Image Lot Price Description




407
$44,400.00

1937 WORLD SERIES BASEBALL GAME BY ROCKOLA. Without a doubt this is the finest baseball machine ever produced by any company and is a must have for a collector of arcade machines as well as those who are baseball collectors! Not until one plays this machine can they begin to comprehend the ingeniousness involved in creating a machine of this caliber but also the sheer joy and magnetic attraction to keep playing until one has mastered the game. Featured are the infamous baseball players of the 1937 World Series games such as DiMaggio, Gehrig, Dickey, Chapman, etc. at bat and in the outfield Medwick, Dykes, Dean, Averill, etc. Atop the machine is a lighted acid etched glass marquee inscribed “1937 WORLD SERIES”. The original cardboard background is intact and overall in very fine condition with some minor discoloration or staining. An extraordinary opportunity to attain for one’s collection and a remarkable piece of Americana! Perhaps one should understand how this machine functions to truly appreciate the ingenuity involved. We will touch on only some of the highlights of operation. However, there are many more that might not be mentioned so please understand that this discussion is brief and should not be considered the “whole” picture! We can assure you that many nickels will be deposited and many hours of sheer enjoyment/frustration will occur when you play this arcade machine. After a coin is deposited a ball appears from the umpire’s chest (standing behind pitcher) and hands off the ball to the pitcher. The pitcher then throws the ball to you in one of a variety of pitches, the batter and you swing your bat. A paper cylinder on the right side indicates who is at bat and it changes batter’s name each time an out is made. The accurate system of balls and strikes is kept by means of steel balls in marked troughs. Many options can occur such as hitting directly to the shortstop for an out, down the 1st or 3rd base line for a home run, a foul ball, double, or a direct shot to Dizzy Dean, the pitcher, for an out. Twenty different options in all. All the while the three outfielders as well as the four infielders are nervously twitching moving slightly from left to right…positioning themselves awaiting to see your mastery at bat. The machine keeps track of men on base, runs, outs, strikes, and balls. After three outs, the game is over and time for another nickel. Internally there is a maze of wires, ball chutes, etc. for the operation of this amusement device, a most intricate game and at first, somewhat overwhelming as to the machine’s operation, but worth every minute. A number of these machines have survived over the past 70 years but few have been restored to like new condition. The consignor, renowned collector Mike Galvin, has indicated that several hundred hours and large quantities of money were needed to bring this example up to his standards of restoration and this machine was the pinnacle of his arcade machine collection. The machine was completely disassembled and rebuilt from the ground up. The cabinet was re-veneered and inlaid to the original specifications, the playing field was powder coated, motors rebuilt or replaced, internally everything was disassembled, cleaned and painted. There are at least 100 pictures (supplied to buyer) showing the various stages of restoration as well as some schematic drawings. One can only imagine the time taken in doing such an extensive restoration but now the prospective buyer only need wait for the arrival of this rare and desirable machine from the Julia`s Auction Gallery to his house or office. SIZE: 40″ w x 54″ h x 29-1/2″ d. CONDITION: A+ restoration cosmetically and mechanically. Fully functional but machine MUST be on a level setting for all aspects to work. Some internal parts have been replaced such as the motor and various other small and unimportant parts (switches, wiring, bulbs, etc.) Overall in very fine to near mint restored condition. 1-8334 JL (35,000-40,000)


Auction: Advertising, Toy & Doll - Spring 2008
Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.