Collectors Hit the Jackpot!

Slot machines worth the gamble for fans at the Potter & Potter coin-op event

Mills 1 Cent Wizard Fortune Teller, c. 1926, coin slot,
push-button on side activates inner reel that displays
fortune, 13 1/2 in. by 6 in. by 18 1/2 in., $2,040.

Las Vegas may be the gambling capital of the U.S., but the symbol of Sin City, the slot machine, was born in San Francisco when German inventor Gustav Schultze created the first nickel slot in 1893. Schultze’s slot was a Horseshoes game that paid customers two nickels if the wheel landed on one of 10 horseshoes, a free drink if it landed on a joker and nothing for the remaining 14 out of 25 symbols.

In 1894, Schultze’s friend, Charles Fey, made his own version of Horseshoes and his breakthrough game, the 4-11-44 1895. Built in his basement from wood, the first 4-11-44 was installed in a local saloon, and thanks to an enthusiastic response, Fey built several more. By 1896, Fey was manufacturing slots full-time, including the Card Bell in 1898. This was the first slot machine to automatically pay winnings to customers and ushered in the modern era of slot machines, which grew exponentially from there.

Rare 5 Cent “Crack-A-Jack” countertop Jackpot Machine by Clawson
Machine Co. of New Jersey, c.1910, 12 1/2 in. by 24 in., $1,000.

These mechanical marvels, known as one-armed bandits, have grown into prized collectibles for their history and the retro fun they add to a game room, living room, or man cave with their flashing lights and ringing bells. Non-working machines also make cool decorative objects.

Collectors hit the jackpot when Potter & Potter Auctions offered plenty of antique and vintage slot machines at its “Coin-Op & Advertising” sale on Sept. 12, along with arcade games, vintage vending machines, trade stimulators, and all kinds of coin-operated machines.

Watling 5 Cent Operators Bell slot machine,
bell on payout, 24 in. by 14 in. by 13 in., $3,250.

The top-selling slot machine was a 5-cent Operators Bell slot machine by the Watling Company of Chicago, which sold for $3,250. With an original internal mechanism and a contemporary metal chrome body, the machine rings a bell on the payout.

Jennings Sun Chief 25 Cent slot The Sands, c.1950s,
brass Sun Chief ornament and cowboy marquee 35 in. tall, $2,750.

Antique slot machines were produced in various fun styles and themes that reflect their specific eras, including carnivals, casinos, castles, cigarettes, the Wild West, and World Fairs.
Many manufacturers made slot machines worldwide, and Watling was one of the four major American companies whose machines are the most commonly available today. The others include Bally of Nevada, Jennings & Company, and Mills Novelty Company, both in Chicago.

Mills 25 Cent “Roman Head,” c.1910, 16 in. by 15 in. by 26 in., $1,680.

Slot machines made by Jennings and Mills were other big sellers bidders gambled on, including a Jennings Sun Chief 25 Cent The Sands, c. 1950s, with a light-up escalator bell, brass sun chief ornament on the front, and cowboy marquee on top, that sold for $2,750; a Mills 25 Cent “Roman Head” painted-metal machine, c. 1910, in a wooden cabinet on a wooden base that rang up $1,680; a Mills 5 Cent “Bonus Hightop” slot, c. 1937, with a painted cast aluminum cabinet on painted wooden base and “Bonus” jackpot feature that also fetched $1,680; and a Jennings 10 Cent Sun Chief chrome slot machine with a figural brass ornament and wood base that brought $1,560.

Red Art Deco Comet 10 Cent Slot Machine by Pace Mfg. Co.
of Chicago, 1936, 19 1/2 in. by 6 in. by 15 in., $1,080.

Authentic slot machines will have specific characteristics that collectors should look for: models made after World War II may have lighter-weight materials like aluminum, plastic, or wood; some slots were made from cast iron and are heavy; coin values of play range from nickels to quarters; and mechanical arms are traditionally attached on the right side.

Caille Bell Superior 10 Cent Slot Machine by Caille Bros.
of Detroit, c.1928, 25 in. by 14 in. by 14 in., $1,140.

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Photos courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

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