Ode D.Jennings Company
Get the best deals on Jennings Slot Machine when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Free shipping on many items Browse your favorite brands affordable prices. 53 results for jennings slot machine. Save this search. 7 S 0 P O N S O A R P A 7 E E D-1-1 U J-1 0 F J-1-1. Under $950.00 - apply Price filter. $950.00 to $2,000.00 - apply Price filter. Over $2,000.00 - apply Price filter. Jennings Slot Machine, Original Side Vendor, Future.
1874-1953 Logo
Ode Jennings was born in Kentucky in 1874. In his late 20's he went to work for the Mills Novelty Co where his natural engineering ability soon made him an expert on coin-operated machines. So much so he was given the task of running the Mills Spectatorium at the 1904 World Fair in St Louis . This was a massive building, partly designed by Thomas Edison , and featured (what was said at the time to be ) hundreds of Mills slot machines, it was the only free attraction at the worlds fair but probably made more money than any other. The building was brightly lit at night (Edison's contribution) and attracted a huge number of visitors.
The Mills Spectatorium at the 1904 worlds Fair,St Louis
Two years later in 1906 he left Mills(seemingly on good terms) and founded the Industry Novelty Co Inc whose business was refurbishing Mills machines.
By 1923 the company was called O.D.Jennings & Co and was doing very well despite a misguided attempt to revive the Garbell Typewriter Corp which he had bought out of liquidation, the attempt was a total disaster. In the same year, he was granted a US patent for an improved coin selecting device which could discard coins that were too small. In 1925 he invented and was granted a patent for an anti coin jamming device
In 1925 Ode bought a large house/farm in Schaumburg Illinois and like another country boy turned factory owner, Henry Ford, spent the rest of his life escaping from the factory whenever possible to be a part-time gentleman farmer breeding cattle and horses
By 1936 the company, was, like Mills, making a large range of slot machines in different styles, including a very unusual payout pin table called the Sportsman. This was more like a slot machine that a pin table
Ode Jennings died on 29th November 1953 at the age of 79 having personally run the company for 47 years. Having no children he left everything in trust to his wife on the proviso that it passed to the town and hospital on her death but she seems to have got round that as far as the company was concerned by setting up Jennings and Co in 1954 which purchased the assets of O.D.Jennings and Co from the estate of Ode Jennings.
Jennings and Co were merged with theHershey Manufacturing Co in 1957 although 80% of Hershey's production was Jennings machines. By the early '60s Jennings was the top producer of slot machines in the US with 45% of total sales.
By the mid '60s with laws in the US cutting slot sales to a fraction American Machine and Science Co acquired the failing Jennings Co along with Bell-o-matic (the remains of the Mills Slot division) and merged them to become TJM Corp run by Tony and John Mills but a failure to come to grips with the new electromechanical slot machines Bally had grabbed the market with plus the failure of Mills to protect their business rights in Japan caused the company to close in the 1980s
Ode Jennings wife Jeannette died in 1963 and, as proposed in Ode's will, left the house and lands to the town and donated $500,000 to the local hospital for the building of the O.D.Jennings wing which opened in 1966.
A selection Of Jennings Machines
Most slot machine collectors want at least one Jennings machine in their collection. The early models are always interesting and the later ones are often considered THE classic mechanical slot machine. The Indian Chief figurehead is instantly recognisable even to those not involved in the history of slots. They were always well made with great build quality and the designs have stood the test of time. Here are just a few of Jenning's amazing machines.
For a more complete list click the green button at the top of the page
1920 5c Play 1925 25c Counter model
Dutch Boy Century
4 star Chief One star chief
Dixie Belle Dixie Belle
Century 'Bull Durham' Triple Jackpot
Peacock 'The Witch/Black cat'
Quality Mint Vendor Silver Club
BronzeChief Fortune teller gum Ball Vendor
The 'Little Duke'
The 'Little Duke' was an attempt at something new and did have considerable success. The totally new mech bares no resemblance to the standard Bandit mechs of the day and the machine is much sort after today
The Little duke inside the little Duke
'Little Duke' Patent 1933
Being totally new in design considerable effort was put into educating potential customers as to the Little Duke
Jennings produced a surprising number of different 'Golf Ball Vendors' The console on the left allowed the player to select which type of ball he wanted
Puritan Girl Trade Stim Triplex Chief
Fortune teller gum ball vendor Penny Play
Rockaway The Favorite
Club Consoles
Jennings were always keen on console style machines, this was most likely due to there large upper-class market in clubs.These machines represent some of the most luxurious machines ever made
Cigarola Club console
Plain Case Club Console The Long Shot
Deluxe Club Console 'Prospector' Console
The low level 'Silver Moon' console was another unusual style that had some success
This silver moon boasts a rather ugly raised totalisator and gum vendor !!
The silver moon simply mounted the standard chief mech in a low case and the result was read from the top
The 1946 Challenger Console allowed the player to play 1 or 2 coins at different odds
Victory Chief Target Drop
Jennings made a big thing of this feature so perhaps they were the first to come up with it.
In 1939 Mills introduced the single cherry payout for the first time, Jennings had followed suit by 1941,
The Silver club (shown above) was one of the first to pay on a single cherry
Silver Chief Early silver chief
The 'Modern Vendor'
The very advanced but not very pretty 'Modern Vendor' which used some electronic parts was made in 1940 for use in states that didn't allow gambling but wasn't in production for very long.
The Sportsman Jennings always produced good quality
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1948/9 Jennings looked to produce the first of a range of machines that were
to become their most iconic and recognisable machines, Based on the
slightly earlier, more rounded design these had straighter crisper lines and
although many different variations followed they all retained the same basic look and shape.
The first was the 'solid front'
A Selection of the Classic later machines
Governor Tic-Tac-Toe
1946 Standard Chief 1947 Chinese Front
Prospector(Monte Carlo) Buckaroo 4 reeler
For me at least, its hard to find any make of slot machine that looks as good as the Jennings Standard
Prospector and its console-mounted brother. If you were told you couldn't win I would still play it
Constellation ( Nevada Club ) Sun Chief(closed front,ribbed)
Jennings Slot Machine For Sale
Governor (light up front) Sun Chief (light up front)
Thanks to Paul Olsen for allowing us to use these two photos of his 'Buckaroos' the one on the left is labelled as a 'Midget Buckaroo'
Tikki Aku Aku Limited edition specially made for the Stardust Polynesian lounge in Las Vegas, by Slim Ewing at Ewing Enterprises. The machine pictured here has been very carefully restored to its original condition by the owner, Larry Zeidman, a leading collector and casino machine expert in the USA. and we thank him for letting us use the photos and providing the information on the machine. The Handle is the right 'ear' of the head
The Last Of the Jennings machines
The Galaxy
Some Galaxy's had UV tubes and florescent
reel strips which worked quite well
*
The 400 Series (sometimes fitted with 'the Skill Stop' buttons) & 'The Olympic(?)'
in production in 1980
These 400's were found packed like this 30 years after they were made, they appear to have been well used before storage
(this photo and that of some of the 400/700* series courtesy of the owner of the machines John Spina)
The 400 /700 series was a valid attempt at a circuit board controlled hopper payout machine to meet the new market dominated by Bally but was unreliable and too late on the scene and marks the end of the line for Jennings named machines
700 series 400J
*
This 400j and the 700 next to it clearly saw service in the big Vegas hotels
Operators Instruction Sheet (1960's)
company flyers
A slot machine will often have three or more reels or a video screen, which is spun when either the slot lever is pulled or a button is pushed.
How much does a slot machine cost?
On average, plan on spending anywhere from $200 for a novelty slot machine to as much as $3,000 for a higher-end model of a working slot machine, similar to the ones you see in a professional casino. This would be the price for those who are interested in buying a second-hand slot machine for their own entertainment purposes at home.
However, if you’re talking about what a casino pays for a slot machine, the costs could be much more. Experts have noted official casino slot machines can cost as much as $20,000. For instance, this article claims that Bally sells its machines for $9,671 each. The costs, in the end, will come down to the manufacturer, the quality of the hardware, the intellectual property it represents and title. Calvinayre.com, on the other hand, says the average IGT game sold for $13,000 in 2013, while another manufacturer, Multimedia Games, received over $18,000, on average, from its machines.
Gambler’s Paradise, a slot machine retailer located in Ohio, lists close to 50 slot machines, ranging from $600 to $3,000+
Refer to our table below to see what you may pay for a slot machine in working order on the second-hand market:
Type of Slot Machine | Average Price |
---|---|
Antique/Vintage Slot Machine | $1,000 to $3,000 |
Bally Slot Machines | $125 to $800 |
IGT Game King | $1,200 to $2,500 |
IGT Slot Machines | $400 to $700 |
Jennings Slot Machines | $1,600 to $3,200 |
Video Slot Machines | $400 to $1,600+ |
Williams Slot Machines | $650 to $2,000+ |
Slot machine overview
Generally, there are two common types of slot machines: a mechanical and computerized. When slot machines first hit the market, all were mechanical, operating gears and levels. Eventually, as the time when on, these gears were replaced with an electric slot machine which used motors and solenoids to run the gears. Today, most slot machines will use a computer to general a random number to generate the slot machine’s outcome.
Retailers often include a limited warranty, which often lasts up to a year,
What are the extra costs?
Repairs, depending on how much the slot machine is going to be used, needs to be factored in. Some machines can be more difficult to repair, whereas some machines will rely on a battery, which, over time, will need to be replaced as well. Even if the machine isn’t used for a long period of time, the battery may need to be replaced.
A common problem for slot machine owners, according to this eBay guide, is a lost door key. If this were to happen, you will either need to hire a locksmith, purchase a new one for $20 or so or learn how to drill and barrel the locks.
Due to the size of a slot machine, freight shipping charges may apply.
Tips to know
There are legal implications if you’re thinking about buying a slot machine. In 41 states, it is legal to own a used slot machine, but in nine states: Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennesse and Wisconsin, it is 100 percent illegal. In 17 states, there will be a law that the slot machine must be, at a minimum, 25 years old. With all of that being said, check your state laws to make sure it’s legal to own.
How can I save money?
If you do not mind buying used, this can save you upwards of at least 50 percent. Try to explore the used inventory before buying new.
Advertising Disclosure: This content may include referral links. Please read our disclosure policy for more info.