PennyMachines Post

Special When Lit

2011-02-07T14:17:00.005Z

Special When Lit is a Raindance nominated, cinematic ode to the joys of playing, restoring and collecting pinball machines. It's available on DVD and blu-ray. Bringing together a bunch of famous pinball luminaries, including Roger Sharpe, Gary Stern and Steve Kordek, to name but three (see cast) - it looks a blast. I'm saving up for a high-def copy.

Vintage Penny Arcadia Website

2010-10-29T19:03:00.005+01:00

Ahem! Time for some news eh?

John Hanson notified me recently that he has just started a new vintage slot machine website called Vintage Penny Arcadia.

He plans to populate it with lots of the material he collected and published in his Vintage Penny Arcadia magazine which ran from January 2001 (originally as Hand Cranked Pleasures) to December 2003. Not much there yet, but worth keeping an eye on...

Fairground & Circus Auction

2009-06-14T12:00:00.007+01:00

After a long lull, we have good news on the slot machine auction front with the announcement of Joby Carter's International Fairground & Circus Auction scheduled for October 25th. Organized by Carters Entertainment Ltd. it will build on the achievements of last year's auction and promises to be an annual event in the vintage amusements calendar.

Circus and fairground related lots and vintage coin-operated amusements of all kinds are invited from all and should be submitted by 6th August 2009.

It’s that time of year again! Auction time! October 25th that is! It sounds like a long time away but before you know it the leaves will be falling from the trees and you will be off to White Waltham for the Annual Fairground Auction. This year my event goes under the banner of The Fairground and Circus Auction. So not only will there be the normal array of slot machines, pedal cars and fairground art, there will also be some very fine circus memorabilia to feast your eyes upon.

Any lot will be considered for the auction although I would prefer pieces that can be easily taken away on the day of the auction, simply because this seems to be where the market is strongest. In other words – I am not interested in small roundabouts with unrealistic reserves on! I would urge anyone entering lots to have no or low reserves as this is a sale not a valuation service. Any item which does not make its reserve will be stated as unsold.

This year we have a special section to the auction – a segment 100% for charity. One of my many ideas that has gone down very well! Our charity of the year is the Teenage Cancer Trust. There’s never a good time to get cancer, but for a teenager the timing seems particularly cruel. Young people can get some of the most rare and aggressive forms of cancer while the emotional upheaval of adolescence can make a cancer diagnosis even harder to cope with. Every day in the UK, six young people will have to face that diagnosis. Teenage Cancer Trust understands that teenage cancer requires specialist care and that young people have a much better chance in their fight against cancer if they are treated by teenage cancer experts in an environment tailored to their needs. Teenage Cancer Trust builds units in NHS hospitals which improve the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer. As Teenage Cancer Trust receives no government funding, Teenage Cancer Trust rely on voluntary donations.

It occurred to me to ask as many fairground artists as I know to do a piece of artwork to auction off commission free. This has the obvious benefit of raising much needed funds for a very worthy cause, and it also highlights the fact that if you want traditional hand-painted artwork you can still have it done for you – you just need to know where to look! All too often you see a set of gallopers with vinyl scrolls on the steps or a vintage slot machine with stick-on letters – why? Because it is cheap and traditional artwork isn’t and nor should it be – it’s a dying art-form that deserves celebrating and this is my way of doing so. We have already got two fabulous pieces here – one by my Mum, Anna Carter and one by Vicky Postlewaite. Myself and my apprentice, Aaron Stephens are both half-way through our pieces – mine being a guitar kindly donated by Fender – possibly the hardest thing I have ever decorated and will be a one off one of a kind piece! Many other famous artists are painting pieces for this event including a very well known artist from Australia!!!

To view the lots check the website: we will be updating it every week with the catalogue launch at the Great Dorset Steam Fair (hence the early closing date for entries – there is method in my madness!) We have already got a great deal of interest this year thanks to the success of last year’s auction and the lot allocation is quickly filling up.

We look forward to seeing you on the last Sunday of October.

Joby Carter

COVENTRY COIN-OP SHOW 2008

2008-11-20T01:33:00.005Z

The catalogue for the CENTRAL ENGLAND VINTAGE COIN-OP COLLECTORS' SHOW & AUCTION (in association with Mechanical Memories Magazine) to be held on 30th November 2008 at the Coundon Club, Coventry, CV6 1GP is now available in the MARKET. Admittance is by catalogue only at the discounted £4 rate in the Market or £5 at the door. A great chance get your hands dirty by investigating a bewildering array of antique mechanical amusement apparatus, slot machines, one arm bandits, etc,. and to network with lots of like-minded collectors.

Joby Carter's Vintage Slot Machine Auction

2008-08-27T19:11:00.004+01:00

Joby Carter of Carter's Vintage Steam Fair is organizing an auction of "Vintage Slot Machines, Pedal Cars, Gag Boards, Wagons, Rides, Transport and anything else related to the fairground industry" to take place on the 26th of October, 2008.

Entries are invited from all and must include a photograph. Click advert above to visit the website. Contact details for entries and catalogues contained therein.

Arnett's Circus Sale

2008-08-16T12:34:00.003+01:00

I received an auction catalogue from Southern Counties Auctioneers this morning for a Sale of Fairground & Circus Vehicles, Related Ephemera and Posters: Saturday 13th September. They do not seem to have combined this sale with the postponed slot machine sale - there are only two machines in the auction, but there are a total of 326 fine circus related lots including signs, posters, costumes, ephemera, carvings, a 97 key organ built in 1923, living wagons, vintage fairground vehicles and much more. The full colour catalogue is available for £5 post free from John Bundy on 01722 321215. (Southern Counties website seems to have disappeared at present).

Peter is the fourth generation of "Peter Arnett's who have been associated with the entertainments industry, from boxing to greyhound racing, bingo clubs, fairgrounds and finally the circus.

His father was friends with Billy Manning, whose fairground was situated a Clarence Pier; and with the late Billy Smart (senior). Young Billy Smart would take the young Peter Arnett "on holiday" with the circus during the latter's school summer holidays. Peter's early association with the circus and his ever widening circle of friends and colleagues led to a colourful career which culminated n a travelling circus.

Some of the pieces being offered for sale here were part of that organisation which toured the Easy and South coasts of England during the years 1999-2005.

An Auctioneer Responds...

2008-05-06T23:50:00.003+01:00

Laurence Fisher, Specialist Department Head, Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus, Bonhams, responded to my last rather pessimistic post with this more upbeat message:

I am working on three collections now which together, would probably span a two day sale and a three-volume catalogue. May well take a year to do, but it should be worth it.

Things for us are looking up, but without the support of all machine collectors around the world, I agree that both MMM and Bonhams will be in the same boat until a change appears. At the end of the day, no one can make someone sell nor buy, but just the magnet of having Jerry's sales for instance should be enough to keep the door open for the masses.

Also, and I take this quote from a well-known member of the slot machine community - "having lower numbers of machines in regular sales does me a favour with the total price!" Mark and I try to get at least a few machines together for each of the two-per-year Knowle sales - 13 May next week has 9 machines.
Lets hope all of us can pick up machines more often from everywhere this year.

The 'credit crunch' will have no affect on those who really do have a genuine interest in the history of machines.

Salisbury Auction Postponed

2008-05-03T12:09:00.008+01:00

I received the following letter this morning regarding the Netherhampton Salesrooms slot machine auction that was scheduled for 18th May this year in Salisbury:

Thank you for your entry for the above auction, however by the closing date, despite extending, we have had too few items entered to justify continuing with the sale. This is unfortunate as we have some interesting and collectable pieces here as promised.
We would hope that you will allow us to enter them into our annual 'Stourpaine Sale' which is timed to coincide with the well known Great Dorset Steam Fair due this year on Friday 29th August. This sale attracts buyer from all over Europe and should provide you with a very suitable alternative. If storage is a problem for you we will take the goods in, store and insure them and transport them to the venue.
Thank you for your understanding and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused.

Yours faithfully,

John Bundy
Managing Director
(Netherhampton Salesrooms)

This news comes as no great surprise. Clearly a number of factors, not least the current economic climate, are making it very difficult these days to pull in enough quality machines for a decent sale. Bonhams and the MMM auctions are in the same boat.
A sale now really needs to be founded upon the break up of one or more collections (a rare event). Anyway, let's hope the 'Stourpaine Sale' is a success.

New British Slot Machine Book

2008-04-15T13:17:00.011+01:00

I recently received an email from slot machine industry veteran Freddy Bailey about his new book All My Life... A Showman. Freddy has extensive historical knowledge and experience of the pre-decimal British amusement machine days, so this could be a very welcome contribution to our hobby. To be financially viable Freddy says he needs to sell 2000 copies. Unfortunately, in our hobby, that's quite a tall order. I've requested stock for the PennyMachines Library. If you want to see this book (price £40) in print I suggest you email Freddy.

Hi Everybody,
We are now coming to the final chapters in my new book “All My Life………….A Showman”, it will be going to the printers within the next four weeks, anyone who has an interest in purchasing copies, could you please e-mail me with your requirements. We have to publish 2,000 copies to make it a proposition, this has been a gigantic effort and what started out as my autobiography has turned into a 400 page coin machine history as well as a personal adventure. Wherever you are just interested in the many sections on coin operated machine’s, or in reading about my life in that business over the last 55 years, I am sure you will enjoy the book. There is I think something for every collector, be it jukeboxes, arcade machines or slot machines. I am sure you will find items that you have never seen in other similar publications. I have also tried to make it an International study of the various machines and the people that were involved with them. For any
further information please e-mail me at anglobritish@aol.com

Thank you. Freddy Bailey (British Coin Machine Historian)

Auctions Ahoy!

2008-01-26T18:07:00.000Z

Two sales are confirmed for 2008 and inviting consignments: Bonhams Mechanical Music Sale at Knightsbridge is on Wednesday 19 March with an entry deadline of Friday 8 February (details below) and Southern Counties Auctioneers Amusement Machine Sale at Salisbury is on Sunday 18th May, with entries closing three weeks before.

From Laurence Fisher, Bonhams:

We are looking forward to presenting our London Knightsbridge sale of fine Mechanical Music, which charts the success of entertainment brought about by the technological feats of those who managed to provide musical enjoyment in the homes of the past. Today, Bonham's takes pride of place as the collector's choice for these musical wonders in devoted auctions, which are offered to the many who seek the right examples for the present age.

Following a very enjoyable sale on 20 November 2007, which included an array of rare pieces and two world record prices, we are currently inviting similar entries for this March sale. From early wind and stringed mechanical music instruments, singing bird boxes and gold musicai virtue, to fine cylinder and disc musical boxes, gramophones, phonographs, important wireless, amusement, musical and illusion automata, our international clients await the colourful catalogue with interest.

Already included for March, we have a rare Wurlitzer 1100 78rpm Jukebox, (estimate £3000-5000); a 4-air Grand-Format musical box, (estimate £10,000-15,000); and a fine 19 5/8-inch auto-change Polyphon disc musical box with its disc bin, (estimate £7,000-10,000).

Please join us in our commitment to serve the mechanical music community by contacting me regarding any suitable property well before the sale deadline of Friday 8 February.

I look forward to assisting with your selling needs, Kindest regards,

Laurence Fisher.
+44 (0) 8700 273 633

Coin Operated 19.5/8-inch 10-disc Polyphon Autochange Musical Box

Central England Vintage Coin-Op Collectors' Show & Auction

2007-10-20T23:57:00.000+01:00

Just to make sure this one doesn't escape your radar - the CENTRAL ENGLAND VINTAGE COIN-OP COLLECTORS' SHOW & AUCTION (in association with Mechanical Memories Magazine) will be held on 25th November 2007 at the Coundon Club, Coventry, CV6 1GP. Admittance by catalogue only (available in the Market soon). A great chance get your hands dirty by investigating a bewildering array of antique mechanical amusement apparatus, slot machines, one arm bandits, etc,. and to network with lots of like-minded collectors.

Entries are currently being accepted, so now's the time to sort out any old slots surplus to requirements.

Bonhams Invitation to Consign

2007-09-25T14:52:00.000+01:00

A message from Laurence Fisher (now of Bonhams) re. forthcoming Mechanical Music Sale:

We are looking forward to presenting our fine London Knightsbridge sale of Mechanical Music, which Charts the success of entertainment brought about by the technological feats of those who managed to provide musical enjoyment in the homes of the past. Today, Bonham's takes pride in including these specialist musical wonders in devoted sales for the many who seek them for the present age.
From important and early sur-plateau musical boxes, to the streamlined curves of popular pre-1940 wireless, mechanical music at Bonham's is now the collector's choice of the world. The forthcoming Knightsbridge sale, which will be held on Tuesday 20 November, will encompass the very best examples to ensure that market connoisseurs are provided with their preferred selection in this niche and important field.
Current consigned property includes this magnificent and fine Oiseau Chantant with timepiece actuation by C. H. Marguerat, in engine-turned silver-gilt and blue enamel case, circa 1929 (Estimate: £10,000 -15,000); A timepiece-actuated eight-air Cylinder Musical Box, in serpentine walnut veneered and inlaid case (Estimate: £5,500 - 7,500); and a Bond Cascade cabinet gramophone, with quadruple-spring Expert Soundbox (Estimate: £800 -1,200).
We are looking to include early snuff and other Musical boxes, fine Phonographs and Gramophones, delightful Singing Birds, important Electrical and Encoding devices, popular Dance and Band Orchestrions and classic French Musical Automata.
The backdrop of the many fine lots currently ready to include, makes this the perfect opportunity to finish this year with a healthy introduction to 2008 and, as market leaders for this popular and exciting field of collectables, you can expect Bonham's to share the magic of your property with the rest of the world.
Please join us in our commitment to serve the mechanical music community by contacting me regarding any suitable property well before the deadline of Wednesday 10 October.
I look forward to assisting with your selling needs. Kindest regards,

Laurence Fisher
Specialist Head, Mechanical Music.

Christies Pull Out Of Collectibles

2007-08-25T12:14:00.000+01:00

While I was away the following arrived on 3rd August in my inbox from Laurence Fisher, former Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus Specialist at Christie's:

Good afternoon!

This is just a quick line to say hello and to inform those who are interested what has happened at Christie's. They have closed all the collectables departments, leaving only a couple of 'headed' departments which deal with selected high-value only pieces, not including vintage slots etc. I was made redundant from Christie's on the 22 June.

Upon going to work for the last sale set-up on the 23rd May, I suffered a heart attack. I am feeling much better, but I still have to keep a close eye on my health. The last-ever sale of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus was held at 2.00pm on the 31 May 2007. The November date, as stated on the MBSGB webpage, will of course not be going ahead.

After a good few weeks to build up my strength, I have been appointed Specialist of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus at Bonham's. Based in Relay Road in White City in London, I shall be consigning into sales for Knowle and Knightsbridge. Please be assured that I believe Knowle to be one of the many assets of Bonham's, not only being in the centre of the country, but also great parking, great selection if a collection comes in and in addition I now have the privilege of working once more with many good people who I had the pleasure of working with when I was at Philips 12 years ago.

I shall let you know when and where slots come up and in the meantime if you have any pieces you would like to consign at Bonham's, please call me on 07977 368 288. Remember - competitive rates and excellent mail-shot lists are with me.

many thanks and best wishes.

Laurence Fisher
Specialist, Mechanical Music

Bonhams 1793

Relay Road
White City
London W12 7JS

I was very sorry to hear about Laurence's illness but glad to know he's feeling better. Laurence "joined" the slot collector community when he handled the Nic Costa sale. He was courteous, enthusiastic and helpful beyond the norm. One is bound to wonder at the stresses imposed by these cut-throat operations and the lack of any job security received in return. I wish Laurence a longer and brighter future with Bonham's.

I'm not sure whether Christie's drastic decision to close all its collectibles departments reflects a crisis in the whole field or is a case of one top auction house pricing itself out of a market. I do think the combination of a downturn in realized prices for collectibles and inflated auction premiums (plus other costs associated with London salesrooms) has made them increasingly unattractive to buyers and sellers alike. Ebay must have taken its toll as well I guess.

The good news is that the Old School House at Knowle which has a continuous history of mechanical music, technical and coin-operated collectibles sales dating back to the 1980's (originally as Philips) has acquired a specialist with a genuine interest in our field, and one of the most charming, intimate and accessible professional auction venues in the country can only benefit from Christie's withdrawal from the fray.

Slot and Automata DVD

2007-07-28T13:05:00.000+01:00

Darren Hesketh's two disc DVD production THE OLD-TYME PENNY ARCADE & THE VINTAGE FAIRGROUND has just been released. Running to over two and a half hours, it features a wide range of coin-operated machines, automata, toys, vintage fairground rides and related items many of which are on public display at various venues around the UK. There are chapters from Carter's Steam Fair, the Fairground Museum, Dingles Steam Village, The Bryans Museum, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Folly Farm Family Adventure Park, Merrivale Model Village, Watermouth Castle, Wookey Hole Caves and Yesterday's World plus some private collections. Professionally edited, production values are good with clear, sharp pictures and steady camera-work. The charm of Working Models and slot machines in general is only fully appreciated when they are "working". By capturing their intriguing actions and sounds in colour, these DVDs achieve what words and still images can't. Hopefully copies will be available through our site but in the meantime, try Darren's site at museumofamusements.
I believe the price is £19.99.

Christies Sale: 31 May

2007-01-15T20:19:00.000Z

Email from Laurence Fisher of Christies announcing:
sale of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus to be be held on the 31 May 2007:
See Sale Overview

Hi - Happy New Year! Hope all is well and that buys in 2006 are being enjoyed, restored and cuddled.

Just a line to announce that entries for the 31 May sale of Mechanical Music must be with me prior to March 20th. I look forward to helping, as always, this slot machine community.

Kind regards,

Laurence Fisher
Specialist,
Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus
BVWS, MBSGB, CLPGS

The Great Price Crash

2006-11-23T23:32:00.000Z

Sell! Sell! Sell! The writing's on the wall. If you've invested your savings in vintage slot machines, now's the time to get out before it's too late! Prices continue to dive. In a year's time, at this rate, you won't be able to give them away. That's the message I took home from Sunday's Coventry Vintage Slot Machine Auction (12/11/06).

Perhaps I'm being a bit hysterical here. The prices weren't that bad. All the items I took to the auction sold, one for over twice what I thought it was worth and everything I bid on went for more than I was prepared to pay. The Bryans machines didn't do badly apart from the Retreeva (on new penny play and needing work) which failed to reach its reserve. An old penny play Bullion went for £620, possibly a record price, until a week later when another one made £700 at Anna Carter's Sale. What we did witness though, was an unusually high number of unsold lots, particularly at the start of the auction, although I'm told that many came within a whisker of their reserves and had the auctioneer's discretion been exercised the success rate would have been much higher. However, thanks to some unambitious reserves some great bargains were snapped up. The trouble is, it seemed not enough of us were eager to grab the opportunity.

Nevertheless, there was a clear consensus that it was a most enjoyable day, especially for a first auction and the organisers look forward to building upon their success by running another. It provided the kind of informal collectors' get-together that the hobby needs and I was surprised and impressed by the standard of items on offer. There seemed to be a lower than usual quotient of junk/basket-cases plus a decent proportion of rare and unusual machines. Good suggestions for future improvements have been made in the Forum and the organisers welcome further feedback.

See Full Auction Results in the Arena.

I'll also post the auction results from Southern Counties Anna Carter Steam Fair Sale (13/11/06) when I get them.

Many theories have been put forward to account for the decline in vintage slot machine prices over the last few years, such as eBay making them commonplace; the recent hike in fuel and other essential commodity prices; the dwindling supply of good items for sale; the numerous tecky products (computers, mobile phones, i-pods, sat-navs etc.) now competing for our cash; ever increasing property prices leading to ever decreasing living spaces and the aging collector syndrome. There's probably some merit in all of them, but I fear the aging collector syndrome is by far the biggest factor. It's evident to all of us who attend these sales that the bidders' average age increases roughly one year every year. In other words, new collectors are not replacing those who've either dropped out or dropped dead! It's hardly surprising, given that most of us got interested in mechanical amusements because we remember playing them as kids in the 1960s. Later generations cannot be expected to know what a mechanical slot machine is, let alone why it's so much more charming than a video game. PennyMachine.co.uk's mission is to promote a wider appreciation of these devices but the Catch-22 is that unless a person already has some knowledge of or interest in the subject they're not likely either to find this site or buy their first classic machine on eBay.

On the other hand, for those of us already in the know, there's a positive side to all of this. Of course, anyone who's selling wants to see the highest price possible, but I believe high prices in general are the collector's worst enemy and good news only for auctioneers. I know I'm not the only one who regrets the way the hobby has been plagued by investors and money-making opportunists who delight in hyping-up prices. 2006 has brought a welcome reality check which should go some way to kicking this element into touch.

I took my camera to Jukebox Madness (on Saturday 4th November) but for some reason failed to take it out of its case. Shame really, because I could have brought back pictures of a very elegant little Handani catcher from Dutch dealer Jukebox Gallery and two machines I haven't seen before: a Parkers clown/circus theme allwin on Jez Darvill's stand and a war-time single-reeler Bowland bandit conversion with aeroplane castings and reel motifs. As it was, I came back with nothing. There were plenty of buyers and sellers, but unusually, most trading seems to have been done on the Sunday. Generally, prices were down again on last year, I think.

In the "History of the Wall Machine" (last issue of MMM) I learnt that when you win the jackpot on a Bryan's Payramid, the last winning ball is recycled, giving you a chance to win even more, and this continues until you drop the ball. I never noticed that. Maybe because I so rarely got the jackpot. I return to the machine with a renewed sense of awe.

Dave Page of Skelter Publishing responded to my comment about the Pennies by the Sea's weak binding. He believes the problem arose because the first batch of books was released too hastily, before the glue had set properly:

Many thanks for such a positive Blog review of our recent publication, Pennies by the Sea. As a small publisher we are always very appreciative of the efforts of people like yourself who take time to review our work.

However, we were disturbed to hear that the copy you received did not physically stand up to scrutiny. We apologise unreservedly for this and would like to replace the copy you have ....

In terms of how your copy of Pennies by the Sea came to fall apart it comes down to the fact that we took a risk. Sounds dramatic I know,but we wanted the book out for Christmas, and, for various reasons, we were late off the presses. With every book we do we are advised by our printer to allow at least a week for the binding glue to harden properly. This time, however, we felt we could not wait that long for publicity to begin and released a small batch of Pennies by the Sea as soon as they were delivered to us and, therefore, against the advice of our printer. One of these came to pennymachines.co.uk. We suspect that the gluing on your copy was still volatile and therefore even a moderate amount of handling may have caused the glue to slide. For this we again apologise.

We think it also worth stating that Skelter Publishing has every faith in its printer, Thanet Press of Margate. They have always displayed the greatest professionalism when dealing with our titles and always produce work to the very highest standards. We have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who may be looking for a good honest company to do business with.

Regards,
Dave.

Pennies by the Sea review

2006-11-03T17:53:00.000Z

Having had time now to absorb Nick Laister's Pennies by the Sea, I must say, as the first book to cover the vintage amusement scene from the arcade operators' side of the coin box, it makes a fascinating read. We are lead through over seventy years' intricate history of several competing amusement venues in Bridlington (and those who owned and ran them), from their inception in the assembly rooms adjoining the Ship Inn in the mid 1880s; the first "pleasure palaces", cinematograph houses and theatres, to Britain's first purpose built seaside amusement arcade at Great Yarmouth in 1897. The central story is that of Joyland Amusements, following its piecemeal development and expansion as it became one of the biggest in Britain, right up to the present day. Something of the fuggy atmosphere of a crowded arcade; the noise and bustle; aromas of disinfectant, hot dogs, candyfloss and ozone, is evoked in pictures, stories and personal anecdotes from some of the key players at the sharp end of the British amusement machines industry. We are reminded of a simpler, more naive age when it was possible for an enterprising fellow to manufacture slot machines in a small shed, hand build them with the help of an uncle and deliver them to local resorts in the sidecar of a motorcycle.

A number of classic old machines can be spied in the tantalizing black and white images, mostly looking in from the Promenade or Esplanade fronts of the arcades, plus a few rather fuzzy interiors. It's sad that the insides of amusement arcades were so rarely considered worthy of a photograph. Most of our early views of machines in situ were taken on Victorian piers. The rows of wooden-cased wall machines that were more usually indoors are rarely seen.

The final chapter The Rides and Attractions, describes and pictures some of the games that were operated from Joyland Amusements. Clearly this isn't Nick Laister's area of expertise, as evidenced by a few errors that creep in - although the Laughing Sailor appeared in 1950, the same year vinyl LPs were first sold in Britain, it's 78" record would have been of shellac not vinyl, and we didn't have to wait until 1963 for automatic payouts on Fruit Machines! Nevertheless, the chapter provides a welcome "where are they now?" roundup of the games and rides that provided so many years entertainment at the Joyland arcade.

Handle with care: My copy fell apart when I was less than a third of the way through - and I wasn't particularly rough with it. It was printed in England and the pages attached by slapping a bit of cheap glue down the spine in what passes for softback binding these days.

Full tilt on the Black Country Museum Speedway

The auction catalogue for the Central England Vintage Slot Collectors' Day at Coventry on Sunday 12th November is now online here. You can order a printed copy here (required for entry). I should have more details of the Anna Carter auction by Monday.

Steam Fair Auction and more...

2006-10-10T17:47:00.000+01:00

After a distinctly slack October, our Calendar is packed for November with exciting events kicking off with Jukebox Madness, the annual jukebox, pinball, slot machine and Americana collectors' favourite event on the 4th and 5th followed two days later by Christies Mechanical Music Sale which this time will only include a few coin-operated machines. That brings us to the Central England Vintage Slot Collectors' Day and Auction (in association with MMM) on the 12th. This will be the first dedicated vintage slot machine auction held in the Midlands for many years. If you plan to put some lots into this one, get them in soon - all entries must be received by 23rd October. 80 lots were already listed when I spoke to the organizers just after the first batch of entry forms had been delivered. Entry details here.

The following weekend (Saturday 18th) comes a surprise event, just announced by Southern Counties Auctioneers: Anna Carter's (of Carters Steam Fair) Auction of Memorabilia, signs, glassware, vehicles, amusement machines, fairground rides and attractions. From first reports, I believe this will include a "moderate" number of vintage coin-operated games, but not comparable to the famous Carter's Sale of 2000. The catalogue will be available shortly and I'll post the details as soon as I have them.

Further exciting news for slot-heads (not to be confused with cross-head screws) comes with the publication of Nick Laister's Pennies by the Sea, the first book to tell the story of the British seaside amusement arcade (and the first book for vintage British slot machine enthusiasts since John Carter produced Arcades and Slot Machines in 1997). It's available in the Library for £16.00 including postage, or if you want to avoid postage, get a copy from me at the Central England Vintage Slot Collectors' Day and Auction. I'll review the book here shortly. And for those who haven't yet subscribed to Mechanical Memories Magazine, here's what you missed this month: The History of the Wall Machine Part 2 (Catchers), Slotties Day Out report, Rock-Ola Pintables Part 1 (my contribution), the BAL-AMI Junior 40 Jukebox, plus news, classified adverts etc.

The Way Things Go

2006-09-14T18:40:00.000+01:00

I recently returned from my Summer holiday travels to find all quiet on the slot machine front. Nothing much seems to be happening, even eBay sales seem to have dried up. There was some consolation in a few exciting packages that had arrived while I was away. John Peterson sent me some allwin spares and composite balls suitable for very early catchers etc. Great find, John! These are rare as hen's teeth and often missing. We may put some on the Spares page.

Issue 5 of Mechanical Memories Magazine featured an article by Clive Baker on his Southport Pier vintage amusements arcade, an informative piece on pre-decimal British pennies plus other articles and slot machine adverts.

Also awaiting my return was a DVD I've been trying to track down for ages called The Way Things Go (Der Lauf Der Dinge) made by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss in 1987. I'm sure this wonderful thirty minute tour de force of kinetic, chemical and pyrotechnic cause and effect would appeal to many of my fellow cog-heads. It's available from Amazon.com and although formatted for US TV it played fine on my home DVD player. Compare this short sample (requires Quicktime player) with the Honda advert that cleverly and shamelessly plagiarized it.

While in Falaise, Normandy (birthplace of William the Conqueror) I visited a museum of "window actors" (as the brochure quaintly described them) at Automates Avenue. From the 1920's to the 1950s, these automata captured the imagination of Parisian Christmas shoppers, luring them into the department stores. Given that they were manufactured over the same period as the British working models, it is perhaps not surprising that they bear many resemblances in theme and style, albeit on a larger scale. There are some more images in the Arena

Christies November Sale

2006-08-06T14:09:00.000+01:00

I recently received this message from Laurence Fisher of Christies:

A few machines were left over from the May sale, but these will more than likely be returned to Mr. Costa. On behalf of Nic, a thank you to all who attended both the main slot sale back in January and this one just gone.

Since the May sale, I have consigned the following which will appear in the & November auction of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus:

A Mills 'Castle Front' bandit, 1933 Estimate £500-800

A Jennings Little Duke
(number reels - 'female' re-cast front) Estimate £300-500

A Jennings Governor bandit with lit panels
& 6d. Play Estimate £200-300

There is also a chance of a few others, but only if the vendors of the machines are willing to provide the Gambling Commission their details so we can obtain the permit to sell them.

Viewing for this sale will start from 4 November- Saturday at 10.00am - or on request, I can send you pictures of these over an e-mail (See Christies site for email details).

Liberty Belle Under the Hammer

2006-06-30T23:06:00.000+01:00

The owners of the the famous Liberty Belle Saloon in Reno have put their establishment on the market for $1,750,000. This does not include the historic content which is coming under the hammer on July 8th. Most of the slot machines for sale are pictured in Marshal Fey's Slot Machines - A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years. The details, together with the online and printed catalogue, are available at Peter Sidlow & Pat McGuire's Victorian Casino Antique Auction.

Improved! Cheaper! PennyMachines Market

2006-06-30T10:58:00.000+01:00

The PennyMachines Market is proving an increasingly successful method of selling vintage slots. Now, by arrangement with Jerry Chattenton, all Market adverts will be automatically published in two issues of Mechanical Memories Magazine. The listings also appear at BidFind.com and BidHopper.com, the two leading aggregators of independent online auctions and classified adverts, so you can be sure your adverts are gaining maximum exposure and reaching the right audience. What's more, it's cheaper now, with a simple flat fee based upon how long you want your advert to run (from £5.00 for a month to £20 for 6 months). Furthermore, you're no longer required to state a selling price, although in my opinion it is always better to do so. I figure if you can't decide how to price your item the best selling format is an auction.

Talking of Mechanical Memories Magazine, the June issue was another cracker, with a couple of particularly interesting articles about the Steer-a-Ball machines and the mysterious Jackpot, Safari, Plentywin and Double Your Win allwins.

Reporting on last May's Slot Machine Sale, John Bundy of Southern Counties Auctioneers commented The number and quality of lots on offer were both encouraging and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of prospective buyers present on sale day.... We achieved a sale rate of 72% and have posted the results on our web site (www.salisburyauctioncentre.co.uk). [Also in the Arena.] For your information it is our intention to make this an annual fixture around the same time each year.

Sales were sluggish ten days later at Christies auction of Mechanical Music And Technical Apparatus, with the sale rate of slots down to less than 50% (see the Arena), although I believe many were purchased at reserve afterwards. The buyer's market continues. Get your vintage slots now! It won't last for ever.

Christie's Invitation to View

2006-05-25T18:56:00.000+01:00

From Laurence Fisher re. Christies Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus Sale (Wednesday 31 May, 2.00pm):

Our forthcoming sale of mechanical music encompasses the true sounds and sights that these popular auctions have projected in the past. Highlights range from fine singing birds such as a Bruguier tortoiseshell box (estimate £4,000-6,000) to a rare 39-key Flight & Sons barrel pipe organ originally installed in Diss Church, Norfolk (estimate £5,000-7,000), making a sale that captures each specific interest with ease.
We are delighted to also be presenting in the first of these two annual sales, the Stonehill Collection of Duo-Art. For over four decades, Mr. Stonehill has globally sourced and gathered the world's largest and most complete library of Duo-Art rolls. Here, offered as one lot, (estimate £15,000-25,000), we can appreciate the size, the range and music of this extraordinary work. Joining this, his unique Steinway Grand piano with 3-H opposed action, (estimate £20,000-40,000), a Weber Duo-Art Model 12 grand piano (estimate £800-1,200), the unique and famous Iles-Stonehill Robot, used for the Nimbus recordings of 1995-2000, (estimate £3,000-5,000) and a fine Chinese taste breakfront roll cabinet (estimate £1,000-1,500).
The musical box section is equally healthy with lots such as a small key-wind musical box playing three airs, including the Overture of Othello in two parts (estimate £1,200-1,800), a fine musical box by Ducommun-Girod, playing four airs on approximately 182 teeth (estimate £800-1,200) and a fine Mandoline Expressive Overture musical box, playing six airs (estimate £4,000-6,000).
Gramophones, Phonographs, fine and unusual Technical Apparatus, Vintage Amusement Machines, Pneumatic Instruments, Automata and Signage are other chapters in this fascinating and enlightening catalogue which appeals to both the collector and newcomer.
With the view commencing on Friday 26 May at 9.00am, we welcome you to join us in listening, enjoying and choosing your mechanical music lots.
With kindest regards,
Laurence Fisher.

Southern Counties 2: Sale Report

2006-05-24T20:33:00.000+01:00

... auction was great!! I even bought a couple of allwins to boot! ... Low buyers premium makes it very attractive for impulse buyers like me and there was a large range to choose from....and a bar as well!! Prices were very reasonable too...I should imagine there were one or two disappointed sellers as many machines went for below the estimate... I may enter some items next time if I get fed up packaging machines for sale on ebay!! Well done and thanks!

These comments of a visitor to the second Southern Counties Auction of Vintage Slot Machines last Sunday (21st May) sum up the day quite well. The general slump we've seen this year in prices has created something of a buyers' market. Fortunately, sensible reserves on most of the lots meant that, despite this, the majority of machines sold. There were certainly some bargains to be had amongst over 200 lots. Having sold a couple of large and heavy machines in the auction, I felt justified in bringing home four smaller ones.

I'll publish the full prices in the Arena as soon as I get them, but a few I noted were Lot 19, Novelty Merchantman Crane (in fair to good condition): £1300; Lot 57, Screen Stars single reeler: £330; Lot 80, Caille Commercial: £400; Lot 83, Bradley Challenger: £360. A Mills Poinsettia and Jennings Victoria both made £800 and the Jennings Governors of which there were about half a dozen sold for £700 - £800 with one going for a bargain £500. There were a similar number of Bryans Clocks one of which sold for as little as £230 and 30a, the Bryans Retreeva (in poor condition), made £2400.

Although the weather outside was dreadful (putting a damper on carpark trading) and I would have prefered a mid-session break in the sale, it was good to catch up with collector friends in a pleasant, comfortable venue.

It will be interesting to see if the price trend continues on Wednesday (31st May) at Christies Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus Sale with its second time around reduced reserves. The online catalogue is here.

Also at Christies (New York) on 21st June is a major sale of Historic Cards and Games which includes only one or two slots but some very attractive gaming related ephemera.

Pennies by the Sea

2006-05-08T00:54:00.000+01:00

Three pertinent leaflets hit the letterbox this week. The second issue of Mechanical Memories Magazine is a great little read, building on the success of issue one with more adverts, pictures and features, including a spotlight on Steve Maxsted's working models collection at Rye, East Sussex.

Christies Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus sales catalogue (May 31st) includes around forty slot/automata related items - mostly unsold items from the earlier Nic Costa auction, plus a Mills Horse Head Bonus, some 30s pintables and a few "new" lots.

The catalogue for Southern Counties Auction of Vintage Slot Machines (May 21st) is now printed and should be in your post this week if you've ordered it. It contains 184 lots with some late entries expected (see Southern Counties Sale Update ).

Exciting news of a new publication from Joylandbooks: Pennies by the sea: the story of Joyland, Bridlington. The author, Nick Laister, recently sent me this appeal for help:

I am currently in the process of finalising a book on the history of the Joyland amusement arcade in Bridlington, East Yorkshire. I am trying to track down some good, high resolution photographs of a number of vintage slot machines of the 30s, 40s and 50s (and one or two newer). I am looking for one photograph of each of the following: Allwins, Cranes, the Clutching hand, Rotaries, Pushers, Rifle range, Working Models, Box Ball, Moonraker, Greyhound Derby, and Laughing Sailor. Any help you can give would be very much appreciated.

If you can help supply any of these please email Nick Laister

Southern Counties Sale Update

2006-04-30T15:40:00.000+01:00

The Southern Counties Vintage Slot Machine Auction (May 21st) is shaping up to be an interesting sale. The catalogue will be produced next week and should be available shortly thereafter. It contains 184 lots, almost all old coin-operated amusement machines, plus some useful spares and very little "other stuff". Southern Counties are accepting late entries, so don't miss the boat.

There's a good selection of decent classic American bandits by the likes of Mills, Jennings, Pace etc., a terrific selection of allwins (if you're after an allwin, now's the time to buy), a golden age Wurlitzer 1080 Jukebox, some nice trade stimulators and a number of unusual items including such desirable arcade pieces as a Green Ray fortune teller, Mutoscope Magic Finger, Mystic Mirror and a tasty range of Bryans machines ranging from early Elevenses, Pilwin Play, Clocks, Bullions to a much sought-after Retreeva.

I'll be there - hope you will too (long as you don't bid on anything I want).

Christies Sale Update

2006-04-20T20:35:00.000+01:00

I just received the following from Laurence Fisher about the Christie's sale of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus, Wednesday 31 May 2006:

Just a quick update for everybody - the catalogue for this 31 May sale will be out in paperback around the 3rd May and online the night before. The Costa section will go from lot 178 and end at 210 and because I have had a few calls regarding consignments from all over the place, lots 211 to 220 are all fresh pieces (including a Delong rol-a-top bandit; a mutoscope; two restored 1930s pinballs; pinball and slot machine library; Mills bandit (which I will be keeping secret so you can keep guessing which one it is); Kleine bagatelle; clown-catcher and a great 1458 Rockola jukebox)

In the main area of the sale, 17 lots of technical apparatus, 27 lots of wireless and television, 19 lots of phonographs, 35 lots of gramophones, 11 lots of pneumatic instruments, 10 lots of Oiseau Chantants, 4 lots of the Stonehill Duo-Art collection, 5 lots of small musical boxes and automata, 7 lots of disc musical boxes, 36 lots of cylinder musical boxes, 33 Nic Costa lots, 9 lots of other properties of slot machines and 6 lots of signage.

I like the new mag!

2006-04-02T17:05:00.000+01:00

Having just read the first issue of the new Mechanical Memories Magazine I must congratulate Jerry Chattenton on a job well done. Not only did it arrive bang on time, but provided a genuinely interesting, well written 28 pages devoted exclusively to antique coin-operated games (bar the odd jukebox advert). This makes it a British first - all previous mags have tried to draw in enthusiasts from the jukebox, pinball, fairground or video game fraternities. The result is a publication tailored to suit the hardcore vintage slot fanatic. Judging by the number of subscribers already signed-up (more than double projected figures), there seem to be quite a few of them too. The number of adverts wasn't bad for a first issue and this should pick up as the mag establishes itself. The editor comes from an engineering background and this gives the articles a technical perspective which will be appreciated by many collectors. Certainly, all comments heard so far have been entirely positive.

Miller's Price Guide

2006-03-15T18:18:00.000Z

I was recently asked to supply information for the Amusement and Slot Machines section of next year's Miller's Collectables Price Guide. I took the opportunity to quiz their policy on valuations and pointed out that in the past I've seen items with prices that reveal not so much a true market value, more what a particular dealer wishes to sell or buy. I suggested it might help to indicate whether a value was an actual sale price or purely speculative.

I doubt they'll adopt this approach given the extra effort required to verify auction results etc., but they have requested that dealers include items they have recently sold or have in stock, rather than many impossibly rare examples that are very unlikely to be obtainable. In this spirit, I listed only machines I either bought or sold in the last couple of years with values based strictly on actual sales.

New Slot Machine Book

2006-02-27T12:34:00.000Z

Rumours of a new encyclopedic slot machine volume in the making have wafted over the pond for many years. The original idea from the publisher of the coffee table classic Slot Machines on Parade was an even more ambitious and comprehensive hardback called The Great Big Picture Book of Slot Machines. Sadly at some point during its 25 year conception economic pragmatism intervened and the result was Reel History, a 439 page paperback pictorial reference guide containing 436 machines from over 67 different manufacturers. Each machine listed and photographed in black and white contains the original manufacturer's name, date of introduction, nickname and machine type. As a bandit shopper's field guide, it should fill a niche not adequately covered at present. I shall order some for the Library.

MECHANICAL MEMORIES MAGAZINE

2006-02-24T00:49:00.000Z

Click Mechanical Memories Magazine for the details and online order form of this new publication.

Jerry has decided (wisely in my view) to keep the focus firmly on vintage slot machines without straying too far into other already well served interests such as fairground, video games, jukeboxes or the later pinballs. Lineage adverts will be free to subscribers.

The existence of online resources such as this website has not diminished the demand for an ink and paper magazine that plops through the letterbox once a month and I hope collectors will support this one.

Despite repeated promises over the last couple of years the Antique Amusement Magazine has yet to re-appear leaving many subscribers short-changed. No refunds were offered. Customers of the Antique Amusement Co. have, in my view, been treated unprofessionally and disrespectfully which is why I did not include next Sunday's auction in the Calendar.

New Vintage Slot Magazine

2006-02-19T13:40:00.000Z

Good news! A new magazine called Mechanical Memories devoted to vintage coin-operated games and antique amusements will be published on March 25th by Jerry Chattenton proprietor of the Mechanical Memories Amusement Museum on Brighton seafront and the Puppet Pier at Hop Farm Theme Park. It will consist of around thirty pages of info, adverts and articles in b/w A5 format. Subscriptions will be £22 for 11 issues a year (issued every month except August). Lineage adverts will be free to subscribers. I wish Jerry well with this - it sounds like the sort of thing collectors have been asking for. Watch this space for more details and an order form shortly.

Southern Counties Details

2006-02-19T00:49:00.000Z

Click here for details, lot entry form, catalogue ordering and images of a few items already consigned for the May 21st Southern Counties Auction of Vintage Slot Machines. Sellers' and buyers' commission is 5%. Closing date for entries is 27th April.

Christie's invitation to consign

2006-02-18T12:45:00.000Z

I just received the following Invitation to Consign from Laurence Fisher for Christie's sale of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus, Wednesday 31 May 2006:

We are currently inviting items to be consigned for our forthcoming auction of Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus, on the 31 May 2006. The deadline for entries is the 15 March.

Our twice yearly sales have attracted purchasers from all over the world to view cylinder and disc musical boxes, early wireless and television, technical apparatus, phonographs and gramophones and, following the success of the recent Nic Costa Collection auction in January, vintage slot machines.

Christie's welcome the opportunity to visit collections and offer free verbal advice on a number to single, individual items, appraising these with auction estimates in current market terms and pieces covering this subject are warmly welcomed at our central reception counter at South Kensington. As we consign all year round, we have storage space available for large items until the sale.

I look forward to helping you and I can be contacted on the telephone: +44 (0) 20 7752 3278, Laurence Fisher.

A rare Edison Class M Phonograph with
Bettini attachments sold for £22,800,
London 26 May 2005.

Southern Counties Auction Confirmed

2006-01-26T21:44:00.000Z

Yesterday I was pleased to confirm rumours that have been circulating for a while about another Southern Counties vintage slot machine auction. It's scheduled for the same time as last year: 21st of May with viewing on the preceding Saturday.

This time around, they're running the sale themselves (previously a team of us organized the sale and hired the venue and an auctioneer) but you will be able to consign items and order catalogues through this site again. Payments by cash, cheque or credit card will be accepted.

Hopefully this will be a yearly fixture. Certainly we could do with a few more sales on the horizon. I think the venue was ideal with ample on-site parking, comfortable modern saleroom, bar, cafe and nice clean loos! Best of all, the sellers and buyer's commission is to stay at 5%.

Costa Sale Report

2006-01-24T01:47:00.000Z

I think the results of the Nic Costa Collection of Amusement Machines sale at Christie's last Thursday were largely unremarkable. The slight anomalies price-wise were the three Mutoscopes and the American bandits. The red tin-type Mutoscope, in particular, at £2400 plus premium may be some kind of record. I suspect this was because they appeal to the wealthy impulse buyer looking for a novel curiosity piece more than the regular collector. The bandit prices also failed to reflect their poor condition.

Reserves were sensible on the whole, and often the hammer was going down around the lower estimate. I don't read the results as any indication of a price crash. The value of really early British wall machines (which formed 90% of this sale) declined almost a decade ago when some of the first generation of serious collectors (such as Nic Costa himself) withdrew from the scene and for various reasons have remained in the doldrums. Meanwhile, the value of 1930s to 1950s machines has crept up and sometimes overtaken them. This mirrors the way silver-age jukeboxes are now more sought-after than golden-age ones.

Another factor keeping hammer prices down was the generally poor condition of the lots. Although there were a few nice and originals, most were in the as found, out-of-order or incomplete category - intimidating first time buyers and more seasoned collectors alike (who know how hard it is to restore such specimens). Coupled with this, they were old stock, comprising the unsold remnants of the Costa-Haskell catalogue which has been on the market since 1997. About a quarter failed to make their reserves, and in some instances one could see why.

Finally, the not so small matter of Christie's phenomenal 20% buyer's premium, (plus VAT on the premium) means that an item knocked down at £650, such as Lot 60, the Challenger wall machine (actually a mislabeled Crusader) cost the buyer £802.75. The vendor on the other hand takes home what's left of the £650 after Christie's have subtracted their seller's commission, insurance/loss damage liability, shipping, illustration fees, etc. I can't see the attraction.

Having said all this, there were some excellent purchases to be made by the discerning collector, some fine and rare pieces, even a few genuine bargains.

Although there was some 'phone bidding from America and elsewhere, there was less than half the number of bidders in the room than at your average dedicated slot auction. I know the central London location puts some off. Congestion fees and meters limited to two hours parking make access awkward. Like many, I avoided this by letting the train take the strain, which meant lugging a curious (but mercifully small package) home via the Underground.

The items were attractively presented thanks to Laurence Fisher who went out of his way to be helpful and welcoming to everyone who visited.

I met Jelle Zijlmans at the sale, proprietor of a small private slot machine museum in Weesp just outside Amsterdam. He opens on Sundays and by appointment at other times. Well worth a visit, I'd say.

Christies Costa Sale Catalogue

2005-12-21T12:45:00.000Z

The printed catalogue for the Nic Costa Sale at Christies is now available and the online catalogue is here.

Cabaret Mechanical Automata Show

2005-12-11T14:07:00.000Z

Thanks to Mike Dower for alerting me to the Cabaret Mechanics exhibition at the Oxo Tower on the South Bank which runs from December 08 to January 02. There are 60 automata on show, some familiar from the days when the theatre was located in Covent Garden, plus new pieces from Paul Spooner, Keith Newstead, Peter Markey, Ron Fuller, Carlos Zapata, Martin Smith, Matt Smith and Tim Hunkin. It's admission free, so why not call in if you're in the area, or make a special trip? More fun than Christmas shopping. In fact you could do your shopping at the Oxo Tower shops while you're there.

The Nic Costa Sale

2005-11-25T16:15:00.000Z

Here's what I have so far on Nic Costa's Collection of Amusement Machines sale at Christie's, South Kensington. More details to follow.

Contents:
Mutoscopes and Stereo Viewers (9)
One-armed Bandits (7)
Dispensers and Vendors (14)
Skill and Chance (9)
Wall Machines (51)
Electric-shock Machines (7)
Fortune Tellers (13)
Bagatelle and Pinball (10)
Parts and Accessories (8)
Working Models and Automata (10)

From Laurence Fisher (+44 (0) 20 7752 3278) :

"The Collector's department is pleased to announce the forthcoming sale of coin-operated machines, vendors and models on Thursday 19 January 2006.

This single owner sale of over 140 lots reaches into the depths of time from the mid 1870s with an unusual coin-operated shock machine in the form of a German soldier, right the way through to a selection of Mills Company one-armed bandits from the 1930s. Interesting pieces include three Mutoscopes (estimates range from £1,000-2,200), an Airship Profit Sharer wall machine by Jentsch & Meerz of Leipzig, featuring the R-100 Zeppelin ball-catcher (estimate £1,800-2,500) and a Rol-a-Top one-armed bandit by the Watling Manufacturing Co., Chicago, 1935 (estimate £1,000-1,200). The defining sections in this sale are entitled Mutoscopes and Stereo Viewers, One-Armed Bandits, Dispensers and Vendors, Skill and Chance, Electric Shock Machines, Wall Machines, Electric-shock Wall Machines, Fortune Tellers, Bagatelle and Pinball, Parts and Accessories and Working Models and Automata.

With so much to offer both the supplier and collector, this sale charts the success of the humble coin-freed device with unique 16mm film footage of the Mills Company factory from the mid 1930s, showing the construction of their machines through the many processes of production, accompanied by further reels of Mills' private family life (estimate £3,000-5,000).

I look forward to welcoming you to Christie's South Kensington when the viewing for this extraordinary sale starts on Saturday 14 January at 10.00am and if you have any questions in the meantime, please contact me."

Sale of the Last Century Catalogue

2005-11-03T11:34:00.000Z

Here's the Wookey Hole 12th of November Sale of the Last Century catalogue. There are a few old slots here, plus a heap of other amusement related stuff. I haven't seen any publicity for the sale (apart from a few printed leaflets handed out) so maybe there'll be some bargains. Click the image below, and follow the links for the full catalogue listing.

Sale of The Last Century

2005-10-12T16:48:00.000+01:00

Here's the two sided flyer for the Wookey Hole Sale of The Last Century. No news yet of what machines will be in the sale, but we'll put the catalogue online as soon as we receive it.

Sad to hear Southend pier was up in flames once more on Monday. The damage is extensive, but at least at present the council plans to spend the millions required to restore it - see BBC News Story. How much would it cost to prevent these fires?

Victorian Casino, Wookey Hole & Christies Auctions

2005-09-23T17:14:00.000+01:00

Just like buses, after a bit of a lull, three auctions come at once. Well not quite - it's just that they all came to my attention within a few weeks.

The annual Victorian Casino Antique Auction, being the first (October 15-16), doesn't contain much for the British collector, but is nevertheless a significant sale of vintage American machines and related items.

Saturday the 12th of November brings Gerry Cottle's SALE OF THE LAST CENTURY (viewing on Friday the 11th). This will include a number of "Old Slot Machines, Early Video Games, 50 Original Pinball Glasses, Circus and Fun Fair Items including a Complete Vintage Model Funfair and many other Architectural Fittings and Antiques."
It will be run by Southern Counties Auctioneers but held at Wookey Hole Caves.
We should be able to bring you full details next week.

Looking a bit futher ahead, there will be an auction of antique amusement and coin-operated machines and vendors on the 19th of January, 2006 at Christies, South Kensington.
These are the remaining items from Nic Costa's collection (over 120 lots in total), comprising some working models (Laughing Sailor, Laughing Policeman, Charlie Chaplin, etc.), a number of one arm bandits (War Eagle, Roll-a-Top, etc.), electric shockers, three mutoscopes, five stereo viewers, and many early wall-mounted machines (Airship Profit Sharer, R100 Airship, allwins, etc.) plus some gumball and other vending machines. (Entries from other vendors are not being solicited).

Again, Christies have promised to send some sneak preview details shortly, which I'll publish here.

Southern Counties Sale Report

2005-06-07T14:14:00.000+01:00

The Southern Counties Dispersal Auction of Vintage and Classic Amusements & Fairground Relics near Salisbury on Sunday May 22nd provided the finest assortment of vintage slot machines available in a British sale room for many years. The selection ranged from rare to common and excellent condition to good for spares.

Ample parking, comfortable and spacious exhibition areas, seating for bidders, on-screen auction lot display, full facilities including a bar and cafe, plus the benefit of a viewing day before the sale, made for a pleasant auction experience instead of the torture to which we've almost become accustomed. The low 5% buyers' premium was a bonus too.

There were roughly 250 lots in total, and with a mid sale break, this seemed about right. Much more than this, and I find my interest in all things coin-operated beginning to fade.

Allwin prices were relatively low - at least relative to a couple of years ago. This could be put down to the abundance of decent allwins available in the room, but also seems to be part of a general slide in their value witnessed on eBay and elsewhere. Some are putting it down to domestic economics in general such as the housing market downturn, but the fact that almost any day of the week you can find one for sale on eBay must also be having an effect.

Oliver Whales allwins were selling in the £300+ range and less for poorer examples. £400 seemed to be the cut-off point for most. It took the nicest auto-payout B.M.Co.'s to top £700. Over five years ago almost any allwin in good condition was guaranteed£500+. One happy buyer went home with a complete (but rough) early Bryans Fivewin for £300 plus premium.

Talking of which, it was a bit of a black day for Bryan's. The first Windmill ever up for auction failed to make it's reserve (maybe on account of the very drab look of this particular example) and the Bran Tub also failed to find a new owner. Other Bryans machines (and there were several good ones) made respectable but not spectacular prices. Only the Retreeva (mechanism incomplete) lived up to former glories. Has the Bryan's bubble burst? Discuss.

"Quality will out" and this is where the record prices were set as always. Keen bidding against an American "celeb" collector took the Matthewson cast iron Footballer up to £18,600, but it was bought in the room, and will be staying in the UK.

The bizarre Drinking Babies two player arcade racing game, on the other hand, did make its way to the States. In fact the competition over there for this item was so strong, it prompted another British collector to sell his.

Overall, there were some excellent items and quite a few bargains (I took one home with me). If you weren't there, you should have been. There's a full illustrated list of sale results in the Arena.

Mechanical Memories

2005-05-25T15:15:00.000+01:00

Jerry Chattenton assured me on Sunday that John Hayward's Mechanical Memories Penny Slot Arcade on Brighton Seafront is fully up and running. It was the other vintage arcade a few hundred yards away that was undergoing renovation when I visited in April.

Australian Auction

2005-05-25T14:01:00.000+01:00

There were a couple of noteworthy prices at Malcolm Jones auction held on May 14th by Bonhams & Goodman in Sydney, Australia. A Matthewson Automatic Sports Company cast iron "The Football Game" sold for 26,290 AU (about £11,000) and an Ahrens Ltd. "The Firefighters" working model sold for 9,560 AU (about £4000).

Chartres Mechanical Music Sale

2005-05-23T23:55:00.000+01:00

If you didn't spend all your money in last Sunday's Salisbury auction, there's another chance to do it at the Chartres mechanical music and automata sale which includes a number of fine French, British and German slot machines on 29/05/05.

Christie's Mechanical Music Sale

2005-05-18T10:09:00.000+01:00

Lots 284 to 296 in Christie's Mechanical Music Sale on 26th May 2005 are jukeboxes and slot machines. A few quite nice items, but with the high estimates plus Christie's whopping 17.5% buyers premium, most of us will be keeping our hands in our pockets.

Deserted Mill Reclaimed

2005-05-04T01:00:00.000+01:00

Not all the traffic is one way fortunately. A British collector just bought The Deserted Mill, an important English working model, from the recent Reno Casino sale (see below) for $2,500. Reworked by the Dennison sisters from a clockwork model their father made, and catalogued by them, it has long been considered a lost machine.

25 cent machine sells for $210,000

2005-04-19T02:07:00.000+01:00

A 25 Cent Caille Roulette Gambling Slot Machine sold for $210,000 plus 10% buyer's premium and 7% sales tax at the Las Vegas Victorian Casino Antique Auction last weekend - surely a new record in the world of slot machine collecting.

Meanwhile, back home at the Brighton Jukebox Show, moans were heard from exhibitors about the lack of visitors. The move from Copthorne does not seem to have paid off. I think the venue could have been filled had the affluent, upwardly mobile and trendy folk of Brighton known what was taking place within a mile of their town...

Sad to see a pile of rusting scrap iron in the sea, the ravaged remains of the old West Pier. A national heritage tragedy with a grubby narrative of neglect, procrastination, greed and wanton destruction to rival Brighton Rock.

Sad also (to a lesser degree) to see John Hayward's vintage arcade closed and surrounded by scaffolding and boards. I trust it's being renovated for the Summer season?

Victorian Casino Antique Auction

2005-04-11T12:28:00.000+01:00

Saturday and Sunday April 16 - 17 and coinciding with Rockin' Robbie's Jukebox Show is the Victorian Casino Antique Auction in Las Vegas.

Auction preview items

2005-04-06T01:06:00.000+01:00

Preview images of some of the items in the May 22 Southern Counties Auction are now online.
Keep checking back to see more.

BBC 20th Century Roadshow

2005-03-21T16:27:00.000Z

The 20th Century Roadshow, spinoff of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow is launching next month. Hosted by Alan Titchmarsh (presumably looking for a job indoors now), it aims to do for collectables what the latter program has done for antiques (ie. foster a wider appreciation of their appeal and cultural significance and/or make them more expensive, while drumming up trade for the auction houses). It's bound to feature some old slot machines sooner or later. The valuations should be "interesting."

Dr Who?

2005-03-20T00:32:00.000Z

Edwin Hall & Co. coin-op Dalek Circa 1964

A prediction: Social attitudes are already changing, and soon it will become acceptable (if not exactly cool) to talk about in public.

All Brits of a certain age who share an interest in mechanical things that go clunk in the night will be curiously awaiting next week's re-launch of Dr Who.

One little known fact about the program we can exclusively reveal here - William Hartnell was not only the first Doctor - he was also the best. That's official, and is not offered as a point for debate or discussion.

Auction Preview

2005-03-19T18:36:00.000Z

A preview catalogue of items already entered into the May 22nd Vintage and Classic Amusements & Fairground Relics Auction is now online.

The entry deadline for this sale is 30th April 2005.

New UK Working Models book reviewed

2005-03-12T19:10:00.000Z

British books about early coin-operated machines don't come along often. In fact Darren Hesketh's 224 page Penny-in-the-Slot Automata & The Working Model is only the second UK coin machine hardback published, and the first in any language to focus entirely upon coin-operated automata. Like it's cinematic counterpart, mechanical animation maintains an undiminished fascination and has enjoyed something of a resurgence over the last few decades. These quirky miniature re-enactments of the tragic, comic, dramatic and mundane; of gory tortures, grim executions and ghostly visitations, stand quite apart from the more well known gambling machines and skill games and deserve a guide book of their own.

As a relative newcomer to the world of antique slot machines, Darren dived in at the deep end and immersed himself in the subject for several years (he now runs a vintage arcade exhibiting his working models and games at the Cheshire Workshops). A book of this sort depends for its content upon winning the co-operation of many collectors and museum curators at home and abroad, and Darren must be commended for the amount of information and pictorial content he's garnered from them. The main contenders are all well represented: Ahrens, Bollands, Canova, Dennison, Kraft and Lee. The rarely seen, elaborate and intricate Tansley models were a revelation and left me hungry for more. There are chapters on the related fields of mechanical music, coin-operated merchandisers and some contemporary examples by Tim Hunkin, plus a section on American models (mostly fortune-tellers and animated vendors) which seems to confirm that the working model per se was a uniquely British tradition.

Image quality is good with many photographs supplied by the author. Aside from brief histories of working models in general and of the major manufacturers, the text is confined to concise and pithy descriptions of the actions. The copious pictures which attest to the visual appeal of these machines are allowed to speak for themselves. The price guide at the end (insisted upon by the publisher) is fairly pointless - infrequency of sales and their one-off nature makes generalized values meaningless. Inevitably there are many models which could not be included, (some of which have come to light since publication) but this book provides a substantial sample of what's out there. I want to see more now, but that's really a measure of the book's success.

The £100 cover price is going to be the stumbling block for many. However, Amazon are selling it for a more bearable £70, but you won't find it any cheaper than at this site. Buy it now for £60!

Sell your stuff in a major slot machine auction

2005-03-12T19:02:00.000Z

Southern Counties Auctioneers are now accepting items for their May 22nd Vintage and Classic Amusements & Fairground Relics sale catalogue. Entries can be submitted online or by post. So if you have any old slot machines or similar items you would like to put in the auction, now's the time to dig 'em out.

Fire at the Candle Factory

2005-03-04T23:51:00.000Z

There was an extensive fire at the Cheshire Workshops Candle Factory on Wednesday night (02/03/05) which houses Darren Hesketh's vintage arcade of working models and slot machines. It started after closing time and is believed to have been deliberate. There was no night security in the building and no fire sprinklers. Whether the machines have suffered more than smoke damage is not yet clear. I feel very sorry for Darren who has put so much effort into setting up one of the nicest public exhibitions of its kind in the country. More details.

New British Slot Machine Book

2005-02-25T16:40:00.000Z

A review copy of Darren Hesketh's new book Penny-in-the-Slot Automata and the Working Model arrived in the post this morning. First impressions - great. I'll post a full review once I've had a good read.

An expensive book but one that I certainly plan to stock: http://www.pennymachines.co.uk/Library/index.shtml

Slots in May

2005-01-30T23:52:00.000Z

It's official! A big slot machine auction scheduled for May 22. See here.
Should be good.

Another way to kill your computer

2005-01-25T17:37:00.000Z

A bit of early Spring cleaning, turfing out junk files left on the computer by my old ntl service provider etc. A file called ntldr. Don't need that do we? Deleted! It's not hidden, no warning messages - must be ok.

Oh dear. Sound of breaking Windows. There goes the operating system again.

Attempts to recover the file (which is unique to my system and contains all the settings) fail.

Two weeks later I'm reinstalling printer drivers etc. to a new hard drive.

This is my roundabout way of apologizing for not adding much content to PennyMachnines.co.uk since Christmas. Things should pick up next month. Am I setting my hopes too high by longing for the day when computers become as trouble free as turn of the century slot machines?