Attention M ills Slot M achine O w n ers!
You can now service, repair, and overhaul your own M ills
bell slot machine with the
Owner’s Pictorial Guide for the
Care and Understanding of the
M ills Bell Slot Machine
The only complete service and repair manual ever published
for the Mills bell slot machine
★ 156 Highly Informative Pages
★ 387 Detailed Photos
★ A Pictorial Glossary for Easy Identification of
Parts Including Nomenclature
A ctual size is S'/?' x 11
Even if you have never seen the inside of a slot
machine before, this book will enable you to
completely disassemble, clean, lubricate, and
reassemble your machine, make the proper
adjustments necessary, and understand the
theory of operation behind your machine. This
book can be successfully used to service all
escalator type bell machines such as the Black
Cherry, Extrabell, Golden Falls, etc., as well as
gooseneck coin entry styles which did not employ
an escalator. Also, this book can be effectively
used to service all Sega and Buckley 3-reel bell
type machines. It contains complete information
on disassembly, cleaning, lubrication and
assembly of the mechanism; the detailed theory of
operation of the mechanism; and chapters on reel,
jackpot, escalator, handle and pump, and award
token assemblies. The full color cover has been
plastic coated for longer wear. You can order the
Owner’s Pictorial G uide tor the Care and
Understanding of the Mills B ell S lot M achin e
from your dealer or directly from the publisher.
O nly
$ 24.95
Plus $2.00 packing and shipping charge.
All books will be shipped United Parcel Service.
California residents please include 6% sales lax.
The Mead Com pany -Publishers
21176 South A lam ed a Street
Long Beach, C a lifo rn ia 90810
21176 South Alameda Street
Long Beach, California 90810
Telephone (213) 549-0730
This Issue?
FE A T U R E S
Volume 2, Number 10
October 1979
Collector’s Fun Fair Edition
Covef
The Pace Kitty
15
Possibly one of the most rare three-reel slot machines, the Pace KITTY
had a novel idea for it’s day—a m ini jackpot.
Identifying Slot Machines
19
Gordon Pace’s Coin Machine Auction
40
“Legal States” For Slot Machine Collectors
43
Here is a pictorial review of some of the more common machines. I t ’s
intended for the newcomer to the hobby.
Here are the auction results: prices, conditions and general comments.
W hat is a legal state for slot machine collectors? There is no single
answer, because all states are different. Here is the latest as we know it.
A Quick History o f Harolds Club
44
Harolds Club gave this to us some time ago. It ’s short and to the point.
Patents, Early Slots and Gin
47
Nickel Interlude
49
Marshall Fey, grandson of slot pioneer Charles Fey, offers a rebuttal to a
previous Loose Change article.
One of our readers sent this in some time ago without his name. It s nice.
D EPAR TM ENTS
N ew s Briefs
4
Here is the latest news of interest to the coin machine crowd.
Mailbox
9
I f you’ve written a letter recently, it may be here.
Editors Notes
H
Legal Register
12
The editor has a message for newcomers, buyers and exhibitors at the Fun
Fair.
How many Pace KITTYs have you
seen? It is estimated that there were
only one thousand of these unique
machines originally produced and that
there are probably no more than thirty
or forty still in existance today.
There are only two known in South­
ern California—one of them shown
here. It has been completely restored in
its original colors and is reproduced
here with all its features showing: the
“Kitty” on the first reel; the name cast
on top of the upper front casting; the
kitty itself; and the indicator.
I f you are planning on buying one of
these machines, better be sure you get
one with all the kitty operating mecha­
nism intact—there are less kitty oper­
ating mechanisms in existance than
KITTYs themselves!
OCTOBER
1979
Here is a list of attorneys ready to assist you with yourt antique gam ing
machine legal problems.
Product Review
13
Remember that wheelbarrow full of tokens at the recent A Auction? Here
they are!
The Bookshelf
45
Veteran slot collector reports on the new Owner’s Guide. More books on
cheating are also reviewed.
Classified Advertising
49
This is the largest source of machines and other nice things to be found
anywhere. Are you scanning it closely?
Loose Change Magazine (USPS 427-910} is published monthly by The Mead Company,
21176' S. Alameda Street, Long Beach, CA 90810. Subscription Rates: $22.00 per year in
the United States of America or $37.00 per year in all other countries. Copyright 1979
under Universal Copyright Convention, All Right Reserved. Second c l a s s postage paid
at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to The Mead Company,
21176 S. Alameda Street, Long Beach. CA 90810.
Classified ad rates
w ill increase
Classified advertising rates for
Loose C hange magazine will be
increased effective December 1, 1979.
A ll classified advertising received
after December 1st w ill be subject to the
new rates.
The new rates will be $3.00 m inim um
for the first 25 words, and each addi­
tio n a l word will be 15C. As in the past,
all classified advertising is accepted
and positioned at the discretion of the
publisher. Closing date is the 5th of the
m o n th preceeding publication; i.e.,
advertisements intended for publica­
tion in the Jan u ary issue must be
received by the publisher by December
5th.
The three m onth limitation will be
retained, thus continuous running ads
w ill only be accepted for three months,
after w hich the advertisement must be
re-submitted.
For purposes of counting words,
state and zip code will be counted as
two words, two-word cities and states
(such as New York) will be counted as
one word and area code and phone
num ber w ill be counted as one word.
A ll advertisements will be listed under
either For Sale, Miscellaneous or
Wanted. Publisher will not be responsi­
ble for errors for any reason what­
soever. Telephone orders and cancel­
lations are not accepted.
There will also be a slight increase in
advertising rates for display advertis­
ers effective Ja n u a ry 1, 1980. Rate
cards are available upon request from
Loose C hange Advertising, 21176 S.
A lam eda Street, Long Beach, Califor­
n ia 90810.
Fun Fair door prize
draw ing to be held
closing day of Fun
Fair
D raw ing for the F un Fair door prizes
will be conducted by Don Britt on the
last day of the Loose Change Fun Fair,
Sunday October 7, 1979. It is not neces­
sary to be present at the drawing in
order to win.
4
To be eligible for the door prize it is
necessary to fill out a Door Prize Regis­
tration Card available at the front of
the Great Western Exhibit Center. Leg­
ibility is very important since smaller
prizes will be mailed to winners who
are not present at the drawing.
Among the prizes planned at press
time are an antique gumball machine,
seasonal passes to K, G. Canning
Shows, one year subscriptions to Loose
Change magazine and copies of The
Official Loose Change Blue and Red
Book and Owner’s Pictorial Guide for
the Care and Understanding of the
Mills Bell Slot Machine.
Full seminar agenda
scheduled for Fun
Fair
Six speakers will present seminars at
the Loose Change Fun Fair, Seminars
will be conducted on all three days of
the Fair. Some of the speakers will
make their presentations on all three
days while others will speak on only
two. All ticket holders are invited to
attend as many of the informative
talks as they like, and there is no addi­
tional charge for the seminars. Time
schedule and days for the various
speakers will be found in the Souvenir
Program, free to all attending the Fun
Fair. Listed in alphebetical order below
is a brief synopsis of the speakers and
their subject matter.
R ic h a rd M. Bueschel
Richard Bueschel is no stranger to
collectors of antique slot machines.
Well published in a number of histori­
cal fields of interest, Mr. Bueschel
seems to have all the answers at the
snap of a finger when it comes to
antique slot machines.
Most recently published by Coin Slot
Books of Wheatridge, Colorado, with a
series of books entitled The 100 Most
Collectible Slot Machines, Mr. Bue­
schel will speak about “Slot Machines
1870-1979: A n In s ta n t H isto ry ” .
Included in his presentation will be
over eighty slides from his collection
which will show the very earliest slot of
the late 19th century, the color wheel
floor machines of the 1897-1915 period,
the early cast iron machines, threereelers, trade stimulators and classic
slots of the thirties and forties, right up
to the modem machines of today.
After his formal presentation, Mr.
Bueschel will take a n d answer ques­
tions from the floor. His presentation
will be presented on all three days of
the Fun Fair, vary slightly from day to
day.
Mr. Bueschel makes his home in the
Chicago, Illinois area w ith his wife and
children.
D o n a ld P . B r it t
Donald P. Britt, noted coin m achine
auctioneer, prom otional coordinator
and Master of Ceremonies of the Loose
Change Fun Fair and president of the
Nevada State Auctioneer’s Associa­
tion, will give a presentation that w ill
be extremely interesting to any collec­
tor who has ever been to a coin
machine auction entitled “HowTo Suc­
cessfully Attend A n A uction” . In arare
move for an auctioneer, Mr. Britt w ill
step down from the auction block and
tell his audience how to attend an auc­
tion, the importance of inspection of
merchandise, how to bid, sign la n ­
guage, tips on bidding, the organiza­
tion of auctions, methods the auc­
tioneers use and arranging acceptable
means of payment.
Mr. Britt w ill also relate several
entertaining stories about the auction
business and conduct a short question
and answer session o f general interest
to the entire audience.
Educated in the Los Angeles area,
Mr. Britt is now historian and auctio­
neer for H arr a h ’s Auto Collection in
Reno, Nevada, and makes his home in
Sparks, Nevada.
R o b e rt N . G eddes
“The Ten Most Likely Things To
Go Wrong W ith Your Slot M a ­
chine” will be child ’s play for Robert
N. Geddes. W hy? H e’s just finished a
m am m oth m anual, O w ner’s Pictorial
Guide for the Care a n d U nderstanding
of the M ills Bell Slot M achine, recently
published by The M ead Com pany of
Long Beach, California.
Mr. Geddes, a former professional
g am ble r, a cq u ire d h is firs t slot
machine in 1963, and since th a t time
has either owned, examined, repaired
or serviced (and has taken notes about)
an estimated four-hundred three reel
slot machines! His presentation w ill be
conducted as a group analysis of an
actual three-reel slot m achine a n d w ill
show each and every step to correcting
LOOSE
CHANGE
the ten most probable causes of m al­
function (which will be simulated on
the presentation machine). Mr. Geddes
is a firm believer in the premise that if
one understands the theory of opera­
tion he will be able to diagnose and cor­
rect problems more efficient and will
structure his presentation accordingly.
I f you attend this seminar, be prepared
to learn, because Mr. Geddes is also a
former college professor
A n electrical engineer and m athem a­
tician by profession, Mr. Geddes is now
in real estate development and makes
his home in Southern California.
D a n ie l G o ld e n
Daniel Golden is an antique tele­
phone collector and historian, so it is
not surprising that his presentation is
entitled “Antique Telephony” . Mr.
Golden’s talk will include an introduc­
tion to the collecting of antique tele­
phones, a slide presentation showing
rare and valuable antique telephones,
the value of antique telephones and
how to spot reproductions. Following
his talk will be general discussion ques­
tions and answers pertaining to
antique telephony.
Mr. Golden makes his home in the
Southern California area.
R o b e r t H a w k in s
Have you ever known anyone who
was so interested in pinball games that
he wrote his thesis about the subject?
Now you do—enter Robert Hawkins,
probably the most pinball-educated
m an in the world today.
Mr. Haw kins will speak about “Pinballs: A Collector’s Revue” and will
include a brief history about pinball
games, w hat to look for when buying a
pinball machine, how to fix some of the
minor things that will probably go
wrong with an antique pinball game
and why some games are more valua­
ble than others.
Mr. Hawkins is a professional educa­
tor and co-author of the P inb all Refer­
ence Guide, recently published by The
Mead Company of Long Beach, C ali­
fornia. He makes his home in Los
Angeles, California with his wife and
son.
G e o rg e S tu p a r - S ta n le y W ilk e r
Stanley Wilker and George Stupar
are both residents of the Los Angeles
area and have a common obsession:
W atling slot machines. Their presenta­
tion will be “The W atling ROL-A-TOP
and T R E A SU R Y Slot Machines.’’
Their presentation will discuss the
development history and describe the
OCTOBER
1979
multitude of models produced. In addi­
tion, they will offer tips on w hat to look
for when buying the W atling m achines
as well as information on how to res­
tore them to their original beauty and
operating capability.
ROL-A-TOPs and TREASU RYs are,
without a doubt, the most popular slot
machines ever made. In spite of this,
m any people, including experienced
collectors, are generally unaware of the
large number of models that exist,
which are most valuable and do not
know how to avoid mistakes in pur­
chasing. These and m any other
aspects of the machines will be dis­
cussed in depth by Mr. Stupar and Mr.
Wilker.
The presentation is promised to be of
interest to newcomers and experienced
collectors alike, and questions will be
accepted and answered from the floor
after the presentation.
Mr. Wilker (and his wife, Betty) are
authors of the O fficial Loose Change
Blue Book of Antique Slot Machines
and the Official Loose Change Red
Book of Trade Stimulators and Coun­
ter Games, both published by The
Mead Company of Long Beach,
California.
Movies offer rest
and entertainment
at Fun Fair
Sound and silent vintage motion pic­
tures will be shown free of charge at the
Loose Change Fun Fair. Both short
subjects and feature length films will
be shown, m any of them considered by
film critics to be classics.
A special treat for the children on
Friday afternoon will be Children’s
Film Festival with Mr. Magoo and
Dick Tracy cartoons and ending with a
color print of the antimated story of the
Little Tin Soldier.
A complete listing of films and show
times will be included in the free Sou­
venir Program, available at the front
door of The Great Western Exhibit
Center.
Louisana judge
orders penny slot
returned
A Louisana District Court judge on
temporary appointment by the Louisi­
ana Supreme Court, Judge Robert
Roland, ordered the state police to
return an antique penny slot machine
to its owner, insurance adjuster Pat S.
Brown, Jr.
Brown filed suit and obtained a court
order to prevent destruction of the
m achine w hich was seized from a res­
troom in an office building after a
wom an complained of the g am blin g
device. R oland said the device had
been stipulated as an operable penny
slot m achine w hich is not used for gam ­
bling since the coin box was not locked
and any penny deposited could be
reclaimed by the person depositing it.
The statutes of Louisana m andate
law enforcement officers to confiscate
and immediately destroy all gam blin g
devices or machines used for gam blin g
that come to their attention. “A ny slot
machine” is included in the definition
of gam bling devices subject to confis­
cation and destruction according to
Roland.
B ut Brown raised a constitutional
objection to both the validity of the
search warrant used by the state police
and to the statute itself.
Experimental slot
course conducted by
Jennings
The Jennings Com pany sponsored a
one week experimental slot course for
experienced slot mechanics in Reno,
Nevada during the week o f Ju n e 18th
thru the 22nd, 1979 to try out the course
of study designed by Robert Sertell of
Casino Career Institute in A tlan tic
City.
Casino Career Institute’s 200-hour
course was condensed into one week
w ith the help of Je n n in g s ’ factory engi­
neers and was taught by Mr. Sertell.
Twelve d iffe re n t c asino s were
invited to participate, a n d collectively
they sent forty-seven experienced slot
m e ch an ic s th ro u g h th e course—
including five slot managers. Questi­
onnaires answered by the students at
the end of the course indicated th a t it
was well received and very successful.
The enrolees had a total of 247 years of
slot experience for an average of 5.25
years per student.
P articipating casinos were: CalNeva Club, Circus-Circus, Gold Club,
Gold Dust (downtown), Gold Dust
(west), Harolds Club, H arrah ’s Casino,
Mapes Hotel and Casino, Mapes
Money Tree, S ahara Reno, Shy Clow n
Casino and the Sundowner Club.
Record jackpot
available
Nearly two years have passed since
P rem ier Issue ........................$5.50
The J u k e b o x A b rie f b ut tho ro ug h introduc­
tion and h is to ry o l these p o p u la r machines.
A rc a d e M a ch in e * Today An interview with
one o f to d a y's m a jo r d istrib u to rs of arcade
gam es gives inside on the past, present and
fu tu re .
Is This The R ecord R eturn On N icke l Play? A
d u ra b le little trade s tim u la to r gave its owner
27-years o f fa ith fu l service.
You Can R efln lsh Your Own S lo t Case Here's
h o w to tra n sfo rm th a t ugly mess into a piece
y o u can d isplay w ith pride.
The Fab u lo u s S lo t M achines The story of
C ha rles Fey and his pioneering LIBERTY
S E L L s lo t m a chin e is an h is to ric tu m in g point
in th e h is to ry o f s lo t machines.
The S eeburg M o d e l"A wTh is n ickelodeon fets
you relive the past.
A re S lots F o r Tots So Bad? A teenager's out­
lo o k on kids and slots.
L o o k B e fo re You Leap So you want to jum p
in to the h o b b y o f co lle ctin g coin-operated
m achines? G reat! But heed the advice of
som eone w h o has been down th is road a long
tim e.
Ja n u a ry 1978 ......................... $3.00
Those W o n d e rfu l W ettings The W atling slot
m achines o f the 1930s are very popular, especiairy the R O L-A-TO P.
A B rie f H is to ry o f the P in b a ll Machine This
c a p s u liz e d h is to ry o f the pinbaJI machine
ranges fro m 1830 to the present electronic
m achines w ith dates, names and gadgets.
The A n a to m y o f a B ug Slot m achine opera­
to rs w ere able to change the payout percen­
tage o l a m achine w ith a little piece o f metal.
The W atting TREASURY and R O L-A-TO P An
his to ric a l fook at the tw o most popular and
so ug h t a fte r slot machines.
We T u rn Loose C hange Loose H you wonder
how th is m agazine is produced, this behindthe-scenes feature is fo r you.
The W o rld ’s L a rg e st Flea M arket This special
article a b o u t th e Pasadena Rose Bowl flea
m arket co n ce n tra te s On its value to the
co lle cto r.
Good G u y o r O u tla w Some states feeJ pinball
games are an im po rta n t source of tax
revenue, b ut o th e rs th ink they're nothing but
a problem .
F e b r u a r y ..................................$3.00
I t ’s Time The Lews Were Changed A classic
article discusses the legality of antique slot
machines.
Are Your C licks In O rder? Get out your steth­
oscope and give your slot machines a
checkup
The M usic B o x Here is a history featurrng
Regina m usic boxes.
If You C an't See It, I t ’s N ot Legal An Indiana
attorney is disturbed about his state's laws
that deal w ith pinball machines.
Thls One Is Loaded The M ills BASEBALL
FRONT O.K. M IN T VENDER slot machine is
loaded w ith special features
A llo w M e To In tro d u ce You To M y "M aster"
Master gum ball vending machines have cap­
tivated one co lle cto r
Scoring B ig and Resetting Here is how you
can fix those inoperative scoring reels on
your pinball machine.
March 1978 ........................... $3.00
Gumbells, Peanuts, etc. A vending machine
co lle cto r tells his story—with over five dozen
machines illustrated and identified
Why C ollect Jukeboxes One look at a tew of
this fellow 's jukes explains how he got turned
on
It Was A Great Time The G ilgoff's hosted a
between-the-auctions party
Is This Really Am erica The pJighi o f a slot
m achine collector whose machines were
confiscated should be of concern to all
collectors
W ill New York Go Legal? One man in New
York began to see the fruits of his efforts
April 1978 ...............................$3.00
What Is A S lot Machine? Those fascinating
early machines bear little resemblance to slot
machines of today
The Legend o f the Triple Imp A fantasy'1’ Does
if really exist? Decide for yourself
G um balllng Valuable inform ation lor collec­
tors of gum ball machines is contained m this
entertaining article
Tom orrow Is Here For Jukebox Tubes You
better got those needed tubes bolore it’s too
(ale!
What Are They Worth? For everyone who has
ever asked. What are they worth"? Uits will
com e as a pleasant surprise It s the introduc­
tion of the 5-point rating system for mach ines
and the announcement of the coming of the
Blue Book price guide. A classic.
We're O ff To See The Wizard The Bafly Super
Shooter story with a complete listing of all
finalists.
M ay 1978 ............................. $3.00
Lite I t Just A Game O f Bagatelle This rndepth, extremely comprehensive article on
the origins of pinball machines andtheearliest models in the most informative yet.
Who Are Those Odd Looking Fallow*? Over­
seas traveJ can change a slot machines
appearance.
The Biggest Little City is Growing Up New
casinos are poping up all over Reno. Nevada.
June 1978 ............................. $3.00
A Tribute To Yesterday A general store of
yesteryear with lots of old store fixtures and
merchandise is recreated in Virginia Crty
Nevada.
The Orchestrion Is there really an orchestra
in that ornate cabinet? The author illustrates
one of these automated musical machines he
rebuilt.
The A-7 Supply Company Recent advances
in amusement machines are featured.
The Slot Machines o f San Juan Two inde­
pendent reports from readers make interest­
ing reading
back issues are a v a ila b le .
Now you. can complete your library of Loose
Change magazine with the back is s u e s listed
below. Our dealers may have back issues not
listed here. Please include 50<P per m agazine
ordered for postage and handling.
November 1 9 7 8 ....................$4,00
Charles Fey‘ The Slot Machine Man The great
granddaughter of the inventor of the first
three-reel payout slot machine relates his
story with a fresh new approach featuring
photographs of the internal mechanism.
The Story o f the D. Gottlieb Company David
Gottlieb founded one of today’s largest pro­
ducers of pinball machines. A listing with
dates of introduction of afl of Gottlieb’s pin­
ball machines is included.
A Collector’b Guide to Automatic Music Over
the years many fascinating automatic musi­
cal instruments have been built and nearly
forgotten. This truly historic class of instru­
ments is presented in an interesting and
informative manner sure to kindle your inter­
est.
January 1979 ....................... $3.00
Behind The Scenes O f Harolds Club To I he
occasional visitor, a gambling casino oper­
ates automatically, and the money just rolls
in. For an exact answer to this assu mption, we
went to Harolds ClubTone of Nevada's oldest
casinos.
Gtf/nness Sets Its Own Record: Inaccuracy
Thrs time the Guinness people really blew it.
They don't know anything about slot ma­
chines. A veteran story-teller tells why.
A Restoration Primer This excerpt from a new
book has some tips for case and mechanism
restoration.
A Visit With Donne And John Hermann The
Hermann collection is choice si nee it consists
of mostly CailJe floor machines and Pofk fig­
ures. This interview is a glowing account
about two people who have been in the col­
lecting game for a long time.
February 1979 ......................$3,00
The Making o f "T ilt” This feature article is
about the making ol a motion picture. ‘T ilt" is
actress Brooke Shield's name in this pinball
film, and this peek preview shows some
behind-the-scenes action and tells how "Tilt"
got her name
His Hobby Became His Business To many
collectors. Roy Arrington means an auction
of extraordinary glitter and glamour Here is
Roy's story—a hobby which turned into a
business.
Short Changed? Here rs the reason some
older slots had wishy-woshy payouts—9 to
11, 13 to T5, etc
March 1979 ..........................$3.00
Sapa O f The Snake You've probably never
heard about the SNAKE machine This uni­
que slot is pictured before and after restora­
tion, and has left behind a legacy Must
reading for stol collectors
More On The Odd Follows Thjs "odd"
machine has one collector believing that
Oliver Twjst <sn't the only British-trained
thief
Boginnor'o Luck What (S "beginner’s luck"? A
leeling? Innocence? A Irame of mind? Here is
a true story about a beginner and her luck - - or
lack ol luck
O ur First Year A t A Glance If you're a new­
comer lo Loose Change, you m+ght be inter­
ested in knowing what you missed
The Lost Tour O f The Wurtitzar Factory
O R D E R D IR E C T L Y F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R
THE M E A D C O M P A N Y
21176 SO UTH A L A M E D A S T R E E T
LO NG BEACH , C A L I F O R N I A 90810
Imagine taking a tour of a factory—a vacant
one. it's pretty exciting if it happens to be as
famous as this one.
Moving? Don't Leave A n yih ln g B ehind Most
people are very careful not to leave anything
behind when they move. Except fo r one
item—their magazine subscriptions!
April 1979......................... $3.00
The Ultimate Coin Operated M achine This
comprehensive treatment of m echanical,
coin-operated music machines ranges from
banjos to pianos, from xylophones to violins.
Profusely illustrated w ith photographs and
old catalogue pages.
The Slot Machine Ban Roy Arrington's auc­
tion mel with a mis-understanding between
the Nevada Gaming Control Boa^d. Frontier
Hotel and Roy Arrington—so announced the
auctioneer. Result: no slot machines! This is
the real, documented story.
My First Coin Machine A uction One collector
managed to get time and money together for
an Arrington auction. Although he went
home disappointed and empty-handed, he
was looking forward t o ' next tim e"
May 1979 .............................. $3.00
The Antique Juke Box Story The founder and
owner ot a famous Los Angeles business
claims he's had a good record of flops This
story is about The Antique Juke Box C om ­
pany, the nation's largest jukebox restoration
facility Here's how it all happened.
0on*B/Jo 8 od y P alnten A University of Nev­
ada loumalism student went out on an
assignment he'ir never forget*
Signs Gamblers Read Billboards leading into
the nation's gambling cities whet any appe­
tite. from bingo and food to slot machines and
a bucket of blood.
Going Legal (Pari I) Illinois is legal—that is a
fact. But now what? What are its im plications
to the collectors and dealers9 Here are some
predictions
Heroes o t Rock 'n Roll The most expensive
television rock n roll production had its
beginnings at The Ant«?ue Juke Box C o m ­
pany
June 1979 .............................. $3.00
Tf?e Ullf© Duke The Jennings LiTTLE. DUKE
machine was lascinating lo players in 1932
when il was introduced. Today collectors are
charmed by its "different look” No other slot
manufacturer ever copied it
Mo 'n My Dufce This collector prizes h<s L IT ­
TLE DUKE more than any other m achine
The Virginia $ Truckae Roils Again This revi'
val of America’s most famous short line rail­
road is bound to catch the interest ol anyone
with an appreciation o f mechanical things
Going Logoi {Part H) This is the second pari
ol the previous month's article
Ju ly 1979
................................. $3 .00
P atents a n d the E a rly S lo t M a chin e s This p ro vacative a rtic le raises som e q ue stio n a b o u t
the g e n e ra lly assum ed s ta tu s o f the Fey L IB ­
ERTY BELL s lo t m a chin e .
The G o lia th D ls c o p h o n e T h is h is to ric a l a rti­
cle a b o u t an e a rly ju k e b o x com es fro m
B elgium .
H o w M a n y B e ll M a c h in e s H ere is a list o f sev­
eral h u n d re d b ell s ty le m a chin e s o ffered fro m
1&31 th ro u g h J a n u a ry 1940.
B u y in g S lo t M a c h in e s B y M a li A to n g u e -in cheek lo o k at "m a il s a le s m e n '1in the s lo t c o l­
le c tin g business. A d a n d y — fille d w ith hum or,
w it and p ho tos.
R estora tlo n o t a W u rlltz e r 1100 A lth o u g h n ot
te c h n ic a l in n ature, th is a rtic le o ffe rs som e
g o o d tips.
W hat E ve r H a p p e n e d To . . . R em em ber an
those "H a ro ld s C lu b or B u st" signs you used
to see?
M ills D ic e M a c h in e T h e M ills D IC E m achine
p ro b a b ly m o re c lo s e ly sim u la te d a cra ps
gam e than a ny o th e r m e c h a n ic a l m achine
ever b u ilt, b ut it d is a p p e a re d soon after its
in tro d u c tio n .
A u g u s t 1979 ............................. $3.00
C h e a tin g Is N o t A llo w e d H ere For m any rea­
sons "s p o rtin g g e n tle m e n ” , w ho p ractice d
th e ir p ro fe s s io n s o n the ra ilro ad s and river-*
boats o f A m e rica , have disappeared. But th e y
have left b eh in d an a m azin g a rra y o f g ad g e try
designed to tip th e o d d s o f the gam e to th e ir
favor Y o u 'll love th is p ro fu s e fy illu stra te d
revue o f "g a ffe d " g a m b lin g e q u ip m en t
B u c k le y ’s T ra ck O dds The c o nso le slots are
no lo n g e r be passe d b y as ■'uncallectibie" b y
the advanced m a c h in e c o lle c to rs . They're
e x c itin g and loads o f fu n to play
S ep tem b e r 1979 ....................$3.00
A Rare M y s te ry C hartre C ha n . Sam Spade
and the H ard y B oys c o u ld n ’t h a v e d o n e a b et­
ter job than th is c o lle c to r in fin d in g out w hat
kind o f m a chin e he had; it lo o k e d sim ila r to a
BEN H U R —b u t it w asn ’t 1
A u c tio n P ro te c tio n This a rtic le tells som e
tn c k s u n d e rh an d e d a u c tio n e e rs use and des­
cribes va rio u s w ays th e b u y e r as well as the
c o n s ig n o r can p ro te c t him se lf
P le a s e
Add 50<P P e r M agazine
P ostage and H andling
T hank You!
I.O O S K
CHANGE
Harolds Club, a long-time Reno
Casino, paid out $236,756 to a Sacra­
mento, C alifornia w om an. The jack­
pot, w hich was h it in October 1977,
was, and still is, the world’s biggest for
a $5 progressive slot machine.
But th a t record is in danger o f fal­
ling. Currently Harolds C lub has a $5
progressive (in fact, the same m achine
th a t paid out for the Sacramento
winner) just bursting at the seams. By
mid-August the jackpot h a d grown to
$246,872 but w on’t stay at th a t level for
long.
According to Doug Lawson, director
of slots at Harolds Club, the jackpot
has been increasing at the rate of
approximately $2,000 a week. ‘‘There
has been a tremendous am ount of
action recently because of the size of
the pot,” Lawson said. “But how m any
m a n y coins are played, how much
action it received a n d the rells spin­
n in g at various lengths are all varia­
bles in how long it w ill take before
h ittin g .” A nother variable is the flash­
in g payoff arrow w hich alternates
between the record jackpot a n d a
smaller one of $186,347 w ith each h a n ­
dle pull.
The m achine is a g ia n t Big Bertha
with four reels and is located on the
first floor of Harolds Club. A lthough it
will accept from one to five coins, the
record payoff can only be won by
inserting the m axim um five “Ike
silver dollars and lin in g up four
covered wagons. “This is by far the
largest jackpot we have ever had,
Lawson said. “We hope someone hits it
and takes it all home.”
R ay G raham of Portland, Oregon is
shown trying his luck on the Big Ber­
th a progressive. The g ia n t slot
m achine will pay off the big pot when
some lucky player plunks in five silver
OCTOBER
1979
dollars a n d lines up four covered w ag­
ons. (Photo by H arry Upson, Upson
Studios)
Minnesota firm hosts
profit seminar
Sandler V ending C om pany of M in ­
neapolis, M innesota hosted a “Profit
Sem inar” and luncheon recently for
some sixty ow ner/m anager operators
who responded enthusiastically to
talks on “Your Future W ith The $1
C oin”, “P in b a ll M anagem ent” and
“Return on Investm ent Forum ,”
P articipating in the sem inar were
Dr. A Jan J . G oldm an, A ssistant Direc­
tor of the U.S. M in t for Technology; Mr.
Bernard Powers, M arketing Field Ser­
vice M anager, B ally P in b a ll Division;
and Mr. Irv in g R. Sandler, President of
Sandler V ending Com pany.
The entire event was planned and
hosted by Sandler Sales Executives:
Irv Sandler, H y Sandler and D avid
Sandler.
Second chance for
Sahara tournament
blackjack players
I f at first you don’t succeed at the
S ahara World C h anpionship of Black­
jack you can try a g a in —for cash prizes
am o unting to $25,000.
A unique “Second Chance R ound ” is
one of the m any player-oriented in n o ­
vations added to this year’s blackjack
classic, to be held December 9-12 at the
three Del Webb S ahara Hotels in
Nevada.
More th a n 3,000 players are expected
to compete for the $200,000 package of
cash and prizes. P lay w ill be held
simultaneously at the S ahara Hotels in
Reno, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas.
The “Second Chance R ound” has
been instituted to give all players who
lose in the first round another crack at
the prize money. Those contestants
who fail to w in their tables in the first
round will have the option of pay ing an
additional entry fee of $50 to play in a
separate round w ith a guaranteed
purse of $25,000.
A 60 percent increase in the overall
cash prizes has generated a wave of
registrations that w ill m ake the 1979
Sahara World C ham pionship of Black­
jack the biggest tournam ent of its kind
ever.
First prize has been raised to $60,000
and the Tournam ent has been restruc­
tured so that more than 900 players
w ill receive cash or merchandise
pnzes.
I n acknow ledgem ent o f the grow ing
num ber o f w om en blackjack players, a
M ixed Doubles event w ith a purse fo
$5,000 has been added. A nothe r new
w rinkle is a “F a m ily P la n ” for hus­
b an d /w ife entries.
Players registering for the to urna­
m ent before October 31, w ill be
rewarded w ith a reduced entry fee a n d
become eligible for free vacations to the
Caribbean, Mexico a n d H aw aii.
The S a h a ra W orld C h a m p io n sh ip o f
B lackjack was a n overnight success
w hen it was introduced last year. The
in aug u ral to urnam e nt attracted 1,400
players and encouraged the sponsers
to hold a Sum m er Classic last J u ly in
Las Vegas w hich drew 2,000 players.
Del ton Miller, a Denver resident w ho
says he plays blackjack only occasion­
ally, took home $58,000 for w in n in g the
1978 cham pionship. The 61-year-old
retired plasterer proved th a t you don t
have to be an expert to w in a lo t o f
money in the tournam ent.
The rules are such th a t a n y player
w ith a proper am ount of skill a n d luck
can go all the way. The players com ­
pete against each other as well as the
house—trying to am ass the m ost
money at their tables in a two-hour
period.
Players start each round of the tour­
nam ent w ith a $500 buy-in a n d c an n o t
introduce new money into the gam e
during that session. Cards are dealt
face-up to the players a n d betting alter­
nates to each person. M in im u m bet is
$5 and m a x im u m is $500. Single, h a n d ­
held decks are used by the dealers.
A dd itional in fo rm atio n about the
tournam ent can be obtained by w ritin g
to: World C h am p io n sh ip o f B lackjack,
Inc., 19562 V entura Boulevard, Suite
226, T arzana, C A 91356; free brochures
and entry blanks are av ailab le toll free
in C aliforn ia by c allin g (800) 522-1500
or in all other states by c a llin g (800)
854-2003.
Loose Change floral
slot machine to be
given aw ay at Fun
Fair
A special creation o f a W a tlin g ROL-ATOP Cherry Front slot m a ch in e m ade
entirely of flowers a n d other b o tan ical
specimens w ill be given aw ay at the
Loose C h an g e F un F a ir door prize
draw ing w hich w ill be held on S u n d a y
afternoon, October 7, 1979.
The full size creation is being created
Continued on page 13
H ow much money will you bet in your lifetime?
$ 1 ,0 0 0 ...$ 1 0 ,0 0 0 ...$ 1 0 0 ,0 0 0
GAMBLING TIMES, the Player’s Guide and Gambling News Magazine
has gathered some amazing facts you’ll find hard to believe!
It m a y surprise you but chances arc
$100 ,0 00 is a s m a ll fraction of what
you will wager! In fact, if you are the typi­
cal casino patron and travel to Las Ve­
gas or A tlantic City just twice a year,
y o u w ill b e t m o re m on ey than you
w ill e a rn in y o u r en tire life!
D o n ’t believe it, right? Suppose we
also told you th a t the average couple
wagers o v e r $ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 in their life­
tim e . . . you’d say we were crazy and
bet we are wrong. Well, we'd win that
bet.
THE FACTS
Here are the facts: Research shows
th a t the typical couple visiting Nevada
or New Jersey drops approximately
$ 3 0 0 p e r trip. T hat’s not hard to be­
lieve . . . it’s even downright under­
s tan dable . B ut in order to leave $300 in
the casinos, how m uch money do they
bet? O v e r $ 1 2 ,0 0 0 to be exact. With
the a ctio n going back and forth as fast
as it does in the casino, during the aver­
age stay of 2Va days, it’s easy to see how
12 gran d can be wagered on various
gam es from blackjack and craps to bac­
carat a n d poker . . . not to mention the
torrent of change they pour into the
slots.
S o , if you m ake two trips a year, that
m eans you’ll wager a total of $24,000.
A n d , if y ou ’re like m ost people, the thrill
of g a m b lin g is with you all your life . . .
so, m ultiply your two trips a year times
40 years of casino enjoyment . . . that
equals $960,000 worth of bets. Add to
this the weekly poker games. Bingo and
an occasional trip to the track and you
now have wagered o v e r $1,00 0 ,0 00
. . . and you’re still going strong!
Y O U ’LL LOSE $24,000
W h a t we have proven is that the aver­
age couple will bet m ore money than
they’ll earn during their lifetime . . . and
they’ll Hose o v e r $24 ,0 0 0 doing it.
Y et, in spite of this fact, they’ll do vir­
tually nothing to learn how to lose a
lot less! If that couple would im prove
their ga m e by ju st 1 %, they would
s a v e $ 1 0 ,0 0 0 .
M ost people are totally unaware of the
trem endous a m ou nt of money they risk
w hen they gam ble. O ne year’s worth of
wagering is usually a lot more than the
dow npaym ent on a luxury yacht or new
hom e . W h a t couple doesn’t spend vast
am ounts of tim e looking for the right
house to buy? A nd, when they sell, how
H
many actually lose money on the real es­
tate deal? One would think the same
couple would pay more consideration to
those weekend gambling endeavors.
After all, they could turn out to be as
profitable as any real estate investment.
HELP YOURSELF
That’s what GAM BLING TIMES is all
about . . . giving its readers sound com ­
mon sense advice these last three years
on how to minimize their gambling
lo s s e s and how to make smart wagers
when the odds are in your favor.
GAMBLING TIMES CAN
MAKE YOU A WINNER
Yes, you can win, win and win again
with Inside secrets from expert g a m ­
blers in every single issue of GAM BLIN G
TIMES. You’ll be getting tips from big
winners like Tom Ainslie, D e a n o f
T h orou gh bred H andicappers; Mort
O lshan, the nation’s leading sports
analyst; and Stanley Roberts, the
Blackjack M illionaire.
As a GAM BLING TIMES subscriber,
you'll learn how you can + Join Fan­
tastic Free Junkets to everywhere
from Europe to the Orient
Get Ex­
pert an d D e ta ile d A n sw e rs to all
your gambling questions in “Ask O ur Ex­
perts” + M eet Fascinating P e o p le
-like Ben Gazarra and O .J. Simpson in
our “Superstar Interviews” and ★ W in
L u x u riou s A ccom m od ation s fo r
T w o at Del Webb’s Hotel Sahara in
Las Vegas in our monthly FREE keno
contest.
to becom e an expert at g a m b lin g or you
can have a f u ll r e f u n d o n u n m a ile d
copies,
S U B S C R IB E T O D A Y . GET A
NEVADA V A C A T IO N FREE
As a special gift for those w h o su b ­
scribe w ith in th e n e x t 15 days, we will
send a 3-day/2-night v a c a tio n certificate
fo r tw o at your c h o ic e o f Las Vegas,
R eno or Lake T ah oe. Y o u w ill receive 2
nights lodging a n d o th e r gratuities for
two adults at a top q u ality hotel or m o ­
tel. A room reservation deposit (w h ich is
redeemed over your 3-day stay) is re­
quired to gu arante e you r arrival. This
certificate is g o od until Ja n u a ry 1, 1981.
PLUS A SPEC IA L B O N U S
As soon as we receive your su b ­
scription, we’ll ru sh you a S U P E R D E ­
LU XE G A M B L IN G B O N U S , g o od for
$500 in values in c lu d in g $ 6 0 in c a s h ,
valid until Ja n u a ry 1, 1981 in b o th Las
Vegas and R eno, T h a t’s like w inning a
20 for 1 bet righ t off the b a t . , . and the
cash m akes your su b sc rip tio n B ET T ER
T H AN F R E E .
ig79 Ganibling Ttme9
MAKE YOUR BET COUNT
(Cut this out and mail it today!)
G A M B L IN G T IM E S , D e p t. A
839 N. H ig h la n d A venue
Hollyw ood, C A 90038
A dd $5 for C a n a d ia n or fo re ig n s u b sc rip ­
tions. A ll m o n ie s m u s t be in U .S . curren­
cy.
Y E S , I w ant to be a w i .n «r . B e­
gin m y subscription to G A M B L IN G
T IM ES with the current issue a t the
special price of $24 for 12 issues at a
$6 savings. A lso, send m e the Las
Vegas and R e n o b on us, a n d the 3day/2-night N e v a d a v acatio n.
WINNING SYSTEMS
GAM BLIN G TIMES not only gives you
100 big pages of gambling news, fea­
tures and entertainment every m onth,
but also a W inning System in each
issue. Systems on Craps, Roulette,
Blackjack, Baccarat, as well as Sports,
Thoroughbred, Harness, Greyhound
and Jai Alai handicapping. Y ou’ll get
complete instructions, not just a “di­
gested” version. Each of these systems
would ordinarily sell for $20, $50, even
$100 or more!
WE GUARANTEE YOU’LL
START WINNING NOW
Begin your subscription with the cur­
rent issue and receive 12 big issues for
only $24 . . . a 20 percent savings over
our $2.50 newsstand price. Y o u c a n ’t
lo s e . We guarantee we’ll show you how
1 enclose m y c h e c k /m o n e y o rder or
C h arg e m y T B a n k A m e r ic a r d / V IS A
Credit C ard #:
M a ste r C h a rg e .
□ Z T E J - D - J L-L-C I
■
I
C P I
E x p ir a tio n D a te
S ig n a tu re
i
I
N a m e (Please P rin r)
____
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| Address: {If credit c a r d , give b illin g address)
i
J C ity - S ta te 'Z ip
Gi sc cco Bs qig
ss am
mi
ns
ob
m ra
U JO SK
CHANGE
(^ a ilb c y c
closed please fin d a photograph o f m y
M ills S IL V E R C U P slot m achine. The
m achine is a ll o rig in al a n d totally com­
plete in c lu d in g rear door, lock a n d key.
I am sure it w ill draw some interesting
reader attention.
A rnold Levin
Chicago, Illin o is
Dear Sir:
I ’ve followed your publication since
its conception, the F a ll of 1977, and
th in k you have a good m agazine. How­
ever there are some areas in the field of
slot m achines I wish could be
expanded.
Being a novice in the working
mechanics of a three wheeler, some
help would be of great importance to
myself as well as those people who just
have a m achine in their home. For
example, w hat should one look for if
three bars come up and the jackpot in
the window doesn’t pay out? O r w hat
are the adjustments for the coin slide
assembly so the coins don’t “double
u p ” as they move across the coin w in­
dow. The above questions refer to a
M ills B L A C K C H E R R Y machine.
Perhaps some of these things will be
cleared up in your new O w ner’s Pictor­
ia l Guide for the Care a n d Understand­
in g o f the M ills Bell Slot M achine book,
but some service inform ation from
those who know the machines to we
who don’t would sure boost the popu­
larity of Loose Change. By the way,
I ’m ordering the new M ills Owner’s
Guide in hopes of getting the ole
m achine to work a little smoother.
Over the period of your magazine
I ’ve noticed that all the action, auc­
tions and sales of the slot machines
seem to take place in the west. A ren’t
there any places in the northeast where
one can see in hopes of purchasing a
machine? Is it perhaps the dealers are
afraid to speak out or advertise here in
the east?
Moreover, a list of “legal states” for
slots would be helpful. C an one order
parts by m ail from these states if the
machines are legal in his state? C an a
person transport a machine to another
legal state for the purpose of repairs?
A gain, you do have a good magazine
and I ’m looking forward to the next edi­
tion. Thank you for your efforts, and
keep up the hard work.
James E. D. Allshouse
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Dear James:
First of all, James, you must learn
OCTOBER
1SI79
the language; three reels, please, not
three wheels.
Everyone o f your questions are illus­
trated a n d answered in the new
O w n er’s Pictorial Guide for the
Care and Understanding o f the
Mills B ell Slot Machine . You w ill
fin d that the book has been written as a
complete m a n u a l o f the theory a n d
operation o f a ll the M ills machines
m anufactured from 1932 through 1971
plus m any earlier models. R ath er than
p ro v id in g a “symptom a n d how to f ix ’’
trouble-shooting guide, a good under­
s ta n d in g o f actual m achine operation
was considered much more practical
a nd desirable. U nderstanding w hich
assembly is not functionin g a n d how
that assembly should work is a more
efficient way to fix the machine. After
you have throughly read the book a n d
studied the pictures, you should be able
to go directly to the problem since you
w ill then know w hat function the var­
ious assemblies should be performing.
The pictures w ill also enable you to
determine whether your m achine is
m issing any functional parts neces­
sary for proper operation.
The producers o f auctions specializ­
in g in coin-operated machines and
related items seem to be in the west.
Gordon Pace, in Illinois, seems to be an
exception—he’s held two coin m achine
auctions that we know of (both adver­
tised in Loose Change). A complete
report of his latest one appears in this
issue.
Another excellent source of antique
slot machines will the the Loose
Change F un Fair. I hope you w ill be
able to make it to this im portant event.
We have included a chart of legal
states in this issue for the convenience
of F un F a ir visitors. Interstate trans­
portation of slot machines is controlled
by the federal government, but I have
not heard about any collectors encoun­
tering difficulties.
Editor
Dear Sir:
It was nice meeting you yesterday at
the Wheeling, Illinois auction. E n ­
D ear A rnold:
I doubt i f m a n y o f our readers have
ever seen a m achine this rare. It looks,
at first glance, like a cross between a
C H EC K B O Y and a DUO.
Editor
Dear Sir:
We wrote to you some tim e ago
regarding a penny m achine we have
and are attem pting to identify.
Enclosed is a photo of the m achine as
you had suggested. A n y additional
inform ation you can give us w ill
greatly appreciated.
T hank you for your assistance.
D avid E. Leverentz
Fort Wayne, In d ia n a
Dear David:
Except for the pattern of the p in s at
the top, this looks like a M ills L IT T L E
D R E A M . There is also one other s lig h t
discreptancy: the M ills m a c h in e I ’m
fam ilia r w ith has two a d d itio n a l
pockets labeled “2 G ” w hich are not
present on your m achine. The “G "
pockets s ta n d for gum p a y ab le to the
player, a n d the outer pockets were
reserved for bigger rewards.
Perhaps some other reader can p in
this one down more precisely.
E d ito r
PARTS LIST
AMO
A REPRINT
SERVICE MANUAL
C O V E R I N G
BELLS
AN D
N O W AVAILABLE
VENDERS
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telu rn io tht- p l a t t
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from the p u b lis h e rs o I L o o s e C h a n g e
»e// trtaled
THE
1 9 3 7 PACE
Parts List
THE PACtQRT BEHIND THg PRODUCT
PACE
MANUFACTURING
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GENERAL OFFICES and facfobt
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Cai*c»w4«C4 .
D ear Sir:
Referring to your new book, Owner’s
P ictorial Guide for the Care and Under­
s ta n d in g o f the M ills Bell Slot
M achine, it is n o th ing short of unbe­
lievable! It has to be the beat written
works to date on slot machines. I have
one of these m achines and I ’ve found
out things about it I never knew
existed!
I can’t w ait u n til the other books are
finished. Keep up the fantastic work.
1*^
■
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•I , W £ ; ; 0 - £ j 5
S & tf jy
s
George W ytak
Astoria, New York
4 0 PAGES
Dear George:
Thank you for your kind compli­
ments. We’ve had excellent reception to
the new book—so much, in fact, that
Bob a n d I have decided to do the Jen ­
nings book next.
There is, as you m ay know, a higher
degree o f mechanism sophistication
w ith the Jen n ing s machines, and Bob
is developing an outline now which he
feels w ill cover this popular fam ily of
machines to their best advantage.
There really is n ’t any target date on
this one yet—too early in the game.
of
PARTS DRAW INGS & LiSTS
WITH SPECIAL PHOTO SECTION O N THE ALL-STAR C O M E T BELL, ALL-STAR
SIDE VENDER, ALL-STAR GOLD AW ARD BELL, C O M E T F R O N T V E N D E R , THE
DEFERRED-PAY FRONT VENDER, ROYAL COM ET A N D A R IS T O SCALE. O VER
ONE THOUSAND PARTS PICTURED, ID E N TIFIED A N D PRICED!
Editor
ONLY
Dear Sir:
I ’m looking for a parts and service
m a n u a l for a Jennings SU PER
D E L U X E C H IE F slot machine. I have
seen your ads for other parts and ser­
vice m anuals and was hoping you
m ig h t have this one. Please let me
know the price i f you do h ave it or know
If)
C a lifo r n ia
R e sidents
P lease A d d
S a les T ox
$395
EACH
POSTPAID
ORDER DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER
P le a s e A llo w
Four W eeks
THE MEAD C O M P A N Y
2 1 1 7 6 SOUTH ALAMEDA STREET
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA 9 0 8 1 0
For
D e liv e r y
LOOSE
ch a n g e
:
where I m ig h t get one. I hope you can
help me.
B ill V aldesalice
F ra n k lin , P e n n sy lv a n ia
D ear B ill:
We’ll have a comprehensive O w n ­
e r ’s G u id e som etime next year, but
th a t w o n ’t help you now. However, I
believe you m ig h t try one o f our new
advertisers, A stro S lot M a ch in e L itera­
ture o f A ugusta, Georgia, who makes a
fu ll line o f reprinted slot service books
a n d pam phlets.
E d ito r
Dear Sir:
I recently b ought your Red and Blue
Books. I c a n ’t seem to locate the
enclosed slot. W o uld you please tell me
the nam e, m aker a n d value of it i f you
know. I t has a B-O-N-U-S above the
escalator. I w ould appreciate the inforC o n tinu e d on page 49
AMERICA'S
M A R K ETPLA C EjM w \\«
OF UNUSUAL
ITEMS!
*^
WORLD FAM OUS
2-SUNDRV1KJ
e ars1
wn
EVERY MDHTHJ
For into call
(213) 588-4411 2 4 H R S
S
cMTti ii r-iini'B.xjc
R G .C A N N IN O
P O
OCTOBKR
! 979
BO X 400 M A Y W O O D . C A 90270
‘E d ito rs
<I\otes
Welcome to th e first Loose C h a n g e F u n F air! You are a tte n d in g a n event
w h ich w ill u ltim ately become the m ost im p o rta n t event o f the year to collectors
and enthusiasts o f coin-operated m achines, g a m b lin g a n d old advertising.
T his issue o f Loose C h an g e is directed p rim a rily to the newcomer to the
exciting a n d g ra tify in g hobby o f collecting coin-operated m ach ine s— especially
antique slot m achines. O u r special pictorial section included in this issue is for
one basic reason—to a cq u a in t the new reader w ith the variety a n d style o f the
more com m on slot m achines he is likely to encounter; we have purposely
om itted the rare m ach ine s—they are usually very expensive a n d o f interest only
to the seasoned collector.
The Loose C h an g e F u n F a ir is a n idea th a t D on B ritt a n d I d i s c u s s e d a n d
began p la n n in g over a year a n d a h a lf ago. The F u n F a ir w ill serve m a n y
purposes for buyers a n d sellers alike. For sellers w ho previously relied on the
coin m a c h in e auctions for exposure to a large b u y in g audience, the F u n F a ir is
m ade to order; no longer w ill they have to take the chance th a t their v a luable
m erchandise w ill be sold out from under them at ten or eleven o’clock a t n ig h t
w hen no one is left to bid; no longer w ill they have to p a y h ig h consignm ent fees
for the privilege of large exposure; a n d no longer w ill any seller be forced into
b u y in g back his own m erchandise i f the auction com pany fails in its endeavor to
m ake a decent sale. Now for one reasonable fla t fee the seller can be assured o f a
large, interested audience a n d can sell or trade his m achines a n d m ake any deal
he feels is to his best interest; in short, theselleris in complete control o fh is o w n
merchandise.
For the buyer, the F u n F a ir w ill be a veritable departm ent store; th ou san ds of
items w ill be at one single location a n d at all price levels. A n d here’s the best
part: m ost of the prices w ill be negotiable. D o n ’t be a fra id to m ake offers to the
exhibitors most of them w ill expect you to b arg a in a n d m a n y w ill be
disappointed if you pass them by because you th o u g h t their price w as too hig h .
The Fun F a ir is not all buy and sell. You are encouraged a n d in vite d to attend
any or all o f the sem inars w hich have been p lan n e d for you. These presentations
w ill be educational and e nte rtain ing —delivered by experts— a n d a r e in te n de d
to be helpful in your exploration of this fa s c in a tin g hobby. V is it our m ovie
theatre. The program w ill range from cartoons for the kids to a variety o f old
time film classics. A n d don t forget to fill out a card for the d ra w in g for door
prizes w hich w ill be held S un d a y afternoon.
I t is our intention th a t you have fun a n d enjoy yourself. T alk to the exhibitors.
Show them pictures o f your own collection if you w ish, a n d ask them questions—
m ost o f them have been in this hobby for m a n y years a n d w ill be pleased to
answer your questions. The F un F a ir has been p lan n e d as an enjoyable m e e tin g
place for the exchange of in fo rm atio n , collectibles and know ledge for people
interested in a ntiq u e coin-operated m achines, g a m b lin g and old a dv e rtisin g . It
is .your show. E n jo y it, a n d have fun!
D a nie l R. Mead, E d itor and Publisher
11
T l i e L e g a l R e g is te r
T h is lis t in g is n e ith e r a n a d v e rtise m e n t
n o r e n d o r s e m e n t a n d is p u b lis h e d o n ly as
a k n o w le d g e a b le a n d in te re s te d source
fo r o u r r e a d e r s to tu r n to in tim e o f need.
L is tin g s a re free o f c h a r g e to licensed
a tt o r n e y s q u a lif ie d to d e fe n d th e o w n e r ­
s h ip o f a n tiq u e g a m in g m a c h in e s col­
le cte d fo r t h e ir h is to r ic a l v a lu e a n d not
b e in g used a s a g a m b lin g device.
REWARD
YOURSELF!
R o b e rt A. G aston
D u n n e , G a sto n and Foster
100 W ils h ire B o u le va rd - S uite 400
S a n ta M o n ic a , C a lifo rn ia 90401
(213) 870-7027 - (213) 393-9351
G e o rg e C . H alversen
A tto rn e y a t Law
601 W e st F ifth S treet
O n e B u n k e r H ill B u ild in g - S uite 1100
Los A n g e le s , C a lifo rn ia 90017
(213) 629-1 816 - (213) 629-1825
Slot Machine!
□ □ D
La w O ffice s
C h a rle s C. Shafer, Jr.
S u ite 738 - L a th ro p B u ild in g
1005 G ra n d Avenue
K an sas C ity, M is s o u ri 64106
(816) 471-2654
Pull his gun handle and
watch the three reels spin!
ODD
A la n L. Yaffe
A tto rn e y at Law
720 B u ffa lo , S u ite 102, Park T o w e r
C o rp u s C h ris ti, T exas 78401
(512) 882-3361
□□□
R ich a rd J. J u b a n y ik
A tto rn e y at Law
S ta tio n H o use - S uite 100
900 H a d d o n Avenue
C o llin g s w o o d , N ew Jerse y 08108
(609) 858-6330
M ILLS
•iC‘. t
I',
O’A-liLATt 01 *'«•[ >.
■I1 ,MA* I I ' |h <!<«*• f ' •i4 UCI
WiTLIIft
[Wo
Each fig u re is hand carved and u n iq u e . A ll m a c h in e s a re
M ills BLAC K BEAUTY 5<P, 10<t o r 25$ fu lly r e c o n d itio n e d
G rade 1 slot m achines w ith a u to m a tic ja c k p o t. O n ly 32 a re
available. Reserve yo u rs now ! F rom $3,995 to $ 4 ,4 9 5 , S e n d
self addressed and stam ped e n v e lo p e f o r f u ll c o lo r
pictures. We w ill ship to all legal states.
We also have available re p ro d u c tio n 2 4 -k t. g o ld p la te d g o ld
award tokens — M ills, W a tlin g o r M ills 7 -7 -7 ( o c ta g o n ) a t
$2.00 each o r 10 fo r $15.00 p o stp a id .
We have the w o rld 's largest s e le c tio n o f a n tiq u e s lo t
m achines and re co n d itio n e d p in b a ll m a c h n e s — a ls o a
giant selection of a n tiq u e s tyle c e ilin g fa n s , p la y e r p ia n o s ,
nickelodeons, jukeboxes, brass ca sh re g is te rs , v id e o
gam es videotape m ovies, p o o l a nd b u m p e r p o o l,
sh u ffle b o a rd , foosball, s h o o tin g g a lle rie s , c u s to m n e o n
signs, porcelain dolls, boo ks and lite ra tu re .
JI1XIK0S
1 SHiUf.
I*1 • SM-aj
r,i A
I ' , '.
f
m m « D
"
■
«
BERNIE BERTEN
9420 S O U T H T R U M B U LL AVENUE
EVERG REEN PARK, ILLIN O IS 60642
TELE PH O N E : (312) 499-0688
12
M AIN S T O R E
ORANGE COUNTY ST O RE
6626 VALJEAN AVENUE
VAN NIJYS, CALIFO RNIA 91406
PHONE (213) 781-1300
10529 E LL IS A V E N U E
F O U N T A IN V A LLE Y , C A L IF O R N IA 9270 8
PH O N E (714) 964-2711
LOOSE
SSS5SSSS^SSSSSSSSSSSS35SSSSSSS^5S1SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS5SSSSSSSSSSS5SSSSSS5SSSSSSSSSSSSSS:
□□□
CHANGE
(^ e y ie w r
CALIFORNIA
A m e r ic a n In te rn atio n al G a lle rie s, inc.
18 02 K ettering Street
Irvine, C alifo rn ia 9 2714
P h o n e (7 14 ) 754-1777
* it *
A n tiq u e J u k e B ox C o m p a n y
2 2 2 2 E a s t W a s h in g to n B o u le v a rd
L o s A n g e le s. C alifo rn ia 90021
P h o n e <213) 539-55-03
■
** ★
E u c a ly p tu s Mills L iq u o r
1 1 6 2 6 R iv e r s id e Drive
L a k e s id e , C alifo rn ia 9 2 0 4 0
P h o n e (714) 443-8101
G .A .M .E S .
6 6 2 6 V a lje a n A v e n u e
V a n N uys, C alifo rn ia 9 1 4 0 6
P h o n e <213) 781 -1300
* * *
G .A .M .e .S .
1 0 5 2 9 Elfis A v e n u e
F o u n tain V alley. C a lifo rn ia 9 2 7 0 8
P h o n e (714J 964-2711
* * *
G a m e s U n lim ite d
9 0 5 9 V e n ic e B o u le v a rd
L o s A n g e le s , C alifo rn ia 9 0 03 4
P h o n e <213} 636-6920
* * *
T he M e a d C o m p a n y
2 1 17 6 South A la m e d a Street
L o n g ©each. C alifo rn ia 9 0 6 1 0
P h o n e (2 1 3) 549-0730
MICHIGAN
R ic h a r d M . L onski
14241 M ic h ig a n A v e n u e
D e a rb o rn , M ic h ig a n 4 8 1 2 6
P h o n e (313) 584-6460
NEVADA
The A n tiq u e G a m b le r
2400 T am pa W ay
R eno, N e v ada 89512
P h o n e (702) 329-2061
•* ★ *
T he A n tiq u e G a m b le r
5 6 5 E a s t Tw ain
L a s V e g a s , N e v a d a 89109
P h o n e (702) 733-0035
A & P S lo ts
3 5 0 N orth V irg in ia Street
R e n o . N e v a d a 89501
(702) 322-0662
* ★*
G a m b le r 's B ook C lu b
6 3 0 S o u th 1 1th S ire et
L a s V e g as. N e v a d a 89101
P h o n e (702) 382-7555
TEXAS
J i m C a w th o rn
14 S o u th 17th Street
M cA llen. T exas 76501
P h o n e (512) 686-2011
V IR G IN IA
Y e s te rd a y 's M u s ic
10 00 W h ite P in e Drive
C h e s a p e a k e , V irg in ia 23323
P h o n e (604) 457-1601
* * *
W A N T T O SELL L O O S E C H A N G E?
W rite For O u r B ro ch u re
L O O S E C H A N G E M A G A Z IN E
2 1 1 7 6 S O U T H A L A M E D A STR EE T
L O N G B E A C H . C A L IF O R N IA 90810
Flora! slot machine
Continued from page 7
especially
for
the
Loose
Change
exhibit, booths 130-131, by Beal’s
Flower and G ift Shop of Long Beach,
California. Starting with a styrofoam
base, individual tubes attached to the
base and filled with water w ill hold
flowers of various colors which w ill
OCTOBER
1,979
T h is p r o d u c t r e v ie w B ection is d e s ig n e d to g iv e o u r r e a d e r s s o m e f ir s t h a n d k n o w le d g e
o f p r o d u c ts a n d m a t e r ia ls . E a c h it e m h a s b e e n in s p e c te d a n d , w h e r e a p p r o p r ia t e , te s te d b y
o u r e d it o r ia l s ta ff. T h e r e v ie w is a s u b je c tiv e o p in io n b a a e d o n o u r e x p o s u r e to t h e p r o d u c t.
I f y o u w o u ld lik e y o u r p r o d u c t re v ie w e d * p le a s e c o n t a c t o u r e d it o r ia l o ffic e s a t 2 1 1 7 6 S o u t h
A la m e d a S tre e t, L o n g B e a c h , C a l if o r n i a 9 0 8 1 0 . T h e f o l l o w i n g in f o r m a t i o n w i l l b e r e q u ir e d :
Price, warranty information, materials of c o n s tr u c tio n i n c l u d i n g t y p e of f i n i s h (i.e., p a i n t ,
e le c tr o p la tin g , etc.) w h e n a p p lic a b le , c o m p le te n a m e a n d m a i l i n g a d d re s s o f m a n u f a c t u r e r ,
a d d re s s o f w h e r e th e ite m c a n be p u r c h a s e d a n d s h ip p in g c o sts. W e w i l l r e v ie w e a c h ite m
in th e o r d e r t h a t it is re c e iv e d a t o u r o ffic e .
FRA M ED AM USEM ENT M ACH­
IN E T O K E N S , Circus Promotions
backed w ith a second sheet o f card­
board. The display m ount is then
m ounted behind glass in a w alnut sim ­
ulated fram e trim m ed w ith gold-like
foil. The entire unit measures 12%" x
Remember th at Loose Change report
15%" x %" thick.
w hich appeared after Roy A rrington's
We had our token expert, Steve
last auction about the fellow from the
Alpert, give us his opinion as to the
east who went home w ith a wheelbar­
value o f the tokens. He said they
row fu ll o f am usem ent m achine tok­
ranged in value from about 25Q to “sev­
ens? The tokens just surfaced! A nd
eral dollars” each.
w hat a wonderful way to display them !
The fram e holds and displays ten
They are m ounted in a an attractive
tokens. I f it could be assumed th a t the
printed and die cut cardboard sheet
value o f the tokens alone were $8 to $10,
(same thickness as the tokens) and
then the price o f the frame, glass and
I
display m ount are extremely reasona­
bly priced.
The standard way to display tokens
seems to be little cardboard cutouts
w ith cellophane. This m ay be an effi­
cient way for the true collector to
catalog and protect huge quantities o
tokens, but this framed method, in our
estimation, is a much more decorative
and pleasing presentation, especially
for the non-collector o f tokens who
sim ply would like to have a few dis­
played for their effect.
The tokens are picked at random for
m ounting, thus each u nit w ill have ten
different tokens. We rate this piece o f
merchandise as an excellent buy for
anyone who would like to have a h a n d ­
ful o f amusement m achine token ready
for display.
Corporation, 808 Tuxedo Lane,
Cary, Illinois 60013, $14.95 post­
paid.
ultim ately form the fin a l design. The
piece, which required two weeks to
make, w ill be on display a ll three days
o f the Pun Fair.
The draw ing w ill be conducted by
Fun Fair Master of Ceremonies Don
Britt, and Jennifer and Brenda Mead
w ill draw the lucky w inner’s name. To
be eligible for the floral slot machine,
as well as other door prizes, it is neces­
sary to fill out a Door Pri2e Registra­
tion Card at the front o f the Great
Western E xhibit Center. For this par­
ticular prize it is necessary to be pres­
ent at the draw ing to w in since it
is
non-shipable.
ASTRO
Slot Machine Literature
Mills, Jennings, Pace, Sega
Columbia Beils, Consoles, etc
Send For GataBog
S en d 50d coin or st.im p s to c o v e i p o s t a g e
D e d u c ta b le from fir« order
A ST RO
P .O . Box 37 61
Augusta, OA 3 0 0 0 4
in u S K
r ilA N C .K
iV
"flr
THE PACE KITTY
by Robert N. Geddes
I n t r o d u c t io n
T h is p h o t o g r a p h s h o w s th e b a c k o f t h e f r o n t c a s tin g w i t h th e ja c k p o t a n d k itty a s se m b lie s
w ith th e ir re s p e c tiv e c o in d iv e r s io n c h u te s. T he c o in s d ro p p e d by th e k itty w e re router) th e th e
le ft m o n e y b o w l (fa c in g thi> fr o n t o f th e m a c h in e ) to s e p a r a te its p a y in g o f c o in s fr o m s ta n d a r d
fr u it p a y s w h ic h d ro p p e d in th e r ig h t h a n d m o n e y bowlOCTOHKH
1979
The Pace K IT T Y possesses a veryu n u su al place a m o ng the three reel slot
m achines m anufactured by the m ajor
companies in the 1930s. W hile its
m echanism and gadgetry are very u n i­
que, the m a ch ine has been placed in a
relatively attractive cabinet compared
to other m achines possessing s im ila r
m echanical uniqueness. Its scarcity
(approxim ately 1,000) coupled w ith its
m echanical features a n d aesthetics
places the K IT T Y in the category of
one o f the most h ig h ly desireableof col
lectible m achines m ade d u rin g the
1930s. As an exam ple of the scarcity o f
the m achine, there are, to the a u th o r’s
knowledge only two know n w orking
$5&;
-XT?gr.7g>yt.| iNcWfr.iaegw}?
T h e K IT T Y 's n a m e is cast r ig h t in to th e top
a lu m in u m c a s tin g o f th e K IT T Y . B a c k ­
g r o u n d a r e a a r o u n d “ T he K itt y ” is blue, a n d
th e a r r o w s a t e ith e r s id e a re g old en y e llow .
T he e n tir e b a c k g r o u n d is w a r m w h ite .
K ITTYs in existance in Southern C ali­
fornia. Collectors who own working
KITTYs w ill never part with them, and
price does not seem to be an object. The
only KITTYs th a t seem to be for sale
are ones in w hich the gimmick mecha­
nism has been removed. It is doubtful if
there are over thirty to forty KITTYs
still in existance.
T h e M e th o d o f P la y
The m achine is called the KITTY
(actually cast on top of the machine by
the m anufacturer) because it posses a
“kitty” or miniature jackpot located to
the immediate right of the right hand
m ain jackpot. On the first reel of the
machine there are no lemons, but there
are four Halloween-style cats (the “kit­
ties”)- Whenever the first reel stops on
a kitty symbol, one coin from the circu­
lar escalator is diverted into the kitty
(miniature jackpot). Simultaneously
each time the machine is played with­
out a winning combination, the indica­
tor at the far right hand side of the
machine is being incremented by one.
If the player goes ten plays without a
winning combination of any kind, he
received all of the coins in the kitty,
and the indicator is reset to zero. How­
ever, anytime the player gets a win­
ning combination on the payout line,
the indicator returns to zero and the
kitty retains all its coins. The amount
that a player receives when the kitty
drops is a random amount of coins and
depends completely upon the luck of
previous players. Theoretically it could
be empty or could hold as many as 50
dimes—less if it were a nickel or quar­
ter machine.
This Pace machine came out a year
after the Mills FUTURITY and was
obviously meant to compete with it.
While the KITTY didn’t “cheat” like
The* k itty Hensing lever (lo w e r a rro w ) lo oks for a pe rip h e ra l notch
(top a rr o w ) o n the First reel d isk, re p re s e n tin g a k itty sym bol on the
firm reel. W h en it Menses th is notch, n lin k a g e operates the coin
d iv e rs io n m e c h a n ism .
Hi
T he “ k itty ” is im m e d ia te ly to th e r ig h t o f t h e
m a in ja c k p o t, a n d th e in d ic a t o r is a t th e fa r
r ig h t s id e o f th e m a c h in e f r o n t. T he
in d ic a to r keeps tr a c k o f h o w m a n y tim e s th e
m a c h in e has been p la y e d w i t h o u t a w i n n i n g
c o m b in a tio n . A f t e r te n p la y s w it h o u t a
w in n e r , th e p la y e r gets a ll th e c o in s in th e
k itty , a n d th e in d ic a t o r s r e t u r n s to ze ro . T he
k itty is fille d b y c o in s b e in g d iv e r te d to it
every tim e a k it t y s y m b o l la n d s o n th e
pa y lin e .
When the kitty sen sin g lever fin d s a n o tc h o n th e fir s t reel d is k
(indicating a kitty sym bol on the firs t reel), it c auses tr a v e l o f a b a r to
the fron t o f the m a c h in e w h ic h o p e ra te s th e c o in d e fle c tio n p la te
(indicated by forefinger). The co in b e in g r e le a s e d by th e r o ta t in g
escalator can fall in to the tube, ja c k p o t o r k itty , d e p e n d in g u p o n the
position o f the coin deflection plate.
I.O O SK
CHANGE
T h is p h o to d e m o n s tra te s a c tio n o f th e coin d e fle c tio n p la te due to the
s e n s in g o f a k itty s y m b o l o n th e fir s t reel d is k by th e k itty s e n s in g
lever. N o te th e c o in is b e in g d iv e rte d to the k itty d iv e rs io n chute
w h ic h leads to th e “ k itty ” . U n d e rn e a th th is c hu te is th e is a n o th e r
e hute w h ic h le ad s to th e ja c k p o ts .
T he in d ic a to r
a rro w ) w h ic h
Kaeh tim e th e
notch* a n d it
arrow ).
O t ’TOHK H
is in d e x e d u p w a rd by th e in d ic a to r a d v a n ce p n w I (lo w e r
is o p e ra te d by a le ver co nn e cte d to ( he o pe rut m g fork.
m a c h in e is played th is p a w l m oves th e in d ic a to r up o ne
in held th ere by the in d ic a to r r e ta in in g lever (upper
H>79
th e u p w a r d tr a v e l
f
in d ic a to r r e ta in lo ,
i
th e ra tc h e t le v e r h ^ . u
photo). I n e ith e r
p o s itio n , a n d th e ^ H '
t,
? r c a n be c aused tw o w a y s , n a m e ly (I) by
w
,n ? lc a to r tr ig g e r in g th e rele a se o f th e
tlo w n ,n th e u p p e r p h o to ) o r (2) th e m o tio n o f
p a ;’s[o u t d e te c tio n b a r (s h o w n in th e lo w e r
6 * ' c a to r is s p r u n £ b a c k to its lo w e r o r zero
ne x t p la y o f th e m aehhT *01™a d v a n c e *e v e r a s s e m b ly is reset o n th e
T he o p e n in g o f th e k itty d o o r is caused by th e u p w a r d m o tio n o f th e
rele ase le ver w h e n th e in d ic a to r reaches U*n (its u p p e rm o s t p o s itio n ).
T he p in on th is le v e r is d irectly c o up le d to th e k itty d o o r c a u s in g it to
open. I ’ po n the next play o f th e m a c h in e it iw a u t o m a t ic a lly reset
a llo w in g the k itty d o o r to close a n d lock.
the F U T U R IT Y , its m a in drawback
was th a t the m otivation to play the
m achine was somewhat correlated to
how full the kitty was a n d the position
o f the indicator. The production run of
the m achine tells the story of public
a n d operator acceptance. The added
complexity of the kitty operating mech­
an is m d id n ’t help maintenance prob­
lems, and this factor m ay well partially
account for w hy the kitty portion of the
m echanism is m issing from any
know n KITTYs.
The M echanism
The mechanism of the KITTY is bas­
ically the standard Pace mechanism
with add-on parts to provide for its spe­
cial features. There are three addi­
tional mechanical functions to be
performed by the KITTY, namely (1)
the sensing of a kitty symbol on the
first reel and routing one coin to the
kitty, (2) management of the indicator
by indexing it one digit for each coin
played without a winner and resetting
it when either a winner occurs or it
reaches ten and (3) opening and clos­
ing the kitty door when ten plays with­
out a winner is achieved. The
mechanisms for each of these three
functions are described under the
accompanying photographs.
It should be noted that the coins from
the kitty are routed across the two jack­
pots allowing them to be dispensed at
the left hand coin bowl as seen from the
front of the machine. This selection of
coin dropping was probably made to
suggest some sort of jackpot had been
won.
TABLE 1
R e e l S tr ip L a y o u t
Reel 1
Reel 2
Reel 3
c
__
0
—
o
P
L
P
B
p
C
B
C
c
O
B
C
P
C
K
c
L
P
P
O
c
B
B
P
L
O
O
O
c
O
0
C
K
P
C
K
P
P
O ’
O
c
—
—
B
L
P
O
c
O
C
K
O
B
L
C
The Reel Strips
The reel strips used in the kitty were
labeled “mystery strips” and neither
dated nor quantity indicated with
respect to how many were produced.
TABLE 2
Reel Sym bol Inve n to ry
Symbol
Reel 1
Reel 2
Reel 3
0
8
0
7
5
0
O .........
2
6
6
P ........
4
2
5
B ..........
1
1
3
2
3
1
K .........
4
0
0
Total ..
20
20
20
L ........
C ........
L ............................................ Lemon
C ............................................ Cherry
O ............................................ Orange
p ................................................Plum
B ..................................................Bell
—
Bar
K ................................................Kitty
-
TABLE 3
C o m p u ta tio n o f Odds
W in n t ng C o m b in a tio n s
K eel 1
R eel 2
C
c
c
c
Reef
Any
L /B
o
o
O
o
o
—
P
P
B
B
P
p
B
B
—
—
H
N um ber o f Ways
Reel I
8
8
2
2
Reel 2
Payout A m ounts
Reel ;i
B
1
a
—
1
—
1
3
2
8
9
3
IB
1
2
20+JP
8
672
448
6
72
1
ii
12
40
12fifi
T he odds due to (.he n o rm a l p lay is 4876/8000 - 60.95%
in
1344
1792
1
6
—
Total
3
1
12
2
2
Payout
2
4
8
8
12
12
7
7
6
4
4
Total
16
576
96
480
96
144
48
300
4876
Coincidentally, however, they were
very similar to the M ills SP-1/2/3 w ith
three exceptions and a kitty appearing
where the lemons were previously
placed on the first reel. There seems to
have been only one set of reel strips
made for the KITTY, and they were
unique in design from other know n reel
strips. Table 1 shows the reel strip con­
figuration and Table 2 shows the sym ­
bol inventory.
The P a y o u t S ta tis tic s
While the payout statistics m ay seem
complicated because of the uncertainty
of the size of the kitty, it is possible to
compute an average return based on
the same player play in g the m achine
8.000 times. Needless to say, the odds
are less when the kitty is empty and
greater when the kitty is full.
To compute the statistics, assum ing
there is no kitty feature, the odds are
computed as in Table 3.
To incorporate the kitty feature, the
easiest way is to assume th a t all of the
coins that go into the kitty w ill eventu­
ally be returned to the player. There is a
slight possibility th a t the kitty w ill
overflow and the coins w ill become the
property of the m achine, but the coins
lost in this m anner are relatively neglible and the com putation for the in c lu ­
sion is that out of every 20 plays there
will be 4 coins placed in the kitty; or in
8.000 plays there w ill be (8,000/20)4 =
1,600 additional coins returned to the
player.
Thus, to summarize:
Regular P lay returns 4,876/8,000
Kitty Feature returns 1,600/8,000
Total Returns = 6,476/8000
or an 81% average return.
Com m ent
A n interesting way to look at the sta­
tistics is in terms of an operator who
feels that he never “loses” the kitty’s
coins but is only forstalled this profit at
the 61% rate. Perhaps more im portant,
however, is th a t the palyer was reluc­
tant to play a KITTY w hich h a d a kitty
with no coins in it. It is reasonable to
assume th a t once a player achieved
getting the kitty, he left the m achine
and consequently there were very few
“takers” as the next player. The con­
cept of the m achine seemed good to the
designers, but the K IT T Y ’s cleverness
probably outsmarted itself.
K IS S
This acronym proverb, w hich is cer­
tainly true in the slot m achine indus­
try, still remains: “Keep I t Sim ple,
Stupid.”
i.O O S K
(' i I AN ( l K
W hen I was about ten years of age, a
favorite pastime was identifying auto­
mobiles as they passed by. I w asn’t
very proficient at this sport, and so I
asked m y father how it was done. He
told me to look for sm all design charac­
teristics the manufacturers seemed to
hold over year after year (remember
the Buicks w ith holes?)
Armed w ith m y father’s wisdom, I
made a renewed effort at the game, and
lo and behold—it worked, well, most of
the time. LaSalles ha d a radiator
which was unlike any others; Buicks
also had a radiator style which was
unique. Plymouths, Buicks, and Pack­
ards had body styles which were
unmistakable.
Slot machines have sim ilar charac­
teristics which pin down the m anufac­
turer. The early Jennings, for instance,
had an art style, with depressed,
painted areas in the castings which is
unlike any other. M ills machines have
a special shape, both in the gooseneck
and escalator styles, which is unm is­
takable. Pace can be identified by its
famous rotary escalator (for the
smaller coins). Speaking o f rotary
escalators, W atling ROL-A-TOPs have
characteristics unlike any other slot
m achine ever produced. There are
exceptions, of course, as there were in
the old automobiles, but these excep­
tions are easily memorized.
A nd now for the various models
w ithin a manufacturer’s group. Most of
the problems w ill come w ith the 1920
vintage O PE R A T O R S BELLs (from
all manufacturers of that era) and the
later M ills Hi-Tops (BLACK BEAUTY,
JE W E L BELL, 21 BELL, etc.) These
are the ones you will simply have to
study and retain in yourmemory. They
are like sim ilar looking people—
similar but different in their personal
characteristics.
The balance of this article is pictorial
in nature. The photographs are so that
you can become fam iliar with the more
common payout type slot machines
you are likely to encounter. Purposely
omitted from this pictorial guide are
most of the ultra rare and seldom seen
machines which are norm ally sought
after only by seasoned and experienced
collectors. M any of the machines
shown may, in actuality, have minor
variances. For instance, the Jennings
LITTLE D U K E came in five different
models over its m anufacturing lifes­
pan, Study the details and general
design characteristics. After a short
study session you’ll easily be able to
differentiate between the various
machines.
Good luck! H appy looking!
OCTOBER
1979
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
Identifying
Slot Machines
by Daniel R. Mead
D o n 't be confused w ith th e re v a m p s a n d c o n v e rs io n fro n te . B o th o f th e a b o v e m a c h in e s b e g a n
life as O P E R A T O R S B E L L S —th e o n e o n th e le ft by M ills a n d th e o n e o n t h e r ig h t b y J e n n i n g s .
B ut n o w th e y 're c a lled R O C K - O L A R E S E R V E J A C K P O T s . I f y o u 'll r e m e m b e r to lo o k f o r t h e
d esign c h a ra c te ris ts —c o in e ntry s ha pe , u p p e r c a s tin g d e s ig n , etc-—y o u w o n ’t h a v e a n y
pro ble m s. S im ila r c o n v e rsio n s w e re m a d e by R o b e rts N o v e lty a n d B u ll D u r h a m N o v e lty .
19
■/T ? - * V r w . T f
W s t/
i
w /ra w * ■
-•«:*:>:%rlrT< i v *T*v*i tL*
'* s s ? « £ 4 a ik & .
Jennings VICTORIA SILENT JACKPOT B E LL
NOOSE
CHANGE
OCTOBER
1979
Jennings SUN CHIEF
22
LOOSE
CHANGE
Jennings STANDARD C H IE F
OCTOBER
1979
23
Mills GOLDEN FALLS
24
LOOSE
CHANGE
Mills SILENT GOLDEN BELL
OCTOBER
1979
25
Mills GO OSEN ECK SILENT BELL 'Skyscraper”
LOOSE
CHANGE
Mills BASEBALL V E N D E R
OCTOBER
1979
Mills M Y S T E R Y
Blue Front”
LO OSE
CHANGE
Mills OPERATORS BELL
OCTOBER
1979
29
LOOSE
CHANGE
Mills BONUS BELL Hi-Top”
OCTOBER
1979
Mills C H R O M E BELL "Diamond Front"
LOOSE
CHANGE
Watling TW IN JACKPOT BALL GUM V EN D ER BELI
O CTO BER
1979
Watling BABY GOLD AW ARD TWIN JA C K P O T BELL
34
LOOSE
CHANGE
Watling TREASURY
OCTOBER
1979
LO OSE
CHANGE
Groetchen COLUMBIA DELUXE BELL
OCTOBER
1973
;17
Once a g a in Victorian Casino
Antiques has gathered together the
world's greatest array ol coin oper­
ated machines a n d collectables.
We are p leased to highlight in our
7th Collectors Auction a 1912
Cretors/Buda popcorn V ending Truck.
This Cretors/Buda Popcorn Vend­
ing Truck with steam engine is the
first one built in 1912 an d cost then
the astronomical sum of $3,000. It is
also the most original and still
features the original generator
engine which is operable an d
mounted on the side. The generator
provides electricity an d other parts
are powered by the sell-contained
steam plant.
Custom built in Chicago, 111. an d
being the first ol only eight built, the
entire unit is in pristine condition.
Also featured is a 1906 Cretors
Special M odel 'CrHorsedrawn Pop­
corn & Peanut Roaster w ago n in mint
condition, ready for operation.
Rare antique g am in g m achines
include Musical Cabinet Deweys, a
Musical Puck a n d a line assortment
of other floor models.
Our two day sale has m any
hundreds of items including old
advertising, drug store bottles, black
Americana, Musical pieces, general
store items, the finest le a d e d glass
windows, back bars, a n d many, m any
more unique items.
A large number of antique gasoline
globes from the 20s & 30s will also be
offered.
Our policy — no minimums — no
reserves — no buy backs — every
item will be sold!
The 7th Victorian Casino Antiques
Collectors Auction will be held for two
breathtaking days in the Am ericana
Room at the Frontier Hotel in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Rooms are limited —
and it is suggested that you m ake
reservations either directly or
through us as soon as possible.
The first session will be held
Saturday, Novem ber 17th followed by
the second session Sunday,
Novem ber lflth. Oui exhibition pre­
view will b e held Friday, N o v e m b e r
16th. Complimentary foods Sc
beverages are provided for all
registered bidders on all days of the
auction.
A copy of oui color catalogue, m ay
be obtained by sending $5.00 to the
address below.
Hoy Arrington
Victorian Casino Antiques
Donald Mudd, Auctioneer
1421 South Main Street
Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
(702) 382-2466
NOTICE
A ll g a m b lin g m a c h in e s w ill b e s o ld o n a
c a s h 8c c a r r y b a s is . N O a f t e r p u r c h a s e
in s p e c tio n w ill b e re q u ire d b y tlie N e v a d a
State A gency(s). A ll A u c tio n p a rtic ip a n ts
are u rg e d to c h e c k w ith th e le g a lity of
p o s s e s sio n a n d /o r s h ip m e n t oi g a m b lin g
d evices to th e ir state o l resid e nce. F e d e ral
la w p ro h ib its th e in n e r state tra n s p o rta tio n
or possessio n of g a m b lin g devices, u n le ss
th e p u r c h a s e r 's s ta te of r e s id e n c e h a s
l e g a liz e d th e p o s s e s s io n of a n t iq u e
g a in in g devices.
A u c tio n R eservations A c c e p te d at Loose C h a n g e F u n F air Booths 2 4 7 - 2 4 8
LOOSE
CHANGE
1979
w
T in - O IT u m l LoofU' C ! bhej{i *
B o o l^
? \ n tiq u e O ra c le ^ t im u la lo r g
j\ nd
g o u n te r (Jameg
Illu s tra te d
•Price Cjiu<1<’
iv< -purrcut.
I ■i ih|mI< |l IU
11 a n d B e tty W rU c r'
soon
How much
are the old
machines
really
worth?
NEW HAN DY SIZE: 354" * 7Ve"
There is m uch speculation about how much the old slot machines, trade stimulators and
counter g am es are worth. But these price guides are based not on speculation — but on
facts . . . from auctions, private sales and public sales ... from all over the country. This is
what m akes the B lue Book and the Red Book such good, solid bargains. Take the B lue
Book, for instance. It lists 1,750 prices for 350 different slot machines; and this d o e s n ’t
include the value added pricing guide for such options as award token payout devices,
mint and gum venders, fortune telling reels or skill stops. The Red Book lists 1,065 prices
for 21 3 different trade stimulators and counter games. Both guides contain a generous
pictorial glossary and a reprint of the widely accepted Grading Specification. And each
one has a ‘‘tra d e -in ’' stamp on the back cover so that you can buy the 1980 price guides
at a favorable discount. If you e v e r expect to buy or sell these popular antiques, you'll need
these important publications. Remember, they are based on facts, not feelings!
EITHER BOOKLET
EACH POSTPAID
ORDER FROM YOUR DEALER OR DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER
THE MEAD COMPANY
21 176 SOUTH ALAMEDA STREET •
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA 90810
C A L IF O R N IA R E S ID E N T S M U S T IN C L U D E S A L E S T A X
OCTOBER
197!)
Gordon Pace’s Coin Machine Auction
Labor Day. September 1. 1979
Chevy Chase Country Club
Wheeling, Illinois
A u c t i o n e e r f i o r d o n P u c e <r i t f h t ) L r u r ie a s o m e
|) !- < '- H L ir t io r t g O H B ip w i ( h { I h i f ' u g o <'c>JJe<rtor
A t l t i n P a il.
For residents of the Chicago area
and a fair number of out-of-towners,
the recent Labor Day weekend was a
chance to attend an auction which
offered some true bargains as well as
some near record-breaking prices.
For the auction-goers used to the
Western glitter shows, this auction had
some real surprises—m any of which
were pleasurable experiences.
For those who always ask them­
selves why they have to pay to attend
an auction where it is expected they
w ill spend their money, this auction
m ust have been a dream-come-true; the
registration fee was zero! “You can’t
get away with that around here,” aucti­
oneer Gordon Pace grinned. “It isn’t
necessary anyway, and it just drives
people away,” he added.
Although every item was assigned a
lot number and there was ample pre­
view time, bidders ha d to be awake and
alert since lots were not sold in their
consecutive numerical order. For
bidders used to pre-planning their stayin-the-chair, this m ust have been
disturbing.
Gordon Pace is an excellent auctio­
neer, very fa s t a n d e ffic ie n t—
som etim es too fast. O n several
occasions, bidders lost track o f the bid,
and the bidding was reopened.
The first day, Saturday, was devoted
entirely to coin operated machines,
music machines and old advertising
items; the stained glass was offered
only on Sunday. A lthough this prac­
tice separated the buying audience, it
LOOSE
('M A N G E
allowed the m achine buyers to be on
their way after one day of bidding.
Most of the slot machines sold at pre­
dictable prices, all except the W atlings.
A T REASU RY in Grade 2 ‘/2 (at best)
condition went for a w hopping $3,700,
and a Grade 3 W atling ROL-A-TOP
Bird of Paradise followed at $2,600. In
the lessor-known category, a Roberts
Novelty conversion in nice shape,
Grade IV2, brought $1,700, while a
Grade 3 Groetchen C O L U M B IA
stirred someone into a w inn in g bid of
$450.
Jennings machines were well repres­
ented, both in models offered and the
prices they brought. A S T A N D A R D
C H IE F and two C L U B C H IE F s, all
Grade 2lAt, went for $950 each, while a
genuine 50<P (not an E n glish penny)
CLUB C H IE F went for $700. Another
CLUB C H IE F in Grade 3 condition
managed a w inning bid of $1,000. A
Continued on page 48
1$ M
i'M m
:■
OCTOBER
1979
A fter the a u c tio n , m a n y c o lle c to rs accep te d
an in v ita tio n by C h ic a g o c o lle c to rs P e te r
and D o ro th y H a n sen to Bee a n d e n jo y th e ir
b ea u tifu lly recreated lf)20a s a lo o n w ith its
m any
in te re s tin g
a p p o in tm e n ts .
M any
collectors feel ffath e rinjjs such as th is a re
the m ost im p o rta n t p a r t o f th e c o in m a c h in e
a uctions—a chnnce to renew o ld fr ie n d s h ip s ,
sw ap stories a n d e x c h a ng e in f o r m a tio n
a b out the hobbv.
Mills Bell Machine Parts & Service Manual
It yo u have one o f th e fam ous M ills H I-TO P s lo t m achines, yo u 'll need one o f these expe rtly
reprinted circa 1952 m anuals co n ta in in g general in stru ctio n s and tro u b le sh oo tin g guide. Also
inclu d ed are nine fu ll pages o f parts and a ssem b ly p h o to g ra p h s w ith com plete l/s tin § o f over
400 p arts b y ca ta lo g n um b e r and name. T h is is the basic H I-T O P manual published b y the M ills
N ovelty C om pany. A ttra ctive d usk rose tw o c o lo r cover. 24-pages, BV6" x 11".
O fficial Loose Change Grading System. And there is a Value Added P ricing G uide for many
o ptio n a l features such asslde venders, m usic boxes and fortune te llin g reels. If y o u ever expect
to buy o r sell any type o t slot machinB. you’li need this im portant guide. New edition yearly —
always up to date. Price includes discount stamp fo rd is c o u n l on next year's edition. Conve­
nient purse or pocket size: 3 rV x 7%".
No. 108-79 ......................................................................Postpaid: $6.95
*
No. 101 ...............................................................................Postpaid: $3.95
*
★ ★
Th e
Mills Bell Machine Service Parts Price List with
Supplement Parts & Service Manual
A ctu a lly tw o p u b lica tio n s in one. th is M ills H I-T O P manual w ill round o u t yo u r H*-TOP paper
co lle ctio n. T h is re p rin t w as o rig in a lly issued in 1958 a n d covers all three and fo u r reel
m achines, in clu d in g the little -k n o w n to u r reel FOUR C RO W N m achine w ith art deco styling.
Eleven pho tog ra ph s and over a th o u san d parts w ith p a rt name, n u m b e r and p ric e are fisted.
A ttractive tan tw o c o lo r cover, ■BW* b y 11"
N o. 102 .............................................................................. Postpaid: $3,95
★ ★ ★
T h is 1956 ca ta lo g o f arcad e a nd am use m e n t m achines had ju s t a bo u t e verything, new and ofd:
Kiddie rides, card venders, a nim ated games, sh oo tin g galleries, p opcorn vender, cigarette
m achines, photo and re cord in g b oo ths, m uto sco pe . d ro p p ic tu re m achines, fo rtu n e tellers.
Jukeboxes, scales, stre n g th m achines, p u n ch in g bags, c o u n te r games, gum and peanut vend­
ers, pinballs, tools and coin c o u n tin g m achines. T h is a u th e n tic re p rin t has 249 illu s tra tio n s a n d
fs prin te d w ith blue in k o n w h ite paper, ju s t lik e th e o rig in a l (m issing pps. 13-16). QV* x 11".
No. 1 0 3 .............................................................................. Postpaid: $3.95
★ +
Keman Manufacturing Company Catalog
This catalog was o rig in a lly Issued in 1901 b y th e K e m an M a n u la ctu n n g C om pany, dealer in
supplies fo r saloons, b illia rd h alls and club room s P rinted on sim ulated a id paper, the reprint
duplicates the orig ina l e xactly There are over 300 p icture s o f su ch item s as c o in operated
m achines, g am b lin g devices, ta lk in g m achines, guns, knives, dice, cards, wheels, trade checks
and police g oo d 3. W ith 64-pages, th is one is a m ust fo r the true co lle cto r, 5 V ' x BV>".
No. 104 ...............................................................................Postpaid: $5.95
*
★ *
Pace Parts List & Service Manual
Here is a rather rare b ooklet that was o rig in a lly issued in 1937 b y the Pace M anufacturing C om ­
pany o f C hicago, 1he o rig in a l m a n u facture rs o f th e Pace slo t m achine. It co ntains a special
photo section sh ow in g the ALL-S TAR C O M ET. A LL-S TA R SIDE VENDER, A LL-S TAR GOLD
AWARD BELL, THE COM ET FRONT VENDER. DEFERRED-PAV FR O N T VENOER. ROYAL
C O M ET and the A R IS TO scale. A n d it's fille d w ith over a tho u san d p ic tu re d parts, all identified
and priced! This authentic re pro d u ction co nta in s 40~pages. 5V4" x 8'£
No. 1 0 5 .............................................................................. Postpaid: $3.95
Caille Brothers Company - Catalog 311
This authentic re pro d u ction o l this fam ous 19t1 g am b lin g machinB catalog is sim ply
unm atched (or detailed representation o f the C aille gam ing m achine tine. M ore th a m 5 0 c le a r.
sharp photographs on 72-pages o f detailed descrip tio ns, code names and explanations make
this piece an absolute must — i! even h a s t h e o r i g i n a l tear-ou t price Iis1. Printed on g lossy paper
w ith m u lti-c o lo r cover, SV<" x S W
No. 1 0 6 .............................................................................. Postpaid: $7.95
★
★
Caille Amusement Machines - Catalog 512
Here is another a uthentic re p ro d u ction
. it even has the special ro ll-a ver fold, ju s t like the
Original w hich was published in 1912. M ore than 35 illu s tra tio n s o f various arcade and amusemBn1 machines grace the pages o f this u nique piece. In clud e d are scales, peep shows, lung
and strength testers, e le c tric ity devices, c a n d y /p e a n u t vender, pedestals and money changers.
Printed on glossy paper w ith m ulti-covB r. $¥*" x 7 'ti' .
N o. 107 .............................................................................. Postpaid: $4.95
*
Tra d e
R ed
B o o k o f A n t iq u e
S tim u la to rs a n d C o u n t e r G a m e s
P ric e
G u id e
This com panion volume to the Btue Book lists over two hundred old trade stim ulators and
counter games and provides nearly a thousand up-to-date prices. T h irty -fo u r o f these
machines are identified with photogra phs i n the Pictorial Glossary. The machines are arranged
by name, in one alphabetical list w hich also gives the name o1 the m anufacturer, type of
machine and tabulation o l values. The brand new O fficia l Loose Change G rading System For
Trade Stim ulators and C ounter Games w ith an introduction fo r its use is also Inctuded tn this
inform ative booklet. New edition yearly ~ always up to date. Price includes disco u n t stamp fo r
discount on next year's edition. Convenient purse or pocket size- 3%“ x 7 %“
No. 109-79 ..................................................................... postpaid: $6.95
Mike Munves Arcade Supply Catalog
*
★ +
O f f ic ia l L o o s e C h a n g e
★ *
The Official Loose Change Blue Book of Antique
Slot Machines Price Guide
This was the first and remains (he most com plete p rice guide to r payout type slo t machines:
single wheel, three reefers and other coin-operated g am ing m achines, T his rem arkable b oo ­
klet is filled with prices fo r alm ost 3S0 slot m achines — nearly two thousand prices! Also
included is a P ictorial Glossary so you can Identity som e o f the m ore com m on m achines w hich
you are like ly to encounter as w ell as a com plete c o p y and explanation o f the w idely accepted
*
★ *
M ills M o d e l C o d e a n d G e n e r a l In s t r u c t io n s
and
P a rt N u m b e r s f o r th e V e s t P o c k e t B e ll
The mechanically mysterious little VEST POCKET slot machine is a favorite of many collec~
tors, who will welcome this beautifully printed 16-page reprint. It was originally issued in 1949
by the Sell-O-Matlc Corporation as publication A-256. The manual describes twelve different
models of the Mills VEST POCKET machines, and includes detailed operating, maintenance
and repair instructions. Numerous approximately life-size photographs illustrate and identify
all the parts o1 the machine. Attractive redesigned two color cover features photograph of
machine, BW x 11 ".
No. 1 1 0 ........ .................................................................. Postpaid: $3.95
★ ★ ★
P in b a ll R e f e r e n c e G u id e
With this handy guide you'll never again have to guess about the manufacturer or date of intro­
duction ot any pinball game. It not only incorporates the month and year of release of 2,500 dif­
ferent pinball machines from over 200 different manufacturers, but it also identities and
describes many historical aspects as well. AH entries are listed afphabetica lly with all historical
and feature notes numbered and explained in the back of the book. This 72-page book contains
96% of all pinball machines including gambling, console and payout types Convenient purse
Or pocket size: 3?a " x 7’V .
ISBN 0-934422-19-2 ................................................... Postpaid: $7.95
*
O w n e r ’s P ic t o r ia l G u i d e
★ *
For Th e
C a re
and
U n d e r s t a n d in g o t th e M ills B e ll S lo t M a c h in e
T his m am m oth book is the m ost com prehensive w ork ever published about a ny slot m achine:
but it is specifically directed to the owner o f any 3-reel M ills bell m a c h i n e m anufactured after
1931. Nearly 400 detailed photographs are accom panied by step-by-step instructio n s fo r all
routine maintenance operations as well as com plete disassem bly, overhaul, lubrication,
assem bly and theory o f operation. The book is organized into 14-chapters, 2 -appendices (tor
m achine part variances} and an extensive glossary lo r parts id e n tifica tion . W hether you have
one or many machines, yo u'll want this long-needed manual; w ith it and a few sim ple tools
y o u 'll be able to analyze and correct over 95% o f the problem s you m ay e n c o u n te r w ith yo ur
m achine. Booh contains 164 total pages (including an extensive table o f contents and intro­
d uctory m aterial),& W x 11 ” , square-back bound w ith a ttra ctive fu ll co lo r, plastic coated cover.
S hipped insured via United Parcel Service
ISBN 0-934422-21-4 ......................................................................$24.95
Packing and Shipping Charges (U .P .S .)! ................................. $2.00
A m u s e m e n t T o k e n s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d C a n a d a
This is the first comprehensive reference book about slot, pinball, arcade, jukebox and other
amusement tokens. Over 10,000 different tokens are listed and valued. Over 500 of Ihe tokens
are illustrated as well as many of the antique slot machines which used the tokens. Listed by the
Atwood system, coverage ranges from the 1890s Ih rough modern arcade tokens of the late
1970s. Extensive background information about the tokens, the machines in which they were
used and the machine manufacturers makes this book a '‘must*’ for alJ token a n d antique coin
machine collectors, dealers and enthusiasts. Book contains 144 pages. QW x 1V and is square
back bound with colorful, plastic coated cover. Shipped insured via United Parcel Service.
IS B N 0-934422-20-6 ......................................................................$24.95
Packing and Shipping Charges (U .P .S .)....................................$2.00
TH E M E A D C O M PA N Y
21 i76 SOUTH A L A M E D A STREET
• LO NG BEACH, C ALIFO RNIA 90810
C A L IF O R N IA R E SID E N T S MUST IN C L U D E SALES TAX
I.O O SE
42
CHANGE
| SPECIAL REPORT
"Legal States
1For Slot Machine Collectors
I f you’ve been in the slot m achine col­
lecting game for more th a n a week you
probably already know w hat the laws
in your state have to say about the sub­
ject. As a potential slot m achine collec­
tor, the first th in g you need to know is
whether you reside in an illegal or legal
state. This one fact w ill for m the basis
for your collection, if you intend to
have a collection.
The obvious answer is this: I f you
live in an illegal state, don’t buy a slot
machine. T his particular answer, how­
ever, seems very a r b itr a r y a n d
extremely un-American. After all, the
slot m achine is an A m erican inven­
tion, and it should be possible for any
American to own, buy, sell, trade or dis­
play their treasured piece of Ameri­
cana w ith collectors from other states.
This happens to be a country where the
laws are intended to serve the people.
But remember, m any of these laws
were made a long time ago, and laws
have an unpleasant aspect—they stay
on the books u n til someone takes them
off. Removing laws from the books is
m uch more difficult th a n it sounds.
W hat is a legal state? A lthough the
laws vary, the basic law of all states is
th a t the m achines be used for collect­
ing purposes only, and th a t they not be
used for g am bling. Other additions to
the various laws also define an antique
slot machine. In some states, such as
California, this definition is any
m achine m anufactured prior to 1941;
at the same time, however, the Califor­
n ia law does not specify th a t those
manufactured after 1941 are illegal! In
other states, such as Illinois, there is a
25-year law; in other words, any slot
m achine m anufactured over 25-years
ago is considered an antique. In real­
ity, however, m any machines m anu ­
factured only ten years ago have been
considered by m any courts to be
antiques since they were part of a his­
toric collection and were not used for
gam bling purposes. The mere fact that
these m echanical and electromechani­
cal slot m achines are no longer m anu­
factured makes them antiques. In most
states, the only reference to slot
machines is in the crim inal code and is
classified under gam bling. These laws
were not originally directed at private
ownership of the machines. They were
OCTOBER
L97y
intended to control or wipe out profes­
sional crime and illegal gambling. Not
all states had laws such as this. You
may, in fact, live in a state that permits
the collecting of slot machines and not
even know it since, in many cases, the
laws are not clearly defined. On the
other hand, in many states possession
alone can be an offense.
Let’s get down to specifics. The
states listed here are, to the best of our
knowledge, legal for the collection of
antique slot machines provided they
are not used for gambling purposes.
For absolute protection, you are
advised to contact the Secretary of
State of your state for specific wording
of your state's laws.
C a lifo rn ia Any machine manufac­
tured prior to 1941 is presumed to be an
antique.
C olorado Any machine manufac­
tured prior to 1950 is presumed to be an
antique.
C onnecticut The laws presently
apply to gambling but are not clearly
defined. Possession alone does not
seem to be an offense.
F lo rid a Any machine manufactured
prior to 1941 is presumed to be an
antique.
Illin o is Any machine manufactured
25-years ago or earlier is presumed to
be an antique.
K a n sa s A favorable bill has passed
the House Committee and went to the
Senate Committee. Full details are not
yet known.
M aine Late information seems to indi­
cate antique slot machines are legal.
Details are not completely known.
M ichigan Existing laws seem to allow
antique slot machines of any year of
manufacture. Possession alone does
not seem to be an offense.
M innesota Existing laws permit pri­
vate ownership of antique slot
machines of any year of manufacture.
M ississippi Test cases have estab­
lished the right to own slot machines
provided they are used for amusement
and not for profit.
unlaw ful gam bling activity.
N e v a d a Existing law s perm it private
ownership of slot machines of a n y v in ­
tage provided they are used for amuse­
ment and not profit. A license from the
N e v a d a G a m in g C o m m is s io n is
required for selling or distributing.
Since gam bling is legal in N evada, the
laws are clearly defined for all types
gam bling activity and the m a n u fa c ­
ture, sale and distribution o f the physi­
cal tools of the business—poker chips
to roulette wheels.
N e w H a m p s h ire A n y m achine
manufactured prior to 1941 is pre­
sumed to be an antique.
N e w Je rs e y This law, w ith a 20-year
old clause, is reported to have ju s t
passed. Complete details are n o t yet
known.
N e w Y o r k A ny m achine m a n u fa c ­
tured prior to 1941 is presumed to be an
antique.
Ohio Present laws allow slot m achines
of any vintage but forbid anyone to
aquire, possess, control or operate a
slot machine for profit.
Oregon A ny m achine m anufactured
prior to 1941 is presumed to be a n
antique.
P e n n s y lv a n ia A ny m achine m a n u ­
factured prior to 1941 is presumed to be
an antique.
South Dokota A n y m achine m a n u ­
factured prior to 1941 is presumed to be
an antique.
Texas A ny m achine m anufactured
prior to 1940 is presumed to be an
antique.
U ta h Possession alone is not an
offense. Collectors m ay own slot
machines provided they are not used
for gambling.
Virginia Present laws are unclear, but
possession of slot machines alone does
not seem to be an offense provided they
are not used for gam bling.
Washington A ny m achine m a n u fa c ­
tured prior to Jan u ary 1, 1941 is pre­
sumed to be an antique.
Wisconsin Slot machines m a nu fa c ­
M issouri Any machine over 30-years
old is presumed to be an antique.
tured 25-years ago or earlier are pre­
sumed to be an antique.
N ebraska Although the law states
possession alone is an offense, it
further indicates that the offense is
based on possession or transactions in
any gambling device knowing that it
shall be used in the advancement of
The above listing is merely a capsulization of the actual laws for each
“legal” state. You are encouraged to
make your own determination of how
the laws of your particular state apply
to your collection.
4:i
A Quick History Of
m
HAROLDS
In a state unique for its direct eco­
nomic alliance w ith gaining and tour­
ism, Harolds C lub has long stood out
as one of the state’s leading industries.
From a modest inception in 1935 as a
“hole—in —the—w a ll” one-room gam ­
in g hall, Harolds has grown into one of
the world's largest and most famous
casinos. R ising seven stories in the cen­
ter of Reno‘s downtown complex of
casinos on busy V irginia Street,
Harolds hosts m illions of visitors each
year from all fifty states and practi­
cally every foreign country.
The club is noted for m any firsts in
the g a m ing industry: first to employ
women dealers, first to introduce $5
slot machines, first to institute cam­
paigns to promote both Reno and the
club on a nationwide basis and first to
liberalize slot m achine payoff odds to
give the customer a better break.
H ighw ay signs advertising Harolds
Club have stretched from the C a n a ­
dian border in W ashington, east to
M aine, south into Florida and west to
the Mexican border in the Southwest.
The program, at its peak, was the most
extensive outdoor sign cam paign ever
undertaken and few motorists have not
seen one of the 2,315 billboards exhort­
ing “Reno or Bust!” Due to the federal
H ighw ay Beautification Act m any of
the signs have been dism antled, but
the fame of Harolds Club has been
firm ly im planted in the m inds of m il­
lions of people.
Club executives attribute Harolds
Club's continuing growth not only to
cam paigns designed to attract visitors
not only to Harolds but to Reno, and to
the m any services it provides and to
the friendliness o f its personnel. It’s
easier to get friendly with H arolds’
employees heeause you’ll always see
fam iliar fares. More than 19 per cent of
them have been with the club for 10
years or longer.
Top nam e entertainers and critically
acclaimed shows in the Silver Dollar
Showroom are favorites of tourists and
locals alike.
The seventh floor Prime Rib Room is
rated as one of Reno's most elegant
facilities for specialty dining, provid­
in g a com bination of excellent service
and superb cuisine with an extensive
choice of wines.
D in in g in the popular third floor
Rose Room is an easy decision — the
difficult decision is choosing from
more th a n 100 menu items, complete
from your m orning egg to a delicious
filet mignon. A nd, every meal is av aila ­
ble 24 hours a day.
For persons interested in the history
of firearms, one of the n ation’s finest
collections of antique guns is displayed
on the second floor.
Courtesy and customer relations are
the club’s m ain concerns and is evi­
denced by the m any loyal peoples who
have been customers of Harolds Club
for decades. In following these princi­
ples, the club has m aintained an infor­
mation center for the customer's
convenience since 1959. Help is availa­
ble here from sewing on a button to
road reports.
a^xitWlUf
S p e c ia lis ts In
Restorations and Sales
•
•
•
•
•
•
A ntique Slot Machines
Early 1900 G am ing Devices
Other Coin Operated Devices
G am bling Related Items
Wide Selection of A w ard Cards
Parts, Parts, Parts, Parts
The Antique Gambler
2400 Tampa Way
Reno, Nevada 89512
Phone (702) 329-2061
O P E N M O N D A Y T H R U F R I D A Y 8:00 A . M . - 6:0D P . M .
I.O O S f;
f
CHANGE
The
T h is b o o k re v ie w se c tio n is d e s ig n e d to give our
readers som e firs t h a n d k n o w le d g e o f th e book
in te rm s o f co n te n t, a u th o r s h ip , p r in t in g quality, ty p o g r a p h y a n d b in d in g . K ach bo ok has
been in sp e cte d a n d ro ad hy o u r e d ito r ia l .staff.
T he re v ie w is a .subjective o p in io n hased o n o u r
ex p osure to th e h o o k . I f you w o u ld lik e y o ur
b o o k re v ie w e d , plea.se send a n o n - re tu rn a b le
copy to o u r e d ito r ia l o ffic e r at 2 1 17 6 S outh
A la m e d a S tr e e t, Ix in g B eneb, C a lif o r n ia 90810.
P le a se send th e fo llo w in g in fo r m a tio n : P u b lis h ­
e r’s c o m p le te n a m e a n d m a ilin g addresn, price,
w a r r a n ty in f o r m a t io n , w h e r e th e b o o k can be
o rd e re d fro m a n d s h ip p in g costH, i f a n y . We w ill
re v ie w each b o o k in the o r d e r th a t is is received.
O W N E R ’S P IC T O R I A L G U ID E
FO R THE CA RE A N D U N D ER­
S T A N D IN G O F T H E M IL L S B E L L
S L O T M A C H IN E , by R o b e r t N.
G e d de s a n d D a n ie l R . M e ad , The
M ead C o m p a n y , 2 1 1 7 6 S o u th
A la m e d a S tre e t, L o n g B e a c h , C a li­
f o r n ia 9 0 8 1 0 , 156 p ag e s, §2 4 .9 5
p lu s $ 2 .0 0 p a c k in g a n d s h ip p in g .
The O w ner’s Pictorial Guide for the
Care and U nderstanding of the Mills
Bell Slot M achine, written by Robert N.
Geddes and illustrated by Daniel R.
Mead, is the most comprehensive and
complete book on the slot machine that
has ever been published. Whether you
be the owner of a single slot machine,
or a professional restorer, this book is a
“m ust” for you. Even if you have res­
tored dozens and dozens of machines, I
am sure that Bob Geddes will help you
do a better job, w ith less aggravation
and a great saving of time.
I have read the book from cover to
cover, and although I am not a “pro”
by any means, I sure wish I had this
book when I started rrestoring slot
machines five years ago. I learned
m any new tricks—m any easier ways to
remove and replace certain parts—and
I know this book w ill prove very helpful
the next time I get into problems. I also
learned ways to disassemble parts that
heretofore were never torn down and
properly cleaned. Chapter 3, General
Theory of Operation, is a must and
probably worth the price of the book
alone. I can now see why I had prob­
lems at times; I never took the time to
teach myself the theory behind the
machine: w hat does what, w hat action
causes a certain reaction. I plan on
reading this chapter again and again
until I understand everything—this
should save time next time a machine
malfuctions.
Chapter 6 tells you how to strip a
machine down to the bare bones. I do
not completely subscribe to this theory;
OCTOBKH
l ‘>79
I feel, “If it works, don’t fix it!” But,
some collectors will want to completely
strip a machine, polish or plate each
part, then re-assemble. If you concur to
this theory, yet have been afraid to try
it, you can now do it if the Owner’s Pic­
torial Guide for the Care and Under­
standing of the Mills Bell Slot Machine
is at your side. (Note: I sure wish
authors of slot machine books would
stick to shorter titles; this one has 14
w o r d s — takes up more space on the
cover than the picture of the slot
machine! Hope collectors come up with
a shorter name; this title would take up
an entire line in the many letters I
write!)
Owner’s Pictorial Guide
fra1the
Care and Understanding
O f course Bob also tells you how to
assemble the machine, after it has been
taken apart and is just as complete and
thorough in this phase of the book as
all the other chapters. After a slot
machine is assembled, they sometimes
still do not operate too well, but C h ap ­
ter 14, Machine Adjustments, lets you
make the final tune up, so necessary for
good operation and lack of problems
later on. Jackpots have alw ays given
me “fits”, but I feel that the chapter on
jackpots will be extremely helpful the
next time I have jackpot troubles. (Jen­
nings jackpots give me even more trou­
bles, so I am anxiously a w aitin g Bob’s
treatise on Jennings machines, when
he writes it.)
I feel that anyone w hth a decent com­
prehension of the written E n g lish la n ­
guage can now repair his own M ills
mechanisms with the help o f this book.
It appears to me th a t everything is
pretty well covered. Yes, I know th a t
some of the nit-pickers in this hobby
will condemn the book for a couple of
inaccuracies that are bound to be there,
but this is wrong; give the authors
credit for the 99% they did correctly!
While Bob Geddes is very thorough in
his text, the piece-de-resistance of this
book is the almost 400 photographs
that show you how it is done. D a n
Mead is an expert photographer, and
his clear illustrations vividly show you
exactly w hat to do. Remember, this is
original 1979 photography—not a
reprint of a worn out old factory service
m anual that has pictures so “m uddy”
that only the outlines are discernible.
Every detail is easily seen in these
clear pictures.
I first met Bob Geddes and D an
Mead at the A rrington Auction in
March. Bob described his book, but I
really did not know w hat to expect.
After all, most of us have those
reprinted factory “Owners M anuals”
which always seem to show you everthing except w hat you need to know to
fix a machine! Was this to be another
re-hash of a factory m anual? Or, a fac­
tory m anual with some new photos by
Just Published!
PINBALL REFERENCE GUIDE
A List o f Manufacturers and Dates o f Introduction
For A pproxim ately 2,500 P inball Games
From Over 200 Different M anufacturers!
Compiled By
Donald Mueting and Flobert Hawkins
AVAILABLE AT YOUR DEALER OR DIRECI FROM PUBLISHES!
THE MEAD COMPANY
21176 South Alameda Street
Long Beach, California 90810
C a lifo rn ia Residents Mus i Includ e Sf.ife Sales to
This >s G o llie b s 193? P iA Y S O Y
Did you know theie w eie
throe olhflr PLAYBO YS’
J ~
D a n M ead? Frankly, both Bob and
D a n have outdone themselves in the
thoroughness of this project. After
re ad in g the back cover, you will know
w hy; both have engineering degrees,
a n d the graphic thoroughness o f a pair
of professional engineers is quite
evident.
This is a book th a t every slot collec­
tor should have. M aybe you do not need
it today; but w ith these old slots you are
eventually going to have troubles, and
a few m inutes w ith this book can save
you hours of cut and try repair work. I
have restored about 30 M ills m a ­
chines—learned it the hard w ay—but I
have picked up several pointers that
w ill help me. I can’t w ait to start on the
next M ills “real disaster” case, just to
prove how Bob Geddes and D a n Mead
w ill bail me out. Bob, when is the book
on Cailles com ing out? I have two res­
tored ones th a t do not work perfectly—
two th a t do not work at all—and three
disasters to restore!
I ’ll be looking forward to a ll the
O w ner’s Pictorial Guide books Bob
and D a n turn out—how about you?
— Dave Evans
C A S I N O G A M B L IN G F O R T H E
W I N N E R , by L y le S tu a r t, L y le
S tu a r t, In c ., 120 E n te r p r is e A v e ­
n u e , S ec au c u s, N e w J e r s e y 07094,
2 0 8 p a g e s , $ 1 2 .0 0 .
In this book, author/publisher Lyle
S tuart reveals his secrets of being a
consistant winner at the casinos,
learned from 21 years of casino gam ­
b lin g experience. He considers the
attention, as they offer the player the
best odds.
Stuart relates his entire casino gam ­
bling background, from his early years
as a big loser to his recent w inning
streaks (w inning $166,505 in his first
ten trips to Las Vegas in 1977).
Basic principles he expounds include
ones such as always leave the table a
winner, don’t be greedy, predetermine
a lim it of losses should you lose, never
gamble when you are tired or unhappy,
go to Las Vegas alone and there are no
guaranteed systems. The book con­
tains pointers and suggestions for w in­
n in g at craps and baccarat but not
detailed systems. He believes that the
players attitude and knowledge of how
and when to bet are of utmost impor­
tance. The book a bo u n d s w ith
anecdotes.
There are no illustrations in this
hard covered book other than a few
tables and the photo of Lyle Stuart at a
craps table on the back of the dust
jacket.
SECRETS O F THE C A RD SHA ­
R P S , by G e r a r d M a ja x , S te r lin g
P u b lis h in g C o . In c ., T w o P a r k
A venue, N ew Y o rk , N ew Y o rk
10016 (R e v ie w copy s u b m itte d by
G a m b le r ’s B o o k C lu b , B ox 4115,
L a s V e gas N e v a d a 89106), 156
pag e s, $5.95.
tion on the m anipulations of cards
used by those unscrupulous players.
H and and finger exercises and actupuncture, are discussed as a means of
increasing ones m anu al dexterity. A n d
stories of the world’s greatest card
cheats are also included in the book.
Everything described thus far is pro­
fusely illustrated by over 200 excellent
large photographs. I f you’re a card
player unaware of w hat you m ay be up
against, this soft-covered book w ill
give you an in stan t education and
forever open your eyes to these
deceptions.
THE E X P E R T AT THE C A R D
T A B L E , by S. W. E r d n a s e , G a m b ­
lers B o o k C lu b , B ox 4115, L a s
V egas, N e v a d a 89106, 2 1 8 pages,
$2.50.
This “Treatise on the Science and
A rt of M anipulating Cards” was first
published in 1902. The author, E. S.
Andrews, reversed the letters of his
name to arrive at the pseudonym he
published under. Over the years this
book has had several uses. It is a com­
plete course in card cheating. Others
have used it to learn the cheater’s
secrets so they can spot someone trying
to cheat them. A nd the book has been a
long-time favorite of m agicians, as it is
a fine source for m any illusionary card
tricks.
SECRETS
ard Sharps
On January 1 , 1977, L y le Stuart
went to Lae Vegas !q gamble. Wllhln
a few hours he had won $18,€00 ..
Casino
Gambling
For The
Winner
games of crapH and baccarat the only
ones worthy of the serious gam bler’s
M any fascinating secrets of card
sharps are revealed in this up-to-date
work. Here you can see and learn about
marked cards (made by the m anufac­
turer or added by the cheater—
physically, chemically or optically),
hidden mirrors, electronic devices and
chemicals to reduce the guard of the
other players. There is also a large sec­
After a lengthy introduction, the
first section covers shuffles, cuts, deal­
ing and retaining cards in the deck or
palm. The second section is devoted to
Legerdemain, various methods of
m anip ulating cards for performing
card tricks. This is followed by instrucCantinued on page 49
LOOSE
CHANGE
built at least two models o f the sheet
metal L IB E R T Y B E L L so a th ird cast
iron L IB E R T Y B E L L is a possibility.
This brings forth another possibility
of misdating. I would date the first
M ills LIB E R T Y B E L L in 1905 or 1906,
depending on a couple o f factors. First,
the Mills L IB E R T Y B E L L m a y have
been as early as 1905 if a Fey Ligerty
Bell was stolen from a location as w rit­
ten in some early articles on slots.
Secondly, in A pril of 1906 the disas­
trous conflagration th a t followed the
San Francisco earthquake completely
destroyed Fey’s factory at 406 M arket
Street and the great m ajority of his
slots on location. It would have been at
this time that Fey would have gone to
the Mills factory. Burt M ills could have
easily mistaken the year and Fey
T h e C h a r le s Fey & C o m p a n y fa c to ry , located a t 406 M arket Street, San Francisco, was
would have desperately needed m a ­
c o m p le te ly d e s tro y e d in th e 1906 e a rth q u a k e a n d fire. Charles Fey is show n in this early
chines to replace the destroyed ones.
p h o t o g r a p h s t a n d in g in th e r u in s o f the b u ild in g w here he had m anufactured an d serviced
Whether Fey traded off his invention
L I B E R T Y B E L L s a n d o th e r Fey m a c h in e s since 1896. The Fey L IB E R T Y B ELL was operated,
for fifty machines or purchased fifty
as w e ll as m a n u fa c tu r e d , by th e C h a rle s Fey C om pany; hence no pictures o f their m achines
a p p e a r e d in “ m a c h in e c a ta lo g s ” o f those times.
machines, I would prefer to leave to
conjecture. Further confirm ing the ear­
lier date of the first M ills L IB E R T Y
P a t e n t s , E a r l y S l o t s a n d G iiv
BELL machine is an earlier model of
I J Y M A K IH X I.V I.I, K E Y
the Mills LIB E R T Y B E L L shown in
the 1909 M ills Autom atic Money M a k ­
I am “stepping out of the forest” to
tors. I think all knowledgeable persons
ers Catolog. Now who would believe
com m ent on Bob Otnes fine article
will agree that the bell (automatic pay­
that there were no bell m achines m a n u ­
“Patents a n d the Early Slot Machines”
ing three-reel) slot evolved from other
factured for the three years between
th a t appeared in the Ju ly 1979 issue of
slots. A good correlation of the credit of
1906 and 1909?
Loose Change. I feel that this article is
the invention of the bell slot might be
There are m any facets of slot
a credit to the m agazine even though I
the creation of the automobile. When
machine patents. M achines were not
do not necessarily agree w ith a few of
the Duryea Brothers adapted the inter­
patented explicitly as g a m ing devices,
his conclusions.
nal combustion engine (not their
but as coin controlled devices, vending
First, being in the saloon business I
invention) to propel a carriage (also not
machines, amusement m achines etc.
w ould like to remark on a very impor­
their invention) they were credited
They definitely were not b ind in g and I
ta n t point. Otnes concluding para­
with inventing the first automobile.
feel no one would risk a law suit on
graph commented on the m any ways of
When Fey adapted an automatic
something illegal. M any m anufactur­
payout (automatic payouts were
preparing a m artini. For the connois­
ers had machines copied with no
already in use) to a three reel machine
seur of the perfect m artini our clandes­
recourse. An excellent example of repli­
tine recipe is as follows: 2 shots of
(multi-reel non paying machines were
cation is the Mills, W atling, Caille and
already in use) he was credited with
L IB E R T Y B E L L e G in (our private
Jennings cast iron L IB E R T Y B ELLs
label), 2 drops o f Boissiere dry ver­
inventing the first bell machine.
all using identical cases and the 1910
m outh (French import), gently poured
I
would also like to bring out a few Mills copyrighted fruit symbols.
over the cubes w ith TLC, olive or twist
points on dating the Fey LIBERTY
I
would like again to compliment the
of lemon—preferential option.
BELL. First, Fey originally built his
Bob Otnes article for the research, the
slot machines to operate himself and
Next, the photograph of the ornate
good thought material and the signifi­
not to sell, thus accounting for the
cant patents. Using the 1890 Kennedy
slot, accom paning the article on page
years he had an exclusive on the bell
or the 1891 Strobel (they do have an
8, was easy to identify as it has been in
machine. Second, Fey was building
amazing resemblance to the shape of
the L IB E R T Y BE LLe collection for
cast iron machines as early as 1901.
the Fey LIBERTY BELL) and adding a
alm ost twenty years. This rare classic
The surviving production Fey LIB­
payout already present in the 1893
is a two wheel W atling. Gustav
Lighthipe, the 1893 Schultze and m any
ERTY BELL machines are sheet metal
Schultze, whose operator’s card is on
with brass sides. If he built it in 1905 as
other machines of this period and with
the m achine, was with Charles Fey &
hundreds of inventors developing new
Burt Mills claims, why didn’t he use a
Com pany from 1899-1903 (San Fran­
cisco City Directory) and was listed as
cast irin case? But Burt Mills states
slot innovations, how m any years do
Fey did have a cast iron case with a
a m anufacturer and operator of slots in
you think it would have taken to create
San Francisco from 1904 until 1909
cracked LIBERTY BELL on the front
a 3 reel automatic payout m achine?
when he moved his operation to the
casting when he visited the Mills fac­
Two years? Five years? Twelve years?
east bay.
tory. If Burt Mills’ recollections are
Sit down—have a m artini (if L IB E R T Y
In the article Bob Otnes asks, “who
valid this would indicate Fey built a
BELL gin is not available use an infe­
invented the slot machine,” and then
revised cast iron version of his original
rior grade of therapeutic spiritus f’ru
LIBERTY BELL in 1905 or ’06. Fey
lists a num ber of suggested contribu­
menti) and think about it!
OCTORKK
1979
■
17
f l valuable reference book for both tohen and
antique coin machine enthusiasts
flmusement T'okens of the
United States and Ganada
'T he first comprehensive reference booh on
amusement tokens
m-4- pages
O v e r 1 0 ,0 0 0 different tokens listed with a given catalog
value
fflore than 5 0 0 enlarged photos of tokens
lOhis photos of many of the antique slot machines that used
tokens
The book covers the earliest slot
m ach in e payout tokens of the 1890's
through the m odern penny arcade
tokens of the late 197G's. All tokens
used in slo! m achines, pinball m a­
chines, penny a rca d e m achines,
ju ke b oxe s and other am usem ent-related co in -o p e ra te d m achines are
ca ta lo g e d using the Atw ood system.
The large a m ounl of background in­
form ation on the tokens, the specific
m a ch in e s they w ere used in, and the
m a n u fa ctu re rs of the m achines
m akes this volum e a valuable refer­
en ce book for both token and antique
coin m a ch in e enthusiasts. The cover
is p lastic co a te d for longer wear.
A m u s e m e n t Tokens o f the U nited
S tates a n d C anad a will be ready for
shipm ent on O cto b e r 4, 1979, and
can be ordered from your dealer or
dire ctly from the publisher.
(•f &
(/M /e d
&
m e/
-J J t f t i 1'/
Ac l u a ! si ze is 8 :
'yfrn/tr/d <0x 1V
( \dy
$ 24.05
Plus $2 00 packing and shipping charge
All books will be shipped United Parcel Service.
California residents please include 6% sales Sax.
71je 1/fiead Company - Publishers
2 li y O S o u th
flh tttw d a S l n v t
L m u j H m c h . ( iilifo v u u i C
Pace auction report
Continued from page 41
nice Tic-Tac-Toe ST A N D A R D C H IE F
in Grade 1xh condition could only entice
a $1,000 bid, however, while a Grade
3Vi one managed $800—for no appar­
ent reason. Two new-looking (Grade 1
and l'/u respectively—from the outside)
G O V ERN O RS brought $1,000 and
$950; perhaps they looked too new! The
few older Jennings machines didn’t
seem to arouse any extraordinary
interest either. A F O U R STAR C H IE F
in Grade 2J/> went to its new owner for
$950, while a couple of P ERFECT ED
JACKPOTs (Dutch Boys) in Grade 2Vr
3 condition went on their way at $1,050
and $1,000; another one with a repro
award card and in sim ilar condition
made its new owner happy at $950.
Several Pace machines were repres­
ented. A n A L L STAR CO M ET in
slightly below average condition,
Grade 3'/2, brought $775 while a newer
E IG H T STAR B E L L in Grade 3
brought $800. A cute BA N TAM in res­
tored Grade 13A condition m anaged to
bring a w inning bid of $1,050.
Mills machines seemed to be in sim­
ilar price categories. A nice Roman
Head (SILEN T G O LD E N ) in Grade 2
condition with skill stops and token
dispensor went for $950. BLU E
FRONTS were priced at $1,000 in aver­
age to slightly above average condi­
tion, while a dug-out-of-a-scrap-heap
Grade 4 B RO W N FRO N T managed to
get a high bid of $850. A reconditioned,
but still below average Hi-Top brought
$1,150. The $900 range seemed to h a n ­
dle all of the other average condition
M ills offerings, including a JA C K P O T
(Poinsetta), G O O S E N E C K SILEN T
(Skyscraper), C H R O M E , B L A C K
C H E R R Y and S IL E N T G O O S E N E C K
(Lion Head).
The musical items played a sweeter
tune for their consignors. A beautifully
restored Wurlitzer 1015 sold for $3,200,
and a Victory model in gorgeous shape
went for $4,000. The Seeburg KT,
which needed work, brought $10,500,
while the smaller model L brought
$ 6, 100.
In the miscellaneous department, a
circa 1880 Wooten Desk sold for
$16,000, a 1911 International open veh­
icle was purchased by a Chicago collec­
tor for $14,725 and the Creators
popcorn wagon was bought back by its
owner for $6,300.
This auction was the first m ajor coin
machine auction held in Illinois since
passage of the new antique slot
machine legislation. Gordon Pace
seems to have a good feel for the value
of the items he offers. N othing rare and
in superb condition was offered at this
event, but it was probably not missed
by the m ajority of local people who
attended. Most seemed pleased to have
“something” reasonably priced to take
home to play with. These same people
will be back next time with their sights
set a little higher. I f Gordon sets his
sights for quality consignments a little
higher next time, he’ll have a good
thin g going in Illinois.
LO OSE
CHANGE
N B C IK E L
INTERLUDE
rV n tlin U nkncw n)
“America’s favorite nickel’s worth
of fu n ” was one of the most well known
slogans in the United States from 1937
through 1947. The slogan was no more
well known, however, than the truth it
evidenced.
The famous slogan was born several
years after the inception of a strange,
wooden box built at North Tonawanda,
New York, by a company long known
for m any musical instruments includ­
in g pipe organs — the W urlitzer
Company. The year was 1933, and the
creation was one of the most enter­
tain in g and illum inating sources of
amusement ever devised by man — the
jukebox.
The first Wurlitzer jukebox was a
n o n d e s c r ip t , r e t a n g u la r piece o f
furniture made entirely of wood. At
first, solid and veneer wood of preferred
stock were used in their construction by
master craftsmen, and the finished
product looked quite like an old console
radio, except one could see a round
selection unit on the front, and a stack
of ten records held in place by trays
which were on top and behind glass.
This arrangement was used by Wur­
litzer and others until the mid-fifties.
The peculiar and common principle of
the machines was that the records were
Mailbox
Continued from page 11
played horizontally and only on one
side. The mechanism which guided
this procedure was used during the
entire era and even until 1953.
The most beautiful of these machines
is debatabl e. Would it be the 750? Or the
800? How about the Peacock (850)? Or
perhaps the 950? Or the Victory?
Certainly, one of the most beautiful
was the 800. It was sedate, powerful,
colorful and offered far more than any
other machine before its time. It was
introduced in 1940. This model was the
heaviest of all, too, because of the art
deco ornamentation, motors, which
pulled its revolving, colored lights and
heaters, which produced bubbles in the
bubble tubes; additionally, the large
record-playing mechanism and chas­
sis, contributed approxim ately one
hundred pounds to its weight. The tone
arm alone weighed a pound! It also was
the biggest machine to be introduced,
and the widest, because of the intricate
diffusing system used in its two
pilasters which was a first for such
color arrangement.
Even though these machines were
in v itin g to look at, dancing w ith
bubbles and brilliantly casting colored
shadows on a dimly lit dancefloor, the
fun always began when a coin (usually
a nickel) was pushed into its slot. When
this was done, an extra volly of lights,
“playing lights” , would autom atically
come on fully illu m in a tin g the m a ­
chine. Actually, the “playing lig h ts ”
were light bulbs behind the polasters.
They were hot, and if left on, could
damage the plastics which created the
u n u su a l effects. G re a t a n t ic ip a t io n
followed until the record reached the
tone arm, aw aiting the contact. The
truest a n d m ost b e a u tifu l sou n d s
eminated from its 15 inch speaker, and
not until the advent of stereo did
recorded music ever improve.
D ancing couples, serious listeners
and fun seekers enjoyed jukeboxes in
this era, 1937 through 1947, because
jukeboxes did more than play music —
they “moved” with the dancers and
provided the most enjoyable interlude
that a nickel could afford.
Bookshelf
Continued from page 46
tions for 15 card tricks. This final part
of the book is a reprint of critical com­
ments on the Erdnase method by Pro­
fessor H oflinan, an authority of magic.
This soft covered book is illustrated
with over 100 line drawings and is
invaluable to anyone interested in card
cheating or tricks. But don’t expect to
be able to duplicate the card m aneuv­
ers right away. This takes lots of
practice!
Classified 5\d vertisem en tg
Sth o f the m onth proceeding publication; i e n d v e ^ Sc « n t f ' T h ° h ?
p u b lis h e r. C lo s .n R d a te is th e
m ust be received by the publisher by Decem ber s th ™ n !
P»h]n-iili<>n m t h e J a n u a r y issue
ad d itio n al w ord is H it. B lind box advertisem ents l
‘
'^
f or ' h e T1*-9* 2f>
.‘ “ V ll
accepted for three m onths. ,.fter w h ich the advert!
C o n tin u o u s r u n n .n * ad* w ill o n ly be
words. state and zip t-ode w ill be counted U8 tw o w o r rt7 l w ,!!“
,7 r^ l,uhrr" ' u '<i J ' r’ r Purposes o f c o u n tin g
m ation and the picture returned,
fta one word nnd arrn code tind phono number w ill
*
j ordcilii?H(»uch na New Y o rk ) w ill be counted
under either FOR S A L E . WANTKH o rM lS C F l I A N K O n £ ,BMon* word-A11 “ dvertisementH w ill be listed
R. L. Nellis
Heltonville, Indiana
P ublisher is not responsible for errors for any r e a s o n w h m p]* aa*, " P « -,fy 'v hich-c la s s ific a tio n y o u de s ire ,
not accepted. Send your advertisem ent w ith re m iii
.
f V<?
phoneor<icrB arld t,1‘ m ‘‘ l l ‘' tlo n 8 n r ,‘
South A lam eda Street, Long B ench?t W < ™ j" Z
7
(
A d v e p .i.jn jt 2 1 .7 6
HI. K ale card for display advertising la ava ila b le upon
request.
Dear R. L .:
This is a n easy one! Unfortunately
your photo is not suitable for publica­
tion, but your slot is a Mills BONUS
(Horsehead) bell machine. It can be
found on the middle of page 11, listed
under this name. There is also a picture
of it in the Pictorial Glossary, the bot­
tom o f page 35.
The Mills company also made a B-ON-U-S Hi-Top model machine which is
also listed on page II.
The Mills machines can be easily
identified by looking at the mechanism
castings for the “M L B ” markings.
They stand for “Mills Liberty Bell”.
Editor
TOR SALE
Paces Races 5<t gold award style. Late model
umeatored. Plus Beveral other rare machines.
(312) 233-3205 days.
We have over 300 Jukeboxes and lots of extra
parts. Some 78s, some 4Bs. The following items
listed are new. RL6GC tubes. $4.95 each. Stereo
Compatable cartridge for Seeburg models B thru
210, $35.00 each. Wurlitzer Stereo compatable
Cobra cartridge, $9,95 each. Jukebox Junkyard,
P.O. Box 181, LizeHn, Georgia 31052. Phone (912)
935-2721.
Slot machines in good workingcondition, $795.00.
Trade stimulators and game machines, write fur
list. Chip. Box 1507, St. Augustine, Florida 320S4.
Photos $1.00. (904) H2B-H679, H24-UI7.
Punchboards: We hrtve thousands of old unused
punchboarda out of the Ittls, 4()s and fiOs. They are
colorful eye catchers for shows and shops. Proven
to be fast sellers! Send $15 for 4 assorted and fa t tv
logme of these unusual trade stimulators. Amuse­
ment Sales, 127 North M ain, Midvjsle. U tah 8-1047,
(fiOl) 255-4731,
Rare trade Stimulators and other rare m achines
Call for listnn and prices.
233-3205.
Western Electric Derby Race Horse (tramhlmtf)
nickeludeon. Eight cast iron horses race as music
plays loudly. Professional restoration o f an o ri^i
nal machine. Must see and hear this classic.
$8h000 firm. Steve Hecht. lM‘24 liehecca. (lUmview,
Illinois fidOUfi.
5ii4-:23;HJ.
TOE SALE
TOE SALE
‘MISCELLANEOUS
Im p reel tapes, original: cigarette or fruit, $4/set
plus SASE. Im p award cards, original: cigarette or
fruit, $4/set plus SASE. Goodspeed, 500 West
King, York, PA 17404.
Coin operated fan. G.E. Coin operated perfume
machine. Has oval mirror. Van-Lite I t lighter
fluid Dispenser. Cast Iron l<t operated Dixie cup
dispenser. Early 6 column 5c operated aspirin dis­
penser. Three in operated match book dispensers.
1C operated countertop baseball machine. M int
original nC Milts Hi-Top. Arnold Levin, 2835 W.
North Shore, Chicago, Illinois 60645. Phone (312)
262-5965.
and records, etc. Counter games, jukeboxes, vend­
ing machines, arcade machines, trade stimula*
tors, pinballs, amusement and music machines,
etc. Tony’s Trading Post, 209 East Park Street,
Butte, M ontana 59701, Phone (406) 723-9824.
Candy bar reel tapes, use as decals or as paper
strips, for Imp, Cub and other sm all gum ball slots.
$4/set plus SASE. Goodspeed, 500 West King,
York, PA 17404.
Pinball Reference Guide. New booklet lists nearly
2,500 pinball games with over 200 manufacturers
and dates ofintroduction. Special notes and other
information. $7.95 postpaid plus sales tax if C a li­
fornia resident. The Mead Company, 21176 S.
Alameda Street, Long Beach, CA 90810.
Acorn gumball machine lids and globe rings,
twenty sets, $25 postpaid. Goodspeed, 500 West
King, York, PA 17404.
Columbus gumball machine literature. Reprints
of catalog, price and parts list. $2 plus stamp.
Goodspeed, 500 West King, York, PA 17404.
Advance gumball machine parts. No globes. Send
list of wants. Goodspeed, 500 West King, York, PA
17404.
Trade Stim ulator collectors I have 20/30 unusual
trade stimulators for sale $150 up. List for SSAE.
Russell 2404 W. 111th St., Chicago 60655 (312-2333205)
Approximately 25 Seeburg 100 Jukes, models A ’s
B ’s C ’s G ’s R ’b K ’s etc. A ll in very nice original
cond. Plus a life time of original Seeburg 100
cabinet and mechanical parts to numerous to men­
tion. Send for list to Joe Rossi, P.O. Box 1846,
Bloomfield, N .J. 07003 or call 201-746-2255 or201485-9430.
Pinball collectors. A dd a payout to your bingo type
pinball game. Compact un it attaches easily.
Details SASE, photos $1,00. TILT, Box 391,
Hampton, V A 23669.
More new reel strips, Mills CC-537,539, Mills Gold
Awards, H igh Top Bonus strips, on buff, silver or
gold—$15-20 per set. SA SE for info on new items;
or 28<f stamps for information on complete line—
Dave Evans, 7999 Keller, C incinnati, Ohio 45243.
Marked cards and crooked dice from Old San
Francisco Card Co. Send $1 for descriptive list. G.
Foster 7389 Bush Lake Road, Edina, M N 55435.
Also buying old, unusual, or crooked gam bling
items of any type.
Columbus gumball pamphlet -3-part color. $5.95
Other literature also. G um ball machines for Bale.
One Penny Wonder, 805 Terraceview Lane, Wayzata, Minnesota 55391. 612-473-3871,
Trade stimulators, goose neck slots, some parts,
also side venders, all for sale. Call days, (312-2333205)
A Pictorial Guide of Collectable Jukeboxes.
Handy size to carry around to identify almost 80
collectable jukeboxes. Contains pictures, dimen­
sions, model name & date manufactured of each
jukebox. Invaluable! Only $5 ea, Jukebox Ju n c ­
tion, Box 1081, Des Moines, Iowa 50331.
Black Jack (21) reel tapes for gumball slot, 5 tapes,
'A inch wide, 63/i inchs long, $5.set ppd., Goods­
peed. 500 W King, York, PA 17404.
Imperial crane. Evans money wheel. Beautifully
restored. Also early Bally one ball "Victory Spe­
cial”. W ant Little Duke, Dutchess. R. Bond, 24892
del Monte, Laguna Hills, C A 92653. (714)831-8008.
M ills Ferris Wheel, $1,200. Wurlitzer 500, $1,100.
Gabels Jr. Humbolt, $850. Bally Gayety Bingo,
$800. A1 or Rae Martal, c/o Jukebox Connection,
P.O. Box 2819. Mission Viejo, CA 92690. (714) 7683029.
Seeburg 100B jukebox mirror set for around grill
(Vi" x 1" mirror squares on cloth backing), $30. R.
Shaw, 1142 Scotland Drive, Cupertino, California
95014.
Slots! Jennings Standard Chief, Mills Golden
Falls, Peanut machines—Columbus, Masters.
S.A.S.E. Phil Balkan, 5860 Tobias Avenue, Van
Nuys, CA 91411. Also buy same, price, describe.
Beautiful sterling silver slot machine charms,
$9.00 each postpaid. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Send check to The Jewel Belle, 1622 Milts Avenue,
North Muskegon, Michigan 49445.
Premium penny drop, Ken Rubin Book, page 51,
extremely rare. Make offer. (312) 233-3205. Also
other rare machines.
Quality reproduction award cards for trade stimu­
lators. Over 50 to choose from. Sixteen new addi­
tions. More to follow. Also poker machine reel
s trip B . Send 28<P S.A.S.E. for list. Bill Whelan, Box
617, Daly City, California 94015.
Give the gift this ChriBtmas that will be enjoyed
all year long—a gift subscription to Loose
Change, We'll send a beautiful gift card. A ll you
have to do is aend us your name and address and
the names and addresses of those who are to
receive the gift subscriptions and enclose $22 for
each one. Effective with the December 1979 issue
subscription rates will go up to $25, so hurry and
beat the deadline! Nora Mead, Loose Change Gift
Subscriptions, 21176 S. Alameda Street, Long
Beach, CA 90810.
•WANTED
78 R.P.M, Vogue picture records. Will pay $25
each. Algo I buy and sell any kind of gambling
items. Jim Aufenthie, 27 - 9th Avenue N.E.,
Rochester, MN 55901.
Watling Treasury cabinet complete buy or trade
for complete Rol-A-Top cabinet, Jennings Stand­
ard Chief silver dollar cabinet or dollar entrance
frame. Yeager Restorations, 7090 W. 5th Ave.,
Lakewood, Colorado 80226. 303-233-9298.
Front door for Caille Aristocrate Counter Roulette
-see page 98 Volume 2 Bueschel 100 Most Collecta­
ble Slots. Cash box and back door for W atling Case for Caille Cadet -see page 111, from the same
volume above. W.L. Bishop, Rt. #1, Middletwon,
MD 21769. 301-371-5261.
Original unused set of Mills 10-stop reel strips. I
have many other original unused Mills reel strips
to trade or name your price. J ack Prince, 491 Ever­
green Dr., Tonawanda, NY 14150. (716) 694-3254,
M in t (repro) punch cards for Mills “Tickette”. 360
card a s s o r t m e n t (enough to fill machine compart­
ment). $12.00 ppd. Bill Whelan, Box 617, Daly
City, California 94015.
Seeburg 147M two (2) white domes. Two (2) upper
plastic comers for Rock-Ola Master 40. W rite or
call A1 or Rae Mattal, c/o Jukebox Connection,
P.O. Box 2819, Mission Viejo, CA 92690. (714) 7683029,
Slot machine reel stripB. Have Mills, Jennings,
W atling, Pace, award cards, decals, springs, m an­
uals. $1 puts you on my m ailing list. Ja y Mihelich,
1622 Mills, N. Muskegon, MI 49445. (616) 744-9214,
BackglasB for 1952 Gottlieb Quartette. Also inter­
ested in early arcade games. Send list and color
photos (photos returned). J.R. Hill, 220 S. State,
Westerville, Ohio 43081.
M ills Check Boy, Bally Reliance, wooden Zeno,
Sm ilin Sam from Alabam . Send $1 per photo to
Bob Cook, 1500 W, Fairmount, #205, Long View,
Texas, 75601.
Flat glass wanted for Bally Double-Up console,
1947 Series, 5<t machine, also wiring diagram
needed, J.H . Mikoski, South 3725 Stone, Spokane,
Washington 99203.
Bingo machine—United’s “Mexico” restored to
excellent condition, $450. Peter Graulich, 212
Union M ill Road, R.D. #l,Mt. Laurel, N.J. 08054.
(609) 234-0849 or (609) 234-1742 leave message.
Gambling memorabilia. Seeking quality items
depicting gambling, poker, and playing cards:
catalogs, books, postcards, poker chips and gam­
bling equipment. Especially interested in buying
or trading antique American playing cards. Sim­
ilar collectors please write Leonard Schneir, 184 6th Avenue, N.Y.C., NY 10013.
1935 Model P-30 Wurlitzer jukebox completely res­
tored, $2,000. 1899 Peerless 44-note nickel piano
with seven rolls, $2,000. Richard Gager, 315Maple
Avenue, Ridgway. PA 15853. (814) 776-1493,
(MISCELLANEOUS
Space Invaders by Midway (any condition—
prefer not working). Price and description first let­
ter. Peter Graulich, Union Mill Road, R.D. ffl, Mt.
Laurel, N J 08054. (609) 234-0849 or (609) 234-1742
leave message.
Buy-sell-trade: if it is operated by a coin regardless
of condition. All types of coin operated machines.
Porte, mechanisms, cabinets, speatera, machines
Johnny Cash and Eddie Arnold 78 R.P.M. records
for jukebox. Ed Weidner, 315! - 21st Avenue,
Sacramento, CA 95820. Weekdays: (916) 452-6123.
LOOSE
CHANGE
UNLIMITED
RET U RN S THE F U N
OF YESTERDAY—
& INVESTS IN T O M O R R O W
(A ll at the drop of a coin)
\
N
N
O u r beautiful VOest Los flngeles showroom
houses a magnificent selection of slot ma­
chines, juke boxes, pinballs, electronic
video games, brass cash registers,
barber chairs, trade stimulators ad­
vertising pieces, gumball machines,
arcade machines, old-style Boca-Bola
machines, antique-style ceiling fans,
wrought iron wine and bakers rakes, street
lamps and other unique decorator items, some
dating back to the turn of the century. Cach is
a piece of history and an excellent investment,
and what’s more, c you
enjoy.
,
'A
/
A
(Dm/t/ 10-6, Sun 11-5, Pn. IO-Q
3 "Blocks VQest O f T h Antique Quild
K
G a m e s U n lim it e d
9059 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034 {213)836-8920
Pizzazz — Razzmatazz — and all that Jazz!
The Electric Light Speakers™ w e build deliver the show ! Im agine this: a h a nd cra fte d solid oa k cabinet
— hours o f sanding, stqjtning, sealing, finishing and polishing to deliver the best in o ak furniture; a d d
to it illum inated tri-coloured plastics, a colorful flo ra l center glass panel a n d hundreds o f illum inating
bubbles flo a ting up the flo w e r stems. Enclosed in all that p iz z a z z and ra z z m a ta z z is the jazz. This
M o d e l P-580 is a tw o w a y system consisting o f tw o Altec 8-inch full ra n ge speakers and tw o phenolic
tweeters. It can be used as a com pact stereo speaker w ith 30 -w a tts per channel o r a heavy d u ty one
channel unit w ith 6 0 -w a tts and 4-ohms in parallel.
A n ITque Juke B o x C o .
2 2 2 2 East W ashington Boulevard •
Los Angeles, C alifo rn ia 90 0 2 1
•
OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY - 9:00 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. CLOSED SUNDAY
( 2 1 3 ) 5 8 9 -5 9 0 5