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Coin Slot

Issue: 1978 September 044

Page 5 Text:

Coin Slot Magazine - #044 - 1978 - September [International Arcade Museum]
Let's Get Serious About Serials
A suggested approach to learning more about the machines we love
to learn more about.
Richard M. Bueschel
c/o Ladd/Wells/Presba Advertising Inc.
It has happened time and time again.
222 North Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60601
'
One of the very first
f
questions that any slot machine collector asks, whether seasoned or
neophyte, often relates to how many machines each manufacturer
made, when and in what models. It seems like a simple enough re
quest, and as we are all conditioned to the fact that manufacturing
concerns list their production figures and models we have learned to
expect such information. Many mail requests for information from
collectors carry the brief line; "tell me the dates of the Mi'ls serial
numbers and how many were assigned to each machine."
At the present time it is totally impossible to provide this infor
mation.
The reason is both complicated, and interesting. Tight
records are a result of tight corporate control, and the need to report
to somebody about the progress of a business. In the slot machine
business this restrictive covenant never existed. They all flew by
the seat of their pants. While most of the slot machine manufacturing
firms were incorporated to provide the financial and legal protection
afforded by state incorporation laws, not a one of them dispersed
their stock to the public until the Bally Corporation did just a few
years ago. Usually a single owner, or perhaps the family, held all the
stock and the stockholder's meetings generally consisted of someone
talking to himself, or a group of family members listening half-eared
to the guy in charge, followed by a discussion of a forthcoming
wedding or family picnic.
Records? Don't be silly. Who'd spend time doing that? Internal
records were kept, of course, if only to aid in materials planning and
dated identification. But these records were never made a part of the
public record.
Then, when the slot machine manufacturing firms
went out of business through natural attrition, or forcefully ended
com
.
m
:
u were lost, thrown out, or
when the laws were changed, m
the records
use someone is keeping a deep,
fro - Unless
perhaps even carefully e
destroyed.
m
d
e
d existing
dark secret there n are
loa no
rcad production records for Mills, Watling,
a
.
w
w Buckley, Superior, Silver King, Groetchen,
Caille, Pace,
Do Jennings,
/ww or any of the major coin machine producers.
/
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Daval, Keeney, tp Bally
ht If we are all seeking easy answers, we'll never know.
They don't exist.
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
r

Page 6 Text:

Coin Slot Magazine - #044 - 1978 - September [International Arcade Museum]
But there is a way to find out, and the machines themselves tell
us. In a careful application of Victorian industrial sense practically
all of the slot machine manufacturers put a serial number on their
machines. Well, on most machines, anyway. All we have to do is
take a look at all of the machines, compile lists, and pass them out
to any collectors who are interested. Think about that; on the surface
that's impossible! But there is a way to do it. The proposal is
THE COIN SLOT "Serial Number Clearing House." Take a look at
the form that follows this article. The idea is to have collectors send
in their serial numbers which in turn will be played back to all of
the readers of THE COIN SLOT. It'll take time to learn something,
but if we don't get started some time we'll never get this type of
knowledge assembled. So now is the time to get serious about serials,,
and get the final missing piece of slot machine history and identifica
tion started.
THE COIN SLOT will periodically run serial lists as supplied by
collectors.
Dick Bueschel has volunteered to compile the resulting
lists. Photos will also be used if you send them in, provided they are
clear enoygh for reproduction. You may or may not want to be iden
tified as the collector that supplies the serial number and photograph
depending on the area you live in. No problem. If you want to re
main anonymous, just let us know.
To get the ball rolling Dick Bueschel has started us out with an
article about Watling serials, providing some typical known numbers
and the background behind Watling serials. Later we'll get into Mills,
Jennings, Pace, Caille and others, including the "highboy" floor auto
matic color wheel machines, counter machines and trade stimulators.
Help us alorvg as soon as you can and start sending the forms back to
Dick. If you don't want to cut up your issue of THE COIN SLOT or
have more than a dozen machines to list, make a xerox of the form
and fill it out.
Note that the form calls for the machine manufacturer name
(if you know it; or the nickname will do. For instance, the Mills
SILENT was also called "War Eagle"), a description code (actually,
the codes used on the form prepared by Dick are exactly the same
codes used by the 3-reel Bell machine operators thirty years ago),
the coin used to play, the tag date (very important if we ever want
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to get date relationships. You'll find the date tag paper inside of the
machine) and the serial number.
Most of the serial numbers are
fairly easy to find. On the old floor machines they are often die
stamped in the wooden cabinet near the top and most often on the
right side. The number is often repeated -as a die stamp or black
stencil inside of the cabinet on the removable panel. Bell machines,
such as the three and four reelers, are easier. Starting in 1909 Mills,
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

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