Shefras Shares allwin

[moonriver]

Great eBay story BP. I was hoping for just a tad more, say a cryptic clue on the 'collector' who originally bought it from you, especially if still around now!
Now that my Ellery Queen box set has run out it would help to brighten up the day.

[badpenny]

It would have been the same time you agreed to pay Moderators a bonus.
You'll be saying next you don't remember that either!

[pennymachines]

I'll hand deliver it to Coventry - I've heard bad things about Parcelforce.

[burrows]

As the new owner of the Shares Allwin I can now confirm that both 'Penny Machines & Bad Penny' are correct in their explanation of how the machine operates and pays out. The first coin tube holds 41 old pennies and the second holds 10. Starting with two full coin tubes and without adding any further coins to trigger the gameplay/win, the first winning collection pays 12 pennies to the player and 2d to the cashbox. It then continues to pay 2d to both the player and the cashbox each win thereafter until the primary tube is empty. The last remaining penny goes to the player.
Depending on how skilful or lucky you are and the amount of plays without having a winning ball determines the amount paid from the smaller coin tube.

[pennymachines]

to the site and thanks for the description.
So I undertand that on the first win, ten coins are paid from the small tube and two from the large tube, but where do the two coins delivered to the cash box come from?

[13rebel]

Could it be some sort of pull and push action of the payout slide? eg an extra hole in the slide,paying 2 on the pull,2 coins dropping to fill the the other hole and pushing them into the cash box on the return stroke?

[burrows]

The first tuppence is delivered to the player from the primary coin tube via the slide set beneath it, as it is pulled by the mechanism one way, then as the spring returns the slide back again to its original position it pushes a further tuppence into the cashbox directed by a tin chute.

[pennymachines]

So like 13rebel suggested, the pull and push of that slide pays 2D to the player and operator. I think it's clever how it's all done with nothing more elaborate than a double hopper.

[brigham]

It is certainly ingenious. Had it been devised earlier in the day, I'm sure many more machines would have used the principle.
In the 'sixties, we would have been hard pushed to follow what was going on, although counting the number of plays without a win would have given us some advantage.
That was the thing in those days; knowing a bit more than the average punter.

[burrows]

Here's a couple of pictures of the Shares machine now following a little TLC.

[brigham]

Oh Lor'!
...As long as YOU are happy with it...

[burrows]

I'm sorry that it's not to your taste but I certainly wasn't happy with it as it was, having stripped the whole case of the very dark and damaged varnish it revealed a beautiful natural coloured Oakwood case with a pale plywood front door cover..!! The chrome door fittings had previously been polished through..!! So, I had to work with what I started with. Apart from the door fittings being brass in colour and the back board being tatty and messy from somebody's hapless attempt to stain the inside of the case, I am.

[JC]

There's nothing wrong with that, burrows. It's not uncommon, in fact probably usual, that these later style Shefras allwins have painted fronts (Time Limits are generally red). Looks a nice clean machine to me.

[badpenny]

Oh Lor'!
...As long as YOU are happy with it...

I'm puzzled.
It looks fine to me, well done burrows, that's what I say.

[pennymachines]

I probably wouldn't have painted it because I love the wood look, but as JC says, these often were painted and the blue sets off the flash effectively. Nice chrome-work. I've put it in the Museum.

[burrows]

Wow.. Thank you so much.
It's only the plywood door face that's painted, the rest of the case including the door itself is waxed bare Oakwood.
Because, believe it or not I too like to see beautiful woodwork.

[brigham]

I also like to see beautiful woodwork.
That's why I got such a shock when I saw it painted. But that's just me. It would be a dreadful thing if we ceased to be individuals.
Is it for sale, by the way?

[treefrog]

Looks great. These Shefras machines have the worst cases with their poor quality plywood fronts. You have given me ideas as I have one which looks terrible, might use bright Formica front also commonly used by operators in the day to brighten up the boring lines of wooden cartons on their walls.

One thing you can say for the sixties, they loved colour, the brighter the better.

I have had a few Allwins panted and think they look so much better, I have a great Giant wonders honest joe painted red, boy it looks so much more attractive

I can see Jerry brightening up his arcade with multi coloured machines, the Brighton crowds would love it

[brigham]

It's all a matter of opinion, but in mine, it looks like someone's 'trying to get a few more years out of it', before consigning it to the scrapheap.
It happens to old cars, too, which is why I'm possibly over-sensitive to it.

[burrows]

Thank you Brigham for your comments, I appreciate your point of view, as we all have our own personal tastes and it simply wouldn't do for us to be the same. Thought I had upset the traditionalists amusement machine collectors.
I have fell in love with this old classic and don't have any intention of parting with it.
Incidentally I'm interested to know, would you really be interested with a bright blue door..??