Mills Hi-Top

[margamatix]

I'm selling a Mills Hi-Top on eBay, item no 230190013464 or http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0190013464 and I've received this question from a watcher

Q: Hello. The front castings on your machine were only made by sega. The middle badge between the 6d and the coin entry would have had sega on it. However badges with mills on were made to fit this machine. The cast mills emblem across the front is also something that was made to fit this particular machine. However the mechanism may well have been replaced with a mills, without clear close up pictures I am unable to tell, to reiterate. Everything about this machine tells me it is a sega. In recent years it has been common practice to pass these machines off as mills in the manor using the techniques I describe. I in no way suggest you have personally done this or are aware of this. There have been a number of instances where machines like this have been restored and sold as mills machines for as much as £3000 plus. Resulting in court cases as reported in the coin slot newspaper published by the world's fair. I hope this information proves useful to you. Your very kind regards.

Any comments?

[badpenny]

Ah .... yes .... I think he's a little confused and is probably thinking of the VC10 airliner that was built by Massey Ferguson after the beginning of the end of the final days of the Vietnam war.
All of the parts were not interchangeable as they were all made in different factories together.
This has lead to much confusion and clarity causing lawyers to drive around in new Bentley cars.

I add your very kind regards to his very kind regards regarding this kind letter regarding the above

Badpenny

[Bent Copper]

Incidently, what would the difference in price be between a Mills and a Sega Hi-Top?

I've not noticed much of a difference in the past. Probably £50 - £75 but nothing spectacular.

I thought the machines were identical apart from the badge and stampings. And is it true what it says in the listing, about most Mills mechs having been replaced by Segas?

[badpenny]

I guess that with all machines the value depends on how much the machine has been mucked with around and its overall condition.

I have one of both. I value my Sega higher than my Mills as it was a salesman's demonstrator and comes complete with every option including
* Oak sides (not formica)
* Chromed bolt on castings
* Special Award

My experience of mechs being changed is more down to the fact that being interchangeable it just happened.
As a youth and helping out at my Uncle's arcade, come the end of the season we just hauled out all the mechs for servicing. They tended to stay on the bench until Spring when they were shoved back into whatever case was nearest. Then there were the doner mechs from machines that were either too worn out or had been vandalised, bits of them were swopped over as needed, we didn't care if it was a bit of a Mills going onto a Sega.

The best example though was "The Mugs' Machine" This consisted of a rigged mech that paid out many more lower wins than normal (more cherries on the first couple of reels and an additional orange or two on the last one) this machine was placed outside almost on the pavement by the front door to entice passers by at the beginning of the week when the this week's tourists had a rrived but had a normal mech in it at the back end of the week before they left.