CAM Automatics

[rippyspennyarcade]

The plastics on the front are also missing.

[coppinpr]

Interesting they almost always seem to have run on 3d, a coin that was never popular on slots. Although this one did indeed have the middle plastic they definitely didn't all have the middle one. I suspect it was the choice of the operator in later life or to get round the max payout on early machines.

[brigham]

They didn't all have the Gold Award, which tended to be more popular in retail outlets such as pubs and clubs.
Arcades were usually all-cash.
Just got a reply from the fellow selling the eBay one. I asked if the original artwork had been mutilated, or if the 'conversion' was on the outside of the glass.
"It was my uncle's, and he bought it like that", was the less-than-useful reply.
A further examination of the posted pics, esp. the back one, suggests that the decimal demons have indeed marred the artwork, making a simple restoration a major job.
Between that and the price, I think I'll Give it a Miss.

[badpenny]

I'm not overly worried about complete originality as it's all part of the life of the machine.
However I wouldn't have enquired even if it had been desirable, the price is symptomatic of the greed in the hobby at the moment.

[brigham]

Some alteration over the years is understandable, but I draw the line at decimal conversion.
I don't think the present seller is actually 'in the hobby'. I think he's part of the "f***in' 'ell, they're worth a fortune" brigade, an attitude encouraged by sensational TV 'antiques' shows.
Still, I'm rapidly regaining interest in these CAM Automatics 'flashers'.

[pennymachines]

Cam Automatics were only the agents, they never made any machines.

I don't think we can conclude that on the current evidence, unless you've uncovered some more info Stuart.

Although Craig Murray said, "I have spoken to my mother who didn't ever visit the premises in Seaham, but like me did not recall that they made their own machines at least I don't think they engineered the gaming mechanisms. I am pretty sure the machines were all Bell Fruit. My guess is that only the artwork was specific to Cam, and may have been ordered customised from the manufacturer", he also said he was only seven when his father (Frank Murray) sold the business.

Dobo, on the other hand, who worked for the company, then told us, "Frank and Bob employed a few mechanics, namely Johnny Peach, Tony Clark, Tommy Murray (Bob's Brother), David Stevens, John Dobson, Charlie Stewart and myself. Later employed was a salesman called Brian Lane, and Bill Todd."

Seven mechanics and one or two salesmen suggests some level of assembly if not production. The idea of Nottingham-based Bell-Fruit shipping mechanisms to a little outfit in County Durham for assembly sounds odd.

[coppinpr]

Interesting clip BP, I guess you noticed the guy he's bringing in is in fact a one armed bandit!!

um boo kema sabi!

[brigham]

Bell Fruit Manufacturing of Nottingham were using Watling-based mechanisms at this time. I've never seen a CAM (or MAC) machine remotely resembling one.
If the machines distributed as CAM were indeed 'bought-in', then they would more likely be from either Jamieson's or Shield, both of Bridlington.

[pennymachines]

That's my feeling. Again, why would a small Bridlington-based company ship mechanisms to be assembled and sold by a company 100 miles further north? More to the point, although they're electro-mechanical, they're quite different from anything Jamieson were making under their own name at the time. With two bosses and nine employees, they must have been more than agents. Wondermatics, for example, had a regular workforce of about five employees during the latter part of the sixties.

[badpenny]

Interesting clip BP, I guess you noticed the guy he's bringing in is in fact a one armed bandit!!

…… oh the cruel irony of it all!
And by the way he was walking I guess he'd been converted.