quote: Frank Cox

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What does it give you that a simple roll of Admit One tickets on a spool doesn't?

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Whirrrrr Ka-chunk!
 

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-07-2011, 01:37 PM:
 
Ticket count, dispenses multiple tickets at the push of a button, opportunity for the rare but occasional ticket jam, looks good in the box office counter, state of the art ticket dispensing as recently as 30 years ago, NO electronics so it's not affected by power variations etc., tickets available in almost any color.
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-07-2011, 02:30 PM:
 
Very old school and authentic. Louis
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 05-07-2011, 02:49 PM:
 
If your hard drive crashes you don't lose your ticket counts.
 

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-07-2011, 03:37 PM:
 
The hard drive consists of a motor and steel gears turning a mechanical counter.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-07-2011, 03:53 PM:
 
I still don't see the point.

I use rolls of Admit One tickets that I buy at dollar stores, and a notepad where I write the starting numbers for every night.

Which seems even more bulletproof because there's nothing mechanical (or electronic) involved.

I've considered writing a ticketing program for my own use but have yet come up with a good reason to do so. I did make a simple Openoffice spreadsheet to calculate the gross take and taxes and whatnot at the end of the night and create weekly box office reports for the film companies, but that's as automated as I get.
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-07-2011, 06:03 PM:
 

quote: Frank Cox

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I still don't see the point.

I use rolls of Admit One tickets that I buy at dollar stores, and a notepad where I write the starting numbers for every night.

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Just because you do things one way doesn't mean that there's no point in doing it any other way.

Also, I believe the theater in question, while being a drive-in, has multiple screens. That could be a reason why you'd want multiple bays like this machine instead of having your box office person writing on the thing which room they're going to every time they sell.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-07-2011, 06:20 PM:
 
I haven't said that there's no point. I'm trying to figure out what the point is, and I still don't see it. But I don't imagine that folks would have been spending presumably significant money to buy these things without a good reason for it.

If you're using roll tickets with multiple screens (or have different shows on a single screen) you just issue different colours for each screen. "Green and red are for Screen One. Blue and orange are for Screen Two." You still don't need a machine to issue them.
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-07-2011, 06:41 PM:
 
The machine is likely faster than you are at dispensing the tickets and while you're counting back change and such, the machine can be churning out the tickets, which you would otherwise have to do separately.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-07-2011, 06:50 PM:
 
There is that, I suppose.

I just had a bit of a revelation: Perhaps the point is to keep a grand total of tickets issued over different categories for each show. When I think the place is getting close to filled up I have to do a bit of math to determine how many tickets of each category I've sold, then add the totals to determine how many seats I have left.

It doesn't solve the problem of "There are 30 seats left but no two together", though.
 

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Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 05-07-2011, 06:59 PM:
 
The first theatre I ever worked in as a concessionist/usher had a 3 bay "Automaticket" it was a 3 screen dollar theatre. I have very fond memories of these machines!
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-07-2011, 07:11 PM:
 
What Chris said. The machine is definitely faster than a human at counting out 1-5 tickets from a roll and then tearing them off of the roll. It also makes a great noise.

There is a mechanical counter for each category of tickets. I don't remember if there is a "master" mechanical counter, but, even without that, it would be faster and easier to total the number of tickets in all categories that have been sold.

These are not uncommon, even today, although they would be a pain in a multiplex environment. For a single screen or twin, they work fine.
 

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Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 05-07-2011, 07:39 PM:
 
I have been using automaticket machines in most of my theatres over the past 45 years. I love them, but admit they are't very practical in this day and age for most multi-plex theatres. If you still have a single screen as I do, or a twin, or maybe even a tri-plex... they're fine.

The major advantage I see over roll tickets is speed. When you're putting several hundred people in to a show, and have limited time to do so, speed is of the essance. Not just to get them seated in time, but to allow them time to buy refreshments as well. Also many of you know that I am a real stickler when it comes to presenting a professional appearance, and I don't think tearing off roll tickets makes a theatre look very professional.

Security is another reason. Automaticket machines have built in counters so you can record the machines numbers as well as the ticket numbers and make sure that both counts match. Believe me there have been many times when a cashier put their own tickets in after they started selling and then removed them before closing, or put their tickets in one of the other bins and sold tickets every so often from that bin to suplement their income... you know how that works, 5 for you and 1 for me etc. I also remember when theatre box offices often had signs in the window that stated " DO NOT ACCEPT TICKETS NOT ISSUED FROM THE MACHINE" While most patrons never read or paid much attention to those signs, the cashier knew it was there and that they might be reported if the ticket came from anywhere else than the machine.

The other important fact is that if you read your master license agreement with each distributor, you're find that you are required to use tickets that have the name of the theatre, along with the city and state, as well as the price of admission printed on each one. Roll tickets bought from Walmart or where ever don't meet those requirements. Of course you can purchase roll tickets from a major ticket company that has that information on them, but if you're going to do that, why not spend an extra $100 for a used Automaticket machine and get the benefits of professionalism, speed and security that they offer.
 

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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 05-07-2011, 08:25 PM:
 

quote: Scott Norwood

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they would be a pain in a multiplex environment

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I used to run a first-run 6-plex with Automaticket machines. Good times.

Richard, when you find that manual, please arrange with me to have a copy added to the warehouse here for everyone. Or any of your other manuals, for that matter.
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-07-2011, 10:18 PM:
 
A few weeks ago I had to move an old 5-bay automaticket machine that
was backstage to get to some boxes behind it.

Those things are HEAVY, & "built like a tank", which is probably
why there are still a large number of them in use.
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-08-2011, 03:17 PM:
 
Last I checked, you could still get them repaired.

Hurley Screen Co. will know who you should contact: former employee.

btw: Cost is very high for a workable machine. The Video people apparently will pay thousands for a machine for their basements. Louis
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-08-2011, 03:34 PM:
 

quote: Frank Cox

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I use rolls of Admit One tickets that I buy at dollar stores, and a notepad where I write the starting numbers for every night.

Which seems even more bulletproof because there's nothing mechanical (or electronic) involved.

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