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You can find as many objects to collect as you can find collectors, but some of the most interesting collectibles are slot machines. You can buy them used, but the legality of owning a gambling machine varies from state to state. This page takes a look at some of the issues involved in buying a used slot machine to start or expand a collection of your own.
Where Do You Live?
The first thing you should understand is that no matter where you live, if you’re using a slot machine to offer gambling to other people, you need a license. In some states, gambling is completely prohibited. Chances are you’re an individual collector and don’t have a gambling license, so don’t let people gamble on your games unless you have a high risk tolerance for illegal behavior.
In some states, even collectors aren’t allowed to own a used slot machine. These states include Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Ownership of slot machines, used or otherwise, is illegal in those states.
Other states have no legal restrictions on slot machine ownership as long as you’re not using them to run a gambling business. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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The other states have specific guidelines based on the age of the machine. For example, in California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, it’s legal to own a slot machine as long as it’s at least 25 years old. Other states have higher or lower age limits—in Florida you can own a slot machine as long as it’s 20 years or older, but in Massachusetts, it has to be at least 30 years old. And still other states base it on what year the machine was built; in Illinois and Iowa, for example, it’s only legal to own slot machines that were constructed before 1950.
To the best of my knowledge, this information is complete and accurate, but before buying your own used coin-op slot machine, you should check with local legal authorities to make sure you have the most up to date information. You should always obey the laws in whatever jurisdiction you reside.
What Kind of Dealer Are You Dealing With?
You’ll find plenty of people selling used slot machines on the Internet. Many of these are third-party sellers. That means they don’t offer slot machines directly; instead, they just take your order and then buy the slot machine from someone else and have it shipped to you. You’ll often notice that these third party dealers use stock images or pictures that were stolen from direct dealers’ websites.
It’s better to deal with a direct dealer when you can. These dealers will often offer a warranty on the machines they sell. They’ll also be able to help you over the phone if you’re having a problem operating your game. Third party dealers aren’t able to offer you this level of service.
One way to be sure you’re dealing with an actual dealer instead of a third party is to ask them if you’re able to visit their showroom or warehouse. Third party dealers, for obvious reasons, don’t have showrooms or warehouses.
What Kinds of Used Slot Machines CAN I Buy?
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Most dealers offer reconditioned machines that have been retired from use in Las Vegas style casinos. Many of these are the same IGT (International Game Technology) manufactured games that you’re used to seeing in the casino, only older and more primitive. Most dealers also provide replacement parts and repair services.
One thing to look for when considering buying a machine from a dealer is whether or not they use real glass or plexiglass. Real glass is superior as plexiglass fades over time. You can expect to pay a little more for a machine with real glass, but it’s worth the extra cost. If you’ve ever seen a faded plexiglass screen on a used slot machine, you’ll know what I mean.
Many of these games can be set up to enjoy on “free play” mode. You don’t have to insert any kind of money in order to play these games. You can even modify these games to pay out tickets.
Examples of some of the popular and well-known games available for sale on the Internet include titles like Cleopatra, Double Diamond, Munsters, Red, White, and Blue, Sizzling Senves, Tabasca, Texas Tea, and Wild Cherry slots. Many other titles are available besides these, but you’ll recognize a lot of these brand names as still being available (albeit in newer models) in casinos today.
How Much Should I Spend?
Used slot machines are collectibles, and they’re priced accordingly. Shipping is usually going to be expensive, too. You can probably expect to pay at least $600 for a good machine and $200 for shipping. Video slots will cost twice that or more, and you’ll sometimes have the option of upgrading to a new LCD monitor when buying a video slot machine. Those are expensive, too–$400 or $500.
Other upgrades you can pay for include stereo sound packages, coin in coin out functionality, and/or backlit reels (on mechanical or electro-mechanical machines). These upgrades generally cost between $100 and $200 each.
Of course, these prices apply to relatively newer slot machines. Older antique slot machines can cost more or less. I’ve seen slot machines from the 1930s and 1940s that were beautifully refurbished for sale for as little as $325. Some of these older machines are barely recognizable as slot machines, but they make beautiful, conversation-worthy collections.
Conclusion
Buying a used slot machine can be a fun way to start a new hobby of collecting gaming machines, but do some research first. You want to make sure that it’s legal to do so before you get started. You also need to do some research into dealers before spending any money. Avoid third-party dealers, and find a direct dealer with a warehouse who offers warranties and telephone customer support.
Once you have your antique slot machine mechanism disassembled, it is absolutely mandatory to remove all of the old dirt, grease and oil from the various parts. In many cases you can restore life to a dead machine by simply disassembling it, cleaning/degreasing the parts and then reassembling it with fresh lubrication. This won’t always work, particularly if there is rust on your mechanism, but it’s an important step in any restoration.
The subject of degreasing vintage slot machine parts is not a complicated topic. There are several ways to go about it depending upon the equipment at your disposal, but essentially the basic process is the same. You need some sort of solvent, a way to immerse the individual parts, a couple of hand-held wire brushes and some good, old fashioned elbow grease.
There are a ton of commercial degreasing products that you can find at your local hardware or auto parts store, and they all generally work pretty well. In a pinch you can use spray-on oven cleaner or even dishwashing detergent, but typically the commercial products will be both cheaper and more effective. You can often buy the degreaser in a concentrated form and mix it with water to the strength needed for your particular job. Many modern degreasers are also biodegradable, making them easy to dispose of once the job is done.
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For small parts, carburetor cleaner is an ideal solvent for removing old grease, and you can get it in a paint can with a built-in parts basket. Carburetor cleaner is pretty toxic stuff, however, and you may end up with a disposal problem once it is loaded up with grease. Generally you cannot pour it down the drain safely.
If you have access to a parts washer, that’s most definitely the easiest way to go. The photo to the right is one of the basic models from Harbor Freight. Just a note about Harbor Freight: Many people dislike Harbor Freight because of their cheap, imported tools. Although I don’t shop for heavy-duty tools at Harbor Freight, they are a great source for inexpensive (read disposable) tools and miscellaneous supplies. If you have one of their showrooms near you, pay them a visit and check out their stock. They generally have at least one parts washer on display. With one of these washers, you can load up the basket with many slot machine parts, then use the built-in pump to recirculate the degreaser/solvent over the parts while you do something else. This is a very easy and effective way to go about degreasing, and the washers come in multiple sizes and prices with small models starting at less than $50.
If you don’t have a parts washer, though, you can still get the job done. Get a large plastic tub or bucket, drop in your parts and then cover them with degreaser. Let them soak, stir them around from time to time, and use a wire brush or a stiff plastic bristle brush to attack the grease. This may take a while, but it works just fine.
After you’ve gotten rid of the grease, it’s usually a good idea to rinse the parts thoroughly, and possibly even clean them with mineral spirits to get rid of any residue left from the degreaser depending on your next course of action. Generally you are going to follow up your degreasing processes with some sort of rust removal and rust protection, and you certainly don’t want any residue interfering with your rust prevention efforts.