Expert: Rodger Knutson - 9/11/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello Roger, I have this old fortune scale that is penny operated and I cannot find any info on it.The condition is pretty good there are a few nicks here and there it still works.The back top panel is missing the bottom back panel is there and it has a lock to retrieve the money. If you can help please try.It was made by American scale company washington dc Thanks, chris from goddard kansas

ANSWER: Hi Chris,
If you read about me and a few past scale questions, you must know how I don't like answering these scale questions because I have been blasted in my feed back here at all experts about scales in the past. But I do love to help you and others so here we go. Your photo doesn't show much, but I figured it out, it's an American Scale Model 403 by the looks of it. I take it that this photo is of the back of the machine. This Model 403 was made in 1950. This scale should have something interesting. The model 403 had a dropped the Penny back feature, and had 12 coin slots on top, by months. Pick you birth month and get a reading on the drum wheel. The penny return cup is covered with a plate that says "In what month were you born?". The value guide only gives it's value as $120.00 but this is only a guide and it could sell for a little more. There are two other models that look like yours also, the values of these other two, is only $100.00 in the guide. I hope the information has or is helpful to you.
Sincerely
Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com

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QUESTION: I do not know why only the back picture came through I resent you a front picture so you can post it on the site. Thanks for your insight into this, I sure thought it would be worth more than that but I realize it is only a guide. Are these fortune scales somewhat rare or are they around?

Answer
Hi Cris,

I got the photo OK, this is the first photo anyone has posted like this for me on all experts, it must me a new feature they added, it's a neat idea. We "do" have the right machine. I have had a lot of question on this model so I think there is a good many of them out there. The guide value is what it is, a guide, but I tend to disagree with it also, it might be that there are not a lot of demand for scales, the Lolly pop type scales bring in the most dollars. I have a scale myself, different then yours and it is valued at a hunded or two more then yours, but I wouldn't sell mine for the guides value. I wouldn't take less then $600.00 for mine no matter what the guide reads. Yours is neat as it has a kind of gambling feature which is way cool. I would ask what you want for it, and stick with it. The real value in these antiques is determined in what the seller is willing to sell it for, and what the buyer is willing to pay for it. This goes with all these antique coin operated items.
Thank You
Sincerely
Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com