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Mystery 1 Collar Button Vendor

Maker unknown, c. early 1900s, 14". This is a stunning machine that looks infinitely better in person than it does pictured on page 232 of Silent Salesmen Too. A nickel inserted through the coin slot on top falls through the rails and trips a clockwork mechanism, which pushes out a collar button from the column facing the front. Using the figural collar-button knob on top, the customer would have to turn the carousal to bring the desired column forward before inserting the coin. If he didn't, then he'd either get one collar button he didn't want for 5 cents, or he'd get the one he wanted plus a spare one for 10 cents.

That exhausts what I know about this model except that it's rare. I know of this one and two others, although it wouldn't surprise me if a few more are lurking in various collections. Not many, though.

The example above is 100% original. I bought it at the November 2022 Chicagoland show when I saw it on a table and fell in love. What this has going for it is the perfect look it has for a old painted vendor. The paint is pristine and exquisitely patina'd, and it still has most (if not all) of its gold pinstriping. You can see what I mean here and here and here.