LEMONS, CHERRIES
& BELL FRUIT GUM
BOOK REVIEW
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When I first heard Dick Bueschel was working on another slot machine book, I said: "Why another slot machine book?" Dick already published four volumes of his 100 Most collectible Slot Machines and he has an extensive slot machine section in his book Collector's Guide to Vintage Coin Machine. In addition, there is Marshall Fey's highly successful book, Slot Machine. do we really need another slot machine book?
My answer was no, until I had a chance to carefully look and read Dick's latest masterpiece. (Dick your books are getting better each time>) Let me explain why I changed my mind.
First, this new book is the first book to extensively discuss slot machines from the 1950s to 1990s. There are over 100 pages devoted to this new popular era of slot machine collecting. The history of Bally, IGT, Aristocrat, Bell-O-Matic, and all the others are there for you to see and learn about. The book is really up-to-date, bring you the latest news from 1995.
Next, this new book is the first book to extensively discuss the period prior to the slot machines we know today. The automatic payout pocket machines from the late 1880s and 1890s are described in great detail. You'll learn more about The Three jack Pot, the Crackerjack, the Pyramid Banker, and the revolving Fortuna.
That's right, the "revolving" Fortuna. Now here is a crazy machine. Four players can play the Fortuna at the same time because there are four playing fields, one on each side of the machine. As you play, the machine revolves. As a result, if you hit the Jackpot, the coins drop out in front of another player, because the machine is turning as you play. Needless-to-say, the game caused lots of fights among the players. The machine was quickly replaced by the store owners making it one of the rarest machines around.
For the slot machines sold during the 1900 to 1950 period, there is a lot of overlap with other books, but there is also lots of new information.
If you are into horse racing or roulette slot machine, the book includes a number that you've never seen before. In addition, there are many slot machines in this book that I didn't even know existed. For example, are you aware of any of the following machines: Mills Arrow, Caille Dictator, Hoke Snake, Mills Flasher, Western Thorobred, Exhibit Longchamps, Bally Dixie, Evans Saddle & Turf, or the Square Deal Gooseneck.
The book will also be very useful if you are restoring a slot machine. One of the most frequent questions is "What were the original colors?" books with color photos aren't always accurate because people who restore machine may paint them a different color. This book contains numerous copies of the original trade flyers, in full color. As a result, you see the color that were originally used.
This book is one of the most attractive that I've seen. Each chapter utilizes a different color paper. Since each chapter covers a ten year period of time, the colors make it easy to find what you are looking for. It is a 329 page hardcover book, with color throughout.
This book is out of print.
Copyright: 1996, Ken Durham
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