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Expert: - 1/9/2011


Question
Hello.  My husband is ready to sell his Bally nickel slot machine, and we're trying to figure out an asking price.  The numbers on the side plate are 945-1 and BJG-116.  It has a manual pull-arm and all the lights and bell seem to work.  He doesn't know what year it is, but purchased it used in the mid-90's and paid $350 for it.  We would appreciate any help you could give us as to it's year, anything notable about it, and a starting asking price.  We would like to sell it in the next several months, though we're not in a terrible hurry.  Thank you very much, we really appreciate your help, as we're not having any luck using the internet to help us answer these questions.

Answer

1972 Bally Classic Mod
Hi there Jaclyn,

Thank you for providing good information on this machine. I'll attach some information as a photo to this answer just to make sure we have the right machine. It is possible that you could have a little different game in you machine as Bally would come out with a model like yours, the model M945 and use different game kits in it. Yours was made in 1972, to find the exact date it was made right to the day it was made, look along the very top of your serial/Model number plate. You will see three hand stamped sets of numbers, like 05    27    72,  this would be the date it rolled of the line: 05-27-1972. He got him self a super deal when he bought this for $350.00 back in the mid 90's. At that time this machine was listed in a price guide for 1997 to 1998 as having a value of 850.00 to 1,100.00. Even then I seen machines of this type selling for more then that, in the 1,200.00 to 1,400.00 range was not uncommon at all. Now times are different, and the real value has today is a lot lower then this. Machine like this still sell in a range of 450.00 to 800.00 by a home seller. I do see them with prices higher then that and maybe a couple do sell over time and in a retail store, but if you want to sell your machine expect it to sell in the 500.00 to 800.00 range unless you want to keep trying to sell it, and waiting for the unaware high dollar buyer to walk in. I hope this gives you some understanding of how the market is today, but I believe it will change. I believe, now that casino's are using all cashless machines which would not be wanted in a gameroom, as much as an antique machine that pays out in real coins would. Supply and demand, I think will shove the value of these cash paying slot machine up in the future, way up. Yours is nice as it's the classic model, meaning it is much smaller, and has a smaller foot print then the huge wide body machines that followed the 0 to 900 model series Bally Slot Machines.

Thank You

Rodger
http://www.coinslots.com
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThank you so much! I'm sure you know, this information is so valuable to a person who knows nothing on the subject. What a service you do in volunteering your time and expertise. Thanks!


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Rodger Knutson

Expertise

I am an expert on old coin operated machines, slot machines, trade stimulator's, jukeboxes, old arcade machines, etc. I have been identifying these for people who respond to my web site listed below, for a few years now. In almost all cases I am able to tell them about their old coin operated machines, the year, the value, and other general information about their machines. I do not know much about soda vending machines, coin banks, or scales, but I will try to help you with these if I can. Please email photo's to: jackpot7@ix.netcom.com My web site is at: http://www.coinslots.com

Experience

I bought my first slot machine, a .50 Cent Mills Black Cherry in 1969 and have been hooked from that time, I still have that Slot machine! Before that I found a open barrel full of old scraped jukebox wall boxes behind a restaurant, I wanted them all but never took a one of them. Anything that took a coin drove me nuts!

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