This information provided via the courtesy of Vintage Slots of Colorado, Inc.

If you have an antique coin machine and want to sell it, please send me an email. If I am not interested in it, I will forward your email to a collector who probably is.


The following information is the web version of Coin Op on CD which was a book all about antique coin machines and it was distributed on a CD-ROM. This book was written in 1995 and sold in 1996. Please take this into consideration when reading the articles. There are no plans to come out with version 2. However, we do plan on periodically updating the information on the web version.
The CD version of the book has pricing information as well as a dealer directory. Since the prices are out of date and many of the dealers/collectors may no longer be collecting the machine we have purposely left this information out of the web version. However, we do keep in contact with many dealers and collectors who are actively buying and selling machines and would be happy to put you in touch with one if you have a machine you are looking to sell.

If you are looking to purchase an antique coin machine you may also send me an email and I will put you in touch with a reputable dealer. Odds are, I will not be selling the machine you are looking for (since I rarely sell any machines).


Go To A Coin Machine Show
By Dick Bueschel

Okay, let's assume that you've read this column before-or are hooked on a first time read-and you want to see what vintage coin machines look like as well as get an idea of their value. The quickest way to get acclimated is to go to a coin-op show. Are there such things? You bet there are, but they aren't promoted as antique shows. More likely than not they are called collectible shows, or 50s Juke Box shows. It's a little hard to call these events true antique shows as so many of the artifacts shown are from the fifties and sixties. But there is always a smattering of older machines, so just about any of these events will give you the fact finding fix you need to learn if you are more than a little interested in this stuff.
I went to a delightful "little" show called Milwaukee's Fabulous 50's Fun Fair Coin-Op and Collectible Show on Sunday, October 6, 1991, and a quick synopsis of what I saw there will give you an idea of what you might find on a visit to such events. Coin machine collector and dealer Jim Welytok of Sussex, Wisconsin, put it together. It was his first effort, and it was a bit risky as shows had previously been run in Milwaukee with rather poor results and attendance. But Jim did the job right, and advertised like crazy. That pulled in 40 dealers for starters, and a crowd all day long. Dealers called it a good selling show, and buyers felt that things were realistically priced. You can't ask for much more. I took these pictures around 4pm, or long after the crowds had gone and about two hours before closing, and you can still see packed aisles. The advantage of such events is that you get a chance to see just about everything, from pinball games and juke boxes to scales and payout slots, not to mention vending, arcade and trade stimulators. And you quickly learn that there are pricey machines as well as low cost entry level items. That's one thing about coin machines as a collectible; there's a price level for everybody, and plenty of room for "serious" (a pushy word used by some dealers meaning Beeeg Feelthy Rich Spenders) collectors. Unlike Tiffany and art, where everything is expensive, coin ops offer niches for everybody, both by interest and cost.
There are a lot of shows coming up, too, including the biggest one in the country. The Chicagoland Antique Advertising, Slot Machine and Juke Box Show will be held at the Mega Center at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, Illinois, on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24, and will repeat again in the spring of 1992 on Saturday, April , 11 and Sunday, April 12 and every April and November after that. The Chicagoland Show is probably the largest collectible show in the country underroof and the show where dealers buy, with over 400 dealers in two buildings. You can see just about any and everything ever made at this twice a year coin-op bash, and see new machines show after show. There are other shows coming up, too, so if you have the chance to hit one or more of them they are well worth your time.
A rundown for the next few months gives you plenty to choose from:
The Chicagoland Show, November 23 and 24, St. Charles, IL. Call Steve Gronowski at 1-708-381-1234 for show information.
The New Jersey Collectibles Extravaganza, November 29 through December 1, Edison, NJ. Call Gary Sohmers at 1-508-568-0856 for show information.
Nostalgia Show and Sale, January 18, 1992, Willow Grove, PA. Call Nadia Promotions at 1-215-643-1396 for show details.
And Jim Welytok of Unique Events is going to repeat his Milwaukee show next year, so if you want the details give him a call at 1-414-246-7171.
Just to let you know, our mail is on the climb, so we have some interesting questions this time around.
Q. - This is my 1959 juke box in working condition, although it needs some adjustments as the lights and basket are out of sync. I would like to know the value in A1 condition pending the repair of everything. J.H., McMinnville, TN.
A. - Nice juke box you've got there, and in very nice cosmetic condition. It's the Wurlitzer 2304 (104 selections) or 2310 (100 selections; they're hard to tell apart) of 1959 in the stereophonic mode. The companion model was the 2300 that had 200 selections, but it's easy to identify as it has the selection list running from the bottom to almost the top of the glass. This is an interesting machine as it is Wurlitzer's first true stereo model. In fact, in came in both mono and stereo models to be sure to meet the needs of all of the operators, including the ones that were afraid of the new sound (and its cost!). A1 dealer "for sale" values are in the $1,200 to $1,400 range, but if you are selling it you should expect to get about half that. I'll bet it sounds great!
Q. - I would like to know the value of the two machines pictured. One is a Haverhill DuGrenier Massachusetts 1 gum machine, and the other is a 1 Rock-Ola FOUR ACES BALL GUM VENDER made in Chicago. D.M., Waterford, MI.
A. - I love things like this, because they obviously came out of the woodwork. The vender is a DuGrenier of around 1938, usually found with Adams Gum graphics. While it is a very nice thirties piece I think you will find the value a little disappointing. In the very fine book Silent Salesmen by Bill Enes, he lists it as a flat $50 in prime condition. Yours, with a replacement glass as the product graphics are missing, is probably valued at about half that.
But you're in the money on your second piece, the Rock-Ola FOUR ACES with its ball gum window over the four jackpots. Rockola made the machine in 1931 after they had produced 3-JACKS in 1930 and FIVE JACKS early in 1931. The FOUR ACES was a uniquely Rockola piece (the others had many copycat versions) and was off the market in less than a year. Values are from $245 to $650 depending on condition, and whether you are selling or buying. But that gumball window adds another $100 to the value either way, so you've got the best of an odd lot.
If you are interested in vending machines, such as your DuGrenier, you might also be interested in the Bill Enes book. It's called Silent Salesmen, An Encyclopedia of Collectible Gum, Candy and Nut Machines. Cost is $29.95 plus $3 postage direct from the author, Bill Enes, 8520 Lewis Drive, Lenexa, KS 66227.
Q. - I have recently become involved in the hobby of antique slot machine collecting. I was wondering if I may call on you for some advice as to acquiring and repairing slot machines from the '30s on up to the '50s. I am also curious as to which publications would be most helpful in locating and acquiring machines and parts for Mills, Jennings, Caille or any other machines? T.V., Pacifica, CA.
A. - Whoa, big questions. But good ones, so let's tackle it. As for advice on finding, you're off to a good start with this issue of Antique Week and other antique publications of similar ilk. Look at the back, in the classified ads, under classification 66 "Coin Operated Machines." Usually there are 2 or 3 ads for vintage machines there, and I hope there are some this issue to make the point. Another place is at shows, as mentioned earlier in this column. Then there are also the major fanzines of coin-op collecting, including Coin-Op Classics, Gameroom, Coin Drop International, Jukebox Collector, The Pin Game Journal and others. We'll fill you in on their addresses and cost in an upcoming column. Getting one or more of these fanzines will go a long way toward answering all of your questions, and get you right into the swing of the hobby.
Copyright Richard M. Bueschel, 1991