Rare 1927 O.D. Jennings “Play Ball” Baseball Slot Machine

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2016

Offered is a rare 1927 O.D. Jennings & Company “Play Ball” slot machine. This notorious “one-armed bandit” was manufactured by O.D. Jennings when legalized wagering was limited in the United States in that era. Measuring approximately 14 x 24 inches on its face, this is machine was designed with three wheels that when triggered by the spring-loaded handle, rotates independently to arrive at a stop and displays any number of several baseball motifs. Different configurations in the stopped position could also award with base hits, even home runs. A variety of external controls are offered the player, which can interrupt the rotation of the wheels, and other controls can record the progression of base runners. A bigger metallic knob on the right side prompts the machine to dispense packaged candy that was originally wrapped mints called “Play Ball”. “O.D. Jennings & Company.” and its 1927 copyright appear on the design of a pennant on the wheels. The wheels are eight inches in diameter with several baseball designs and approximate the number of different designs in a conventional slot machine. Wooden sideboards surround the machine and all the metallic surfaces, primarily made of cast iron, are nickel plated. Applied paint in fine detail also highlights the overall image. Keys are included to provide access to the front for replacing the candy, and to gain access in the back to service the mechanism and to retrieve the player’s coinage. The internal mechanism has been cleaned and refitted with new hardware, principally fasteners. Externally, there has been very little restoration, with the paper instructions on top that comprises the machine's only non-original element. The machine is fully operational with just two high-grade examples of this machine have been confirmed to exist.