Hickey Culpepper: Competition, costs taking fun out of the games business

By Tom Powell
1 Jan 1996
Amusement Business; Page 26
Copyright 1996, Amusement Business

New Orleans -- Lotteries, casino gambling and "on top of that, welfare," are causing big problems for concessionaires in the carnival business.

"Nobody wants to work. When I first started as an agent, five other guys wanted my job and were trying to get it," said Bobby Leonard.

Leonard and Hickey Culpepper, who have been in the business 50 years each, discussed the state of the industry here during the International Assn. of Amusement Parks & Attractions convention.

"Too much privilege, too much rent, that's our number one problem and the reason why so many guys are getting out of the business," said Culpepper. "The shows fight for spots and give away too much money, and then they have to rob the concessionaires."

Leonard and his wife, MaryJean, who live in Gibsonton, Fla., operate Rainbow Concessions. They have been a mainstay with carnivals operated in the Chicago area (particularly those of Jeff Blomsness and Steve Thebault) for the last 16 years. "But we plan to bounce around to various shows next year. We usually set up between 12 and 15 games," said Leonard.

Culpepper and his wife, Bonnie, operate Culpepper Concessions with Mike Featherstone's Gold Star Amusements, out of Minneapolis. They reside in Tampa. They have 16 games.

A New Ball Game

"It's a new ball game out there now. You walk down a lineup and say `I'm with it" and the agent looks at you and asks, `with what?' It's tougher than it used to be, too," said Leonard.

Culpepper chirped in with, "Bobby, we broke in during the best years of the carnival business. You could make a buck back then."

Leonard credited the late Walter Cox for teaching him how to buy and manage. Leonard said he "spent a lot of years with World of Mirth Shows."

Culpepper said he learned a lot from String Game Murphy with Royal American. Leonard, who has "always been partial to railroad shows," and Culpepper were together once on the old Cetlin & Wilson Shows.

Both agreed it was essential to have key men. Leonard has had Tommy Meiler (whom he calls "The Hook") working with him for 14 years, while Robert O'Brien has been with Culpepper for 30 years.

Both say they do business for plush with five to 10 different companies, including Ace Novelty, Liberty Toy and Sally. Both agreed the hot plush items of 1995 were Tazmanian devils and Red Dogs.

Leonard said he specializes in group games, water games, derbies, etc. "But I have duck ponds, balloon joints and all the standbys. You have to have them for the others to work. In this business, your whole family has to work at it to survive."

Culpepper has frog bogs, milk bottle stands, long-range basketball, fire dogs (where they throw the ball through the teeth of the dog), etc. "I'm here looking for a derby I have a Red Dog Derby in mind, and will probably get it from Bobby Cassata's Bob's Space Racers," he said.

Culpepper added that he can fabricate his own games. He said he invented the 3-pin pool, fire dog, King Kong, tag balloon and bushel basket games.

Leonard laughed and said, "For what you pay for a good group game now, $100,000, I could have bought an entire railroad show in 1940."

They each observed that trucks on the midway are a thing of the past. "They can't afford to send them out anymore, too much insurance. I think Allentown Toy is about the only one left that's still doing it," said Culpepper.

They spoke of legends who preceded them in the business, calling out the names of Sid Daniels, Sam Gordon and Bill Moore.

"This is a helluva business. Only the strong can survive," said Culpepper.

As for 1995...

Leonard said the season "was good, but it was really hot in the Chicago area."

"As far as 1995 goes, we had lots of good help, but we had lots of heat, with rain on the weekends," said Culpepper.

"Our business was off by 40 percent. We stay with Gold Star until Labor Day and then we join Teddy and Freddie O'Neil on the independent midway at Oklahoma City (State Fair of Oklahoma). Unfortunately, we had a lot of bad weather there this year, but it's usually tremendous."

The Culpeppers then went with Royal American Shows to the Brazoria County Fair in Angleton, Texas, which was up 20 percent, and again with Royal to the Greater Baton Rouge (La.) Fair, where they closed their season Oct. 29.

"That was down a little. We opened in mid-March in New Orleans at the Crawfish Festival. Then we played Chalmette, La., for the fourth year in a row," said Culpepper.

"1996 is going to be a new deal. We're going to have a bigger and better season," said Culpepper."

Leonard said his son, Robert, is gradually taking over the business, along with daughter, Jean Marie Leonard. "After 50 years, I'm semi-retiring," said Leonard, with a smile.

Leonard added, "I hate the carnival business. I hope I die in it."

Hickey Culpepper Says Games Hardest Hit By Down Economy

By Tim O'Brien
23 Sep 1991
Amusement Business; Page 44

ST. PAUL, MN -- Games concessionaire Hickey Culpepper pulls no punches when he talks about this summer's business.

"This is the worst season I've had in 43 years," he told AB during the Minnesota State Fair here. Overall, he said his revenues are off 25 percent so far this year.

With 10 games booked on with Royal American Shows at this spot, Culpepper said the "rumor" is true that games are the first to suffer on the midway during a time of economic cutbacks.

"The midways seem to be just as busy, but people will come out, ride the rides and eat the food, but they'll hold back on playing games," he said. He believes the worst is over, however.

"My business started slumping in August last season and as the year progressed, it got worse. I went out this spring and there seemed to be an upturn, but it hasn't gotten back to where it was early last year," Culpepper said, adding, "You have to remain optimistic or you'll go crazy."

He said several of his dates have been off by as much as 50 percent this summer in the Chicago area. "There is an $8 gate fee at two of the spots I play near Chicago, and when people have to pay that kind of money at the gate, something has to give inside the gate."

Culpepper books his games with Magic Midways and stays in the Chicago area with that show from April through mid-August when he comes here. He finishes the season with Royal American, closing out in late October at the Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport.

The Games

What can be done? "That's a good question," he said.

"It's not just me, I've talked with a lot of games people out there and they're all having a similar season. I've done everything I know how to do. I've reframed games and I've cut the number of joints I travel with."

The hottest game on the midway this summer, according to Culpepper, is the long-range basketball. "It's so popular that I have three of them with me. Everyone has long-range basketball." He prefers the "one in wins choice" version of the game.

"It's an old game but it sure has come back in popularity. Several years ago mini-basketball was the rage, now it has slowed down and the long-range has taken over. I think a big part of it is the familiarity with the game, plus the fact that long-range offers bigger prizes than the short-range," he said.

He said the move toward games of skill has been a good thing. "I have all games of skill. People don't like games of chance and thank heavens that the flat stores are a thing of the past. I'm glad the public is hip to the games now and we all know now that you need to have winners in order to have players."

Culpepper is quick to point out how much the Outdoor Amusement Business Assn. has done on behalf of games operators concerning the various games laws in different states.

In addition to the economy, two other factors are hurting the games operators this season, he said. The first is the rent each must pay.

"It seems that the rent keeps going up as our business goes down. That's definitely hurting us all." He said the rent here with Royal American is the same as last year and he doesn't anticipate any increases for the rest of the season.

Another factor that is hurting sales is the lack of any one "real hot" plush item this season.

"The number one plush for me this season is the Harley Hawg and it's only about half as popular as last year's Ninja Turtles and the Simpsons," he said, noting that merchandise for the year averaged only a 10 percent increase in price. "It usually goes up more than that."

Culpepper believes that things will change. "My last bad year was 1960 and I see a great deal of similarities. I held in there, cut back a bit, did everything I could and waited it out. Sounds familiar doesn't it?"

Culpepper Ancestry. We have been informed that Hickey's real name is Milton E. Culpepper (#58056). However, his father is not currently known by Culpepper Connections! If you know who he is, please contact Warren Culpepper.