War Eagle Aristocrat

[treefrog]

This item has been on sale in the US a few times, but is basically a Aristocrat Arcadian/Olympic with a War Eagle looking facia. One of these fronts was sold at the last Coventry auction for £35 I think......

I know prices are different in the US, but I would be staggered if this sold for the near £500 starting price, the paint on the cabinet is not great either.

Still for those who long for the image of a 30's classic

http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-WORKING-QUA ... 563c2964cf

[badpenny]

Describing it as Ghastly would be paying it a compliment.

[aristomatic]

I don't know who did these fronts originally, maybe Powell's, but I have also seen the Jennings hunting scene version too. Don't know if there were any others. Probably looked OK in a seaside arcade in 70s to the non-collector...maybe?...OK ..maybe not.
Maybe the manufacturers sold them to the arcades on the basis that these:

cast fronts wouldn't rust as the original chrome ones did/do?

[ii] lower award panel, (chrome & plastic) wouldn't chip and break as they did/do?

[iii] because operators were interested in machines to make money and not as we do as collectors/enthusiasts, etc.
.................................................................................

aristomatic

PS I don't have one, but if anyone wants to get rid of one or two, let me know.

[treefrog]

Well lots of the War eagle fronts have been seen over the years and TPG has been selling them recently, but here is another odd modification of this time a Nevada..a Sun Chief...

Not sure on this baby, very odd

[moonriver]

I remember visiting an operator near Castleford and they were making these castings and fitting them to aristocrats. I had some on sale or return for the arcade window displays.

[coppinpr]

another electronic re build on ebay ?