I will be commenting on the content, not specifically quoting it verbatim, but it does speak to dates and times, and production runs in general. I can confirm that 10,000 machines were already produced before this article was written on July 2nd 1948, and indeed before June 2nd 1948, perhaps well before June 1948, as you will read below.
In an article in the San Francisco News, written by News Industrial Reporter Alex Streloff dated July 2, 1948 at a time when Magna was just under one year old, Magna who already employed about 200 people Bay Area, announced Expanded Production in a new Eastern Branch Plant.
September 6, 1947 a contract was written for production of 1000 Shopsmiths with General Engineering and Drydock Corp. Magna paid for the tooling-up and the patterns, and produced many of the parts themselves.
The first 250 of those went to Montgomery Ward November 15, 1947, with many others to soon follow through that distribution source. Magna also had an outside sales force demonstrating machines in all sorts of venues.
It was noted in the 1948 article that sales for the current year were expected to run between three and four million dollars for a company still in its infancy.
The announcement stated the Eastern Branch was being created to save eastbound freight rates on Shopsmiths, prepaid by Magna. It stated a contract had been signed with The National Acme Co. of Cleveland to insure a 2500 monthly tool production on a one-shift basis.
Output from Eastern Production was to start in August 1948. The timeline was almost concurrent with what we believe to be the release of the upgraded 10ER.
This was done in concert with Macys of New York who had already ordered a car load (rail car) of the tools and their Eastern State marketing push in August.
The article confirmed that the first 250 were delivered Nov 15th (That would be 1947) to Montgomery Ward & Co., and that since then orders have been ahead of Magna’s ability to produce for the 367 stores over the nation with orders in queue. Production at the time was stated to already be more than 2000 units per month.
Bob Chambers revealed at the time, in addition to current day to day orders, Ward had just signed a contract for more than a million dollars more that currently being sold.
A curious tidbit that I had wondered about the significance of the Chrome Plated 10ER from the photo with Bob Chambers that I included in the center of the page in a 10E/ER manual I reworked. I will attach it for reference.
The article stated that the 10,000th machine was specially chrome plated to commemorate the production number and on display at the 1948 Bay Area Industrial Exposition, so we now know where that photo was taken. Some differences exist on the production number milestone 10K, 20K or 25K. I verified the Opening Ceremony for it occurred June 02, 1948 when Oakland Mayor Joseph Smith cut a chain with a torch to open exposition as other Bay Area officials looked on.
Another was done for the Eastern Plant, and another for the Australian Company, but I believe it was done by them to mark a sales achievement, not for them by Manga.
The history of the chromed machine apparently was given to Magna Engineer Anthony (Tony) Fox, by the company. Yes that is the same Tony Fox who then went in to completion with Shopsmith producing the Fox Super Shop (a redesigned multipurpose tool) opposed to a clone of the Shopsmith as others tried.
The Fox Super Shop rights were acquired by Smithy, then was made in China, popping up in the US through Harbor Freight under the Central Machinery Brand.
Robert Folkerth put me in contact with a fellow in Chicago who owns that chromed machine now. It has some interesting history of its own, and was the inspiration for two more that I know existed but have not located.
The fellow in Chicago also has the custom plaque commemorating its transfer to Tony Fox. I tried unsuccessfully to reach him while I was in Dayton so I could pop over to Chicago and photograph him with it, the plaque, and get the rest of the story of its provenance and history. He replied to me after I had returned to Texas and sent me some photos. I will try to find them.
My understanding is that it is for sale based on my conversation with Mr. Folkerth. Apparently he approached Shopsmith to see if they wanted to buy it back for a museum piece, but Shopsmith does not have a museum to put it in, and had little interest in investing what he asked. I did not even find what he wanted for the machine as I am a historian, not a museum curator interested in antiquity acquisitions.
What is it worth? I have no clue. As in all things, I think it is worth only what someone with the means and the desire to acquire and transport it is willing to part with. Without sounding like Harry Potter’s character relative to an artifact that one could possess but not use, if I were to acquire it, it would be used, frequently. I feared it would be out of the scope of what I was willing to pay so I never engaged in serious conversation about acquiring it.
If one of you readers acquires or have already have acquired it, perhaps I can interview you about it and the value you placed on it.
Everett
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