The Buckley Collection

• Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machines
• Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machine Manual
• Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machine For Sale

Patrick J.Buckley arrived late on the slot machine front in 1929 with his Puritan Baby Vendor and Conversion Bell

Puritan Vendor 1929

After getting started in much the same way as his competitors it was clear his company was always going to playing catch up to the big boys so he decided to steer his business down a slightly different path. He did this in several ways.

Working Buckley Criss Cross Slot machine. This machine started it's life as a Mills Black Cherry (Still has the original Mills Blue Black Cherry paint), it was converted by adding a token dispenser, a new set of reels, award card, Criss cross castings, and modifying the payout fingers.

Firstly although he did make his own machines(and very good ones) he cut costs drastically by producing a lot machines that used mechanisms from other companies (notably Mills) in his own cases.

Secondly when he did produce machines he often looked in a different direction from the other firms ,this resulted in some of the most interesting(and collectable) gambling machines ever made. Buckley also made a series of unusual Pin tables,some in the form of gambling machines with a payout.

' Track Odds ' Buckley answer to 'Paces Races' a compressed air console machine

The 'Buckley Bones' this remarkable dice playing machine is one of the most sort after slot machines (see below for more details)

The 'Pay Day' automatic payout Pin ball

Payday payout system

Thirdly he wasn't shy of overstepping the mark,copying other companies products was common place in the slot industry and Buckley was certainly involved in this. As early as July 1936,just six years after he started up he and his company were in court on patent infringement charges. This was to happen again some years later and run ins with the law seem to have been a large part of the companies demise in the 50's.

Another plus for Buckley was that he was undoubtedly a good business man and,unlike some of the bigger firms, he embraced change,modern methods and materials. During WW2 he realised the potential of plastics, and not just in the slot industry and looked to move in that direction. He also employed several selling plans designed to make his machines easier to buy.

He also recognised the importance of solidarity amongst the slot makers and was heavily involved in various slot makers associations and in the running of the very important trade shows of the time.He also recognised the importance of international sales and had a large European network of agents by 1939. This side of his business took a huge hit during the war but just six months after the war ended he was booking one of the first flights to Paris (no mean feat in 1946, Billboard Mag reports that his flight took 22 hours stopping in Newfoundland and Ireland). So important did he feel this trip was he handed over the running of the factory to his managers for almost four months while he visited France,England,Belgium ,Spain and most surprisingly the recently defeated Italy. He wanted to restore his agent network in Europe as well as feel out the potential for future slot sales but never slow to see the advantages of investing in a depressed area he also had plans to build two factories in Europe, a plastics moulding plant and a die cast plant.

Buckley made at least 66 different machines and was doing well until the US laws restricted slot sales in the US. A major police raid on the factory in 1958 seems to have persuaded Buckley to move out of the slot business,but not before the launch of one last ground breaking machine, the 'Electric Pointmaker',an electric machine using a light up screen somewhat ahead of its time. There is some evidence that Buckley may have moved into Plastic production after 1960 but its unclear.

Detectives removing machines from the Buckley factory ,March 1958

Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machines

Buckley machines being dumped in Lake Michigan by police, note at least two Buckley factory packing cases and the last of the Buckley line the electric Pointmaker

The last Buckley

The Electronic Pointmaker (Bingo version) Flyer

Below are some of Buckleys Machines,but first a special mention for the 'Bones'

If there is one thing all slot machine collectors have in common its that they all have the Buckley Bones on their wish list. This machine is unlike any other (bar one and we shall come to that later). It looks different,it plays different and ,to the average player, its a mystery how it can do what it does.For the 'Bones' appears to throw standard dice and then read the result. The truth is not so magical but amazingly cleaver . The machine is ,in fact, a standard slot machine but instead of strips with symbols on the reels hold a number of small cases each containing a pair of dice, these dice are free to move about in their case but not turn over so each case contains a fixed dice roll that cant change. When the handle is depressed the reels spin so fast it appears a single set of dice are being shaken. When the reels stop suddenly the dice rattle around and come to a stop showing the result for that particular case of dice.In my view if this machine was still in use there would be a line of players waiting to play it.

As usual with Buckley even with the Bones all is not what it seems for there is a machine made by Bally called the Reliance which is,to all intents and purposes identical. Did Buckley copy the Bally? did Buckley buy their machines from Bally of vice versa? did they work together on the development? no one seems sure. Either way the Bones is the more sort after of the two and if I could have just one slot machine it would be this one.Its very complexity kept its production era short and today there are only a handful of people in the world who can dismantle and re build this machine.

Buckley Bones Bally Reliance

Inside the 'Bones'

The antique slots of Main Street Station hearken to the early days of Vegas…

While visiting Main Street Station last month, I happened upon a collection of antique slot machines. These are the kind of slot machines I would drool over when browsing eBay.

Before slot makers IGT, Konami, and Bally–there were Jennings, Mills, and Watling.

With some dating back to the early 1930’s, the slot machines on display are not only a piece of Vegas history but of gambling history as well, frozen in time.The antique slot display at Main Street Station hearkens to a time before the lights, LCD Screens, bonus rounds, animations, TITO’s, dollar feeders, and touch screens of our modern-day slots. These classics were often played while standing, not seated.

On eBay, similar machines–in good, working condition–will typically fetch prices in the mid $2000 to $5000 range. At Main Street Station, you can look at them for free. Unfortunately, they are behind glass, so gameplay is not an option.

Here’s some of what you can expect from the antique slot display.

Watling Rol-A-Top

Mills Criss Cross – would later be revamped by Buckley

Mills Criss Cross – would later be revamped by Buckley

See the nickel display at the top of the machine? That was a system to deter the use of slugs. It gave any slot attendant the ability to walk by and ensure that only nickels were being used.

Fun fact: The very first slot machine was comprised of playing cards. Seriously. It had five drums, was based on poker and held fifty card faces.

For more of these antique beauties, see the slideshow below, and hover over the images for description.

Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machine Manual

Buckley Mills Criss Cross Slot Machine For Sale

[Images: Michael Movestro, Craft+Brand]