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Doty-Runnels

Doty-Runnels Co., Kalamazoo, MI, c. 1930s, 16". This is a sibling to the H. H. Johnson, a machine that---as I write this in 2019---I've had and loved for over 20 years. It's a bulk vendor made of aluminum and is not listed in Silent Salesmen Too but is mentioned in the H. H. Johnson's description. Mr. Enes states that he doesn't know what, if any, relationship existed between the two companies, but I can't imagine they're not the same.

The differences between the Doty-Runnels and H. H. Johnson are intriguing and set them apart even though they're so similar in so many ways. The coin entries, the method of vending actuation (pull lever on the side versus a push rod in front), the finish (bare aluminum versus wrinkle paint), and the "trim features" on the body and midsection are the most obvious ones. They may even be the only ones, but they're enough. I'd love to know more about the company that made these and the relationship between the 2 models, but I suspect information is scarce and we may never know.

This example is 100% original. You can see a close-up of the flap here, which is the only indication of origin that I've seen on the machine. I saw another Doty-Runnels at an auction in September 2017, but it was incomplete. I may have seen others but if I have then I don't remember them. If I have seen any, I'm sure it wasn't more than 2 or 3 at most. This is a pretty scarce model, and I was lucky to get it.