IndianaTED
  •  IndianaTED
  • 64.78% (Friendly)
  • Maintenance Supervisor Topic Starter
Thursday, January 29, 2004 12:20:41 PM
Here I go down memory lane again...

Remember when every ride and every attraction had their own individual ticket box?

Usually each ticket box was provided with the ride from the manufacturer of the ride and was themed with the ride itself. For example, the Tilt-A-Whirl ticket box was painted in the matching ride's classic colors of royal blue with red and yellow trim with a rounded pyramid looking red top to it.

The Paratrooper's ticket box had a top with "fins" on it. The Flying Bobs ticket box had mirrored squares that were set in a pattern of curves and diamonds beneath the window.

Some other ticket boxes were pretty generic looking. Some were true "boxes" and others were angular. Some had flat roofs and some had slanted ones. But each attraction had one. And since each attraction had there own ticket box, so different rides rates could be applied to individual rides.

I am familiar with The Portemont Family who formally owned "Johnny's United Shows" and now own "All-American Shows". When the late Johnny Portemont Jr. was inducted into the OABA Hall of Fame, he was credited with being the one who switched his ticketing system from the individual ride tickets to the modern centralized show ticket boxes now seen everywhere.

Johnny's always played at my local 4th of July event, in fact the Portemont's were from here originally, and the first time I remember the "new" boxes on the midway was in 1976.

Any of you other old-timers out there have specific memories of the old ticket boxes? Are there any shows still using them? Does anyone collect them?


I've never been "with it", just been an interested observer of carnivals for more than 50 years.
Johnny's United Shows..."A Family Tradition" and "All for Fun, Fun for All".
The carnival of my youth, which had roots that originated in my hometown.
Scott
  •  Scott
  • 87% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Thursday, January 29, 2004 2:27:57 PM
I don't really remember all the " original" type boxes you discribed but I do remember Royal American had those type boxes in front of each ride back in the mid Seventies. Theirs all seemed to be alike excpet for the Seattle Wheel and Space Wheels, which was larger two window boxes to accomodate the "big lines". At any rate, the crazy thing about these boxes is I remember standing in line for the Tilt A Whirl one year, and a man standing in line in front of me holding a plain brown paper sack waiting his turn to the window. Once he reached the window, he and the seller said a few words and she passed him a butt load of cash thru the lil hole in the screen. I remember looking into his sack and seeing the largest amout of money I think I"ve ever seen up to that point.

Fall of 2002 I was visiting my friends at Archway Amusemsents and while talking to Gomer Dewitt I told him this story... as I tell this story Gomer starts smiling and said... I used to do that job on the Royal.. I was with them from 1967 till 1997 when they went out of business. He ask me what year it was, I told him I wasn't sure about the year, but mid seventies.... he said... you were probably standing behind ME! I thought that was pretty neat if it was... no way of knowing for sure if it was... but interesting non the least.[8D]
2ndgencarnie
Thursday, January 29, 2004 3:56:18 PM
Im only 20 but i have 8 knock down ticket boxes laying around in my WQ, used to be more but i sold alot of them.
24hr.man
Friday, January 30, 2004 6:05:30 AM
Century 21 had ticket boxes for every attraction. Then in the early 70s we went to double ticket boxes. I was in charge of ticket boxes on Waynes unit. I sometimes wonder how many millions of dollars I used to pick up from ticket boxes.
Carnie_Joe930
Friday, January 30, 2004 7:41:09 AM
I had an old Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl ticket box. It had wood frame around sheet metal inserts, expanded metal "windows" that gave you double vision after sitting in it all day, and a wood framed roof with canvas over the frame. The canvas was striped horizontally and the roof came with its own crate. It was a real beauty. All our single ticket boxes were lost in a winterquarters fire back in the late 60's.
back40
  •  back40
  • 50.48% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Friday, January 30, 2004 1:31:05 PM
Wow ted ! goin back there ! I am soooo surprised that pinetar has not draged a couple of them from his shed by now !You know HE has got to have some ! [:D] I don't remember the ticket boxex you discribe, Are's were single boxes we called them the toilet rolls
because they were white and round like toilet paper .24 hour man got me thinking that I use to keep a book of all the pick ups amounts.
for me it never really was about the money I could make ,it was always about the amount of tickets I could sell......

it's never 'DANGEROUS' being who you are
bigeli
  •  bigeli
  • 50.02% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Saturday, January 31, 2004 9:03:17 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by back40

Wow ted ! goin back there ! I am soooo surprised that pinetar has not draged a couple of them from his shed by now !You know HE has got to have some ! [:D] I don't remember the ticket boxex you discribe, Are's were single boxes we called them the toilet rolls
because they were white and round like toilet paper .24 hour man got me thinking that I use to keep a book of all the pick ups amounts.
for me it never really was about the money I could make ,it was always about the amount of tickets I could sell......


You ever read "Fox in The Box " ?
So, in a few years, if you're walking down a midway and see a Sixcat or a Swinger or a bucket, look around. You might recognize an old man with a smile on his face. Especially if he's saying, "Hey Buddy, can I ask ya?" -sixcat,circa. 2007
back40
  •  back40
  • 50.48% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Sunday, February 1, 2004 8:25:13 AM
Oh My I must be blonde !!! they made a book about the fox in the box !![:D]
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by bigeli

Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by back40

Wow ted ! goin back there ! I am soooo surprised that pinetar has not draged a couple of them from his shed by now !You know HE has got to have some ! [:D] I don't remember the ticket boxex you discribe, Are's were single boxes we called them the toilet rolls
because they were white and round like toilet paper .24 hour man got me thinking that I use to keep a book of all the pick ups amounts.
for me it never really was about the money I could make ,it was always about the amount of tickets I could sell......


You ever read "Fox in The Box " ?


it's never 'DANGEROUS' being who you are
Pinetar
  •  Pinetar
  • 87.34% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Sunday, February 1, 2004 9:35:41 AM
back40
  •  back40
  • 50.48% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Monday, February 2, 2004 12:58:16 PM
seeeeee I knew it !!!
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Pinetar



Ticki Bok 

Pic 2801, do I hear $500.?



it's never 'DANGEROUS' being who you are
HUSSRAINBOW
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 12:57:41 AM
most of our rides here still have their own ticket box, but not all are done up
UserPostedImage
cny_chris
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 3:31:12 AM
Quote:

quote:


Posted - 02/02/2004 : 5:58:16 PM by Back40

seeeeee I knew it !!!
quote:

Originally posted by Pinetar



Ticki Bok

Pic 2801, do I hear $500.?






No surprises here..... what's the next item of discussion that we can challenge him to dig out of his collection?[}:)][}:)][;)][;)][:D][:D]
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao-Tsu

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy
back40
  •  back40
  • 50.48% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 12:17:21 PM
Hay chris how bout doniker truck???????? [:D][:D][:D][:D]
it's never 'DANGEROUS' being who you are
Pinetar
  •  Pinetar
  • 87.34% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 3:09:24 PM
Back40, I understand you have a whole porfolio of pics from your midway days. You gonna share them with us? I think everybody here would like to look at some history, just hold the Janet Jackson production unless you were in the cooch show.
UserPostedImage
bigeli
  •  bigeli
  • 50.02% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Wednesday, February 4, 2004 6:11:32 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Pinetar

Back40, I understand you have a whole porfolio of pics from your midway days. You gonna share them with us? I think everybody here would like to look at some history, just hold the Janet Jackson production unless you were in the cooch show.

I second that .
So, in a few years, if you're walking down a midway and see a Sixcat or a Swinger or a bucket, look around. You might recognize an old man with a smile on his face. Especially if he's saying, "Hey Buddy, can I ask ya?" -sixcat,circa. 2007
Users browsing this topic