by rtmccurdy » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:01 am
(I've had an Antique business for 37 years and been collecting and buying/selling slots, etc since 1987) The bidding puzzles me. I'm sure many qualified collectors/dealers might be more helpful but here is what I see: jackpot pushbar missing and some minor mech. parts; front wood damage is quite severe necessitating a base replacement or difficult wood replacement/patch that may work since that area is finished in black. The Mills Jewel Bell is fairly common in 5, 10, and 25-cent denominations and pops up frequently on ebay in "all original" condition. There are numerous examples on the major slot dealer's websites and there have always been nice examples ($1000-1200 range) at every Chicago Coin-Op Show that I attend. Perhaps the 25-centers are a bit harder to find? In my humble opinion the "condition is everything" credo used when purchasing antiques in general might be applied here. Robert