Product Description 26t1s
Circa 1896 5-cent Gambling Roulette Style Bicycle Trade Stimulator for sale. Oak and glass cabinet. Drop nickel in slot, pull lever, bell rings, and then the bicycle wheels rotate. When the wheels stop, totaling the numbers on each wheel determines the value of the store credit award in cigars or tokens. Bicycle retains bright number on both wheels. Includes original paper, original lock, and key. Sun MFG. Company / Waddell c 1896. Condition: Excellent. Size: 20-1/4″ x 5-3/4″ x 13-1/2″. Please watch the video for more information. SOLD
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Video Transcript:
What we have here is the Waddell Sun manufacturer bicycle trade stimulator machine. Works great! There’s a bell that rings. There’s two indicators, wires one here and one here, with wires that point down to the wheel numbers as it spins. How it is designed, as you probably know, these trade stimulators were used in saloons, general stores, and bars during the turn of the century. Bicycles were very popular during that era either riding bicycles – be it a high wheeler bicycle – playing a bike such as this. People played these machines at bars, country stores or various merchant stores. You put a nickel in, pull the handle, the wheels spin, and the wheels come to a halt. The indicators tell you the point numbers gauging the wheels spin. The bartender or store merchant manager would offer a promotion of some sort, whether he’s promoting cigars, beer, cigarettes or whatever it may be. The points would add up. If the customer reaches a certain point value as d the shop owner merchant, the person would receive the certain trade or prize benefit. The money falls down here in the glass case for the merchant to see if the customer placed a slug in or penny instead of the nickel. The original vintage sign reads, “Drop a nickel in the slot.”
Watch this vintage collectible in action:
