What piece of equipment was used to start Planter’s Peanuts and how much was the thing worth?

Answer 1

The first equipment was the man himself, Italian born, Planters founder Amedeo Obici went into business for himself, selling bags of fresh roasted peanuts for a nickel on rented sidewalk space in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He was probably worth 1/2 a cent per day if that.
He and Mario Peruzzi founded the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company in 1908. Obici then borrowed $25,000 to open a factory in Suffolk County, closer to the peanut fields. Obici discovered a process by which he could roast his peanuts in oil and then blanch them to eliminate hulls and shells. The peanuts were then sold in airtight bags.
The logo Mr. Peanut, came from 14-year-old Antonio Gentile, a logo contest sponsored by Planters. He submitted a sketch of a little peanut person and earned $5 for his efforts.
later a hat and cane were added to the little guy.
A Mr. Peanut collector in Massachusetts once shelled (no pun intended) out $20,700.00 to buy an authentic Mr. Peanut coin operated scale recently.
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