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Velvet Mint Gum
(The Taller One)

Velvet Mint Gum Co., Detroit, MI, c. 1910s, 15". My date range on this is an estimate, but I'm 96.31% confident that it's accurate. If it's off, then it errs by being too late, not too early.

Bill Enes said in Silent Salesmen Too that he's "seen this machine in brass or in a nickel-plated version." The body of the machine above does not attract a magnet so it appears to be made of nickel-plated brass. I've never had this machine apart so don't know what the mechanism is made of, but the likely options are pot metal (hopefully not) and cast iron (hopefully yes). The glass on the globe is about a foot thick. All in all, it's a pretty substantial machine.

This was found with a twin---more on that below---and together the pair comprises 2 of the only 3 examples I know of. The third is the one pictured in Silent Salesmen Too, which is neither of the 2 machines found together. You can safely surmise from this information that this model is considered rare.

The observant reader may have noticed another Velvet Mint in the listing, and you can read about it here. In case you think having the same name means they're alike, this picture will disabuse you of that thought. I don't know if the two models were produced concurrently or if one preceded the other.

The example above is one of two found in an attic in the spring of 2006. The story of that discovery is below. The machine is 100% original and works well.

I bought this from my friend Shawn. How he got it is an interesting story. Shawn's extended family has a friend who was involved in estate sales. In that capacity, in the spring of 2006 he went through the house of someone who'd died. After he'd covered the rest of the house he asked the estate representative if there was anything in the attic. "Just a couple of lanterns" was the reply. He went to the attic to check them out and when he got closer he saw that the lanterns had coin slots and and knobs on the side. The lanterns were gumball machines.

He knew Shawn collected things like this. He called Shawn, described the machines, and sent a picture. Shawn knew immediately what they were, and after some discussion he made an offer for the pair. The dealer/friend said he'd run it by the estate representative, who accepted it---apparently with great enthusiasm! I don't know what Shawn paid for the pair but I'm sure it was a lot more than she'd expected for a pair of lanterns. Shawn's not the type to lowball an offer to take advantage of someone's ignorance, so yeah...she was pretty happy with the deal.

Because Shawn's a sensible guy and not a hoarder like some collectors, he offered to sell me one of them to help offset his cost in the one he kept. The two lanterns were identical except the one he kept has a full decal whereas mine is missing a piece. I don't think he flipped a coin to decide which one to sell and which to keep.