by nvmos2 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:48 am
Gary;
Not in Nevada; I’m in Virginia.
You can check serial numbers in the Coin Op Registry; link is on this site under the other Forum section.
The Bueschel/Zimmerman list is a compilation of decades of work by Dick Bueschel writing the Serial Number Update columns.
I think that the Coin Op Registry started with our Administrator doing his computer magic to enter the Bueschel list into a data base. There may be some minor discrepancies between the 2 . However, the Registry has the capability for collectors to add to the list, so it will have numbers not on the Bueschel list.
Trying to date a machine from the lists is sketchy at best; there is very little date info available and there is some apparent discrepancies in the date sequence on the lists.
The best you can say is where a specific serial number falls in the passing parade of slot production.
Back to value;
Many collectors certainly may pay a premium for a machine with a “very early” or “earliest known” serial number.
The Jewel HighTop goes as far back as serial number 497164.
Similarly, collectors will pay a premium for a slot with a special feature, such as Gold Award, etc.
Although Criss Cross is a common specific Buckley model,
a Mills Criss Cross should be considered a special feature that is found in various Mills model cabinets.
Frankly, I don’t think a Mills Criss Cross is all that common and I don’t know that Mills even offered it, or if it is strictly an after-market/revamper product.
So, I would say that a complete working Mills Criss Cross (like the one pictured by TheFatman) should demand a premium.