Antique Coin-op and Advertising Collectors Set Their Sights on Morphy’s Oct. 16-18 Auction in Las Vegas

Featured:
Rare circa-1911 Mills 5¢ floor model Totem token gum-vending trade stimulator, $100K-$200K; 1906 Victor Novelty Works musical upright slot machine, $30K-$60K

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sourcing rare, fresh-to-the-market coin-op machines and antique advertising is a year-round mission for the team at Morphy Auctions. While their decades-long tradition of holding coin-op and advertising specialty sales at their Pennsylvania flagship gallery will never change, twice a year they head west to Nevada to present exciting new finds to motivated collectors at their Las Vegas location. Morphy’s next semiannual Vegas Coin-Op & Antique Advertising sale is slated for October 16-18, with a lineup that includes 1,672 expertly-curated auction lots from a variety of subcategories.

The colorful selection includes rare music, arcade, gambling and vending machines, plus exceptional antique and vintage signage touting everything from tobacco and alcoholic beverages to soda pop, barbers’ goods, and the various products that would have been stocked at general stores more than a century ago. Those who cannot attend in person can still bid absentee, by phone or live online through Morphy’s bidding platform.

The auction’s top-estimated lot is an extremely rare circa-1911 Mills 5¢ Totem token gum-vending trade stimulator, whose three arrows spin in two directions and stop individually at Native American symbols reverse-painted on the front glass. The wheel is flanked by detailed totem poles in the casting, and the coin-entry lists various combinations that return “awards.” The unit is in VG-Excellent condition and displays several original Mills decals. All components and the Yale locks are original to the machine. It plays, pays and dispenses package gum perfectly. A gambling machine of this scarcity comes to market only once in a lifetime, and this particular example is possibly the only surviving example of the floor-model gum-vending version of the Totem. Estimate: $100,000-$200,000.

A rare 1906 Victor Novelty Works musical upright slot machine features brightly-colored glue-chip front glass, highly decorative hand carvings, ornate nickel castings and a beautiful musical accompaniment. This fresh-to-the-market machine has its original castings, wheel, back door and music box, and shows only light wear from play. Truly a wonderful example of a hard-to-find upright slot, it is estimated at $30,000-$60,000.

An original 5¢ Grandmother’s Predictions (aka Cleveland Grandma) fortune teller arcade machine has three glass windows, with the front-facing pane screen-painted with the message “What Does Grandma Say? Your Answer Is Here.” Inside the unit, a realistic life-size Grandmother automaton with a wax head, brown hair, glass blue eyes and an attractive, well-detailed face stands ready to dispense a fortune to the next patron dropping a nickel into the slot. Recently restored, it comes with a supply of fortune cards and keys. Estimate: $15,000-$30,000.

Some spectacular advertising signs will be offered. A gorgeous circa-1891 American Brewing Company (Pocatello, Idaho) circular sign is reverse-painted on glass with a central image of the Statue of Liberty standing atop the Earth. Estimate: $15,000-$30,000. From the California Brewing Company of San Francisco, a five-color reverse-painted on glass beer advertising sign is features an outstanding graphic of a California bear. It is also expected to sell for $15,000-$30,000.

The October 16-18, 2025 auction will be held live at Morphy’s West Coast satellite gallery, 4520 Arville St., #1, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Start time: 9am Pacific time (12 noon Eastern time). Preview weekdays by appointment from 9am-4pm local time starting one week before the auction; or on auction days from 8-9am. For condition reports or questions, call tollfree 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. Online: https://www.morphyauctions.com.

Media Contact:
Dan Morphy
877-968-8880, [email protected] 

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SOURCE Morphy Auctions