Working Models & Automata
- pennymachines
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- Location: The Black Country
Re: Working Models & Automata
Newspaper Boy automaton, 1917
- pennymachines
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5249
- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
- Location: The Black Country
Re: Working Models & Automata
Ahrens The Execution
Available for $17,499.99 on US ebay! 1920s Charles Ahrens The Execution Coin-op Penny Arcade Working Model
Probably only worth $17,499.98.
Available for $17,499.99 on US ebay! 1920s Charles Ahrens The Execution Coin-op Penny Arcade Working Model
Probably only worth $17,499.98.
- pennymachines
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5249
- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
- Location: The Black Country
Re: Working Models & Automata
Working models, ancient and modern, at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.
Re: Working Models & Automata
Thanks! my favourite things, I enjoyed that lot
It amazes me how many very poor examples of laughing sailors there are out there. Its not until you see a really good one that you realise just how bad the bad ones are.
Much the same with working models, the badly adjusted ones where everything works all at the same time, very quickly, for a total of 10 seconds instead of a proper sequence with the rheostat working at a proper and moderate speed.

It amazes me how many very poor examples of laughing sailors there are out there. Its not until you see a really good one that you realise just how bad the bad ones are.
Much the same with working models, the badly adjusted ones where everything works all at the same time, very quickly, for a total of 10 seconds instead of a proper sequence with the rheostat working at a proper and moderate speed.
- john t peterson
- Posts: 1065
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: USA
Re: Working Models & Automata
I went to Marvin's Museum over ten years ago. I was raised in Southern Michigan and was attending my high school reunion nearby.
You get a sense of the claustrophobia from the clip; the place is jammed to the gills with arcade stuff. At the time, he had the three Bryans "Magic Machines," two of which were not operational.
My overall impression was that I would go nuts trying to keep everything operating. I don't know how he does it. All in all, quite an unusual place.
JP
You get a sense of the claustrophobia from the clip; the place is jammed to the gills with arcade stuff. At the time, he had the three Bryans "Magic Machines," two of which were not operational.
My overall impression was that I would go nuts trying to keep everything operating. I don't know how he does it. All in all, quite an unusual place.
JP
Re: Working Models & Automata
Just appeared a reproduction laughing sailor currently on ebay on Buy it Now £2,750 . For that kind of money and a bit of luck you could find a half decent original one!moonriver wrote:Thanks! my favourite things, I enjoyed that lot![]()
It amazes me how many very poor examples of laughing sailors there are out there. Its not until you see a really good one that you realise just how bad the bad ones are.
Much the same with working models, the badly adjusted ones where everything works all at the same time, very quickly, for a total of 10 seconds instead of a proper sequence with the rheostat working at a proper and moderate speed.
Re: Working Models & Automata
For that kind of money I'll happily sit in a case and laugh at you.
Re: Working Models & Automata

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