Coin Slot Magazine - #090 - 1982 - August [International Arcade Museum]
hobby into a passion that propelled Falletich and his wife out of
ET" ERS Continued
secure jobs and into what they admit is itself a gamble.
The Garden Grove couple run Falletich Enterprises, a big
name for a tiny storefront building along bustling Garden Grove
My thanks again to Judy and a great guy, Tom N agelin, who at
Boulevard.
the last minute gave me the remaining guts and cash to close or
They opened the shop less than two years ago with $8,000 and
make this deal. By the way, if you should ever see a silver
half a dozen old slot machines. While the pair admit it is a
Econoline Ford van with pear shaped tires and a driver wearing a
continuing struggle to stay in business, today their cramped 20-
funny looking cowboy hat laughing out loud, try and stop him.
foot-by-20-foot showroom is jammed with an odd assortment of
You just might make a great buy!
about 40 one-armed bandits — one of which is priced at a
Sincerely,
whopping $18,000.
Greg Falletich
"I'm not crazy about selling it," Falletich said, "so I priced it
so high that no one would ever want to buy it But the funny thing
What a marvelous find, and story. I can't add a word to it,
is I've already had people kind of hem and hah about it"
While the antique slot machine business in Southern California
except.. . it's a thrill to know that we collectors can still find
still is dominated by a few large Los Angeles-area retailers,
machines, and often where we least expect them. Thanks for
Falletich, formerly a mechanical engineer, said the industry has
sharing your experience with us. Following is a reprint of a
become more lucrative as states have begun to pass laws
newspaper article about Greg Falletich's find.
allowing the sale and use of older machines.
Dear Greg,
Sincerely,
California is among 12 states that have adopted such laws,
The Editor
causing the prices on the machines to spiral here.
As the word spreads, Falletich added, machines that no one
Gambling On A Jackpot
In Antique Slots
knew even existed are coming into the marketplace. "People
have these old machines that they keep stored in their garages for
maybe 30 or 40 years because they were too paranoid to bring
Reprinted from Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, March 3,1982.
them out," he said. "Now that they have found out they are legal,
By Leo C. Wolinsky, Times Staff Writer
they all want to sell them."
Greg Falletich insists he was only looking for a conversation
While an unrestored machine can be purchased for about
piece when he bought his first antique slot machine six years ago.
$800 today, fully reconditioned machines from the 1930s bring
But the conversation piece soon turned into a hobby and the
$2,000 or more. Particularly rare machines sell for as much as
$85,000, Falletich said.
"The investment is always a prime concern of customers," he
added, noting that in recent years retail prices have increased by
20% to 30%.
While the antique machines operate in the same basic ways as
the shiny new models found at Las Vegas-type casinos, their
exteriors tell of an age when artistry was more valued than
'A&P'
function.
SLOTS
Falletich's
,
machines
carry
names
like
Mills
BLACK
BEAUTY and Caille's BEN HUR and are more likely to be
OLD & NEW SLOT MACHINES
Largest selection from brand new
made of fine oak and mahogany than the bright chrome found on
today's slots.
One of his most unusual machines is a 1938 model built by
back to the early 1920's.
Mills — the largest manufacturer of the time — that combines
• REPAIR • PARTS • BOOKS •
Antique Back Bars
pinball with the slots. The machine takes up to three coins at a
time and is believed to be the first of the so-called coin
multipliers. According to Falletich, there are only three such
Cash Registers
machines still in existence. Others in his collection date back to
1908.
Orchestrions
More than half of his machines have come from walk-in
clients, and Falletich said he recently came upon a find that
BUY • SELL • TRADE
could become his first real financial jackpot
Top restoration at reasonable prices.
Stop by while in Reno or call from out of town.
m
.co
A&P m SLOTS
:
eum
mus NV 89501
d fro de Reno,
350 N. Virginia*
-
e
d
nloa w.arca
w
o
D
w
://w (702) 322-0662
TCS
http
"A woman came in here about a month ago with photos of
about 20 machines that were stored in a barn in Northern
California," he said. The machines apparently were used in a
local saloon until authorities closed the illegal gambling parlor
some 15 years ago.
Escaped Sledgehammer
The machines escaped the sheriffs sledgehammer and instead
were carefully wrapped in blankets and hidden away in the barn.
Falletich visited the barn several weeks ago and returned with
the machines, at least half of which "looked like they just came
out of the crate," he said.
8 —THE
COIN
SLOT
© The
International
Arcade
Museum
August 1982
http://www.arcade-museum.com/