Mills Front Castle 25 cent for sale Excellent condition!

[sabrock1213]

I would like to offer you my mills front castle 25 cent slot machine. it is in excellent condition, we do not want to part with it, but we think in this venue it would find a good home. we have had it since 2003, when my wife and i bought it in an action on the ss norway, it had been in the front entrance of the casino for 30 years! Casino maintained it weekly, and we have kept it in pristine and excellent condition from my den, living room and in out new place in the foray entrance by the staircase. It is heavy, and the shipping would be $175.00, i'll pack it carefully box within box and peanuts via fedex ground. that would include my time, insurance and tracking. asking $2,325.00 or best offer. please find images below. I would be happy to answer any questions. just respond to this post.

Front Castle and Stand

inside cabinet Stand

Side with key and Handle is original

side view back cover off

Opposite side no handle back cover off

Back of slot machine back cover off

[Anglobritish]

Sir,
I don't think this is an original machine, as it pay's on a single Cherry, this feature was first introduced on the Mills Chrome Bell in the early 1940's.

[SLOT DYNASTY]

Sir,
I don't think this is an original machine, as it pay's on a single Cherry, this feature was first introduced on the Mills Chrome Bell in the early 1940's.

You are absolutely right Freddy. This has got REPRO written all over it. New case, no base rods, mech. too clean, and missing parts, new unoriginal coin box,
single cherry pay, wrong handle, smooth back door, etc., etc. Definitely not an original machine.
Furthermore, this Forum is No place to try and off a Repro. There are too many savvy collectors on here, that read the many posts, and info pages, by our
Administrator.
On top of all this, they will ship it double-boxed, with peanuts, via UPS. With all the discussions we have had about the horror stories of how UPS can totally
destroy slots that are packed better than that. Not a good idea!

[Rick B]

Another case of buy the item not the story. I do love a good embellishment. Rick B

[sabrock1213]

thank you for your post, however, this was the slot machine that sat in front of the ss norway casino for decades, it is well maintained and cared for.
bashing it will not change its history. it is clean because of its maintenance. I am not an expert, but i can tell you that this much is true.

[Rick B]

They have been making these for many years. No original build stickers are visible for starters. Because it was at the casino does not mean it is not a reproduction. Calling out what is seen is not bashing it, but saving folks hard earned money for something that is not orignal. That is good practice not bashing. I also think the orignals payout card wsa square and not oval. Anyone know if the reporductions were oval?? Rick B

https://www.google.com/search?q=castle+ ... YQ_AUIBigB

[YourBestBet]

I doubt the person who listed this machine knew it was a reproduction. Let's take this opportunity to educate on the tell-tale signs. Slot Dynasty hit on several. Castle Fronts were produced with both rectangle and oval award cards. Here are two other main issues:

- No pump next to cash box
- Serial numbers?

At least it doesn't have silver reel strips!

[Anglobritish]

Sir,
You recently joined this forum, and are lucky to have found it because it as probably the most knowlegable exports of the coin machine industry in the World.
I am 74 years old, I have been active in the industry for more than 65 years, I bought my first machine when I was 9 years old while helping to run the family business, that of a traveling showman in England, where we operated amusement arcades, I was converting Mills machines in 1958 that were sent over to England by the New York mob characters, a mob controlled company called Las Vegas Coin Ltd in London was the official Mills distributor, I bought or converted 100's of Blue Fronts, both the models with the square award card and with the round award card, but I never saw one with a single cherry payout, that is because the Mills Blue Fronts was made in the mid to late 1930's, and the single cherry feature did not come out until the early 1940's.

The Mills Blue front was rated as the 5th best seller of all time by the Mills company, the first Blue fronts with round award cards was on the model known as the Hand Held model, that was fazed out at the end of the 1930's, in the Mills trade publication of "Spinning Reels" the first model with the new feature of a single cherry paying two coins as to the previous models paying three coins for two cherries on the first two reels. was the Chrome Bell this model was first advertised in the "Spinning Reels" publication in September 1941. (See attachments)

Sir, these are the facts, and like a previous collector who said the story is good, but there is no getting away from the fact that your machine was certainly "Interfeared" with to say the least, as a body of experts, we are here to help keep the new people to the hobby aware that there are many out there that do reproduce these great machines, and should be prosecuted for doing so. I welcome you to this great forum, something that was created by Dave purely out of love of the hobby, this forum as attracted so many of the real experts gathered together under one forum than any other both past and present.

[nvmos2]

sabrock1213;

I feel your disappointment in finding out that your machine is not an original Mills from the 1930s.
There may be some original Mills parts in there somewhere, but
unfortunately, there were companies making these reproductions since the early 1970s.
The Castle Front is one of the most widely produced reproductions.
They were aggressively sold to gambling tourists for home use and commercial establishments who wanted a retro item for decor.
If you know where it's been for decades, it appears that the ss norway managers simply bought it new as a novelty decor that would collect a few coins to add to the casino take.

[sabrock1213]

well, obviously i came to the right place, you guys defiantly know way more about this machine than i do!
However, the history of this, it was on the ss France, then when they renovated the casino when it was the ss norway, they auctioned off memorabilia from days gone by.
I was lucky to bid on this slot machine, and get it. the others went to the casino manager and the captain and other officers. it sat for decades at the entrance of the casino on this fine lady.
Now, historically that must count for something? as far as the authenticity of the cherry payout, and the reels not being silver, i guess is a good thing?
as it shows some level of authenticity,that being said, are you saying that it is not worth the amount i am asking?
if so, what would be an honest offer in your expert opinion?

-steven