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treefrog wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 9:03 am ........ the ones taking the most money, probably why arcades were full of Aristocrats.........

One thing I can say, I would throw all my Jennings and Mills machines in a river, to keep some of my my Aristo’s......

I have to agree with you Tom, I still wouldn't turn my nose up at an Aussie m/c. I guess Paul's need is to standardise all of his machines on old penny. I think the only ones I've ever seen were a trio of Arcadians and that was thirty odd years ago.

Merely out of idle curiosity, I don't really know why this occurs to me but these seem to be the rivers closest to you and I was wondering which ones are your favourite?
A
River Alde
B
River Blyth, Suffolk
River Box
River Brett
D
River Deben
River Dove, Suffolk
G
River Gipping
K
River Kennett
L
River Lark
River Little Ouse
M
Minsmere River
O
Butley River
River Orwell
Oulton Dyke
R
River Rat
S
River Stour, Suffolk
Stour Brook
W
River Waveney
Y
River Yox

BP

treefrog wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 9:03 am Paul I can see the signature on the artwork, Thomas Tooley I assume of Tooley Amusements if one and the same and looking at some of his work and fairground pieces, stunning. Also saw your website, great selection of entertainment offered, hope business is OK in these crazy times..

http://tooleysamusements.co.uk/

It’s strange times indeed. My entertainment business has suffered terribly. I am relying solely on the income from the vintage roundabout being open at the park at weekends.
My Fairground organ has been at the Skegness vintage fair all summer on the seafront which has helped too! These can be seen on my site www.paultempleentertainments.co.uk

Although you will be operating with little to no competition, with a relatively limited space to fill it's worth putting the best money taking machines on there, and there are machines that will take three times more than others.
I can never get a Bryans clock to ever take any money, whereas a Fruit Bowl does really well and so does Bullion. Wonders Drop a copper, and even Passion Testers take great money too.
Magic machines, or any game that requires the punter to keep turning the handle to complete the game, fail as they get fed up and abandon it part way through, and it's also a one play game and you don't play it twice.
Any game that has a good win return (not just single coin return) will make them want to keep playing, which is why the tipping games do so well. You need games that look and sound like they're paying out all the time, and then punters will keep playing. Once others see that they'll queue and wait to play.
If you can find a compact counter top crane put it on 2 x 1D play, fill it with sweets, sherbet fruits, mini choc bars, small jelly bean packs and similar small stuff. You need it so they win almost every go, put Blu tack on the crane claws so they pick up better.
You'll need to keep filling it frequently, but the buzz of winning all the time will keep them playing and seeing kids walking away with hands full of sweets will make more want to play.

Thanks for the great input moonriver. I am sure I will be swapping machines as I go along. The Bryans clock is actually the converted glenvil dial with only one hand....not sure how well this will do.


I have put a few of the machines in today. I hope the octopus has enough light and movement to keep people interested. It certainly makes a noise when the coins drop.

Moonriver speaks many words of hard-won operator wisdom.
The Octopus should rake in money with all nine tentacles.
Let me join the chorus of approval for the phenomenal design and execution of Temple's Penny Arcade Project.

That's a better version of the Clock for taking money.
I forgot to mention, the optimum operating height for old penny machines is 29 inches off the ground (to the base of the machine), otherwise kids have to be lifted up all the time. As it looks like yours may be higher, you could have a removable low platform step on the ground all around the edge of the trailer which would then cater for all ages.

moonriver wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 10:50 pm ...you could have a removable low platform step on the ground all around the edge of the trailer which would then cater for all ages.

That’s a great thought! It’s going to be interesting going out for the first time this weekend. I will no doubt learn a lot. Pictures to follow.

Well said arrgee. The above photo looks stunning.

It’s going to be a race to the finish. Looks like the final parts of the arcade will not be ready till early Saturday morning. This is the day of opening!

Here is one of the four pillars almost finished.



Still have the A-board that will disguise the towing hitch and also the buy your penny sign to get completed.

Vistaprint has delivered the business cards today. These will sit in discrete holders around the machines.



If anyone on here is in the area at the weekend please come and say hello it would be great to put some faces to names.

All being well we shall be riding down from sunny Bridlington Sat morning, Shall suprize my apprentice slotty girlfriend.

Be good to meet you Chris. Let’s hope your girlfriend likes the surprise.

Here is a link to the vintage fair event: https://www.facebook.com/ruffordabbeycountrypark/

......... has anybody else got watery old eyes like mine and completely misread "slotty girlfriend"???

BP

I just took it to be a typing error!

Last few pictures before the grand opening.

Are you using tokens, or actual old pennies?

pauljt71 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:28 pm

brigham wrote: ↑Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:21 pm It's looking good.
...but why would anyone keep old pennies in stacks of TEN?

From a commercial perspective I need to charge £1 for 10 coins. This way in the event that people walk off with them instead of play them in the machines I am not out of pocket. They are in effect playing with 10 pence per coin.

Already established this ??

I presume Brigham is referencing the artwork copy "20 old penny tokens" rather than "20 old pennies".
Maybe tokens reference "assists" camouflaging any license/permit issues.

I was merely curious.
I had thought that the intention was to use real pennies; then I saw the reference to 'tokens'.
There WERE penny tokens, back in the day. You sometimes found the occasional one in your winnings.
I had two; one which said 'Good for Free Play in Machine', and another which, rather abruptly, said 'No Value'.
I never thought to keep them. they were a bit of a swizz, really!

aristomatic wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:54 am I presume Brigham is referencing the artwork copy "20 old penny tokens" rather than "20 old pennies".
Maybe tokens reference "assists" camouflaging any license/permit issues.

Exactly