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I have just acquired this photo showing the Mermaid restored by the two young antique dealers who found it in a field in two parts with a tree growing through the base. Not sure where and when this picture was taken. Maybe gameswat can help?

I can tell you how David Copperfield came to know about and buy the yacht racer. A friend of mine at the time who was a professional photographer who lived in Deal had a daughter who was a magician working in Vegas. While visiting her she was approached by David to introduce him to her father who sh...

I agree that gameswat's suggestion that each machine was worked on "off site" and then swapped over on location is much more likely.

Son now home so pictures now added.

I am afraid this a dream that can never be realised for the following reason - only one of these exists and is now in a collection in New York. This used to be owned by the late Bob Klepner, and was originally part of a consignment sold to Australia circa 1903 by Rollands, the only machines he ever ...

Copied & split from Pipe Dream - Site Admin.

My pipe dream machine would be the Holy Grail machine - the Palmer's Cycle Racer. I have seen this machine on postcards on several piers and tea gardens and hotels and other locations. I am not aware that any survive, but maybe???

There is an illustration of the mutoscope stand in Nick Costa's book, page194. I have seen four of these in England (one of these now in the USA). There must be others. Much rarer are the triangular marques. The one illustrated in Costa's book is a line drawing and not correct. The only original one...

Dutch Auction Company auction on 10 July cat now on saleroom, well worth a look. Sale includes shooters, shockers, fortune tellers and a crane plus many other lots. The estimates seem high but the starting bids are set at half the lower estimates so guess these are the reserves. Listed also on this ...

This is a picture of the iron clads by the gents toilets at Chessington Zoo. I was told that Mr Bolland said that this site was one of their best money takers.

These machines were at Chessington Zoo, operated by Samson (Holloway). More pictures to follow, including Bolland's fortune tellers located next to the gents toilet! Anyone to spend a penny?

The Steer-A-Boat did work with a magnet. On the bridges was a snag to catch the aerial on the boat as it passed through, meaning the boat stopped and the magnet moved on without the boat. I had one of these machines in a wooden case similar to the Ahrens football two player game with an enamel marqu...

The game is to show the skill of the batsman. As clearly this is W.G. Grace, everyone would want to bat. So as a two player game the operator would hope for at least two plays. The batsman wins if he scores a boundary; any other result when the batsman is out bowled, caught or stumped gives no rewar...

I expect the machine coppinpr played on was the Williams 1958 Ten Strike, with a Perspex cover.

I live by the same thought. May you have many happy years together with your purchase. Forget the cost and just enjoy playing the machine.

Further to treefrog's post, I had forgotten the flags. They seemed to be a later addition and did not move. I was at the sale in 2001 along with the great and the good of the collecting fraternity (and some not so good!) all hoping to buy it for around £10,000 hammer including me! Sold to a well kno...

I thought a history of this machine may be of interest. The first record of it is in some old photos, I think from the 1950s. These are black and white pictures from the Holloway family - note the altered coin entry. cricketer20210424_17414648bwa.jpg The next two were taken with the owner's consent ...

This is the same machine that sold in the elephant house auction. It was sold on by the purchaser for a profit the following year. I tried to buy it, but put off by the price required. I also left a bid in today's auction like pennymachines. My bid was £700, which I hoped would be plenty... not so! ...

The gold changers sold yesterday in railwayana auction the cast iron one sold for £440 and wooden ells made £700 both with additional premium of 18%.

Just noticed this machine has no lock on this style. There is a pin that locks the door and can only be removed by unlocking the top door to reach this pin.

The drawer on the bottom had a separate lock and needed to be unlocked to collect the gold coins! If wanted I can add a photo showing the top. Not too difficult to make if a cabinet maker, but if like me, impossible!