FORUM

Got the chance to buy these two machines recently. I used to play these actual machines in my local amusement arcade, Barrys Amusements, Bangor, back in the mid 1970s. They were sold at auction in 1983 when the arcade closed down, both working well.

My kind of machine!

It is indeed as much fun to play as a 57 year old as it was when I was 11 or 12 !! The sound on payout is a bit like machine-gun fire. I remember the sound used to reverberate around the arcade.

Bottom photo is the sister machine of my Brenco Swinger. Both were sold together and bought by the same person at auction in 1983. This one resides in a local bar. Top photo is the auction in Barrys Amusements Bangor in 1983 with both Brenco Swingers visible to the far left of photo.

I love it!

Very nice!

Thanks guys.

Were they stored 'out of use' at Barry's, then?
If not, how did they escape the horror of decimalisation?

brigham wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:39 am Were they stored 'out of use' at Barry's, then?
If not, how did they escape the horror of decimalisation?

Barrys Bangor operated from 1927 - Christmas 1982 in what was the Grand Hotel, built 1895. Minnie Delino (Chipperfield) owned and operated the arcade with her husband Jack. He passed away in 1972. The arcade took little notice of decimalisation - all the machines remained old penny, with change machines to dish out the oldies for new ones. The auction in 1983 auctioned around 190 lots with some lots 3 - 5 machines or more. Quite a few of the Elephant House auction items are originally from this arcade.

I've put all the info you posted about the Barry's Amusement sale in the Arena (and given you a free year's subs.) Interesting how well attended this early sale was, even though it wasn't city-based. What a charming little arcade it was! Makes me quite nostalgic, not least for the days when an auction commission of 5% was standard.