What was your first machine?

[flippa]

My first was an Ideal 55 Slider. 

I went to a jobsite of a residence that was just demolished and there were a bunch of older Coke chest type machines lined up along the side of the property.  I asked what the deal was with them.  The superintendant stated that the old house was loaded with them and the property developer just wanted rid of them.  Whatever was left at the end of the week was going to the scrap guy.  He asked me if I wanted one & the smallest one went right into the back of my truck.

He told me that I should have been there a few days earlier; the demo guys took all the real nice ones   

[MaineT]

It was the early style stoner theater like the one Curtis restored for Roadman. Mine just isnt nearly as pretty!! It hit craigs list and I jumped on it before I even knew you had to.

[Larry]

My first was a Westinghouse.  Bought it in 1981 $65.00.  Sold it a few years ago.  Sold the Wurlitzer, my third machine, in 2005.  Still have the VMC72, my second machine.  Bought that one in1984 for $150.00.  Still have the kids.....wait...those are white boys.  Are you sure they are mine....they're costing me money....maybe I should sell them too.

That area now has machines in it, and I have one kid in college and one in high school.  It's funny how things change.

[Eric]

My very first machine was a little square top 7up (vendolator 56)... the 5&10 store I worked at asked me to haul it to the dumpster.
I hauled it past the dumpster to my truck... took it to a friends house... didn't know what I was gonna do with it but thought it
was cool... went away to college when I came back that spring... friend had moved and left the machine in the house

Later on I picked up a rare (well I thought it was at the time) Westinghouse Master... being used to keep worms in for an old
farmer.. bought it for $25.. thought I surely had the only one left in the world! Wow... seems you can shake a tree and one falls out..
those are everywhere... but was still a great find and got me into collecting... I've had several... traded/sold several... and still
enjoy looking... but would be nice to score something... say... oh I don't know... a Quikold?

[bcharlton]

Cavalier C-51 Pepsi convert.  Restored it back to Coke

[Larry]

The 51 turned out nice.

[aspbear]

My first machine was an ideal 55 Pepsi embossed that I traded a dr pepper sign for,  I am not sure who got the better deal but we both left happy..

[TomFromJersey]

Mine was a Vendo 110, it was a really good machine to start with. I took it down to bare and there was no rust at all. Basically all I had to do was re-paint everything. Served me well for atleast 5 years.
  TFJ