by SLOT DYNASTY » Tue Jul 28, 2015 3:43 am
Alright Class:
No, this is not someones 'Phoney-Fake'. It is a totally original "Tavern". Only problem here, is it may not have left the factory in
this configuration. My guess is that the reel bundle was changed at some point, by an operator, who was placing it in a location
other than a saloon. But why the award card was not replaced at the same time, is a mystery. Groetchen did make a "Tavern",
that had the beer strips, but had a pack of Lucky Strikes slid over each Whiskey symbol, and had an award card with the Luckies
at the top, instead of the Whiskey, but the card was printed that way, not paste-overs. I found two many years ago, and sold one
to a friend, and have seen a couple of others. Strangely, the first Groetchen "The Bartender" that I found many years ago, had
cigarette reel strips & card. Another turned up several years ago, at a live auction, in the same configuration. Then a third one
not long after. Therefore, an original Bartender has never surfaced with Beer strips. It wasn't long after the one that sold at the
live auction, that the many Fakes started to show up from the Vegas Butcher. So, either he bought it, or knew who did, and
borrowed the cast nameplate, to make a batch for his upcoming Phoneys. He also put repro Tavern strips in them, and had some
award cards made, by changing the Tavern lettering to now read Bartender, which was NEVER original.
And-The-Beat-Goes-On!