Coin operated fortune teller on ebay

[gameswat]

Couldn't quickly find the listing, but looks just like the cabinet used on the prototype Bryans Postcard machine? - Ah, ok, just read this on the Melwright site: "A sales leaflet and operators' leaflet was produced, and a number of empty cases were in storage at the factory, so it is likely that the design suffered from mechanical, operational, or perhaps legal problems."

[jimmycowman]

332807893236. Number.. Seems a lot of money with it not working......

[gameswat]

Thanks but I still can't see it, presumably because I'm overseas and seller has ticked local pickup only?

[JC]

The ebay seller states that the machine dates from the 1940s - it doesn't. It is one of a very small number of fortune teller machines produced by Cliff Mills in the '90s, utilising Bryans postcard vendor cases. Given that it doesn't even work, I'd say it's ten times over-priced.

[brigham]

I've seen this machine, it's a good looking bit of gear, but the electrics are the give-away; painfully modern.

[jimmycowman]

The same seller is trying to sell a strength tester for 1100 !which has been on ebay for the last 2 years lol

[brigham]

I'm not sure that the seller in Hull is the same as the seller in Skipsea.
The one in Hull is simply using eBay as a shop-front for the machines also appearing in the picture.

[jimmycowman]

On closer inspection it looks like it's a different seller

[djjfive]

Oddly enough, the seller of the above machine from Skipsea was in fact the very same chap who I was buying the bandit from in the first place that told me of the fake Mother Shipton that was doing the rounds, this led me to this site in the first place. In all fairness, I could only say good things about this seller. His collection is very impressive and he is a genuine collector/seller... and personally, I was quite taken with this machine myself (although there is another he has that I preferred but it's not for sale...yet). Had it been working, I may well have snapped his hand off although I am really only interested in true (working) vintage but still, this is still a very unique item, even if it was rehashed in the 90's from a 40's Bryants postcard machine it's still very intriguing and is a very unique piece.

As for the seller in Hull, he has another item listed I am interested in but is outside of my usual interests and current available space. I have however had the strength tester he's selling bookmarked on eBay for some time, only because I have a similar strength tester myself that I paid a lot less for and wanted to see how he faired with that.

As a newbie, I find it quite strange that this seems to be a very close knit community. In just a few posts on one thread, I've found links with two members already, and a further seller I have yet to meet; I've never experienced the internet being this powerful before. :-)

[moonriver]

It's a shame the current seller still has the fortune teller listed on Ebay as "dates around the 1940s", as it clearly doesn't, especially given the £6,000 (not working) price tag.
I seem to remember it being on eBay some time before and being sold with 'provenance' that it appeared in an old auction catalogue. However the original catalogue image referred to appeared to have been cropped on either side when reproduced to make the machine appear a taller and slimmer cabinet such as this postcard vender cabinet and with the similar 'Book of Life' decal showing, attempting to pass off this machine as the same one in the catalogue. I don't believe this machine is the same one as in the auction catalogue.
Looking at the mechanism in this one it is modern and quite crudely put together, not difficult to repair though.