Golden Nugget Reproduction

[hy8389]

Hello All,
Need an opinion please. I have the opportunity to pick up a year-old Golden Nugget Reproduction for $700. Think this is a good way to keep people occupied who want to try a machine versus the real ones. Do you think this is a good deal?

[nvmos]

Sounds like a resonable price for the repo, but I wouldn't want to buy it except for resale, and might be hard to make a profit, since I know you would not misrepresent it.
As for letting your guests play the old machines, I say play them as often as possible! (Assuming your guests are resposible adults and don't do any thing crazy). These machines were meant to be played and I think it is good for them to be exercised; keeps the grease and oil from clotting up and the machines don't get sluggish from just sitting.
We just had a group of 22 over and they played 9 slots and 12 arcade machines I had out, ranging from a War Eagle to a Little Duke, all evening and unsupervised.
No problem with the slots except for a single escalator jam.
They loved it, and we may have gotten some folks interested in the hobby.

[watlingboy]

Why spend $700 on a machine with a complete reproduction cabinet and who knows how much of the original mech is there when you can buy an original Mills Mystery Front or a Golden Falls, High Top or etc. for $200 or $250 more. The repro doesn't make sense to me.

Watlingboy

[nvmos]

There are quite a few guys out there who don't see any sense in spending $1000 on a machine that looks old when they can get one that looks new for $700. They are the guys who just want one machine in their den to liven up parties; they don't have a single collector gene in their DNA and see no added value just because something is original or has some historical value. If they just want a noise maker and flashing lights, one of the push button models for $400 would be even better. All of which is fine, since afterall, this is America!
Over the years of buying and selling, I've picked up a few reproduction and pachislo machines when the price is right; they may sit in the garage for a while, but sooner or later, they sell for a small profit.
It would be nice if every time a collector or dealer picked up a repro, they got out the engraving tool and marked it as such! I regret not doing that, even though it could be ground away, telltale signs might remain.

[Dave]

No way would I spend $700 for a reproduction when I could spend less then that and get a nice Bally 800 series machine. Bally machines are great if you have people over and want them to play it.

I have had the opportunity to purchase reproduction machines at good prices. I have never done it. My reputation is not worth it. Yeah, I would disclose it was a fake, but that fact might get lost down the road. In addition, I just think it is wrong for these things to exist in the first place. Plenty of originals are out there.


Dave

[nvmos]

Dave apparently missed the point here. There is no accounting for people’s tastes or how they spend their money. I would not pay $700 for a reproduction either, but there are people who would, and do so knowingly. In fact, every line of consumer articles has its retro/faux/repro items. The objectionable quality of repros is that they are so often represented as originals. That’s part of the reason buyers must beware, collectors become knowledgeable, and sellers have their character tested. If you are a dealer and chose not to deal in reproductions, that’s commendable, but for the dealer who does, it’s not condemnable if he fulfills the responsibility to ensure full disclosure. So much the better if he permanently marks the machine as a reproduction.

We all could make a list of things we wish did not exist. Reproduction slot machines would also be on mine, but if the list were prioritized, they would not be anywhere near the top. I make no moral judgment on the person who would knowingly spend $700 on a repro classic style Mills rather than $1000 or more on a nice or restored original machine, or any Bally for that matter (except maybe a 1939 Double Bell; now that would be a sin).

[Dave]

The original poster was asking if this was a good deal.

In my opinion, no.

Other peoples opinions may differ.

My opinion may not agree with other peoples opinions, but that does not make my opinion wrong since it is mine and nobody else's just like it does't make their opinion wrong if it is different than mine.

Kind of like asking, is Ford stock a good deal at its current price? Some people may say yes, others may say no. Who is right? Only the future will tell.

To me, the word deal equates to value for the buck. In my opinion, $700 for a reproduction machine is not a good deal.