There weren't many things that a Boomer kid could spring for without bugging mom or dad for a nickel. Basically, such an item had to cost a penny. While nickels were hard for a kid to come by, pennies could be found in all sorts of places. You might spot one or two in the kitchen junk drawer. Digging in the dirt could possibly uncover one. It wasn't unusual to spot a cent lying on the sidewalk.
So what could a kid do with a single penny, besides springing for a miniature Tootsie Roll?
He could take advantage of a finely-tuned scientific instrument that could be found in many small-town locations, drug stores in particular. He could spring for getting weighed.
The penny scale was a wonderfully massive thing to a kid. It was big, heavy, and stable. And it was just tall enough that it made a kid feel big to be able to see the weight window. Plus, a child with a penny could become a paying customer with no help from a parent, something that would make him feel grown up.
The penny scales were produced by the hundreds of thousands during the Great Depression, mainly (in the US) by rivals Peerless Scale Company and National Scale Company.
If a guy could scrape fifty bucks together during the 1930's, he could make some serious money. That was the price of a brand new penny scale. Placing it in a well-traveled location could result in a cool 50-100 bucks a month. That was a pretty amazing turnaround on a modest investment! It's hard to imagine that anyone ever got rich through penny scales, but they made for many a wealthy Depression-era entrepreneur.
After all, even in the economic darkness, EVERYBODY had a spare penny!
By 1950, inexpensive bathroom scales were readily available to consumers. Thus began the gradual disappearance of the ubiquitous street-corner scale.
But many businesses still had 40+ year-old scales in use in the 60's. And hey, if they were bought and paid for, why not let them earn a few dollars per month?
Sadly, in the years since, they have pretty much vanished. So have the friendly corner drugstores that were the last havens of the massive weight-measuring machines. I defy you to spot a penny scale at Walgreen's.
I recall that the scales would typically have a metal shade that would block the weight reading. Dropping a penny in the slot would cause it to move aside. If you really strained, you might be able to see your weight through a small crack that wasn't covered by the shade.
The fancier models that would give you your fortune would have two movable shades, the second one being dislodged by a considerably more dear nickel. I'm not sure I ever wanted to know my fortune that badly, when I could get a Payday to munch on for the same price.
Other scales that I remember had trivia questions or horoscopes available in addition to your weight.
You can still find antique penny scales for sale. They have become hot collectibles, though, so don't expect to obtain one for the original 50-dollar price tag.
For me, I'll just have to close my eyes and take a virtual trip back to the Rexall Drug on Miami's Main Street circa 1967. It feels good to drop my own penny in and become a paying customer.
Comments (7)
Our local drug store had one of these scales; as I recall, it was a sick green color.
Posted by Steve Skinner | January 14, 2009 6:15 PM
Posted on January 14, 2009 18:15
I remember these in quite a few establishments! Never really had any interest in them, but they can still be found here and there! Sometimes with a bad word etched into the side of it by some delinquint! I would love to find one like seen in the Twilight Zone episode with William Shatner! Remember the little fortune telling machine with the devils head on it! Priceless!
Posted by Rivers End | January 14, 2009 7:00 PM
Posted on January 14, 2009 19:00
We had one of these penny scales downtown in front of a department store set back from the sidewalk in the recess leading to the entrance. I never was interested enough in my weight (we had a bathroom scale from the early 50’s which my parents still have in their bathroom and it still is roughly accurate) to spend a penny (not the slang Briticism) to see if the 2 scales jibed.
As a very small child, I developed the habit of watching the ground in front of me as I walked around which usually netted me enough for penny candy if not something better. I once found a $20 dollar bill in trapped in a hedge a little the worse for wear but spendable. The spring usually brought a bonanza in found change or jewelry by scouring areas where snowplows had conveniently collected treasures to be revealed when the snow piles melted. I found rings, a Saint Christopher medallion, and all denominations of coins. Unfortunately this habit is still with me and I walk with a slight hunch which I have to consciously correct, but it is still paying off in serendipitous booty.
Rivers End: I just watched that classic Twilight Zone episode. The SciFi Channel ran their New Year’s TZ marathon and I DVRed most of the shows once I remembered it was on. My favorites were The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and People Are Alike All Over. Rod Serling was one of the most astute observers of human nature and illustrated the pitfalls of unexamined belief systems.
Posted by Burt | January 15, 2009 6:23 PM
Posted on January 15, 2009 18:23
At the link from my name is a shot of a penny scale at a T.G.& Y. store, also some closeups of the scale.
Posted by Mike Ransom | January 15, 2009 9:40 PM
Posted on January 15, 2009 21:40
I loved these scales.
I loved the predictions.
To this day, I can not pass one with out jumping on it and seeing what it will tell me.
Not my weight (smiles) but my future.
Thanks for the memories,
Sharon
~The Baby Boomer Queen~
Posted by Sharon/The Baby Boomer Queen | June 21, 2009 7:19 AM
Posted on June 21, 2009 07:19
I have mixed feelings. It seems like they were always putting out things to take our money from us in one way or another. But this might have been a better sort of diversion.
A cheap thrill that might create a few laughs. For a penny? maybe not such a bad deal at all. Who is really to say, right?
Posted by Scott Irv | June 23, 2009 12:22 AM
Posted on June 23, 2009 00:22
My parents have one. Nice shape. Has some type of message with weight. Any idea what they are worth? Looks like the second one on the right with above article.
Posted by wself | October 24, 2009 5:50 PM
Posted on October 24, 2009 17:50