I have a Groundhog-like Day event that happens once a year while doing this blog. Those of you that have followed me for a while probably know what I’m talking about: The Annual Counting of the Gumball Machines. This started back in 2013 when I moved back to Peoria after living in New York City for 19 years.
I was looking for things to write about for my blog, which I started in December of 2012. One thing I did was stop at the Northwoods Mall. When I would return back to Peoria to see my family and friends, I never stopped in at the mall, so I hadn’t been there for close to 20 years! The first time I stopped out, I noticed the abundance of gumball machines and decided to do a blog post where I would count these gumball machines.
It seemed like a really stupid thing to do and a total waste of time, so it was perfect for the blog! People enjoyed that post and it’s now turned into a yearly tradition that also involves my friend and frequent MBIP Commenter, Chad Wallace, who recently got his gumball counting certificate from Gumball State University located in Chew City, Iowa, so he is now a Professional Gumball Machine Counter and I think he’s at the door right now, let’s go see!
And here he is, Chad Wallace, P.G.M.C! and he brought a gift, a gumball machine for the MBIP World Headquarters!
Very cool, thanks, Chad!
There’s Chad armed with the tools of the gumball machine couting trade: A babe of quarters, a marker and the official MBIP gumball counting notepad! We’re all set to go!
And we’re off. Chad’s behind the wheel and as he slipped on those shades all of a sudden I’m wondering…did he get high on his way here?
There’s Chad leading the way in and as he tries to pick up that busty mannequin in the window, one question is answered, yep, he’s high as a freaking kite!
Come on, Chad, time to get to work!
Chad springs into action and starts the gumball count and the first gumball of the day is a little worse for the wear! I think this one has been sitting in the machine for a while!
We noticed this machine featured a turd on the front of it, so Chad tried to see if we could get one, but we ended up with a tiny little egg bra. Sometimes life is not fair!
Once again we need to remind you these machines are Northern Beaver machines, the finest gumball machines in the land and they bring you quality products like Cry Baby Tears!
As we move along, there’s one of the newer additions to the Northwoods Mall, a boxing workout space with the most unfortunate name of K.O.K. Boxing…let’s just keep moving along here, folks!
Here’s the next bank of gumball machines all the way at the other end of the lower lever of the mall.
There’s the Bananarama machine and so it’s time to cue this song up!
Chad is hard at work, but just like Poppie in that Seinfeld episode, he’s a little sloppy and has a little spillage problem going on!
Tears seem to be a common theme among the gumball machines and I love how those faces in the bottom photo look like they’re all about to throw up! How appetizing!
Okay, we’re done with the lower level and here’s the total, 44 gumball machines!
Time for a little beer break and we stopped into the new Tilted Ten Bowling Alley and Arcade and had a quick beer at the nice bar in there.
I think Chad had a little too much to drink in there, come on Chad, we’ve got the upper level still to do!
Here we are on the upper level and there’s the first banks of gumball machines up here. Pretty Maids All In A Row!
Check out The Rascals gumball machine, when you put in a quarter, this song plays.
There’s the classic Cry Baby Guts machine and whoops, Chad has just spilled all of the quarters on the ground. Note to self: Don’t let Chad drink next year!
As Chad continues to purchase gumballs, he’s just gotten two blue balls. Oh my! Once again, let’s just keep moving along here, folks!
Here we are at the last gumball bank in the Northwoods mall and this bank features a trilogy of the greatest gumball machines: Cry Baby Tears, Cry Baby Guts and Bananarama!
Okay, time for this years total of the number of gumball machines at the Northwoods Mall, Ringo, how about a little drumroll here to add to this exciting moment in time?
Thanks, Ringo and now the moment is here, here’s Chad with this year’s count of the gumballs at Northwoods Mall…
There’s 104 gumball machines in Northwoods Mall in the year of 2025. Sadly this is the same number we’ve had for the last couple of years, but what are you going to do?
I know what we’ll do…
We’ll drop off the gumballs at the Northwoods Mall office and be done with this goofiness for another year!
There’s Chad presenting this year’s bag of balls to Tim who’s the operations manager here at the mall!
Thanks to Chad Wallace, P.G.M.C. for his wonderful work and for the MBIP World Headquarters Gumball Machine! This is always a fun event and we’ll do it again in 2026!
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2200 W. War Memorial Drive
Peoria
309-319-8419
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Related Posts: Counting Gumballs Trip Number: Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two and One.