Lions International Vintage Gumball Machine on Brass Floor Stand — Blue Cast Iron, Original Donation Cone

A vintage Lions International gumball and candy machine on an original brass floor stand — blue cast iron base, clear acrylic globe, chrome coin mechanism, and the original Lions Club donation cone insert still seated inside the globe. The cone reads: "Lions International — For Donating [Space] For Lions Club" with the iconic Lions International emblem in blue and white. Freestanding on a brass pole with a gold floor plate. Complete and intact.

Lions International was founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones in Chicago and grew into one of the largest civic service organizations in the world, with over 1.4 million members in 200 countries at its peak. Their branded fundraising vending machines — placed in barbershops, diners, pharmacies, and storefronts across America — were a fixture of mid-century civic life. A portion of each purchase went directly to Lions Club charitable programs, including their signature focus on vision care and eyeglass donation. These machines were manufactured primarily in the 1950s through 1970s, often by Northwestern Corporation or Oak Manufacturing.

The donation cone insert is the rarest component of any Lions Club machine — most were removed, lost, or discarded over decades of use. Finding a complete example with the original cone intact, on its original floor stand, with strong paint and chrome is increasingly uncommon. Comparable complete examples in the collector market sell in the $200–$350 range.

A complete piece of American civic and commercial history. One available.

• Organization: Lions International (est. 1917, Chicago)
• Base: Blue cast iron with chrome coin mechanism
• Globe: Clear acrylic — intact
• Stand: Original brass floor pole with gold base plate
• Includes: Original Lions Club donation cone insert — rare to find intact
• Era: Estimated 1950s–1970s
• Condition: Good — consistent with age and commercial use; fully intact
• One of a kind — one available