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I am a newbie to the forum and this is my first post. I have a few questions about the Watling bird of paradise. I have searched the archive but could not find the answer. Sorry if my questions have already been asked & answered.

I can see that most of the machines offered for sale do not have the skill stop or mint vendor working. Are there original or reproduction parts available that can make both of these items work again?

I have seen a few images of machines were the skill stop has been removed together with the mint vendors. The front casting has been replaced so that it has just the twin jackpots and gold award. If this was a modification who made it? Or if it was not a modification were later Bird of Paradise machines manufactured without the skill stop & mint vendor.

I am sure it is an easy answer but not one that I know or could find on-line. Appreciate any help on the above.

Thanks, Lol

The Watling machines like all the others had a basic model much like cars. The skill stops, token vendor, mint vendor and fortune reel strips were all options the operator could add to make his machines more attractive to the players. You will find many different combinations of options on machines of all types, shapes and sizes. A fully loaded Bird being the best of the best.

I have heard that some of the Watling RAT's were actually revamped by other shops after prohibition ended shaving off the vendor doors, ripping out the vendor guts and other do dads and slapping on covers in place of the vendor covers. Sacralige
I say but none of that stuff was necessary so off they came. Machine "modernized" and recycled back to work taking people's hard earned coin!

Welcome share photos of what you are thinking of buying. Good for you too going for the best of the best out of the gate!
Most of us were not that smart and are now saddled with dozens of machines OR MORE!!!

A Bird of Paradise with skill stops made for the American market is rare whether you are talking about a vender front or a coin front bottom. Skill stops on English machines are quite common but not on Rol-A-Tops. Most of the skill stops that you will find on American market RAT's will be on early vender front machines although I have had an original coin front with skill stops. Skill stops on the American coin RAT's are very uncommon but can't be considered rare. Now for your question, the majority of Bird of Paradise machines you see that are vender front with skill stops are French machines and designed to work on a French franc, they just happen to also work on a quarter with a little reworking. So if you see a 25 cent Bird with skill stops and venders, it is 99.9% a French machine. Watling Rol-A-Tops with venders came with fortune telling reel strips. This was most always the case, there are a few types of RAT's which are the exception. None of the French machines had fortune telling strips, I assume because the French can't read English. They were usually always 2/4 pay instead of the more common 3/5 and most all had the gold award. These Birds were found in France and Belgium and shipped by the container load into the U S by Joel Gilgoff starting in the early 80's, he had a store in California called Games. You can see lots of his ads on the back cover of the old Loose Change mags. A dealer in Chicago also brought some of these French Birds into the country. Many of these machines were very rough, missing parts and many had missing or broken mint vender rods. Many times the skill stop assembly was gone and all that was left were the casting and 3 buttons on the back bonnet. So that is why you see these in different stages of completeness. People have made the skill stop parts over the years, I don't know of anyone who is selling them now. Years ago Jack Brink made replacement mint vender rods but they haven't been available for a few years. You also have to have the knob, a gear that goes on the rod, a mounting bracket that also goes on the rod, a little gear box to activate the rod when the machine is played and a T bar which mounts to the cabinet. If you want a vender front Rol-A-Top, better to wait and find one that is complete. Here's a picture of an unrestored coin front/vender front with skill stops. Sorry for the sideway pic. It was vertical on my phone. So if it wasn't for the French machines, few collectors would see Rol-A-Tops with skill stops.

Watlingboy

Thanks for the informative replies. I live in the UK but have family in the U.S.A. I have seen a few European birds for sale that are fully loaded but the skill stops, token vendor and mint vendor are all not working. As the parts are not available now I know why. Good to know that the 1 frank & US quarter are almost the same size. I was a regular visitor at the Chicagoland show twenty years ago. If only I knew then what I know now! Thanks, Lol