Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #052 - 1979 - June [International Arcade Museum]
Q.
How great is the nostalgic value of these
joyed walking into a penny arcade, in old
machines, in your opinion?
Coney Island, and loaded with pennies in my
pockets, I would drop a coin in every one
A.
These antiques are true Americana.
For in
of them.
How I wish that my grandparents
stance, if you love the Old Wild West, the old
had collected them and I owned them now--
gambling devices were a familiar sight.
I would be a millionaire twice over.
If
you look carefully at saloon scenes in wes
tern
movies,
background.
you will notice them in the
Every week, machines are still being found
Cities such as Virginia City,
in old lofts and basements.
Carson City, and other famous places of the
Fortunes are
being made by these discoveries.
gold rush era were noted for their opulent
slot machines, trade stimulators, and auto
matic musical instruments.
Q.
How many collectors are in this hobby and
who are they?
Machines were
located in the classiest hotels and gambling
A.
halls.
There are over a thousand collectors around
the country who own more than a few ma
Everyone now of adult age can remember
chines.
the old
REAL Penny Arcades where for a
who enjoy owning an old gumball machine,
few cents, a fun time was had getting your
arcade, or slot machine for their game room
And there are many thousands more
In the
or den.
They represent every type of pro
film, The Sting, many early machines were
fession,
from
photographed.
washing machine repairmen.
fortune told or seeing a peep show.
I counted six or seven valu
famous
plastic surgeons to
As for myself,
able ones.
by night I enjoy these machines and by day
The soon-to-disappear penny, in my opinion,
items.
I'm a manufacturer's rep for various plastic
draws
attention
America.
to
the
nostalgic
past of
The last of the penny gumball
One old-timer has been collecting for 20
machines are on the scene now, but they're
years.
fading from the mainstream of daily life. To
would increase to millions.
Little did he know, that his pennies
We also have
me, these machines bring back the times and
many foreign collectors from Europe and
of olden days, when a few small coins
Japan who have joined us in seeking these
could bring simple pleasures.
Today, when
treasures.
the dollar is shrinking, the thought that a
penny could have had so much value and
To quote H.S. Mills, one of the greatest of
enjoyment is a wondrous thing.
the
Many col
lectors keep these coin-operated machines in
manufacturers of early
machines, the
penny arcade has become an institution "as
their game rooms as entertainment, just like
important as the theatre, the opera, and the
in the days of old.
circus."
In my book, DROP COIN HERE,
any person can relive the past and invest in
I, personally, enjoy collecting and restoring
the future by learning more about antique
these treasures, for they take me back to
coin-operated machines.
the turn-of-the-century.
Ken Rubin is available for interviews.
I
would have en
com
CONGRATULATIONS!
! !
.
m
:
u
m
fro -muse
d
e
e
oad rnany
parts of the country
l saw
cad faces among the familiar faces of collectors gathered at the Ramada Inn.
r new
n
a
.
w
o
A lot of new
was
generated in the areas of antique coin operated machines and various related para-
D interest
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phenalia.
ht
Our hats are off to Gene Foster on a very successful April show and sale in Minneapolis. Displayers from all
Thanks to you, Gene, and people like you, interest in collectibles, especially slots, is becoming more popu
lar among many more people.
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/