Sounds to me like he is simply a collector of these things, just as some people are collectors of coins or stamps or vintage watches or various kinds of antiques. And I suspect that his comment about watching the reels go around was simply a half-kidding (or mostly kidding) reference to the fact that he doesn't put the decks to use. Perhaps said in part as a way to try to end the conversation, which in fact it did.
Regards,
-- Al
Regards,
-- Al