Coin Slot Magazine - #020 - 1976 - September [International Arcade Museum]
CURRENT SCENE
By Bob Rosenberger
Prices of coin-operated machines in the past year have strongly
shown that condition contributes heavily to the value of a machine.
Top condition, more common machines have almost invariably
sold for more money than scarcer machines in poor condition. It
becomes obvious, therefore, that one of the best ways of increasing
both the economic and aesthetic value of a machine is to improve its
condition. And I assert that a perfectly restored machine is as it was
when it was first set up for operation - no worse - AND NO
BETTER! To try to change a machine from its original mechanical
and physical condition is to customize it. And I believe that does
the machine an injustice.
For example, the Jennings Little Duke slot machine originally
was painted with dull, flat paint and not shiny enamel paint. Yet,
almost every repainted Little Duke that I have ever seen has had
shiny paint on it. I believe that this is no more of a restoration than
metal-flaking the finish on a Corvette automobile. Many of the old
machines had rather primitive, fragile mechanisms that wobbled,
clanked and frequently jammed. While this was an obvious annoy
ance to the operator, a proper restoration should maintain these
original
imperfections. If you improve the mechanism, you have
customized and not restored the machine. I don't want to imply
that we should be as fanatical about restorative authenticity as are
many automobile collectors. As long as we match as closely as
possible the original appearance of a machine, I don't think that it's
important whether the original kind of paint was used or not. While
an original metal piece is always preferable to a newly recast one the
recast piece is perfectly acceptable as long as it looks and performs
like the original. Microscopic duplication is ridiculous!
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d fro de-mus
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rca
nloa w.a celebration
The Bicentennial
must have caused a run on red,
w
o
D
w among collectors. If I see another red, white
w
/
white and blue
paint
/
:
http War Eagle Slot Machine, I think I'll get sick.
and blue Mills
Finally, wood refinishing is something that everyone seems to
do, but very few do properly. Violano-Virtusos, Encore Banjos,
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