Rol-a-Top I need answers, big time!

[coppinpr]

Lots of questions to ask,
I just acquired the machine below from a friend involved with jukeboxes but knows nothing about fruit machines. I don't intend to rip him off in any way, I have not paid anything for the machine as yet and we will come to an agreement. Thing is I need to know what it's worth in its existing condition.
(a) I don't have a clue;
(b) the machine has problems;
(c) I have doubts about the machine.

First the good news here is the machine:

The case is not bad, the chrome on the coins is flaking a bit but the rest is quite good and easy to restore.

Now the bad news:
the jackpot system has been removed.
Now the very bad news:
the rol-a-top coin system has been removed and replaced with a direct coin system, pro done by the look of it.

Now the doubts:
is this the correct mech? No markings on it at all except a Brit patent apro. My guess is it's not original. First time I had hold of one of these so I know nothing.
So can you help, answers to above plus a ball park value I can play with. Also which model is this and what is the date?
More photos to help below, thanks, Paul

roll5.jpg (39.65 KiB) Viewed 3933 times

[JC]

I doubt whether any of it is original. The mech. appears to be Jubilee, which suggests it's probably a Henry Powell creation. As to value, given condition, a few hundred quid.
Sorry I couldn't be more positive

[bandito]

Give it back to your jukebox friend and charge him for storage!

[mervyngoodhew]

It is a repro. no more than £275.00.

[badpenny]

Bit of a fantasy creation I'm afraid. The mech is not Watling, I agree with JC and can see a lot of Jubilee in it. In tip top working condition, good finish and no faults, probably worth £300 to those who like that sort of thing.
With problems .... what do you reckon ......couple of hundred?
There are always those who would pay more because they don't know better and are ignorant to the Fantasy Market Just as there will always be those who allow the less informed to stay ignorant and happy to part them from their dosh.

[coppinpr]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly why I asked, I didn't know enough and simply had a bad feeling about it. I was sure the mech was wrong but know little about the case. Thanks very much for all the help, Paul..............

[treefrog]

They definitely seem to use Jubilee mechs and over the last few years fetch a fair old sum, in fact all the four below I have seen sold went for between £450 and £500....and this excludes the electronic versions, which look terrible..... Still they look pretty, which is what I guess attracts people.....

[coppinpr]

When were these copies made?

[raj]

Could be anytime from this morning to 20 or more years ago depending on what mech was used. I understand they are still being produced in the North East by a well know slot company.

[badpenny]

They might fetch that kind of money, but I don't think they are worth it. I know of at least person who paid that much on the gamble that it was original and they were getting a machine worth at least £1750 more.

[treefrog]

BP, I do agree they are also not my cup of tea, but there is a market for replicas. One famous company that has made a living from this over the last 30 years is Franklin Mint, never personally bought anything from them, but they do sell and I am sure they have even made a ghastly replica bandit over the years and people pay silly money for their stuff.....

Some replicas do look good, I was very tempted by the last replica conveyor that sold on ebay for £450 recently, but somehow stopped myself

[coppinpr]

As I've said before I'm new to slot machines being previously a pinball man (although always interested in slots) hence my lack of answers when I started this post.
I agree, not really my thing either but they do have a place, just so long as they are offered as copies and not the real thing. The price they reach clearly proves this (I'm amazed it's so high). For most people this is the only way they are going to own a machine that at least looks the part and nothing wrong with that. Like it or not (and some posts clearly don't), they are part of the slot machine world and providing there is no intent to deceive nothing wrong with that either. Anyone buying a copy hoping it's real is actually trying to make a killing in the same way as a seller trying to make money from a copy by saying it's real.
I might keep this one, or do it up (which is what I like doing) and sell it as a repro. Biggest problem I'll have is convincing my friend, who knows nothing about the, it's a copy and I'm not trying con him out of a real one

[gameswat]

Hey Coppinpr, just get your friend to read this forum and he'll soon figure it out.

[coppinpr]

Just took a look at this site: http://www.gamesroomcompany.com/Product ... tegory_id= The exact same copy as I've got, no jackpot, no rol-a-top, not even a nice handle, the case done up very nice it's true but the price..... £1950.00 and they even say it's only a repro!!

[slotalot]

Hi coppinpr , I am not into bandits, but when you look at what is Original or Restored, or Repro etc
then take a look at this 1940s Watling's ad. , they were selling rebuilt Rol-A-Tops even then.....
I may have just clouded your vision even more

[raj]

I think the difference here is that the old rebuilt bandits would have at least had mainly original parts, repaired and refurbished as required with new reel strips etc. This is a mile from the copies being discussed , and they have passed into general circulation as the 'real deal', in the same way as recased Mills & Jennings have become the norm now.
I confess, I steer well away from very old bandits as even the most astute slottie has been taken in by a nice shiny, or really doggy looking 'rarity'. Once you find the bargain does not meet scrutiny, there is the moral issue to consider when sale time arrives.

[operator bell]

I've seen that case before. In fact I used to have one of them (empty) until I gave it away, and I know where there are several more. I've seen a complete one. They were made in Belgium in the 1970s, by a company whose name I can't remember (but I can look up if anyone is interested). They were sold as a complete working Rol-A-Top repro, but without the iconic rotary escalator, which to me makes the exercise pointless. The mechanism was poorly tooled and made of shit metal and impossible to keep going for very long. That is not an original Belgian mechanism, which had narrower reels and metal(!) strips. A Belgian one wouldn't be working after a few months, which probably accounts for the variety of replacement mechs.

The empty cases, with fake reels stuck inside, do make attractive cocktail cabinets.