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Encyclopedia WinterCampica - Suggest Change
Current Entry: Candy Machine
Winter Camp's sugary snacks are sold in a 1940's-era vintage candy machine that was discovered by Roger Horn, Doug Wilson, and Jeff Rand in an abandoned barn near the Clinton River. As soon as it was discovered, it was instantly recognized as a Winter Camp essential. In spite of its 150pound weight, it was carried back to the road, a distance of 3/4 mile. The machine was brought to Winter Camp XIII where it was drilled out and opened. Surprisingly, it was nearly complete and it appeared that it could be restored to working condition. The tight schedule prevented completion of the project, so it was brought back the next year. A closer examination revealed that all that was needed was a few adjustments and a good cleaning.
Being an all-mechanical machine, this is a bit different from modern machines. Two primary differences are that the candy sells for five cents and that the buttons that dispense the candy require a good firm push to overcome the various springs and levers to release the candy bars. The machine was first fully functional at Winter Camp XIV, where it was stocked with an introductory Snickers bar for each camper-this was a money loser.
Over the years, various methods of securing the machine against outside nickels have been tried. An early experiment sold special nickels, painted red, at the Winter Camp trading post, for 50 cents each. While this solved some of the contraband nickel problem, the Jefferson nickels occasionally failed to trigger the machinery. Steve Donohue and Doug Wilson independently hit on the idea of selling buffalo nickels-which are of similar age as the machine-at camp, and both acquired a supply of nickels from eBay. These nickels are now the official legal tender of the candy machine.