Columbia Sales

What Columbia Sales does

Columbia Sales Inc. is a privately held, third-generation family-owned manufacturer of tip boards and related novelty ticket games, headquartered at 2233 Warwood Avenue in Wheeling, West Virginia. Founded by Robert F. Palmer Sr. in 1939, the company produces a portfolio of self-contained raffle-style games including Regular Tip Boards, Sure Tip Boards and Jar Tips, alongside specialty variants such as 5 Card Hold Em, bingo-themed boards, sports score-coverage games and the TER (Tip in Every Row) series. The company claims to be the exclusive manufacturer of tip boards in the United States, a position it maintains using automatic folding, banding and mounting ticket machines covered by U.S. Patent 2,388,433. All products are produced in-house in Wheeling and marketed as 100% Made in America; current management is led by General Manager Adam Campbell.

The business model is straightforward physical-goods manufacturing sold through wholesale channels. Columbia Sales sells exclusively to a nationwide network of qualified distributors — not directly to the public, and not through e-commerce from its own website — in packaged quantities (dozens and gross amounts) at unit pricing between $0.10 and $1.00 per play depending on game type and board size (which ranges from 10 to 3,300 tickets). Ancillary revenue comes from customization services, including printing customer company names, logos and state-compliance barcodes for an additional fee. Marketing is limited to an informational website plus organic Facebook and Instagram presence; price quotes and distributor applications are handled via email to [email protected] and phone at (800) 232-4282. End customers reached via distributors are predominantly SMBs across bars, restaurants, social clubs, legions, bingo halls, school events and charitable organizations, with distributors serving as the enterprise counterpart on the B2B side of the channel.

The operational footprint is single-site (one manufacturing facility in Wheeling), headcount is reported in the 11–50 band, and the company carries no external investors, no funding events, no parent company and no subsidiaries. No revenue is publicly disclosed. Competitive moats derive from the patent-protected manufacturing process, the eight-decade track record, and the embedded distributor relationships that act as the de facto route-to-market for the fragmented SMB end-customer base.

Name

Columbia Sales

Legal name

Columbia Sales Inc.

Website

https://columbiasalesinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbia Sales is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer in Wheeling, West Virginia that produces tip boards and novelty ticket games — the exclusive US maker of these self-contained raffle-style games since 1939 — and sells exclusively through a nationwide distributor network to bars, restaurants, social clubs, bingo halls and charitable organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tip Board Manufacturing

NAICS

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Lottery Ticket & Instant Games (Scratch-Off) Publishing/Printing (MPAEAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

Keywords

• Tip board manufacturing
• Novelty ticket games
• Pull-tab tickets
• Raffle board games
• Jar tip games

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheeling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tip Board Product Sales: Columbia Sales generates revenue by manufacturing and selling tip boards and novelty ticket games exclusively to distributors across the United States. The company sells a variety of game types including Regular Tip Boards, Sure Tip Boards, Jar Tips, and Pasted 5 or 10 Bundled Tickets. Products are sold in packaged quantities (dozen or gross amounts) to qualified distributors.
2. Custom Printing Services: Columbia Sales offers customization services where they print customer company names, logos, or barcodes for state compliance on their tip board products for a modest additional fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Columbia Sales manufactures tip boards and other novelty ticket games (also called pull-off tickets, jar tickets, or raffle boards) using patented automatic folding, banding, and mounting machinery (U.S. Patent 2,388,433). The company produces Regular Tip Boards, Sure Tip Boards, Jar Tips, and various specialty games sold exclusively to qualified distributors across the United States. Custom printing of company names, logos, or state-compliance barcodes is available as an add-on service.

Product overview

Columbia Sales is a manufacturer of novelty ticket games, primarily Tip Boards (also called Tip Books, Jar Tips, Jar Tickets, Raffle Boards, or Small Games of Chance). The company produces three main product categories: Regular Tip Boards (using two-number combinations plus a tip number to determine winners), Sure Tip Boards (self-contained raffles where every ticket has a chance to win), and Jar Tips (games designed for jar/bag placement with flare cards). Additional specialty games include the 5 Card Hold Em poker game, bingo-themed games, Hit and Take games, and the TER series with guaranteed tips per row. Products are available in various sizes (from 10 to 3300 tickets) and formats including Pasted 5 and Pasted 10 bundles. The company, operating since 1939 and headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, manufactures using patented machinery (U.S. Patent 2,388,433) and sells exclusively through distributors. Custom printing services for company branding and state compliance are available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Tip Boards

Quantifiable outcome

• Quick profit generation - examples include $10 profit on $30 take-in (300 Sure Tip), $15 profit on $45 take-in (45 Regular Tip)

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Distributors (Nationwide)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorColumbia Sales has established partnerships with distributors across the United States since 1939. They supply a variety of tip boards to these distributors who resell to end customers (bars, restaurants, social clubs, charitable events). The company is actively accepting new distributorships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IGT (International Game Technology): IGT is a leading lottery and gaming technology company that produces instant tickets, lottery systems, and gaming machines. Its instant ticket product line competes in the broader pull-tab/scratch-off category where Columbia Sales operates.
• Inspired Entertainment: Inspired Entertainment supplies gaming machines, virtual sports, and lottery products to operators globally. Its lottery and amusement gaming segments represent a broader portfolio version of the pull-tab/gaming category where Columbia Sales competes.
• Everi Holdings: Everi provides gaming products, financial technology, and player loyalty solutions to casinos and gaming operators. While primarily focused on casino gaming, its reach into gaming-adjacent product categories overlaps thematically with Columbia Sales' gaming products.
• Pollard Banknote: Pollard Banknote is a Canadian-based lottery printer and supplier of instant tickets, pull-tabs, and charitable gaming products. It serves a similar customer base to Columbia Sales but at significantly larger scale across North American and international markets.
• INTRALOT: INTRALOT is a global lottery and gaming solutions provider offering instant ticket printing, lottery systems, and gaming technology. Its instant ticket production business serves a similar customer base to Columbia Sales across multiple regulated gaming markets.
• Scientific Games: Scientific Games is a major global supplier of lottery instant tickets (scratch-offs), gaming systems, and slot machines. While much larger and broader in scope, its instant ticket printing division directly overlaps with Columbia Sales' pull-tab/tip board manufacturing category.

Direct peers

• Diamond Game: Diamond Game manufactures pull-tab and charitable gaming products including instant-win tickets and dispensers. It competes most directly with Columbia Sales in the U.S. pull-tab/tip board market serving charitable gaming and bar/restaurant venues.

Regional players

• Camelot Group: Camelot operates the UK National Lottery and produces instant-win scratch cards and pull-tab style games. While geographically distinct from Columbia Sales' U.S. market, it represents a comparable pull-tab/instant ticket manufacturing and distribution operation in another regulated lottery market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Columbiasalesco
• Instagraminstagram.com/columbiasalesco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbia Sales