5/25 coin machines

[markus]

I have heard of some Watling slot machines working with both nickels and quarters. Is there some information available? I was offered to buy a 5/25 Cherry Vendor.
markus

[watlingboy]

As with most rare slots, whether it is a rare piece of cast iron, a floor machine or a rare 3 reel slot such as a Fey Silver Dollar, Hoke Trap the Snake or Watling 5/25, there is no written information available unless some piece of advertising has survived. There is definitely nothing in print pointing out how to tell if it is a forgery. Yes, this information is out there for the bogus War Eagles, Golden Nuggets, etc. but not the high end machines. Does your upright have the correct head, is the case new? If you want to buy a rare machine, you don't even know what you're looking at because there is nothing to compare it to because it is probably the only one you have seen. You have to buy from someone you trust. Those of us that have collected for a number of years and have seen these machines over the years do have an advantage. Unfortunately nothing has been put in writing. I have had more than 1 person ask me how they can learn about uprights and ask how to find a good one. Living through the early days of collecting and having seen all the stuff come out of the wood work was a learning experience that can't be relived. So, unfortunately the answer to your question is "No."

Watlingboy

[andydotp]

If I had a reputation worth losing I'd say categorically. Watling did produce a 5/25 machine" - in 1938- a vendor Rol a Top and in a Cherry front console just as markus suggests.
I have an article (in The Coin Slot or Loose Change I think) with pics and a thorough description of how the rotary escalator handled the dual coins. If requested I'll dig out my references. It is also mentioned in The Blue Book on pg 325.
Suggest you're on to a tremendous opportunity there markus (condition, price obviously).
Please let us know how you go....
enviousdotp

[watlingboy]

The "No" was for the fact that I have never seen any indepth articles written about the 5/25 not that they don't exist. Originals do exist and these were production machines not prototypes. It is entirely possible that a story was done in one of the early Loose Change magazines, I just don't recall one.

Watlingboy

[andydotp]

OOh, ooh, "good save" watlingboy,,,,, barring semantics our reputations remain unsullied
Would give my hind teeth for such a machine,,,, if I still had 'em.
Regs,
andy

[markus]

I have some additional information. It is a Cherry Rol-A-Top machine with a vendor. But there are no fortune telling reel strips....I thought every vendor machine does have fortune telling reel strips..

markus

[watlingboy]

Markus,

Having collected Watling machines for over 30 years, I have never seen an original untouched Watling that didn't have fortune telling strips if it had some kind of vender on it either gumball or mint. This is true for the machines made in the 30's. The one exception to this are the Birds with venders that were shipped to France. Most of these don't have fortune strips. There was an unrestored but repainted Watling vender front Treasury that sold on Ebay a couple of weeks ago which was correct with fortune strips. Someone stole it for $3400. It's always possible that at sometime in its life the reel bundle has been switched or the strips replaced. Watling was very consistent with fortune telling for venders and plain symbols for non vending. This holds true for the 3/4 size Baby Gold Award machines and the Blue Seals. All the penny gum ball vender fronts have fortune strips. Somebody out there may respond to this and say, "I had a machine that had a vender and was all original and didn't have fortune telling strips." Maybe so, but that hasn't been my experience.

Watlingboy

[SLOT DYNASTY]

Yes folks..........these 5/25 Watling "Rol-A-Top" machines are for real. I heard about them many years ago, but have never owned one, or worked on one. Had forgotten all about them, until this thread appeared.
I am now fueled again, and on the path, to hopefully be able to present some photo's of the real thing, including a description of the mechanical wizardry. I was talking with a machine collector the other day, and
brought up the subject of these 5/25's. As fate would have it, a close friend of his has had one for many years. When asked if he would be so kind as to devulge his name, he did, and as it turns out, I have known
the person since the early 80's myself. I haven't been able to reach him as yet, but will surely share some history when I do. I have every issue of "Coin Slot", "Loose Change", and all other rags, but am not about to
scan through all of them, looking for an article on this machine. My guess, is that it is in Loose Change, but don't remember a particular article about it. So, all of you, with more spare time on your hands than I,
start digging for that article.
Say.......watlingboy........I'll bet that the late Stan Wilker had one of these 5/25 versions. I believe he had one of every Watling known.

[Dave]

I have a very nice, all original, unrestored, 5/25 cherry front.

I am currently about to start playing in a poker tournament.

When I get home I will post detailed pictures of the mechanism and also tell you how it works.

Dave

[markus]

If I had a reputation worth losing I'd say categorically. Watling did produce a 5/25 machine" - in 1938- a vendor Rol a Top and in a Cherry front console just as markus suggests.
I have an article (in The Coin Slot or Loose Change I think) with pics and a thorough description of how the rotary escalator handled the dual coins. If requested I'll dig out my references. It is also mentioned in The Blue Book on pg 325.
Suggest you're on to a tremendous opportunity there markus (condition, price obviously).
Please let us know how you go....
enviousdotp

enviousdotp:
I am very interested in your references. It would be of great help. Hope you will find it.

markus