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Simpson Model A

R. D. Simpson Co., c. 1930s (est.), 14 ¹/₂". This is a bulk vendor that gives one portion for a penny. The body is cast iron and the lid is steel.

Silent Salesmen Too calls this the "big brother to the Simpson Jr." I call it a cousin to the Columbus Model A. The Simpson and Columbus models even have the same model designation, so this has always struck me as Simpson's version of the Columbus A. It's possible that I have that reversed---that the Columbus A emulates the Simpson A---but I don't think so. The Columbus A evolved over several decades and had different versions along that path, with late versions being common. The Simpson A had one version, which is uncommon and is stylistically similar to later versions of the Columbus A. Simpson and Columbus had a common lineage and I believe that cast iron models like this one were manufactured by Columbus for Simpson, which would make the relationship between the Simpson and Columbus models more like half-siblings than cousins.

The example above is 100% original except for the decal, which looks to have been there awhile even though it's not original. I'd kinda sorta wanted one of these for a long time but my interest wasn't strong enough to chase one. This one appeared on a table at the Chicagoland show in April 2024 and was priced reasonably, and I bought it even though by then I'd been getting a bit tired of hourglass-shaped Columbus machines like the Model A. I like this one more than the Columbus A even though they're so similar, probably because it is a little bit different and is Simpson, not Columbus. Drivers of taste are not rational, so don't try to figure it out.