally secure.

  I'm giving this description only half the detail I could give, but it also seems like it's 3 or 4 times that amount of detail that's interesting, so I'll stop here. Look at the picture while keeping in mind what I just wrote---if you still care---and see if you can fill in the gaps. Or just come on over to the house and I'll show it to you---that'll be easier and more fun for both of us.

  I like this bracket for its ingenuity. I have no clue who made it or how many he made or how many still exist, but whoever made it put a lot of thought into it. A lot of skill, too; it's very well done. Here's another shot of it, more from the front this time, which shows more what it looks like naturally but is less informative.