Antique Slot Machines We Are Always Looking To Buy!

During the course of any week we get numerous requests for all kinds of vintage slot machines.  Sometimes we are lucky enough to find the machine in a week or so, but sometimes it can take years! Starting in 2012 we have started to keep a more detailed database of peoples request. So, if there is something special you have been searching for and would like to be added to our contact list, please email or call us.

So what are some of the types of machines we have clients looking for?

Watling Rol-A-Top Slot Machine

Watling Treasury Slot Machine

We currently have a strong need for any type of Watling Rol-A-Top or Rol-A-Tor slot machines. Watling made quite a few different variations of the famous Rol-A-Top from the early 1930’s to the early 1950’s. The Rol-A-Top came in penny through half dollar play and we are interested in them all. Watling also made a machine called the Treasury which is similar to the Rol-A-Top.  The Treasury is another machine we are looking for. Any upright or cast iron Watling machine manufactured from the 1880’s to 1920’s is also high on our want list!

Superior Confections Slot Machine

Superior Mystery Slot Machine

The next manufacturer is one that many people are not that familiar with, Superior Confections. Based out of Ohio during the 1930’s this company made a number of great looking slot machines and trade stimulators. If you have any machine with the Superior Confections name on it, please let us know!

Jennings Century Slot Machine

Jennings Prospector / Monte Carlo

Jennings Victoria A / Witch or Black Cat

O.D. Jennings made lots of different slot machines from the teens into the 1960’s. We are immediate buyers for the following O.D. Jennings models, the Witch, Chief, Tri-Plex, Buckaroo, Prospector, Monty Carlo, Sweepstakes, Baseball, Golf Ball, Golf-a-Rola,  Peacock, Century, Sun Chief and Airplane. Any Jennings machine in a tall cabinet is always something we are strong buyers on as well!

Caille Naked Lady Slot Machine

Caille The Operators Bell

Caille Brothers of Detroit, MI made some magnificent machines from the 1880’s into the 1930’s. We are strong buyers of ANY machine made by this company up until the 1920’s. Any upright Caille in a tall oak cabinet is something we can offer a lot of money for! If the machine is small or sits on a counter top and has a single or double wheel or dice associated with it, we can make you an aggressive offer for it! Any Caille machine that says Liberty Bell or Operator Bell is greatly wanted. If the Caille machine has images of a woman or two women, we are also strong buyers!

Pace Kitty

Pace Races Horse Race Slot Machine

Pace Royal Comet

Pace Manufacturing was a great company that made machines during the 1920’s until the 1960’s. Their peak probably occurred during the late 1940’s and 1950’s but our primary area of interest is machines with the names Kitty or Royal Comet. Pace also made a golf ball machine and a horse race machine call Paces Races.   We have clients who are waiting for these wonderful machines.

Mills Novelty Baseball Slot

Mills Novelty Dewey Double Upright

Mills Novelty Futurity Slot Machine

Mills Novelty Golf Ball Vender Slot

Mills Novelty of Chicago, IL was the largest maker of coin operated machines during the early and mid 20^th Century. Any Mills machine in a tall oak cabinet with a single, double or triple wheel is wanted. Mills Liberty Bell and Operator Bell machines are also greatly desired! Any Mills machine that is cast iron that was made before 1920 is in high demand. Mills made so many great machines it’s hard to list them all. Specifically a dice machine from the 1930’s is needed, Mills Baseball and golf ball machines are also in high demand. Un-restored Mills Roman Head, Lion Front and War Eagle’s are also needed. The Mills Futurity and any Mills machine that has the Bonus feature is needed. Rounding out the list, any QT machine is something we would like as well.

Chas Fey Liberty Bell Slot Machine

Other machines top on our list are anything made by Fey, specifically the Fey Liberty Bell. Watling, Caille and Mills roulette machines are also something we can pay a substantial amount of money for. This will hopefully give you a great idea of what the Nation’s Attic and our customer’s desire.  While I’m sure we are forgetting some key machines, this is just a general list.  Please feel free to call 316-371-1828 or email slots@nationsattic.com anytime.

Are you covered? by Jenny Creekmore

Jennings Sun Chief After Being Pulled From Hurricane Katrina Flood Waters

We receive phone calls and emails from collectors asking about antique slot machine appraisals for insurance purposes.  I thought this would be an excellent blog topic as it usually is not discussed.

Whether you have one or numerous slot machines, it is important to know if your antique is covered by your homeowners insurance or collectors insurance.  In a lot of cases (but not all), insurance companies may require a professional appraisal in order for your machine to be covered. 

This is a service that the Nation’s Attic offers for a minimal fee. 

One option that is available is the historical report, which provides detailed facts and interesting trivia about a single machine.  The second option pertains more to a collection, which is a condensed version.  Both options include the replacement value and are printed on our business letterhead. 

We have seen antique slot machines come into our shop, because it has been destroyed by flood, fire, hurricane, tornado’s, burglars and so forth.  It might be worth a phone call to your insurance agent to verify your antique slot machine(s) is covered with your policy.  If a professional appraisal is indeed needed, please feel free to contact the Nation’s Attic at slots@nationsattic.com or 316-371-1828.

Why is that glass so NASTY? by Jenny Creekmore

1933 Mills Novelty Roman Head Jackpot With Original Laminated Glass

When I was first learning how to repair and restore antique slot machines I asked Don “Why in the world is that glass so NASTY?”    I am referring to the various areas of the slot machine that utilize glass, such as the reel window, escalator and jackpot.  This can be seen in the slot machines manufactured during the 1930’s to 1950’s.

The glass may look very dirty and in most cases cannot be seen through.  It may look yellow or brown and could even have a flaking appearance.  No matter how many times it is cleaned externally, it will not come clean.  

1937 O.D. Jennings 4 Star Chief Reel Window Glass Obscured By Delamination

Don explained to me what happened to the glass and why this was occurring.  I was surprised by the answer and it is something we do get asked frequently.  

So here is the answer!

The glass used was an early form of laminated safety glass.  Over time, the early form of plastic used to make the laminated safety glass would deteriorate or break down leaving the nasty appearance described above.  Sometimes the fused glass can be separated and cleaned with lots and lots of elbow grease.  However, in most cases, the glass simply needs to be replaced and cannot be salvaged. 

We are only aware of one other form of safety glass being used during those times.  It is the jackpot wire glass used by Watling, which is prized by collectors today.

Original 1937 Watling Rol-A-Top Jackpot Wire Glass

I hope you find this bit of trivia to be as interesting as I do.
Jenny Creekmore

Mills Novelty Antique Slot Machine Restoration Video

We have been experimenting with some new software and thought we would post a short video. This shows some before and after photos of a Mills Novelty Castle Front slot machine we restored in 2011.

We have completed quite a few full restorations on Castle Front’s, but this one is quite drastic. It was coated in multiple layers of thick red paint on both the castings and the oak cabinet. The mechanism wasn’t too bad inside but did contain a bit of a surprise.

The reel strips were original except for the jackpot symbols or bars. Each bar had an old black and white photo of a half naked lady!  After asking the customer about it, we found out it was her mother! We saved the reel strips and “custom jackpot” images and sent them back with the restored machine.

In the future we will post videos of other notable slot machine restorations that proved to be extremely difficult or interesting.

My First Slot Machine! by Jenny Creekmore

Several years ago, Don and I were visiting with a fellow slot machine collector.  We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to look at his wonderful collection.  As we were looking at all of these unique machines, there it was, the slot machine that I knew we needed to have in our personal collection.  Unfortunately, this slot machine wasn’t for sale and I was quickly informed that not many of these machines had been manufactured.  Well frankly, it kind of busted my bubble, but just a little.   

I begged Don to find me one of these machines.  He told me that they were made by the Jennings Company and that they were made for less than two months.  He wanted to make sure that I understood it could take years to find a machine for sale.  So on occasion, I would ask him about my dream machine.  

Well, several years later….

Don came home and said, you won’t believe it, we have a chance to buy your slot machine.  So here it is, my very first slot machine that I purchased.  

Jennings Victoria A - AKA The Witch or Black Cat

It is my understanding that the operators back in the day called this machine the Black Cat.  The Jennings Company called this machine the Victoria Model A.  Today people refer to it as the Black Cat or the Witch. 

When the machine arrived home, I was just simply thrilled.  Our new machine looks aesthetically fantastic and is in perfect original condition.  Even the original fortune reel strips look perfect.  So here I go…I put my very first nickel into the machine and pulled the handle.  Boy howdy, the mechanism was groaning and growling like something was trying to get out of the witches cauldron.  I instantly asked Don, why the machine was so noisy.  He informed me that the machine was playing just fine and not to be alarmed.

The Jennings Company spent years developing a new mechanism.  The goal was to place the jackpot on the mechanism.  This was done for numerous reasons, of which, I hope to discuss in future postings.  The Jennings Company had great expectations for this slot machine with its new technology and look.  Unfortunately, around the same time, the Mills Company released the War Eagle.  The slot machine was not popular with the operators and the Jennings Company received negative feedback about the machine.  The Jennings Company quickly created the slot machine known as the Victoria Model B. So after less than two months of being manufactured, my wonderful and amazing Black Cat was no longer being made. 

A little bit ago, I played my machine and I hit three oranges.  The fortune says… “You’ll elope with, A country hick, Who’ll be your down-fall”  Just plain silly!  On a serious note, I am so privileged to own such a rare and unique slot machine.  I frequently get asked if I would sell my machine.  Perhaps one day, but not today.  The Witch and I are just having too much fun!

A Different Perspective On Antique Slot Machines – Coming Soon!

In an effort to provide readers with different stories and information about the business of buying, selling and restoring antique slot machines, Jenny Creekmore will be posting stories soon. Jenny is the co-owner of Nations Attic. She is in charge of the external restoration work on antique slot machines we restore. Having a woman’s view of the machines, their history and other topics of interest will be a unique opportunity.

As far as I know there are no other women in this specific industry doing the hands on detailed restoration work as their full time profession. Having a woman’s touch, especially in the detailed hand painting and woodworking, is a big plus!

So, please check back soon and enjoy both our perspectives on this fascinating hobby and our business!

Don Creekmore

Hey - I Have A 1910 Slot Machine!

1949 Mills High Top 7-7-7 25c Slot Machine

It seems like almost every week or so I receive a call from an excited individual telling me they have a slot machine from 1910! Typically these calls result in the owner describing a Mills Novelty slot machine from the 1930’s or 1940’s. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a machine from the 30’s or 40’s, it’s usually a bit of a disappointment to the owner that their machine is not quite as old as they thought.

So why do so many people think their slot machine was made in 1910? Typically slot machine manufactures did not put a date on their machines, inside or out. What they would do is put trademark or copyright information on certain parts of the machine that were designed by that particular company. Mills Novelty put a copyright date of 1910 under the jackpot bar which said Bell-Fruit-Gum on the reel strips. Mills Novelty kept that information on their reel strips well into the 1950’s. Below is a close-up of the reel strips on a Mills 7-7-7 High Top slot machine we restored. The copyright date is clear, but this machine was made in 1949.

1910 Copyright Date example on a Mills 1949 High Top 7-7-7

The reason I decided to write a brief blog about this was because of a call we received this past January. A wonderfully nice young lady called and immediately told me she had a 1910 Mills slot machine she was interested in selling. Before I could start into my well practiced diatribe of why her slot machine was not made in 1910 she said the following, “the machine says Operator Bell on the front”………

As a dealer and collector of slot machines there are a few key slot machine names that perk my ears up.  Notably Liberty Bell and Operators Bell will stop me in my tracks. As the owner described to me the machine, I knew she really did have a machine made in 1910! One of the wonderful things about being a full time professional dealer in a specialized field of antiques such as slot machines is getting calls like this. While this model is by no means the holy grail of slot machines, it is a special one!

The owner of the machine had found it at a garage sale on the east coast and was inquiring about its value. It always amazes me and sparks my imagination how these great old machines have survived all this time to then be turned up in a garage sale or behind a wall in an old house or building. Pre-World War 1 machines are difficult to find because they were usually made of cast iron and scrapped for their metal during both World War 1 and World War 2. They are also relatively fragile and once the cast iron case is broken, they were discarded.

After talking with the lucky lady who found this machine, we struck a deal. It was a real pleasure to do business with someone and share with them the excitement of finding an early and valuable slot machine like this one.  On occasion we will get calls on early slot machines made by Caille, Watling and Mills, but one that was made on that almost annoying date of 1910 was a real treat and a great start to our year. The machine is a very nice original example and one that will be a lifelong reminder not to cut people off when they tell me they have a 1910 slot machine!

As a side note, the holy grail of 3 reel slot machines is the Liberty Bell made by Fey in San Francisco, CA at the turn of the 20^th Century. By all means PLEASE CALL ME (Don Creekmore) at 316-371-1828 if you have one of these, I would love to sit it next to the Operator Bell!