by Midcoast Vintage » Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:30 pm
WELL SAID!
I agree with you 100%.
The more good information that is put forth for ALL to take advantage of, will hopefully aid in the prevention of someone actually getting taken advantage of.
Many of us have been in this for several decades... before there were books, magazines, manuals, newsletters, or, anything but the telephone, a friend, and very little knowledge or history available except for a few original catalogs, a few copies of Billboard, or The police Gazette someone had found.
This stuff was illegal, as in AGAINST FEDERAL LAW! We learned. We got laws changed. We got shows, auctions, and magazines going. We shared our knowledge, and, upgraded that knowledge when new factual information came along thanks to people like DICK BUESCHEL, LES DRUYAN, JOHN CALER, and others. There were magazines... LOOSE CHANGE, COIN SLOT, MECHANICAL MARVEL MARKETPLACE, and a few others.
All of these things helped promote the hobby of ANTIQUE slot machines, and, other coin-op & related items.
As with almost every other hobby eventually GREED comes along and screws it up. In our case, as with other hobbies... greed's new name was REPRODUCTION!
Most of us old timers...who came up the hard way, have fought against reproductions since they first appeared. Some of these reproductions have now been around for 40 years or more.
Does that make them an antique, or real? NO.
Granted, some will argue that they are antique...the legal description of an antique is generally accepted for cars, insurance, and other purposes... as 25 years or older, and this legal definition was used in the creation of the laws and statute permitting the legalization of ANTIQUE slot machines in many states.
So, some of these machines may now be legally classified as an antique, but, that still does not make them real. THEY WILL ALWAYS BE A REPRODUCTION.
So, along comes the "newbie", who wants a slot machine, but knows nothing about them. Should it be buyer beware? NO! Should he have done his homework first? Maybe yes, maybe no. Joe basement machine stumbles across a slot machine at a flea market, auction, garage sale, or, antique store. He knows nothing about them, never thought about them before, but... sees one, and thinks to himself "that is the coolest thing I have ever seen...I've got to have that!".
How could he have done any homework in that situation? As far as he knows, this could be the only one on the planet...hey, he's never seen one before! He knows it is buy it now, or, kick himself in the butt forever for missing out on the ultimate toy! Sound familiar? So, he buys it, and down the road finds out he has a reproduction. Do you think he's happy? Do you think this guy that has the dough to become a collector will look further?
Now, take the same guy, but, he thinks about it, plays it cautious, and goes home, hops on the computer, looks up antique slot machine on google, finds THIS site, and educates him self a bit, learns what to look for, learns to ask questions, take pictures, and learn a few things before taking the plunge, gets a good, REAL machine...and is happy. He wants more, and, more. Well, now we have another collector, who as he learns...quicker and easier than a lot of us were able to... gets to the point where he too is able to contribute, and, help others, and, maybe help one of his friends who becomes interested from making a mistake.
If the guys making reproductions, and, bastardizing & butchering machines don't have anyone to sell to...perhaps they will stop doing it.
The funny thing about this is... there is no shortage of real / original versions of a lot of the machines being reproduced. Some are not readily available, but, high-tops, half-tops, war eagles, castle fronts, bursting cherries, rol-a-tops and yes, even treasuries can be easily found and purchased...usually for less than what these clowns charge for reproductions.
The buffoons and crooks that are doing all of this obviously have some element of talent... why not use it constructively, and, honestly, and just restore an original machine, instead breaking the law, screwing people, and, possibly putting the unsuspecting "newbie" in a position to possibly be in violation of federal law?
Oh yeah.... GREED.
Seems greed, ignorance, and, stupidity go hand in hand.
As SLOT DYNASTY stated, he will keep hammering away at this until it stops, I am right behind him on this.
Last edited by
Midcoast Vintage on Thu Jun 11, 2015 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.