Coin Slot Magazine - #074 - 1981 - April [International Arcade Museum]
the way, when you have made that fifth pass thru the book,
BOOK REVIEW
you will finally realize there is a text along with the pictures.
Bob Geddes is one of the more prolific authors on the slot
machine subject, and he has done a masterful job of trac
by Dave Evans
'LOT MACHINES ON PARADE, by Robert Ged-
des, illustrated by Daniel Mead, published by the Mead
Company, 21176 South Alameda, Long Beach, California
90810, 200 pages, $39.95 plus shipping.
This is THE book that the slot collecting hobby has been
waiting for! Talk about fantastic pictures — you will find
115
FULL
COLOR
PLATES
in
this
book.
Color
Photography surely makes these restored machines stand
out in all their true beauty. Dan Mead, publisher of LOOSE
CHANGE, is well known for his fine photography, but he
really outdid himself in this book. These are not snapshots
in color — they all appear to have been photographed in a
professional studio with proper lighting, perfect shadows,
and complementary backgrounds. Never before have
such professional photos been available to the slot collec
tors. Yes, others have identified the machines for us —
long before SLOT MACHINES ON PARADE was ever
thought of, but this is the first time so many have appeared
in true living color — and all large 9" x 12" pictures at that.
In addition to the high quality of the photos, Dan Mead un
doubtedly spent many hours with the printer just to make
sure the colors were precisely correct.
If you are a serious collector, or just starting out, this
book can be a very valuable guide. While the price of forty
bucks seems a little high at first, once you own the book,
you will be glad you spent the money. After all, it figures out
to less than 35 cents per picture—less than a 3" x 4" print
would cost you. And your snapshots will not be as good!
SLOT MACHINES ON PARADE is most certainly the
"dream book" that all collectors have wanted for years.
However, the mass array of beautiful machines can be a
little confusing — your priorities of what machine you want
most will change from page to page. Then you will go back
thru the book again and wish for this machine, then that
one. It takes about 5 passes thru the book to make up your
mind which machines you want to look for next. And, by
One Armed Bandit
Continued from page 28
Not all of the states permit the private ownership of slot
machines, even as memorabilia. A call to the Criminal
Justice Department of the Oregon state attorney general's
office brought indications that possession of them is not a
clear-cut "no-no;" nor, for that matter is it a "yes-yes."
Oregon statutes differentiate between slot machines
made before 1941 and those made afterward. If the slot
machine is a collectible item dating from before 1941 and
is used for decorative purposes only (as presumably a col
lector of old-time gambling machines would do), no objec
.com
m
:
u
m guests us play
e the machine
the collector gives a party and
his
m
d fro may
-
e
for profit (or loss, as the
case
be),
this is another mat
e
d
d
a who
lo guest
ter. And should n a
arca possibly lost $40 on it on a
.
w
o
w
w
Saturday D
night have
://w second thoughts Monday morning, he
p
might well go
to the district attorney and file a complaint.
t
t
h
It is well, therefore, for the collector of one-armed ban
tion to their possession will be raised. On the other hand, if
dits to make sure that his slot machine was made before
1941 and that it remains only as a decorative feature of his
home.
© The International Arcade Museum
APRIL 1981
ing slot machine history from the beginnings all the way up
to the TV screen poker machines. Once you have digested
the pictures you will want to read the text, and you will find
it very enjoyable.
Bob leads you through the various
periods of slot machines — all in chronological order —
and perhaps this is the first time that the history of the slot
machine has been put down in chronological order. Bob
also describes the play action of the early machine; maybe
you have seen them, but did the collector let you play
them? Play them enough that you really understood them?
T
.he only criticism
JLhe
I can find of the whole venture is
some of the machine examples that were available to
Mead. Many are not restored to true original colors and
decor. They are, in my mind, "California Augmentations,"
with lavish use of bright oranges, yellows and greens. I
must admit that the loud colors do make some of the old
goosenecks look more flashy, but many of the "purists,"
will be critical of the liberties that were taken in restoration.
Of course some of the "purists" are so pure that they do
not restore their machines, anyway! I feel that the average
collector will see these beautiful machines, and in the
future he will try to do a better job of restoration. Might
even make some collectors ashamed of their "originals"
and they will get into restoration of their collection.
Dan
Mead
has
really
outdone
himself
in
SLOT
MACHINES ON PARADE, and I know that most collectors
appreciate his efforts. This is a fantastic book that belongs
in every collectors library — get out the checkbook and
order it today!
New Store
Opens!
David W. Moore has opened a new
store in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota
which features quality machines. David
buys, sells, trades and does repair
work on coin-operated machines.
When you are in the Minneapolis area
drop by the store.
C'Tt'-V".
David W. Moore Rare Coin
1633 Hwy. 10 N.E.
1
:,
Suite 8 East
Spring Lake Park, M N
(612)786-0204
Store Hours:
10:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. M
*X'ifclv
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
THE COIN SLOT — 29