Expert: Rodger Knutson - 8/6/2008

Question
I have three slot machines I am trying to get a price on.
They are:

1933 10 Cent Mills Castle Front Slot  (it works)

50 Cent Mills Golden Falls Cherry (1946 I think) (it is jammed)

5 Cent O. D. Jennings Quality Mints  (it is jammed)

I have been told that it really doesn't matter that much if they are jammed.  They can be fixed easily. I get different answers from different people, so I really need an expert to tell me like it really is.

I believe they are the originals and not restored, but again, I just don't know.

They all have keys.

I have tried to get info on the web, but there is so much out there and no one really agrees with the other. One person told me that the 50 cent machine was more desirable and then another told me it was the least desirable?

Anyway, any help you could give me would be very much appreciated.

Regards,

Sandy

Answer
Hi Sandy,
You have so many questions here that I had to wait before I had the time to research everything and get it all together to give you an answer to your questions, so sorry for the short delay. First off, if they are just coin jams, it's a very easy fix. Now, by your photo's all your machines have been restored at some time, well at least the out side of them as we have no photo's of the in sides. But, there is no question to the outsides being restored, they all have been restored. #1, Mills .10 cent "BLUE FRONT" Made between 1937 & 1942" Also called Castle Front by some. This is a "SJPLC" (Single Jackpot Light Cabinet) machine. That is way it's real name is Blue Front and dated 37 to 42, and not 1933. OK Value, one old guide gives it a value of 1,200.00 1.300.00, a later one gives a value range of 1,270.00 to 1,850.00. Here is where all the confusion comes to play, these don't have Blue Books, just guides for values. They are all worth what the seller is willing to take for it and what the buyer is willing to pay for it, nothing is in stone, no black and white, just guide to guide you as to values. OK, that being said my personal observations I see these selling in the range of 1,000.00 to 1,3000.00 in places like auctions and ebay, in antique shops I see asking prices of 1,800.00 for them. Your is a dime, not good, and also doesn't have extra feature called a god award, has the single jackpot instead of the double, all this makes it just a little less desirable but not much except the dime is not good. My guess for a start price to add to your confusion about values, 1,400.00 to 1,600.00 retail, but this without seeing if the inside has been restored also, but I am guessing it has. OK, there's number one.

#2, Golden Falls, Something looks funny to me on this one, it's restored but I don't believe the colors are right, The award card is not right and I believe a reproduction, it's also missing a casted cheery above the jackpot. One other thing the coin head is very strange to me, I have seen a lot of .50 mills machines but this is a little strange looking and different then the one I have seen and owned. A long shot here but I am thinking that this machine is a Bakers Revamp of 1945 to 48. Baker took old slot machines and made Blue Fronts and Golden Falls machines out of them to update the looks of old machines but Baker did there thing between 1945 and 1948 and the golden falls was made between 1946 and 1948? So, maybe we have a little mystery here, or it's just me. It doesn't really matter as the value's are going to be around the same. This is a .50 machine which the collectors like very much, but collectors don't like restored machines, they want them in original condition so they look there age, and not something that looks brand new. Regular buyers of a slot machine mostly want a quarter game so they can make a killing with quarters. Sandy I am going to have to give you my guess as to value now on this one to give you close figures as to it's value, I would say from 1,800.00 to 2,250.00 retail although I wouldn't give you that for it. It's way to new looking for me and i bought one just the other day anyway, a .50 Mills, but not a golden falls. I gave you a low figure of 1,800.00 because it is a half dollar machine, so I started it at 1,800.00 and went up from there. If I had it in an antique shop, I might put 2,495.00 on it. Some people would ask more, some less, as values one these are just a guide.

WOW, yet another one #3

To Be continued.........
Sandy I have to run and I can't get to this one right now, I will return and revise your questions here, and we will talk about this one OK?
Sorry
Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com
Rodger