DENVER, Pa. – Just about anyone who collects antique gambling or coin-op machines knew the late Bob Levy. He was such a presence in his field of expertise that he became known throughout the world as simply “the slot machine guy.” On Sept. 3rd, more than 200 coin-op enthusiasts gathered at Dan Morphy’s auction gallery an hour northwest of Philadelphia to bid on the treasured private collection Levy had amassed over a lifetime.
The Levy selection was offered on day two of Morphy’s Sept. 2-3 sale, together with neon signs, mechanical banks and antique advertising. The grand total for the two-day event was $1,836,000, inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium.
“The sale was a huge success. Our new auction room was bursting at the seams, and we even had to bring in additional chairs to accommodate the overflow,” said Morphy’s CEO Dan Morphy.
A Pennsylvania newspaper columnist, Gene Friedman, also commented on the strong attendance, noting, “I never saw the place so full, and that includes the parking area.”
The Levy session ran five hours and kept attendees riveted to their seats. “Many of the coin op people had never before set foot in our gallery. I found it amazing that they stayed till every last machine was sold. It was a landmark event for the hobby,” Morphy said.
Dr. John Morphy, who is head of Acquisitions & Appraisals for his son’s auction company, observed: “Many of the successful buyers had been to Bob Levy’s home in the past and tried to buy machines from his collection, but of course they weren’t for sale. At the auction, the machines sold for tremendous prices.”
Mills Bonus Bell, Mills Black Cherry, Mills Golden Fall, Mills Check Boy, Mills Jewel Bell, Mills Liberty Bell, Mills Lion Head, Mills Melon Bell, Mills Operator Bell, Mills Puritan Bell, Mills Roman Head, Mills Skyscraper, Mills War Eagle, Mills Q.T., Mills Dewey, Mills High Top, Mills Brown Front, Mills Bursting Cherry, Mills Chrome Bell, Mills F.O.K. Vendor, Mills Golden Bell, Mills Golf.
Mills Novelty Co. Released 671 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1896. The 5 most common machines by Mills Novelty Co. Owned by VAPS members are (in order): Hi Top, Do-Re-Mi, Vest Pocket, Black Cherry Bell, and Bursting Cherry. The Dewey coin-operated Slot Machine by Mills Novelty Co. (circa 1899), and it's history and background, photos, repair help, manuals, for sale and wanted lists, and census survey is brought to you by The.
Among those in attendance were members of the Levy family, who remained through the entire second session. “They were very pleased with the results and wanted to express their thanks to our team,” said Dan Morphy.
The top-selling machine – and top lot of the sale – was a Superior 5-cent Horse Race slot machine. Considered one of Levy’s supreme acquisitions, the gold-medal-winning machine also dispensed confections, which could be viewed through glass windows on the front panel. Estimated at $20,000-$25,000, it crossed the finish line at $36,000.
One of the most ornate of all cast-iron poker machines, a Mills Little Duke poker machine was in working order and retained its original marquee and playing-card reel strips. Against an $8,000-$12,000 estimate, it cashed out at $32,400.
A magnificent Caille Centaur upright slot machine with carved oak cabinet on cabriole legs handily exceeded its estimate, selling for $24,000; while a Mills 5-cent Dewey upright slot machine with original reverse-on-glass façade earned an above-estimate $21,000. Highly sought after by collectors, a Buckley “Bones” 25-cent dice slot machine enjoyed a hefty payday, selling for $19,200.
The Levy collection included several sports-related vending machines. A Jennings wood-cased 25-cent slot machine that paid off in golf balls well surpassed its $4,000-$6,000 estimate to land a winning bid of $14,400.
Mills Slot Machine Value
“We were thrilled that so many new bidders attended the auction,” Dan Morphy said. “In particular, many of the coin op collectors told us they were blown away by the results and that they were very impressed by the way our team handled the sale.”
Mills Antique Slot Machine Parts
“I’m sure that Bob Levy, who established our Coin Op and Gambling Machine division, would have been very happy to know that his personal collection generated so much excitement amongst fellow collectors,” Morphy continued. “Bob had a very generous spirit. He also would have been pleased that the auction of his machines brought greater exposure to Morphy’s within the collecting field he was so instrumental in developing.”
To contact Dan Morphy, call 717-335-3435 or email serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com.
Some of the well known companies who manufactured coin op machines were: Caille Brothers, Watling, O.D. Jennings, Clawson, Griswold, Roover Brothers, Mills Novelty Company, William Gent, Exhibit Supply, International Mutoscope, Pace, Bally Reliance, Chester Pollard, Rock-Ola Manufacturing, Pulver, Manikin Vendor, Hance, Columbus, and Charles Fey. Penny arcades had strength testers, lung testers, fortune tellers, mutoscopes, shooting ranges, rifle or gun games, automatic target practice or skill games, and electricity shock machines. Vending machines came in all different shapes and sizes, and dispensed all different products such as gumballs, peanuts, breath pellets, perfume, stick or package gum, cigars, matches, combs, lighter fluid, collar buttons, stamps, chocolate, and candy. Trade stimulators used various forms to attract customers. Some of the most popular were dice machines, cast iron poker machines, sport theme machines (golf, basketball, football, baseball, boxing), roulette, and horse race machines. The earliest slot machines came in an upright wood cabinet with a single color wheel that spins when the handle was released (Centaur, Eclipse, Lonestar, Big Six, Dewey, 20th Century, Victor, New Century Detroit, Black Cat, Duplex, Peerless, Chicago, Judge, Owl, Bullfrog, Cricket)