Matthew Sengbusch cleans the glass of a Zoltar fortune teller machine that he operates inside Frank's Fisherman, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022.When his predecessor decided to retire in 2018, he was directed to Sengbusch, who had built a reputation for his craft in coin-operated machinery thanks to Small Change Arcade. Not only did Sengbusch love the nostalgia associated with the machines; he knew managingAt Lefty’s, another Pier 39 store, Sengbusch puts a penny in the shop’s machine.
Matthew Sengbusch a penny press machine inside Lefty's at Fisherman's Wharf, on Tuesday Nov. 22, 2022.A detail view of the mechanism inside a penny press machine at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.A penny press machines fits in among souvenirs inside an Alcatraz-themed gift shop at Pier 39 in San Francisco.Matthew Sengbusch, left, services a pressed penny machine inside Lefty's at Fisherman's Wharf, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022.
Sengbusch takes the quarters from his penny machines and redistributes them to many of the city’s arcades that use quarters. There’s still a coin shortage in the U.S., a problem that blossomed during the pandemic and hasn’t gotten much better, and Sengbusch wants to ensure arcades can still operate. Quarters are so coveted, Sengbusch has been known to chase people out of arcades if they come in to use the change machine just to get change and leave.