GUEST: Well, it was acquired through a friend when I was helping her clean out a place, and we had to clean out this place, and she says, "Take whatever you want for helping me." And so I took this, and I brought it home about 50 years ago.
APPRAISER: Uh-huh.
GUEST: And my husband was so mad at me because I brought this junk home.
APPRAISER: Well. I'm not mad at you, I'm glad you brought it here.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: It's really a really terrific penny machine. It's called the Wizard Fortune Teller. It was made by the Mills Novelty Company, who were one of the great makers of slot machines and all kinds of gambling paraphernalia. They made several versions of this. The later ones were made in metal. This one dates from around 1904.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And it's in extraordinary condition. So let's see how it works before we... lets… we put a penny in, and then we - we're going to go, " What is my greatest defect?" "Your greatest defect is that you are alive."
GUEST: (laughs)
APPRAISER: Well. That's rather insulting.
GUEST: It is.
APPRAISER: Well, anyway, I don't want to insult you, but this is a great machine.
GUEST: Is it?
APPRAISER: Ah… the only other one I've seen recently sell at auction was for $1,400.
GUEST: $1,400.
APPRAISER: And it was not in as good a condition as this one. Somebody had written over this and said, "Five cents."
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: This one is perfect. I think on today's market at auction, easily $2,000.
GUEST: Wonderful. God, the junk I brought home.
APPRAISER: I think you did the right thing bringing it home.
GUEST: Oh, thank you so much. I'm overwhelmed, I really am.
APPRAISER: Oh, that's great.
GUEST: That's super. I can't wait to tell him that. (laughs)
