Hands down the best place to get a good slot machine is at one of the shows. Just like the chip convention, the slot machine shows are attended by the experts that know what each machine is worth and they are in competition with each other. Local ads in the newspapers are typically from people who don't know what they have and think every machine is worth $3000. I know that there are shows on the west coast and in the Chicago area about twice a year. I know that last time I went the Chicago show was excellent.