Coin Slot

Issue: 1979 March 050

Coin Slot Magazine - #050 - 1979 - March [International Arcade Museum]
EDITOR'S STATEMENT
BECOMING AN EXPERT ON COIN MACHINES - PART II
Last month I discussed how to start gathering information on
coin operated collectibles.
For those collectors who really want
to dig even deeper, your local public library can be one of your
best sources.
The first step in the library should be to the main desk.
Ex
plain to them what you're trying to do, and ask for their help.
They may be able to help you immensely in your efforts or at
least help save you quite a bit of time. Never underestimate the
value of their help.
Next you'll probably want to make a trip to the card catalog
to look under the subject headings for topics pertaining to coin
operated collectibles.
Look under every possible topic. For ex
ample, you might find information on slot machines under the
following headings: amusement, machines; coin machines; crime,
slot machines; gambling; gambling, slot machines; machines, coin
controlled; slot machines; vending, machines; and so on.
Good
luck here, but don't expect too much. Most of the current books
written on antique slots, juke boxes, pinballs, etc. aren't even
carried by most libraries. And the number of older books written
in these areas are quite limited.
But you never know, so check
it out!
After this I would move over to the "Reader's Guide to Per
iodical Literature." This guide indexes articles on almost every
topic imaginable from general interest magazines. It covers arti
cles all the way back to 1890, and a list of the periodicals covered
is included at the beginning of each volume. Look under every
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possible subject heading pertaining to your area of interest.
Time to find your article.
© The International Arcade Museum
One word of caution here.
Some of
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Coin Slot Magazine - #050 - 1979 - March [International Arcade Museum]
the best periodicals available that once covered coin operated ma
chines aren't indexed in this guide, so don't ever think of this
book as the ultimate authority.
Another excellent aid in your research is the Union List of
Serials. It will help you in locating hard-to-find, rare publications
that specialized in coin machines. Magazines such as Automatic
Age, Automatic World, Billboard, Cash Box, Coin Machine Jour
nal, Coin Machine Review, etc.
Here's a sample listing:
Automatic Age, Chicago I, Ag 1925+
This tells you that the Chicago Public Library has every issue
of Automatic Age from August 1925 on. You may be able to
obtain some of these copies through interlibrary loan.
If you
live in Chicago, it's just a short trip. Some of the above mentioned
magazines can be found in three or four major cities. That may
not sound like much, but remember, these are very rare periodicals.
Of all these magazines, you'll probably find Billboard to be the
most useful.
It offers ads, ads, and more ads that will help you
in many ways. Most major public libraries and universities have
this magazine on microfile starting with some very early issues.
But what exactly do these periodicals have to offer you? Well,
they contain countless pages of useful information on how the
machines operate, service tips, pictures, etc. Some even carried
color ad inserts from manufacturers that can help a collector in
repainting a machine to its original colors.
For rare machines
that you can't find any information on, they can tell you the
manufacturer, production dates, special features, etc. If a machine
lacks an award card, you can usually check these ads out as to
what exactly the payouts were originally, and have a duplicate
award card made from the ad.
And with those rare uprights that
are missing their beautifully colored glass that nobody else in the
country has ever seen, the right ad can be a real godsent.
A skilled
artist/glass worker can easily create a piece of glass nearly identi
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© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

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