Disclaimer: I am making no judgement or statement about either listing or their respective sellers and do not mean to cast any doubt as to the legitimacy or honesty of either. I'm merely using the exhibited photographs of the two machines as examples for a side-by-side visual comparison in order to study the minute differences between the machines. In other words: this is simply an academic exercise. Apologies in advance if this seems mis-categorized or is superfluous.
Commonalities between the two: Both seem to be correct denomination (5 cent) and neither pays out on a single cherry (at least according to the award cards). The base nails are both in place, and neither seems to have any obvious abnormalities beyond cosmetic defects which are likely the result of age and are to be expected (if not essential). In general, they both seem like good collector candidates although one has definite differences from the other. Here's my take:
Candidate A (looks real to me) http://www.ebay.com/itm/331545724089:
This one looks real to me. After comparing it with others around the internet everything seems to be appropriate and the machine seems to show wear consistent with its age (if not being a little on the rough side). The back plate is matte and the "Dear Mr. Owner" sticker seems to look like it's been there for 80+ years of service. The only thing that I thought may be of concern is that the front of the case looks almost as if it was re-painted (amateurly) at some point in the past. The base also looks like it may have been re-varnished at some point since you can barely make out the nails and it's considerably darker than most others I've seen. My e-bay radar also flags slightly at the continued use of "Real Deal" in quotes (makes me think there's something not real about it) but that's beside the point. We also aren't shown the mech out of the casting, so therefore no view of the serial number or the mech by itself to see if the elusive "free play lemon" feature is installed or not (I've heard this is a rare feature, is this true?). It also looks like some of the lock hardware on the back plate might have been replaced, although this doesn't seem like a big deal. The questions here are: is the seemingly minor cosmetic damage and slight degree of unknown a factor here or is this the survivor collector piece that it seems to be?
Candidate B (looks like she may have had some work done) http://www.ebay.com/itm/161697842764:
This one looks in much better condition, which immediately makes me wonder. We are, however, clearly shown a stamped serial number on the inside of the front plate (I am assuming that is the serial number and it's in the correct place). The casting also looks like it's been repainted, albeit more recently and by a much steadier hand. I've seen a variety of color schemes in my research so I'm assuming both A's and B's are "correct". From the basics of the article I see a few warning signs:
- - The cash box and the reel strips look almost too clean and fresh.
- The mech is very clean, which makes me think it's a "fake" despite it not paying out on 1 cherry (so the card says, at least).
- The award card, while being aged in appearance, doesn't match any of the others I've seen. This one has the actual symbols rather than being plain text and makes no mention of the Jackpot that we can see. I'm thinking this came from another machine.
- The back plate looks glossy and therefore could be a reproduction.
- The case doesn't look right. This at first didn't seem like a big deal until I really looked at it. The big giveaway was not seeing the authenticity seal. While this may have just been left out of the pictures, there is one angle (a close-up of damage to one corner of the casing) that seems like it should have captured the seal in the frame. I also don't see the white detail work near the corners of the sides that is present on Candidate A. The wood seems to match the base though, so I think this is either a replacement or the original was re-finished.
Again, sorry if this rather large post is in any way misguided/misplaced. As someone who's appreciated the beauty of these classic machines from an early age, and who also appreciates the difference between an original machine and an "original" machine, I thought it might be an interesting exercise to use as a tool for future reference for any aspiring collector since I'm a big believer in learning from the experts.
Thanks!