Morphy’s Nov. 3-5 auction rings with sounds of rare antique coin-op machines

Circa-1904 Caille Bros. 5-cent Roulette floor-model slot machine with seven coin-slots. Fresh to the market after being purchased from The Las Vegas Club in the 1970s. Finest original Caille Roulette machine that Morphy’s specialists have ever seen. Estimate $200,000-$300,000. Courtesy of Morphy Auctions
Circa-1904 Caille Bros. 5-cent Roulette floor-model slot machine with seven coin-slots. Fresh to the market after being purchased from The Las Vegas Club in the 1970s. Finest original Caille Roulette machine that Morphy’s specialists have ever seen. Estimate $200,000-$300,000. Courtesy of Morphy Auctions

DENVER, Pa. – Once found at saloons, hotel lobbies and oceanfront boardwalks all across America, antique coin-op machines are quaint reminders of an era when radio, television and video games were still mysteries of the future. For mere pocket change, turn-of-the-century fun-seekers could enjoy an entire afternoon of entertainment. By simply dropping a penny, nickel or quarter into the slot of a coin-operated machine, they could have their fortunes told, watch primitive motion pictures, listen to rhapsodic tunes from a mechanical band, or try their luck at any number of gambling devices or games of chance.

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Antique soda fountain a sweet attraction at Morphy’s, Aug. 23-25

19th-century soda fountain front and backbar with lighted front fountain and Charles Lippincott 10-position marble soda dispenser; originally in a Helena, Arkansas café that opened in 1888. Size: 161¼in long by 130in high. Estimate $60,000-$100,000
19th-century soda fountain front and backbar with lighted front fountain and Charles Lippincott 10-position marble soda dispenser; originally in a Helena, Arkansas café that opened in 1888. Size: 161¼in long by 130in high. Estimate $60,000-$100,000
19th-century soda fountain front and backbar with lighted front fountain and Charles Lippincott 10-position marble soda dispenser; originally in a Helena, Arkansas cafe that opened in 1888. Size: 161¼in long by 130in high. Estimate $60,000-$100,000

DENVER, Pa. – Just as nightclubs are today’s social hubs, there was a time, more than a century ago, when the local soda fountain or soda shop was where people went for a light meal or wholesome refreshment in a cordial environment. Sometimes a soda fountain – named for the actual device that dispensed carbonated beverages – was found within a larger establishment, such as a drugstore or candy store. Soda fountain memorabilia is pure American nostalgia, and collectors revel in the opportunity to purchase such treasures from a source as esteemed as the Sharyn and Terry Brown collection, which highlights Morphy’s August 23-25 auction series.

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