Mechanical Memories Auction 2011

[JC]

Tom, the size of your name badge will be directly proportional the size of your tip.

[papa]

Catalogue arrived today, thanks Jerry

[brianward]

Jerry cannot get through on the buy now, can you e-mail me the paypal address and i will pay for catalogue?

brian ward

[JC]

Hello Brian. It should be OK - I've had loads of orders for catalogues over the weekened, so it obviously works. Try it again. I'll email you my email address anyway, just in case.

Here's the link again, for anyone who still hasn't ordered a catalogue:

http://www.mechanicalmemoriesmagazine.webeden.co.uk

[jimmycowman]

It's looking good this year as far as the snow and frost

[cheeky]

I am guessing, only for me because I didn't make it for the 3rd year in a row. Yup, entries in hand, money ready and full of excitement, today I am laying in bed with a chronic chest infection, laryngitis and a temperature. I can't believe it!

Last year I couldn't make it because we were snowed-in and the year before I had full blown swine flu.

Maybe next year and thank you to all those who help make the auctions so successful.

[grabber]

Another great auction by J&J. I got some spares, other collectors did very well with some machines selling quite cheap. Hope everyone enjoyed the day as I did.
Regards, The Grabber.

[gameswat]

Hey, did a member here buy the Novelty Merchantman spares? If so maybe they want to unload a couple of pieces my way?? If I'd been there in person I'd probably have bought the lot and passed on the other bits. cheers.

[badpenny]

...today I am laying in bed with a chronic chest infection, laryngitis and a temperature.

Bad luck Cheeky, the force doesn't appear to be with you.
Yesterday's Lap dancers hope you have a speedy recovery, and the Steward of the club was sorry he had to throw away your share of the free beer he'd laid on.

[badpenny]

Hearty Thanks to you all, you made it another soopah doopah day.

Jerry will get around to listing the hammer prices in The Arena after an extended and successful course of Mogadon in a dark room.
When I last saw him he was standing peering at a lonely bandit sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. I wasn't hanging around as I had only a few hours previously managed to off load one of the ones that was abandoned two years before.

There were machines and prices for all, an amazing spectrum that covered the most diverse collection of coin operated machinery under one roof.

It was a shame that we felt the need to announce publicly that despite constant warnings about trading in the car park it was still being attempted.
You know who you are, so do we, if you want a group of like interested collectors to stand around the back of your car to admire the contents of your boot, then either invite them around to your house or foot the bill of hiring a venue, renting tables, paying support staff, printing catalogues and coughing up for postage not to mention blah, blah, blah .... boring old repetitive waffle. Then invite them round to peer in your car. If you don't want to go to that length, then come to ours and behave or bugger off, for most verily you will not be welcome.

As usual thanks for your patience in the paying in and paying back out game. It is tedious however until we all have bar codes tattooed on our foreheads and a chip inserted in our elbows there is no other way you can enter a Lot, buy something, go home with your new purchase and your money in your pocket.

[13rebel]

A big thanks to everyone concerned for making this year's Coventry auction a special day which I thoroughly enjoyed and came away with three machines. People were friendly and chatty too.

[grabber]

I forgot to pick up my Yale lock. Did anyone see it? Was it with the lonely bandit ?

[badpenny]

If it was in a green box then yes I did see it. It was sitting on the stage at the end of the day. Perhaps Jerry scooped it up with the rest of the debris, but I really don't know.

If so I guess it gives you the perfect excuse to visit his arcade or come to next year's event.

[JC]

Another one over, and once again, we’ve received some very favourable comments – the emails have been coming in all day We always aim to please, and it seems we do! It is quite clear that the Coventry auction is regarded as the slotties’ social event of the year, and so it should. This year, I think we put on the best show so far, with the greatest number of lots and the greatest diversity.

Unfortunately, a fair number of machines didn’t sell, even though most had fair reserves. Has the economic down turn finally caught up with slottie land, or are more of you just coming for the ‘social’? It’s probably too early to judge – we’ll see what happens next year. However, had it not been for the Brian Bates collection (which I’m very pleased to report sold quite well) Jeremy and I would have made next to nothing from this year’s event. To be perfectly blunt, I’m not sure I want to continue putting so much work into ‘a great social’ for so little reward. As a consequence, we may have to review the commission next year – an extra percent or two will not make a great deal of difference to buyers or sellers, but will make a considerable difference to us. Jeremy and I will talk it through in the coming days.

As Jeremy has mentioned above, once again we were left with a bandit left all on its own after everyone had gone home. However, the circumstances were different this time. Two years ago, we were left with two bandits that the seller thought were sold. He hadn’t noticed on his sellers receipt that we hadn’t actually paid him, so he just left and went home. This year, the lonely bandit was sold but the buyer just buggered off without paying……………….what happened there Bob?

[JC]

P.S. I've got your lock Mike - I've emailed you.

[grabber]

Many thanks.
I'll post that metal part very soon.

[bryans fan]

Just got home yesterday and this is the first chance to get online. I thought that the auction was really great this year, and well run. There seemed to me to be the best selection of machines we have ever had. I thought that the prices on the whole were a bit down, but I thought that the reserves must have been more realistic. I had not realised that there were a lot of unsold lots. I think that some people will just not accept that the prices have gone down from the highs of a few years ago, and are looking to get back what they paid or make a profit. It is all relative and a machine is only worth what someone will pay on the day irrespective of what one went for before. It is worth remembering that although you may sell for less you can also buy for less.
I for one left very happy having sold all my lots and bought one lot for what I considered a very a good price. I think the 6% premium is very fair in view of what other auction houses charge. I did enjoy meeting all the usual suspects although I do notice that meeting up once a year we all do seem to be looking a bit older , except of couse for Jerry and Jeremy who look younger if anything! I personally really hope that the auction will continue and that the 2 J`s feel it is worth keeping going. I thought that given the current economic climate it did well. I spoke to several friends who all admitted that they were having difficulties in their chosen professions during the last year and that money was tight.
Many thanks for all involved for making it a great day, including Kevin the Auctioneer and Kevin the bouncer ( I mean door security officer).
Well done !

[jimmycowman]

Yes it was a really good day, thanks to the venders and the two J's. It was good to see old faces, I thought there were lots of new ones there too. I was in the pay queue and started to talk to the man behind me, a toy collector who always wanted a mutoscope. He had brought it for £200 less than he was willing to go to, he was pleased. It was very good to see Harold Thanks for a good one.

[treefrog]

Each year I have been going, the more slick the whole day has become, especially the pay process, which you guys have really got down to a tee, well done. As with everyone, it was great to see such a mix of machines and something for all....

[JC]

Prices achieved have been emailed to Mr. pennymachines, so they will no doubt be available to view in the Arena very soon.