CoinOpCollectorForum.com

Looking for some advice on this slot. I've never had a Bally slot or this model. Anything particular I should look for on this model and looking for advice on value. I have not seen in person yet but seller said It works and pay correctly for both 25 and 5 cents.

Thanks in advance

Also I read that the escalator bands become worn out and need replacing. Any comments on that?

I have a 5¢/5¢ Bally Double bell, definitely an interesting slot, I have heard about the bands for the escalator but have not experienced any issues with mine, very heavy slot and mech, hard to cycle out of the cabinet, just make sure that it operates smooth, watch the escalator and make sure that the coins advance properly, the escalator will advance both sides with one or two coins played, force pay outs to make sure they are correct including the jack pots, and make sure they reset properly and alternate from left to right.

As far as value, there as been a few that have sold over the last several years, a good original complete machine is always more desirable, you need to be the judge on condition but if this is a machine that you have wanted and this is your chance to get one, it might be a wile before an other comes up for sale, $5000.00 would be a fair price.

I used to own a 5/25 Double Bell.

It was a very nice machine. Sold it to a dealer about 10 years ago, he sold it to an individual, and I see Frank Jr. now owns it and is trying to sell it on eBay.

Anyway, you are correct about the bands. Mine had a band that had issues. I had a friend do some spot welding on it and it seemed to fix the problem.

I was always paranoid about the bands breaking. That is one reason why I sold it. The other reason is that I was offered more than I thought it was worth.

Plus, the machine weighed a TON and I hated moving the thing.

It is a pretty unique machine.

Dave

Thank you both for your input. I agree it's a unique machine

I wouldn't mind owning it !! nice odd ball machine, nice colors, ect. Lucky you !!
jeff H.

Good evening. These 1938 Bally Double Bell Slots are terrific collectibles. I've been a collector now for 40 years or so, and they have absolutely been perhaps my favorite coin-op machine that gets played every day. I've had 4 or 5 over the years. I've still got one that is in mint totally restored condition. It is a stunning beauty and never fails to operate less than perfectly. The serial numbers on these started by the way at 15000. They only made 200 to 300 of these because they were too heavy, were tough to repair when coin jams or escalator bands broke, and just couldn't compete with smaller, lighter, and less pricey competitive machines. Their mechs. remind me of some similarity to QT mechs (double jackpots that are a part of the mechanism itself rather than jackpots just being remotely attached to the inside of the cases). They came in nickel/quarter and nickel/nickel denomination with the nickel/nickel version being far more rare. One serious flaw in these beauties is that it seems that the escalator bands are always broken, badly worn, or about to break. I've seen original worn bands being sold by a well known dealer in past years for as high as $700 a pair. But you need to have them because the machine won't operate without them. That's why I decided a time back to manufacture my own for me and my fellow collectors. These replacements are heavy duty stainless steel and are precisely machined and sized to fit. They should last forever. Any owner of this machine should have these available at least as spares since these bands are an integral part of this coin op's operation. Priced at $300 for a pair or $175 each. The coin denomination isn't important either as these fit either nickel or quarter. HOWEVER THEY ARE SIZED RIGHT AND LEFT. I have only a limited number available as I only made a few sets. Hope this helps. If interested give me a call. I'm in Southern California. Steve L. (909) 630-3450