Identifying and pricing potential allwin cigarette machine

[amorphous14]

Hi all,

Trying to identify this game for a family member. I think it may be an allwin but there are no marks or labels whatsoever. I also think the backflash might have been removed at some point making it harder. Any help with this and pricing would be great as I want to buy it from her but at a fair price.

Thanks

[treefrog]

Price as you will have heard many many times is subjective as you could stick this in auction and get 450 one day and 280 another. I would err in the lower end of the estimate. As you say, it has lost its original artwork and backflash and been painted - you could tidy it up. The other thing is, it may have been put in a different cabinet, can’t be sure, but the hinges are odd as this looks like an Oliver Whales machine similar to the below copied from another thread. If your relative stuck it in an auction and sold it for say £320, they would get less, say £270..... Would be interesting to see what others make of it, as I would err cautious and pay below this number, especially when something has been painted like this, which does not look like really old paint. Also the wood on the door is quite rough..... Would be a good project to see what is underneath, but I would not pay too much... Good luck.

[amorphous14]

Cheers,

It will be family rates anyway so I'm not too bothered about price.

I think I'm going to restore it as I have done a few similar things and think it could be made to look great with some TLC.

Any other help or suggestions would be great.

[pennymachines]

Here's another, later, Oliver Whales example.

[gameswat]

Amourphous, I'm pretty sure that isn't a Whales machine as I've had plenty of them and the mechanisms are quite different from yours in many ways. Different coin entry, different coin chute, different ball release mech, different payout trip lever, etc. I've never seen anything like this mech before so have no idea who could've made it? The answer is probably in the Braithwaite book somewhere if anybody can be bothered looking. Also I think Treefrog has mistaken the oak grain showing through on the door frame as damage, which it isn't, looks like a very nice cabinet to me. And as for new paint, there is quite a lot of old grime inside the machine over the paint, and the areas below the payout cup show considerable wear, so looks old to me. A good clean and service and I'd be happy to own it just like that.

[pennymachines]

Funny you should say that Gameswat, but when I first saw it I thought Philip Shefras! How easily I'm led astray.
We discussed these many moons ago and even compared an Allwin Supreme with the P Shefras badge to a cigarette payout allwin similar to the one in question. Notice the tall hinges, flat coin entry with tilted slot and the distinctive (clockwise-turning) payout handle.

Amourphous - you're correct about the backflash, but as you can see, it was only a few strips of coloured acetate. Good news is it's retained the original simple cig packet graphic and the example below belongs to the London Science Museum, no less. As Gameswat hints - gentle conservation, rather than aggressive restoration, is the order of the day...

[gameswat]

Nicely played PM, that's why you get paid the big bucks for running this site...............................

[badpenny]

.......... don't tell him but that's Nursey you're describing.

[john t peterson]

Those tight, white support hose stocking……Grrrrrrrrr

J Peterson
Sock it to me, USA

[amorphous14]

Fantastic work guys,thanks very much. I might pop along to the science museum and have look at the original. I will indeed give it a gentle touch up and post back my results.

Thanks again!

[amorphous14]

Hey again,


Finally got my hands on the Philip Shefras (thanks pennymachines) cigarette machine a week ago. Just finished the restoration/minor gentrification.

I was mulling over whether to stay totally authentic or jazz it up slightly. As a professional antique restorer I had mixed feelings but I thought I'd for me and sod it. Anyway. Let me know your thoughts.

I sanded and French polished the case and replaced the backsplash with velvet. The reward dial was seized and everything was covered in what looked like a varnish of some sort, so I cleaned all the parts and refitted everything. The mechanism didn't need any work at all thankfully so was a fairly simple process!