Milestone June Sale To Feature Nearly 1,000 Lots Of Antique And Vintage Amusements, From Coin-Op Machines To Early Music Boxes

Featured: 150 slot machines from the Rick Frink collection plus a Mills King Dodo trade stimulator, $20,000-$25,000; rare illuminating taxi-top advertising signs; Iowa Harley-Davidson dealership sign

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – There’s summer fun ahead at Milestone Auctions’ suburban Cleveland gallery. On June 28, co-owners Chris Sammet and Miles King will roll out nearly 1,000 lots of antique and vintage amusements, including coin-op, slot and vending machines; breweriana, gas and oil-related advertising, and early music boxes. Additionally, the auction lineup will tempt collectors with Coca-Cola and snack-dispensing machines, baseball-themed trade stimulators, horse race arcade games, 1893 Columbian Exposition mementos, minibikes and even a cased Georg Jensen sterling silver flatware service. 

One of the auction’s premier entries is a Mills Novelty Co. (Chicago), King Dodo trade stimulator that accepts the player’s choice of 5¢, 10¢ or 25¢ coins. Ornately decorated with a goddess image on its sides, it displays excellent condition, retains its original marquee, and worked well when tested. One of very few known to exist, it is estimated at $20,000-$25,000.

Several important collections comprise the core of the auction, including the diverse assemblage of slot machines acquired over a 50-year period by Michigander Rick Frink. Approximately 150 lots in the June 28 sale are devoted to the prized machines formerly displayed at Rick’s home. 

Over several decades, Rick and his wife Carol enjoyed entertaining friends in their colorfully decked-out basement, which their guests nicknamed “the casino.” To everyone’s delight, the machines in Rick’s extraordinary collection weren’t just to enjoy visually. “They were never off limits,” Carol said. “Everyone knows how slot machines operate, so our friends were eager to try them out.”

Rick’s machines—both uprights and tabletop models—are not confined to any one particular period of manufacture. “Rick always bought what he liked, whether it was from the early 20th century, the Art Deco period or later. He attended auctions but also knew a lot of other people who were interested in slot machines, so he networked a lot to try to locate the ones he wanted,” Carol said.

When it came time to part with his machines, Rick let each of his children choose one machine to keep. Everything else went to Milestone Auctions to pass on to other coin-op enthusiasts who undoubtedly will be eager to own a machine from the Frink collection. 

One of Rick’s favorite upright slots is a classic from Caille Bros., of Detroit, Michigan, a 5¢ “Puck.” Standing 66 inches tall, the oak-cased machine with ornate cast-iron elements is mostly original and presents in excellent condition, with its key. The pre-sale estimate is $6,000-$8,000.

An eye-catching example from Rick’s tabletops is a Jennings (Chicago) 50¢ Sun Chief slot machine with a “Sun Chief” insert at the top. In very clean original condition and in working order when tested, it also has its key. The auction estimate for this machine is $3,000-$4,000.

From another collection, a rare Jennings 25¢ Sportsman’s Golf Ball slot machine allows players to view balls through the glass front panel before trying they luck at winning one of them as a prize. The machine is mostly original, in excellent condition and, when tested, was in excellent working order. Estimate: $4,000-$5,000

Taxi cabs once served as moving “billboards” that advertised products by means of illuminated taxi-top signs, also known ask taxi roof ads. Such vintage collectibles are hard to come by, especially if they are in excellent condition and still light up. From the selection to be auctioned on June 28, two stand out. First, there’s a super-rare Tip Top Bohemian Beer (Cleveland, Ohio) light-up cab sign with an additional plug for Cheerio Ale appearing along its base. Reverse-painted on glass, this extremely attractive all-original example in working condition is said to be one of the rarest of all illuminating glass cab signs. Estimate: $8,000-$10,000

The second highlight from this subcategory is a rare Gillco cab sign that invites the consumer to “Relax with Old Reading” beer. All original with great colors and graphics, it still has its Gillco “Brewed in Reading, Pennsylvania” sticker on its back. In working order when tested and boasting excellent condition, this sign is already garnering absentee bids. It is predicted to sell in the vicinity of $5,000-$8,000.

Collectors of motorcycle memorabilia are expected to get their motors running and bid aggressively on a single-sided embossed tin sign identifying an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer, The Cycle Shop in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Extremely clean with bright colors and an attractive sheen, the 29½-inch by 23½inch advertising rarity is marked “Scotio Sign Co.,” at its bottom right corner. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000

Another automotive beauty is a double-sided porcelain car dealership sign advertising “Oldsmobile Service.” Measuring 60 inches in diameter, it is all original and in outstanding condition with rich colors and a nice gloss. It even retains its original hanger. The pre-sale estimate is $5,000-$7,000.

Early bidder interest is also being shown for an antique advertising lithograph issued by Lauer Brewing Co., Reading, Pa. It depicts a busy, well-detailed scene of the brewery, a train, and horse-drawn wagons. Custom-framed, it measures 51 by 35 inches and is marked “American Fine Art’ at its lower righthand corner. Graded excellent, its estimate is $1,000-$1,500.

Milestone’s June 28, 2026 auction of coin-op machines, breweriana, petroliana and antique advertising will be held at the company’s spacious gallery located at 38198 Willoughby Pkwy., Willoughby, OH 44094. Start time: 10am ET. Ample free parking. In addition to live bidding at the gallery, Milestone welcomes all other forms of remote bidding: absentee, phone or live online through Milestone Live, LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable. Worldwide shipping available. For additional information about any toy in the auction, to reserve a phone line for bidding, or to discuss consigning to a future Milestone auction, call Miles King at 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com