C.O.C.A. Times
Issue: 2003-July - Vol 2 Num 8 - Page 7
REEL-O-BALL
by Tom Gustwiller
About 15 years ago I purchased 2 machines that
came out of New Mexico. The machines were called
Reel-O-Ball (C) and were very unusual. They were
made between 1932-
1935 and not only rare
Umpire and used their old mechanisms for their new
machine. (B) They built up a new cabinet around
these mechanisms with a new large gum dispenser
and the old token dispenser idea. The motif of the
Reel-O-Ball was baseball and tokens were made
~~~t~~w(~) th; original
specifically ford ao ~i~~l::
I
o e • - e I
was told that
t r i p 1 e ,
D
in the early
etc. totaling 5 different (D). For one
1950's
the
_,,,_
cent you could gamble and get a
operator of w:i..- ~
token (if you won) worth so much in
B o r d e r
trade and get a free gumball. There
Novelty took
are about 6-8 of these machines
a bulldozer
b ...,_...,-,,:~:'.:!!l!!!!!!liiaill known. I've been lucky to own 3 of
and pushed dirt in front of the door of his storage them through the years. Yendes Mfg. must have
unit that was in the side of a hill. The law was so received more orders than they had original iron
tough on gambling that he decided to close his busi- mechanisms for because one of the machines had an
ness. (Probably the Johnston Act of 1951). Inside aluminum mechanism. They probably had some
the storage area were many pinball's, j ukeboxes, machine shop to duplicate some of the old iron
and a few trade stimulators along with 2 new
machines called Reel-O-Ball.
E
The machines were in their original shipping crates
ready to be put on location but they never made it
for some reason. Money was tight after the depres-
sion so many companies tried to bring out old ideas
as revamps to save money. Yendes Mfg. of Dayton,
Ohio was making one of these revamps. Yendes mechanisms in the new lighter weight aluminum.
took some obsolete machines like the Elk, Pilot, and From the rear of the machine (E) you can see the
gumballs were stored on the left side and the mech-
anism on the right side. This is a great playing
machine that is sought after by all collectors espe-
B
cially those that like baseball types. At one time they
sold in the $4000 to $5000 range but I haven't see
one sell for years.
7
by Tom Gustwiller
About 15 years ago I purchased 2 machines that
came out of New Mexico. The machines were called
Reel-O-Ball (C) and were very unusual. They were
made between 1932-
1935 and not only rare
Umpire and used their old mechanisms for their new
machine. (B) They built up a new cabinet around
these mechanisms with a new large gum dispenser
and the old token dispenser idea. The motif of the
Reel-O-Ball was baseball and tokens were made
~~~t~~w(~) th; original
specifically ford ao ~i~~l::
I
o e • - e I
was told that
t r i p 1 e ,
D
in the early
etc. totaling 5 different (D). For one
1950's
the
_,,,_
cent you could gamble and get a
operator of w:i..- ~
token (if you won) worth so much in
B o r d e r
trade and get a free gumball. There
Novelty took
are about 6-8 of these machines
a bulldozer
b ...,_...,-,,:~:'.:!!l!!!!!!liiaill known. I've been lucky to own 3 of
and pushed dirt in front of the door of his storage them through the years. Yendes Mfg. must have
unit that was in the side of a hill. The law was so received more orders than they had original iron
tough on gambling that he decided to close his busi- mechanisms for because one of the machines had an
ness. (Probably the Johnston Act of 1951). Inside aluminum mechanism. They probably had some
the storage area were many pinball's, j ukeboxes, machine shop to duplicate some of the old iron
and a few trade stimulators along with 2 new
machines called Reel-O-Ball.
E
The machines were in their original shipping crates
ready to be put on location but they never made it
for some reason. Money was tight after the depres-
sion so many companies tried to bring out old ideas
as revamps to save money. Yendes Mfg. of Dayton,
Ohio was making one of these revamps. Yendes mechanisms in the new lighter weight aluminum.
took some obsolete machines like the Elk, Pilot, and From the rear of the machine (E) you can see the
gumballs were stored on the left side and the mech-
anism on the right side. This is a great playing
machine that is sought after by all collectors espe-
B
cially those that like baseball types. At one time they
sold in the $4000 to $5000 range but I haven't see
one sell for years.
7
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).