Boland Black Beauty, Screen Stars, Brooklands, White City...

[arrgee]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the cases were made from very poor wood with the thinnest of veneers applied

Paul Braithwaites Arcades and Slot Machines PB, there is nice photo of one, John Carter wrote:
"From an operators viewpoint they are constructed from veneered rubbish and keeping the veneer intact is problematical!"

[nvmos2]

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

There is an auction on the US ebay for a vintage Mills slot machine.
Please see item number 111191213965

If I am not mistaken it is actually a Tom Boland slot machine.
My questions are:
Is it a Tom Boland machine?
If yes, approximately what year was he making these/
Did he use Mills mechanisms and just build the cases for his machines?
Is he still around and still making slots?

Any enlightenment you Limeys (I hope that's not considered derogatory) can provide would be appreciated.

[badpenny]

Is he still around and still making slots?

Well if that's his picture on the front I'd hazard a guess he ended his days mincing around in his pyjamas.
(I hope that's not considered derogatory)

Confused of Lincoln

[pennymachines]

Hi - and welcome!

Is it a Tom Boland machine?

Yes. (So I've moved your post and merged to the above topic).
Boland made a variety of cabinet revamps over the years and this is one of them.

If yes, approximately what year was he making these?

He started revamping bandits in the early 1940s to fulfil a demand for "new" machines during and after the war. This continued up until 1960 which saw the arrival of new products following the removal of legal restrictions. The example above is from the early '40s period.

Did he use Mills mechanisms and just build the cases for his machines?

Yes. For all I know, he may occasionally have used other makes, but generally he imported Mills machines and sometimes stripped the mechanism down to one reel (to make it more acceptable to UK conditions). This version incorporates a new cast fascia with the original Mills wooden base and sides.

Is he still around and still making slots?

He died in May 1984.

I've not seen the Golf theme before, nor the hand-painted golf symbols. The "GOLF" inscription on the front casting looks rather wobbly. I wonder if this Bolland revamp has been re-revamped by another hand at a later date.

[scottie]

Here is a Screen Stars from the cover of Gameroom magazine, June 1992.

[pennymachines]

Nice example. Here's a Brooklands Totalizator which made an amazing £2,375 (including premium) at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale in Chichester last September. Clever place to put it.

[pennymachines]

Yet another version of Screen Stars, this one called Film Stars.

[safetyman1005]

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

Brooklands one armed bandit in Chippenham Auction sale this Saturday.

[aristomatic]

Thanks for the pictures. Below is link from the forum. (Now merged above - Site Admin.)
I've seen a number of different variations on the Brooklands racer, however it's the first time I have seen this particular option with the car and Brooklands under the reel glass. There must be lots of other options still not seen too.

As previously observed within the thread, the best place to sell these (if working) is Goodwood Revival or similar vintage car gathering.

GP

[jingle]

There was a French guy
Buying all these up
At beaulieu
Over last few years
He was giving 500 each for them
I bet this makes a lot more
Giving that that auction attracts a lot of motoring
Collectors
With more money than greece

[andy d]

I went along to have a look a the "Brooklands" Bandit today. With my zero knowledge of Bandits, I couldn't tell much from looking at it, but I did think the image is a bit misleading as there is a large piece of angle on the handle side. Perhaps it was put on as some sort of security device, but it does detract from it's 'looks'.
Whilst there, I also saw the Tussauds waxwork figures they are selling. The one of Winston Churchill is especially stunning, and also a Police Woman, that seemed to be watching me as I moved around the auction.
They are hoping for £5000-£7000 for Mr Churchill based on a Paul Daniels waxwork fetching £6500 a few years ago!!

[bedbug1]

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

Hi, I bought this Film Stars one arm bandit this morning from a local car-boot and am after some information on the age and maker of the machine. Also, has any one got any pictures of what the award card would look like, as it's missing. Any information would be great, cheers.

[gameswat]

See thread merged above.

[bedbug1]

Hi gameswat thanks for the info - will give it a read tonight cheers.

[pennymachines]

Here are a few more, from the recent Carter's sale.
The first one (Screen Stars) I restored myself many years ago, purchased as a "flat pack", cardboard box of bits, for about £30. I reassembled and glued the cabinet back together, polished and plated the fittings, obtained a screen star postcard and John Carter bought it. I painted the body a dark shade of turquoise, so it's already had a repaint. I tried to buy it back, but it went for £1200. Just have to find another flat pack.

[gameswat]

Why on earth did Boland cut down the viewing window on the three reel machines to only show the winning symbols?? Since that was one of the genius ideas Mills had to improve on the original Fey design of just showing one symbol to each reel. The amount of times you almost have a winning combo but not quite is such a fantastic incentive for repeat play, I really can't imagine why he removed that?

[badpenny]

He was no psychologist.

[pennymachines]

Three more. The Jockey Club is from an earlier thread. The only clue to this being Boland's is the disk-shaped casting, otherwise it's uncharacteristically ugly. The Screen Stars is from the last Morphy auction and the other one was in the last EH sale.

[coppinpr]

I'm not so sure, I think his idea was to make his machines look different from the others in the line. They did attract you to play, but true not for long. Here is mine:

[pennymachines]

Three more. I restored the first of these. These versions of the White City are an odd mishmash of themes - the White City greyhound racing top and front castings, the Screen Star card and 'Your Favourites' casting, together with the traditional fruit symbol three reels, reflecting the 'waste not, want not' Boland tradition.