A Collection That Has Stunned Historians and Collectors Alike
The Whistler’s Tonic Dispenser — Estimated Value: $120,000
Produced in 1912 by the short-lived Whistler Mechanical Works, this machine dispensed small bottles of medicinal tonic and famously played a brief whistle tune with each purchase. Historians call it one of the earliest attempts to combine vending with entertainment.
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Merrymaker Chewing Gum Distributor — Estimated Value: $115,000
Designed in 1913, this brightly colored machine offered multiple gum flavors through a carousel-style mechanism. It was once found in grand hotels and theaters across the United States but is now considered exceptionally scarce.
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Silverside’s Chocolate Bonbon Vendor — Estimated Value: $140,000
Released in 1914, this luxury chocolate dispenser featured a mahogany frame and stained-glass detailing. Its built-in temperature-control system was decades ahead of its time.
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