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Looking for a set of Watling Fortune/Gold Award reel strips.
I had been told by a Watling collector that they don't exist, but evidently he was wrong as there is a Gold Award Vender on e-bay now with fortune/gold award strips. Anyone have a set they might be willing to sell?
Thanks

Marc

Are you refering to a slot machine or a scale

R-A-T Slot Machine. Didn't know there was a Gold Award scale.
Thanks

Marc

I don't recall seeing any GA fortune telling strips ever made either. I've been collecting since mid 70's. Non GA fortune telling strips were made. If they do exist the only person who would have them is Larry DeBaugh out of Baltimore,MD.

Watlingboy

I got my Bird of Paradise w/gold award from Larry. He told me he didn't think they existed but he wasn't certain. However, look at the e-bay auction that completed today, auction 6178905020. The strips on that machine appear to be gold award strips with fortune. Seller claims they are original.

Marc

Marc,

One thing Watling did on their RATs was to put fortune telling strips on models that had venders and non fortune telling on non vending. If you find a vender without fortune telling strips then the mech has been switched or the bundle has been switched. That 10 cent vender that was on e-bay had original strips. I have gold award fortune telling strips on machines but they left the factory that way. The strips were made, but I don't think anyone reproduced them. This was true even on the Blue Seals. The Baby gold award vender even had fortune telling strips. I think those have been remade.

Watlingboy

That is an interesting fact. I had noticed most vendors seem to have fortune strips. That is why I want them. I have original Watling strips on my machine but they were stips Larry sent me and not original to the machine.
Well maybe someday a reel bundle with gold award will come along.

Marc

Don't know if this adds anything to the conversation, but I have a 5 cent Gold Award, Front Vendor, Rol A Top, with "fortune reel "strips with Gold Award symbols on the strips. Serial number is ROL 70122, The strips appear to be original and are fastened to the reels with some sort of "pins"

Mike Gumula

Hi,
I have seen blue seal machine old advertising, with gold award fortune telling strips. I have never seen fortune telling strips, with gold award, on a Rol-A-Top.
Check out "Slot Machines on Parade", page 119. Check out "Slot Machines of Yesteryear, Watling Operator's Companion", page 61. "Fortune Telling Reel Strips".......Unless otherwise instructed, we will ship machines with standard fruit reels. Please advise style of reel strips wanted when ordering. The book shows several pictures of "Rol-A-Tor"s, with venders and gold award, but no fortune strips.

Rustydog14

You can't go by Watling advertising literature. They used the original Rol-A-Tor advertising artwork with only changing cut outs of different castings pasted on the original artwork. They never showed fortune telling strips in their ads to my knowledge. We know this is true because all of this original artwork was given to a collector by the Watling family and is in a collection today. The gold award has nothing to do with with the fortune telling strips. They put gold award on vending and non vending machines. If it was a vender it could or could not have gold award but always fortune strips, if it had no vender it could or could not have gold award but always with plain fruit strips. I have a vender front RAT, untouched original machine, with gold award and fortune strips. I have a 50 cent coin front RAT, original untouched machine, with gold award and plain fruit strips. And yes, the original tin strips were held in place in addition to crimping with two different types of brads. Early ones had a flat head on them and later ones had a round head. Just because you have never seen the above mentioned strip combination or not noticed them doesn't mean they don't exist and aren't correct.

Watlingboy