Art News

Bob Levy’s slot machines hit the jackpot at Dan Morphy’s $1.8 million auction

DENVER, PA.- Just about anyone who collects antique gambling or coin-op machines knew the late Bob Levy. He was such a presence in his field of expertise that he became known throughout the world as simply “the slot machine guy.” On Sept. 3rd, more than 200 coin-op enthusiasts gathered at Dan Morphy’s auction gallery an hour northwest of Philadelphia to bid on the treasured private collection Levy had amassed over a lifetime. The Levy selection was offered on day two of Morphy’s Sept. 2-3 sale, together with neon signs, mechanical banks and antique advertising. The grand total for the two-day event was $1,836,000, inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium. “The sale was a huge success. Our new auction room was bursting at the seams, and we even had to bring in additional chairs to accommodate the overflow,” said Morphy’s CEO Dan Morphy. A Pennsylvania newspaper columnist, Gene Friedman,