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Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:11 am
by malcymal
In these difficult times of this god awful virus I'm really concerned about some of the small amusements out there who were just about turning a living running vintage coin ops in their arcades. I'm particularly worried about my local one in Beach Road Pagham. It was run by Dean and Joe and they've been in the business 50 years. Poor Joe passed away and his son Dean spent a lot of effort learning the ropes on how to keep his Ballys, Brencos, Streets and Cromptons going, plus the old pinballs and curious indoor bowling alley machines. I can't help thinking that even if the law is relaxed to allow customers to enter and play, the thought for customers handling coins isn't going to be on their agenda as amusement - virus lives fair old days on metal. I suppose they can provide sanitiser etc., but considerable costs when they are making small wages in what is a dying age. It's a great shame and my heart goes out to all the owners in the country. Anybody who is a member on here who is running a vintage arcade or knows somebody who is, do you have any information about when you can reopen and what steps, if any, you/they can take?
Kind regards Malc.

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:39 am
by treefrog
Of course the irony is that if the social distance is reduced to 1m, which is about to happen, traditional arcades would actually be very safe and you would never need to wash your hands. In fact, people could sanitise their hands by playing a few machines. This is of course the basic that copper very quickly kills the virus, which is proven and old coinage had a high content. Of course now they have moved away from copper, not much good for modern coinage.

Not heard from Jerry, but he had mentioned on here this year may have been the last... Real shame if some of the season could not be gained. I am gutted as I was planning a mini tour road trip of traditional arcades this year...

Fingers crossed |/XX\|

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:32 pm
by malcymal
With the paranoia surrounding handling money, paranoia in general where your local shops, Boots, Tesco etc. weren't taking any cash, only cards, I think for many the seed that handling coins/cash is damaging has been sown. I actually had to use a tenner this morning in Boots to pay for something - the horror on the assistant's face! I've been doing shopping runs for senior citizens in shielding who all pay with cash, so of course emptied my bank funds by having to use cards and stuck on a pile of their repaid dues in coin and notes. These shops of course have been wanting no cash payments for some time, part of their long term plan to do more staff out of jobs. Well, I hope the arcades might find a solution and your contact Jerry can have some of the season. Let's hope the damn public loos can open up too, so people can wash their hands off if they can't sanitize. I was curious on my walk this morning to see activity in the local bookmaker, staff were in there. I guess they will be putting perspex screens up for the god damn awful FOBT machines. Quite frankly, I'm sure many in the village are a lot better off for not being screwed over by Corals. I cross my fingers for the Jerry's of the world and other arcades too. Life wouldn't be the same without a day on a pier with some crap chips, a pint of flat beer, sugary doughnuts and 10 quids worth of 2p coins in the pushers to win a rubber pencil top.

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:58 pm
by badpenny
malcymal wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:32 pm .............for the Jerry's (sic) of the world ..........
# :o you mean there's more than one of him? :shock:

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:54 am
by moonriver
Well, here's some good news, my old penny arcade re-opens on Monday.

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:00 pm
by chris roadhog
Excellent news! Look forward to a catch up next time I'm out your way.

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:01 pm
by badpenny
moonriver wrote: Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:54 am well here's some good news, my old penny arcade re-opens on Monday
Super news, give yourself a plug!
Where?
Google Street View?
Inventory?

BP **xXx**

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:09 pm
by brigham
moonriver wrote: Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:54 am Well, here's some good news, my old penny arcade re-opens on Monday.
Thanks for the info.
I was just about to ask you when you would be back.
I didn't fancy making the journey just to find myself in a garden centre!

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:23 pm
by ballymad
Swallow Amusements on the Isle of Wight is up for sale: £110,000 with machines. I live in hope he will sell me his medallist. :D

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:09 pm
by malcymal
Is Swallow amusements the little one on Shanklin seafront, to the left of the cliff railway? I went there a few years back and played some great Bally four reelers, a Tooty Fruity and some old Brencos too. What a shame. Is there a link to the property anywhere with details, do they own the building or just the lease? Thanks Malc

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:26 pm
by grains
Here is the link for the agent.
https://www.gullyhoward.com/pdfs/221570.pdf

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:39 pm
by JC
Not heard from Jerry, but he had mentioned on here this year may have been the last...
Yes, it was my intention to close at the end of September, as the lease is up for renewal end of next March. However, as it is unlikely that I would be able to open at all this year, I've made the decision to start selling my machines - I shall post more details here toward the end of next week.
Not really the way I wanted it to end :#:

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:29 pm
by moonriver
JC wrote: Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:39 pm
Not heard from Jerry, but he had mentioned on here this year may have been the last...
Yes, it was my intention to close at the end of September, as the lease is up for renewal end of next March. However, as it is unlikely that I would be able to open at all this year, I've made the decision to start selling my machines - I shall post more details here toward the end of next week.
Not really the way I wanted it to end :#:
Sad times

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:53 pm
by badpenny
:#:

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 12:50 am
by moonriver
badpenny wrote: Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:01 pm
moonriver wrote: Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:54 am well here's some good news, my old penny arcade re-opens on Monday
Super news, give yourself a plug!
Where?
Google Street View?
Inventory?

BP **xXx**
The arcade is at Woodbank Nurseries and Garden Centre, Harden, Bingley, West Yorkshire. BD16 1BE
All the machines are on Old Penny coin and include;
Ahrens 'Marathon Cycle Race' .
4 x Merchantman Cranes.
Modern Enterprises Sailor (Jolly Gardener).
Ahrens 'Firefighters'.
2 x 'Jackpot' allwins.
Strength Tester.
'Bullion'
'Bee Lucky' catcher game
'Payramid'.
'Grand Prix' bandit. + 2 others
'The Gypsy' full size Fortune Teller.
Bryans 'Penny-go-Round.
Penny Points allwin.
Have a Go allwin.
2 x Cromptons 'Tip-em-Off'.
Brenco 'Heads n Tails'.
'12 Winners' allwin.
'Lucky 12' allwin'
Sega 'Derby Day'.
'Win-a-Lot' pinball.
'Tuck Shop' pinball.
Hawtins 'ALL WIN'.
R&W 'Grand National'.
Essex 2 player 'Football'.
'Goal' allwin.
'Doctor Doom' working model.
Bolland 'Frank-n-Stein' working model
Bolland 'Bloody Tower' working model
'Dracula and the Spook' working model.
'Carousel' allwin.
Modern Enterprises 'Laughing Policeman'.
'Treble Chance' allwin.
'Appy Arry'. singing figure
6-drawer Fortune Teller.
'Win a Penguin' allwin.
Brenco 'Triple Tap'.
'Win a Polo' allwin.
Cromptons 'Penny Shooter'.
'Old MacDonalds' catcher game.
'Win a Kit Kat' allwin.
2 player 'Racer'.
Allwin De luxe
'Steer-a-Ball'.
Bryans 'All Sport'.
'Win and Place' allwin.
2 player 'The Twins'.
Cromptons 2 player 'Ice Hockey'.
2 player 'Blow Ball'.
'Easy 9' allwin.
'shoot penny into barrels' allwin
'your penny's the ball' allwin

Plus other machines that swap over

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:14 am
by brigham
Don't remember the 'Tuck Shop'.
Is that a new arrival?

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:39 am
by bryans fan
WOW! That is some list moonriver!
Try squeezing them into a 3 bed semi :lol:

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:13 am
by speedwell
Jerry I am really sorry to hear about the impending closure of your arcade. All I can do is wish you well. These are sad times indeed.

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:15 am
by scorpa163
Jerry,
Sorry to hear about your closure. These are very trying times.
Never been to your arcade, it's a long way from Yorkshire.
I hope you are not falling out of love with this fascinating hobby of ours, with your announcement of impending machine sales.
PLEASE, please keep the Coventry auctions going, we all look forward to them.
Going to make a call at Moonriver's arcade in near future (complete with rubber gloves!).

Re: Sparing a thought for the amusement arcade owners

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 12:09 pm
by moonriver
It's hugely difficult to operate a stand alone vintage arcade for a variety of reasons we have discussed on the forum before in relation to overheads, footfall etc., and riding on the back of a well established family visit destination works in this case.
The garden centre also has a pets and aquatics department with resident secret weapon 'star' Elvis the macaw. Elvis has a birthday weekend event and he is free flying a lot of the time! If I'm in the arcade and I overhear parents talking with their kids it's always they've come for "penny arcade, Elvis, and ice cream", (not necessarily in that order), but each used as a tool to move the party along.
It's a real shame Jerry you didn't have a final good season to finish on.