Expert: Rodger Knutson - 3/8/2009

Question
QUESTION: Rodger-
My brother passed away and in going through his garage came across a machine (approximate 2 1/2' X 3' and about 50 lbs.)with a bunch of silver balls in it. It kind of looks like a pinball machine but has no coin slot and no legs. It has a glass front and a key hole and in the back it has wiring and plastic troughs that looks like where the balls collect. Some words on the front are NISHIJIN, Super DX, and King Gorira that is near a plastic gorilla. The writing on a sticker inside is in Chinese(?). He did have a pinball machine once and talked about a "pinocchio" machine. It looks to be in decent shape except it is very, very dusty and dirty.
Any idea on what it is, if it is rare, or just toss it?
Thanks,
Jim

ANSWER: Hi Jim,

First, let me say, I am SO sorry about your loss of your brother, I lost my one and only older brother also, a few years back. If I allow myself to even think about it I cry like it was yesterday. Sorry for you loss my friend. As to the Pinocchio, its a tosser. Maybe worth 50 bucks on a good day. I would donate it and grab a tax receipt for two or three hundred as they once went for. These were real casino machines in china, you bought a bucket of ball barrings, and played, when you had enough of all that noise you sold what you had left or won, back to the operator at the door. The machines would pay you like 15 ball bearings for a hole shot or something. They were lined up in rolls back to back with a workers walkway behind, for the workers to refill the payout trays as the games were were being played. when you returned your balls for pay, they would give you a scrip ticket or toy, then you would take that down the street to a payout center where you would trade what you got for money. Gambling is illegal there, so this is how they got around it. You left the casino with your scrip or prize and traded that for cash at a trade center, very cleaver we are. Hope you find thin interesting.
Thank you
Cheers
Rodger Knutson
http://www.conslots.com

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QUESTION: Thanks for your condolences- he was in his early 40s and my only brother also.
This machine sounds like it is/was common but when I search for "pinocchio machine" nothing comes up that really matches. Is there another name for these types of machines?
Thanks for your quick reply,
Jim

Answer
Jim,

There were many different models an designs, hundreds of different ones and these came to the U.S.A. by the container load, models forever changing, so finding one to match might never happed. You could send me a photo of it if you like and I could tell you for sure if it is one. But if there is a lever and you can rapid fire ball barrings up into the play field to bounce down all the pins, and if one goes in a special hole and it pays you 15 or so ball barrings, then it meet the test, it looks, plays, and acts like one, it must be one. They were big and heavy, had a tray up top in the back you poured balls into to load the game. These started to go away about 5 to 7 years ago so you might not run across very many. They were replaced by newer games, like pyslow's.
Rodger