by randyvw » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:52 am
i been jones'n for that rolatop for 30 years now. ray dier and I were in chicago back then, meeting a couple new collectors for dinner. they were new to the hobby, and I asked if they had found anything as they drove across the country in their motorhome. they had stopped at numerous antique stores along the way, and didn't buy anything. so i asked if they had found ANYTHING, as far as slot machines that was interesting. well, he did see one machine a few hundred miles from there. it was a watling, and it was in a wood stand, but it was too expensive, at 4200$, so they had passed on it.....i had a rolatop at the time, and had always wanted one in a console, and i knew if this WAS a rolatop console, it should be worth about DOUBLE what was being asked for it.... after a little more questioning, i determined it MUST be a RAT console.... long story a little shorter, i told him to get down there right now and get it, or could i have the location of it. he went back one to two days later and got it. and i been thinkin' about it, telling this story, ever since. tom had collected many great machines since then, but passed on a few months ago, the day after our seeing him and wife crystal at our ACMCA meeting. tom lucier will be missed.