Collector's nightmare

Show us what you found. Make us jealous!
Post Reply
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

I tell this story partly as a warning and possibly in hope of some sympathy or advice, having suffered several sleepless nights after a dream find turned sour.

Recently on my travels through an unfamiliar town (which will remain nameless, for reasons that will become clear) I passed a couple of antique/junk shops. Parking outside a post office, I dispatched a parcel and poked my head into the shops. Imagine my excitement when in a dark corner of the second shop I spied not one but a whole clutch of dusty wall machines tightly stacked on top of each other. It's so uncommon to find anything like this nowadays I almost had to pinch myself. The sheer quantity was impressive, although I couldn't see half the machines because of the way they were stacked. Nothing exceptionally rare or unusual was visible but I spotted a couple of really nice little allwins I'd never seen before and a Bryans Payramid. Happily everything in the shop was priced up with little white labels which made it apparent that no great bargaining skills were called for. The Payramid had a higher price but, in view of its reasonable condition, was very buyable.

I tried not to attract attention while sussing out what was in the pile but the proprietor soon came over and my non-collector friend who accompanied me started praising the stock. Silently I willed him to shut the **** up! Encouraged by these comments the proprietor enthused over a particularly distressed electric wall machine on top of the pile, while I tried, unsuccessfully, to convince her that a machine that could not easily be made to work had little value. All the while I was calculating the total asking price for the machines, deciding how much less I would offer, and looking forward to her surprise when instead of haggling over a single machine I bid for the lot. Unfortunately though, without my cheque book and nothing like the cash in hand, I would have to agree a price and return. Any collector who has been in this situation will identify with the agony. If I do get a chance to go back, I fear the machines will be gone, because before shaking hands on the deal I woke up.

Most collectors remember the day some fabulous find escaped their grasp and few can resist recounting the tale - even to the fortunate recipient of the fabulous find. But I contend that only serious collectors are tormented by near misses day and night. Does anyone else suffer dreams filled with such mundane and convincing detail?
willborl
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 1:16 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: London

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by willborl »

Strangely enough I had one recently. I thought that I was just thinking about machines too much but I'm glad someone else has had one of these weird dreams.
I was very annoyed when I awoke and realised that it was all a dream.
Mine was me with my dad in an arcade. He was talking to the owner about different types of machines and what he was selling, where he got them from etc...
My dad then looked at me and said, "Go on then, we'll have some of them (the machines)." I was very excited and began picking out the wonderful machines. Unfortunately I don't remember which ones they were. We loaded them up and left.

Kind of weird and sadly only a dream haha. :mad:

I cannot offer you any advice Mr PennyMachines but I'm glad I'm not the only one :)
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by badpenny »

I'll buy the imaginary Payramid off you...... who do I make the imaginary cheque out to?
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

In your dreams, mate! (::)
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1586
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by arrgee »

Interesting dream Mr Pennymachines.

I once knew a chap who always carried around £2000 cash in an envelope as it was his view that should he ever see something he wanted, or came across a deal, he would be in a position to make an instant bid, and on occasions he did exactly that. This was over 20 years ago so that amount of money was a considerable sum. He was always on the look out for a 'deal' and never hard up for a quid or two.

Oh well, I suppose the majority of us can only just about carry around 20 quid (and only then if I have been given my pocket money) so as they say...................dream on.
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2047
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 9
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by slotalot »

20 quid!!!!! Can you post a photo as I don't think I have ever seen one of them :tarah:
malcymal
Posts: 849
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:58 am
Reaction score: 0
Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by malcymal »

I've been having dreams about the yellow, Roma badged, Beromat, UK mongrel mix bandit from Brighton. Consequently due to bad weather yesterday I didn't get down there. OK, my head says it's probably a can of worms but it moved my heart. Sitting there amongst the crap of old telephones, door handles, garish lamp shades it looked so lonely and wanted a new home. I go in waves of 'I want it', to 'no, it might not be good for me'. A bit like an old girlfriend who gave you good times, but also troublesome maintenance problems. I'm still thinking of her now, sitting there with her immaculate looking case, reels and swinging sixties good looks. I keep thinking of the credit crunch, perhaps the guy will let it go cheap, perhaps he won't. I want it anyhow regardless of a good price or not. Severely disrupted my sleep... God, it's like a relationship that has gone sour. If I was to buy her, would the pennymachines forum laugh at me as we played our 1d coins hand and hand. Like having the ugly girlfriend and a 50cc Vespa scooter, great fun to ride until your friends saw you doing it.......oh woe is me.
Perhaps she will still be there next weekend?!?! Perhaps not, and I will never know whether she was a rarity or a pile of pants.
I'm questioning my sanity to be worried over a bandit.......sweet dreams you yellow one armed beauty, till we meet again...... SkEpTiCaL
User avatar
john t peterson
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: USA

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by john t peterson »

And you blokes think YOU have nightmares? In mine, my ex-wife keeps returning and she takes even MORE each time ! :shock:
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1586
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by arrgee »

Slotalot wrote
20 quid!!!!! Can you post a photo as I don't think I have ever seen one of them
Here it is Slotalot, my monthly allowance from my wife, I still can't understand why I find it difficult to spend the notes :mad:
Attachments
20 quid.jpg
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2047
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 9
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by slotalot »

And all nicely ironed as well, she looks after you ;-)
User avatar
operator bell
Posts: 580
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:30 am
Reaction score: 0
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by operator bell »

Mr PennyMachine's dream came true, for a good friend of mine.

He found a particularly nice Mills HiTop amongst a large lot of miscellaneous junk in a house clearing sale, and negotiated an even nicer price for it ($300, US) with the elderly seller. Unfortunately he only had $220 in his pocket. After shaking hands on the deal he hurried to a nearby cash machine and returned within fifteen minutes to find it was gone, sold to someone else who stopped by in the meantime.

What really upset him was when he got to work on Monday, a fellow in the sales department was bragging about how he spotted this Mills HiTop on the weekend and the seller said, "Well there was a man here wanted to give me $300, but he went away and didn't come back. You can have it for $250".

True story.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

Ouch! "That's gotta hurt", as they say.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

OK, this time I'm visiting an industrial city up north to attend a major slot machine auction. As if this isn't unusual enough, the day before the sale I come across an underground flea market selling all sorts of old tat, and what's this? Not one, but two of the stalls have a clutch of old amusement machines! They're in terrible condition, piled up in a dark corner behind the stalls, like so much firewood. Amongst them is the front of an unfamiliar oversized version of the Bryans Retreeva. I pull it out and the stallholder says, "£600!" His partner says, "Don't be daft, Charlie" and we settle on £50. !PIGSFLY!
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by badpenny »

So what is it?
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

I'll see if I can find out tonight. !SLEEPER!
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by badpenny »

Ahhh!.... now I understand ..... you're a cat burglar.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by pennymachines »

Well I inserted a coin, turned the handle and it gave me such a sting. :zapa:
Turns out it was a box jellyfish! :!?!:
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Collector's nightmare

Post by badpenny »

Welcome to my world Mr.P !!HOBBYHORSE!!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest