A small price to pay for a step back in time — the Chicagoland jukebox show

The Chicagoland Antique Advertising, Slot Machine & Jukebox Show is too long of a name for a collectibles show but not long enough at the same time. It's about much more than antique advertising, slot machines and juke boxes. If you're into vintage nostalgia, chances are it will have something for you.

The twice annual show was held last weekend at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake and even though it now costs $10 to get in, it's still worth the price of admission and then some. It's too bad I didn't have six grand to plunk down for late '50s Coke vending machine, but if I paid the 10 bucks just to look at it — in pristine restored condition — it was worth it.

It's one of those events that is a museum as much as a show, and it never disappoints. Here are some of the highlight items I saw at last weekend's show:

I love "pitch-and-bat" arcade games like "Upper Deck" and "Line Drive," but they're tough to find in working condition and usually cost $5,000 or more. This United's Yankee baseball from 1959 was not working, with a $2,500 price tag.

A 1957-59 Coke bottle vending machine. These often are restored and almost look too nice. Items like this sometimes have more new parts than original ones. I might prefer one with a little wear-and-tear patina if it was operational.

A lot of Marx Brothers fans prefer the anarchy of their mad-cap early films like "Duck Soup," but from a critical standpoint, "A Night At the Opera" is pretty tough to top, thanks to the genius of producer Irving Thalberg.

I love everything about "American Graffiti," maybe because it came out when I was 14 — the cast, the soundtrack, the nostalgia, the storylines, the supporting performances (Wolfman Jack!), that it was shot mostly at night. Just a perfect film for a nostalgia buff (even then) just starting high school.

A 1967 "More of the Monkees unopened wax box (24 packs). I would have bought it ...

... if not for the $1,200 price tag!

You can't go to a jukebox show without checking out the jukeboxes. This is the classic 1947 Wurlitzer model 1015.

But I am an absolute sucker for a Seeburg 100 playing "She Loves You" by the Beatles. It doesn't get any better than this.

A 1950s Selmix coke dispenser.

The Beatles were just four lads from Liverpool, England, but a big part of their success is that they embraced Beatlemania and did not let the frenzy beat them down — or stifle their creativity. "A Hard Day's Night" is a good example of how they handled their sudden fame. The Beatles succeeded because they were never afraid to fail.

A Bally slot machine.

They don't make slot machines like this anymore. The Mills Co. of Chicago was a leading manufacturer of coin-operated machines in the early part of the 20th century and made the first Coca-Cola vending machine.

This Williams "Post Time," was produced in April of 1969 — the golden era of pinball machines.