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There are some vendors (none of the above) that claim to have a really good inventory of antique slots. I thought that 1900-1950's slots were in short supply. Where do the vendors source them from? I know that the 1948 Mills Golden Nugget is a knockoff/repro as a lot of vendors have them for an outrageous price no less. Any opinions/ideas?

Your Right....
They get them from China.
Someone send them a complete machine. They disassemble it and cast new parts.
Then sell them as old machines.

Gotta love bootlegs. I know that its lame for collectability and whatnot. But if you could swoop a re-pro at a cheap price it would be nice to have an old platform that is brand new. Kinda Like the VW beetles from Mexico that just stopped getting made a few years back. If your into those its a sweet place to score a new motor or fender. Just MY .02$

if you are looking for real antique (mills - watling -jennings) there are 2 dealers who specialize in them - Alan Sax and Frank Zygmunt - both are in Chicago area.  

we have about 50 old slots( jenning , mills, watlings, and afew old ballys double bells, only non elec slot bally made) ,  most we had for 20+ years right now is a good time to buy lots of poeple don,t  have $$ to buy . Our jap slot sales are good selling alot at around 200 each our igt,s are selling real slow  but like I tell wife every week they don,t eat

didn't mean to slight anyone - mentioned 2 of the LARGEST dealers in antique machines - need to make yourself known - the real antiques are the ones people want - not the knockoffs. 

ours are all real non knock offs best deal we found was a old guy in w va 30 yrs ago  he traded us nickel/ dime and 1/2 dollar and dollar mills and jenning for 25 cent segas we bought  in from england i still have most of them the dollar slot was full of ikes and silver dollars , other good deal was from a church in  nj got the 2 ballys there

why not update your profile so we know where you are?   I always get calls for real mechanicals.

That 1948 Mills Golden Nugget is the most widely reproduced. It is still sold, as a repro, for 1700-2200 dollars. These people claim that most of it is original but worn out pieces are recast from plans(?) and placed in the machine. There is another dealer in CA (who I won't ID) who states on his website that a modern repro is illegal to have in CA as it would not be 25yrs or older. It has to be an "original", original. (Me thinks that is BS.....)

Well strictly speaking, that's correct. In practice, the authorities aren't going to bother about a purely mechanical machine of a 1950s design, even if they could tell it was a repro, which takes experience and a close inspection.

Royal Bell (http://www.royalbell.com/mills_classic.php) is a US manufacturer of really good repros, though I don't understand why anyone would buy one when genuine old machines can be had for lower prices at auction. I guess if someone isn't a collector and just wants a shiny antique-looking thing for a game room, it's safer to get something guaranteed to work than take a chance on getting a piece of trash on Ebay.

LoL  trash on ebay  no way

Bob Levy is one of the best dealers on the East coast that I have dealt with. He is in Pennsauken NJ. www.antiqueslotmachines.com. 856-663-2554. Tell him that Frank A says hello.
Frank

If you are just cruising the net a lot of the antique slots were known as TRADE SIMULATORS (+/- spelling). You might get more of the "real" hits using this terminology than Antique Slots which seems to even nab 21st century pachislo units.

Remenber frank  i,m from nj and been in slot biz alot longer the bobby and there are many  who would never put him high on their list ,unless your talking price

I know about Bob Levy. I have spoken to him on the phone and he seems good to deal with. I am intrested in a Jennings Sun Chief but it's gonna be a while to save up the funds for it.

I talked to Harris at Royal Bell once and was bold enough to asked him how he got away selling these reproductions as the ones I worked on had, NO Original parts in them, my opion...........REAL JUNK!
He told me that there were copies or reproductions of Antique slots, so this is how he got around that. Not copies of new slots, but copy's of antique slots. These copies have no original parts in them, I tried a original reel Axel shaft in their reel bundle and it would not fit. The vertical payout arms are soft and you can bend them with your fingers! They have no handle return air dampeners, so the handle slams back. I guess they have the looks of and old mechanical slot machine but it stops right there.
Jackpot
 :104-

AND - they sell for about the same price you can buy a REAL one!!!!

In their favor, at least they don't try to pawn them off as restored originals like so many slimy sellers do, although they probably do supply many of the dishonest vendors.

I'd still prefer an original. :71-

The Golden Nugget re-pro's are real nice machines. They are around $1800.00 or so.

Some used to be made in Lakewood Co. at a place called Royal Bell. They also made the Statutes for  the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. They were identical to the Mills Machines. They made a few different models. Bursting Cherry, War Eagle. & the different Golden Nugget models.  Bill Harris had permission from Tony Mills, the grandson, or great grandson of the father, don't remember the name, to reproduce the MILLS slot machines using castings from the original parts. They were good quality machines. He's getting up in years & still repairs the MILLS & other brand machines. He sold off all his parts several years ago & has to order springs etc. from Chicago.
          I would be very careful when buying one now. I don't know the quality of the steel used on the reels where the sprockets & fingers go through. The round thin steel reels can take a beating, if not CASE hardened.
          I own two mills, one a BLUE CASTLE FRONT, dated 12/26/35. It is ALL original, with matching numbers & the BELL FAMILY sticker on the bottom of the mech. The other is a BLACK CHERRY., around 1948 or so. Ser# 485535. Six weeks after W.W.II the used ser# 480000.
I hope this is some help to someone.
I love this Forum,
thanks to all.
I.F.F.V.-68

I know this is an old thread but as I am new to the forum I am going to post here. I worked in the casinos of Nevada in the 60's and early 70's so I worked on a lot of the mechanicals prior to the early Bally electro-mechanicals appearing about the mid 60's and not all casinos switched right away, some kept the mechanicals going for a while. Harrah's, Harvey's and Barney's in South Lake Tahoe for example.
Anyway, getting to the point, I have collected and restored machines off and on and have seen the value of the original, and I mean all original machines, no repro parts, steadily go up in value. I have probably gone through about a couple hundred machines over the years dating from a 1906 Caille Big Six Floor Wheel on up. I have either met or done business with some of the older folks in the restoration hobby and unfortunately some of the best ones have past away.
If anyone is interested I currently am reducing my collection by selling off some machines, one of which is a 1928 Caille Superior Jackpot nickel and another is a Pace Bantam ten cent. If there is any interest, give me a shout and I can send out pictures and more information.
Ciao,
MONTI

Bad time to try to sell anything that people collect( unless its gold /silver)  But a great time to buy and add to collections

Thanks for the reply Steve, I'm with you on the Gold and Silver thing. :137-
I say a prayer every day for our country.
I am retiring and I'm down sizing my collection so I thought I would test the waters and see if anyone was interested.
Have a Great Day.
Ciao,
Monti

I know of a place that sells antique Mills, Jenning, Pace and Walting Slots, it's called Slot of Montana. I have called and email them for information on my 2 Mills slots before I found New Life Games...

http://www.slotsofmontana.com/ (http://www.slotsofmontana.com/)

I am familiar with them, have them bookmarked on my computer.
I do most of my business for parts and such out of Las Vegas and Chicago.
Try to stick with NOS parts whenever I can, even though they are getting harder to find.
Have been for years, I know these machines inside and out being a slot mechanic from the good old days of the casinos in Nevada.
We used to do all the tricks to the machines to improve the casino odds and lengthen the cycle between jackpots, but that discussion is for another day.
Plus I have a lot of old friends that collect and restore slot machines.
But thanks for the reply, take care,
Ciao,
Monti