Coca-Cola®
Vendorlator 3D-33

This unit came out a few years after the split door 33's were introduced. It did not replace the split door, as both were offered together for a few years.

The obvious difference between the 3D and the original 33's is the 3D's one-piece door. Another subtle difference is that the "empty" decal is yellow instead of white.

Some of these machine came with and without the metal trim near the top. The units with the trim actuall have a two-piece door that is riveted together behind the trim. We believe the two-piece door was manufactured for the purpose of producing different soda brands on the top section and attaching it to the standard lower portion. This process would obviously keep manufacturing costs to a minimum while still being able to manufacture a variety of soda brands. Generally, the most common VMC 3D-33's are of the Pepsi brand. Both machines are valued the same.

Specifications:

Vends 33 bottles & Pre-cools 27
Manual operation
Refrigeration: 1/6 h.p.
tecumseh sealed unit.
Produced Mid-50's
Size: 52"h x 26"w x 17.5"d
These machines are fairly rare.














7 UP:

This is the only copy of a
7UP
VMC 3D-33
That I have run across, but this machine still has the same value as a
Pepsi or Coke Machine

 

Vendorlator

Not to be confused with the Vendo Company, the Vendorlator Manufac-
turing Company (VMC) was located in Fresno, California. They emerged
from WWII as a strong competitor to companies such as Mills an Jacobs,
with their upright Model 242. While advertising by the company, dated
1948, claimed that the Model 242 was "backed by 13 years of field
testing' it is their post-war machines that are collectible today. Large
models like the 242 were good sellers for the company, over 4,000 units
in 1946 alone.

The year 1948 saw Vendorlator introduce one of the smallest Coke
machines ever. The VMC 27 measured 23" x 27" x 19" deep and weighed
less than 100 pounds. It was advertised initially to sit on a counter or
hang on the wall. A progression of stands was later made for the machine
to sit on and offered as an option (a tube-type was available from Ven-
dorlator for $12.50). Also optional was a coin changer kit for returning a
nickel change when a dime was used. The immediate popularity of the 27
prompted Vendorlator to open a third plant in Picqua, Ohio in April,
1949, in addition to the two plants they already had in Fresno. Vending
only 27 six ounce bottles arranged in a rotating drum, two bottles in each
of fourteen compartments less one, this machine was best suited for low
traffic areas. The fact that the cabinet of this machine was made of
aluminum (although steel versions were also made) helps to explain why
this model is often found with dents, particularly around the bottle chute
where someone tried to coax out a stubborn bottle.

It was right around January, 1950 that Vendorlator began selling the
VMC Dual 27. This extremely small upright machine used the same vending
mechanism as the countertop Model 27 but had a 27 bottle pre-cool
capacity, hence, the designation "Dual 2T' It also used a more conven-
tional arrangement for the refrigeration unit with the condenser housed in
the bottom of the machine. Its new found popularity led to the disconti-
nuance of the 27 about a year later. Subsequently, the Dual 27 was dropped

from Vendorlator's lie by 1954 and replaced by the Model 33,with a slightly

modified bottle drum allowing for six more bottle capacity. The
physical size was the same as the Dual 27 with the only outside
distinguishing feature being a one piece coin door, although two piece
split door" versions are also known.

1956 was the year of the white-top color scheme for coolers and Ven-
dorlator was no exception. This was the year that was "out with the old
and in with the new." All of the previously mentioned models had been
dropped and replaced by, among others, the VMC 340, advertised as "the
world's largest and fastest coin-cooler," and the VMC 44, certainly one of
the smallest ever. The VMC 44 and the Vendo V-44 are virtually identical
machines. The only real distinguishing feature is the absence of the
chrome coin bezel which was part of the Vendo model. In fact, there are
serial plates on some of the machines stating that they were being made
under license to each other.

It is interesting to note that while the Vendo Company only made
machines embossed (for the most part) with the Coca-Cola logo, Ven-
dorlator did not follow such exclusiveness. Their machines are found with
the 7 UP as well as Pepsi-Cola logo, among others, giving them broader
collector appeal.