Expert: Rodger Knutson - 1/9/2011

Question
Don't have a way of sending a picture.  I believe it is cast iron and made by Groetchen Mfg. Co.  It is green and has three reels with cigarette packs on them (Lucky Strike Packs are green in color).  The base is 6 1/2 by 8 1/4. top is round.  Key hole and 2 keys is in the back.  There is a JO 4 on the bottom.JO 3
inside back cover, JO 2 inside on right and JO-5-8 inside on bottom. I would appreciate any info you have on this, Thank you

Answer
Hi Nancy,

Sorry but there is just not enough information here for me to even make a good guess at witch model of machine this is. By what you give me here, I can tell you it is called a Trade Stimulator, and having cigarette packs on the reels tells me that is was maybe used in a Tobacco store or a bar. Groetchen tool company made many different models of trade stimulator's, as did several other companies, hundreds of them!. These were made to do just what they're called, to stimulate trade. You could buy a pack of smokes for your nickel or play this machine and maybe win two, or 4, or 20 packs. They made the same machine with beer mugs on the reel strips, and in the same way, you could win a beer at the bar you played this machine in, or win 5 beers, or if your unlucky like I am you could just go away broke and thirsty. Most trade stimalators had to be in a location where you could play it and if you had a winning roll, you would then show the outcome to the innkeeper to receive your reward. Some even dispensed a token for the grand reward which you would turn over to the innkeeper to collect the reward. The JO numbers that you found in the machine are just casting numbers and doesn't tell us anything about it. I am reasonably sure that this is not cast iron as it doesn't sound to me like it's a turn of the century model of trade stimulator. Put a magnet on the outside of the machine, like the center of the casting somewhere to find out for sure. Most are made with cast aluminum or pot metal. Isn't there a name on it somewhere?, like Liberty, or imp, or something?

Thank You

Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com