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Craven "A" cigarette vendor

England, c. probably 1920's or 1930's, 30 1/4". I thought I'd never buy a cigarette vendor, but this was too cool to pass up. I don't know if my infatuation will last given its product, but I thought the only way to find out was to buy it. For some reason the fact that it's British softened my anti-tobacco stance on this machine, but there's no logical reason it should have. That's probably just a rationalization, but it's a pretty good one, don't you think?

I know almost nothing about this machine beyond what you see. It's made of sheet metal and feels solid. It didn't have a key when I bought it and I've not had one made yet, so I don't know what the innards look like. This is the only British machine I've seen that takes "6d," which doesn't seem like much for a pack of cigarettes.

I did a Google search on Craven cigarettes and found that Craven "A" was quite a popular cigarette during the 1900's. It was first made in the early 1900's and was sold for most or all of the century, so that didn't help me date the machine. My date assignment, loose as it is, is based solely on my opinion based on a subjective impression. Don't ask me to justify it rationally, 'cause I can't. I'm hoping the machine is filled with product that may help me date it, but I'm not holding my breath.

This example is 100% original.

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