Bill Changers, Do Collectors Want These?

SystemJinx

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2010
Messages
443
Reaction score
1
Location
Monroe, Washington
Here's a question for all you arcade collectors out there. I have a chance to pick up several old bill changers for a pretty good price. (Those machines that take dollar bills and give you quarters or tokens.) I was wondering if there was any demand for these machines for collectors. I thought it would be cool to have one in my mini arcade, but in order to get one, I have to buy the lot. Needless to say, I don't need 4 bill changer machines and would have to sell them to recoup some of my cash.

My question is this. If you could buy a bill changer for say $100, would you do it or is your arcade strictly games only?

Edit: also keep in mind these are older, mid 1980's machines and probably wouldn't even accept newer money. They'd be strictly for looks.
 
Hell yeah especially if they're the brown Rowe's...but I have a skinny/tall National Vending changer that fits my packed cade nicely and also works with 984 tokens.
 
No idea of the brand, but here's a couple photos of the machines in question.
 

Attachments

  • changer1.jpg
    changer1.jpg
    13.8 KB · Views: 119
  • changer2.jpg
    changer2.jpg
    15.7 KB · Views: 119
Absolutely. I got one and several others on here do as well. I'm in the process of building a gameroom and am going to flush mount mine in the wall. $100 is a good deal on these.
 
The larger of the two in your photos appears to be either a Rowe BC-35 or BC-3500. It also appears to have been updated with an MEI bill acceptor, so will take new currency. Changers like this usually go at auction, in my experience, for around $300 (usually a bit over). If this takes $20 bills, please let me know...I'd be interested (there were several MEI update versions, some of which let them take $20s, some just $1s and $5s).
 
Several of the nicest arcades I've seen (ie, luna city) have bill changers...

I think they are part of the ambiance of an arcade.

I wouldn't mind having one, if I had the room (I only say room is not an issue for games) or a few extra bucks to spend... not soemthing I would go out of my way for.
 
I'd be sure you know what you're buying first. Some are worth a lot, others are worthless. I'm not exactly sure what differentiates it... probably what currency it'll take. I got one for free at an auction, which looked like the second picture you posted. There were many more that were given away there as well (and the guy next to me said "congratulations on getting a free boat anchor" ;) ). He was right... it was big and heavy, and I decided I didn't need it, and sold it on ebay for $3.25 (actually, $3, because the guy dropped the quarter in his truck bed and couldn't find it :p ).

I have a tall change machine now, which I got at an auction for a couple bucks. It's pretty much worthless, but I rigged it to give tokens when you press the coin return... so it's cool for a home arcade.

DogP
 
Dang. Wish I could get one over here for a couple bucks. :(

I hear what you are saying about checking them out first. See what I can do.
 
The BC 25 is the model probably most remember from the arcade. I saw a lot of 3 go for cheap at a Super Auctions a few years back...one of the dumb moves I made that day was not buying them.
 
the ones you pictured are both rowe machines.

Common and "easy" to get parts for.

working $100 a piece is a great buy. $100 not working, eh i guess that depends on whats wrong.

Youll have a easier time selling the skinny models as most of us want to save space for games( i own a skinny one myself, black version of what you have pictured)

The best part about those old rowe machines is that even if the acceptor and computer are krap you can still wire the chute solenoid open and wire a pushbutton switch to the hopper motor.

Press the buttton, get coins.. perfect for us hobby guys.

( on mine i hooked the puchbotton switch inside the machine, so when i press down on the outer 50 cent pieve reject lever, it hits the button inside and voila.)

mabye you could rob and swap parts to get one or two working machines then modify the others with a pushbutton and those would be great for us hobbiest dudes.

Believe it or not ive seen a ton of old rowe changers still out there eatin paper and spitting out coin.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom