Electricity is Life

[polaris]

I was the underbidder on this shocker today. I know nothing about it but it looks a nice machine. Anyone here buy it?

[daveslot]

I thought the price was shocking, considering the auctions estimate was £80-120. The front door also is not original and I doubt it started life with that stand.

[polaris]

phew may well have had a lucky escape thems the perils of bidding on an item without viewing first

[jimmycowman]

what did it make? and where????

[polaris]

special auction services newbury finished £1200

[daveslot]

still a rare machine, think this one was from the nic costa collection that went through christies,never seen one with an original front door, they used to have an enamel plaque with instructions on,
he dated it as 1901

[gameswat]

Actually not really a rare machine as must be the most common survivor of any turn of the century shocker. Made in the US by the Detroit Medical Battery Co. Very modern styling for the time and many people thought mine was 1930's art deco! Quite a few have turned up in Australia so they were being operated here as well as the UK on Penny play, 1 Cent in the US. The front door is cast iron but under the sign it is molded with lots of holes making it very fragile if someone tries to jemmy the thing open. The sign was originally tin litho and that's the most fragile part of the machine, I've only seen one original sign that a local customer found on his a few years ago. Sadly someone had retouched due to rusting in a very hamfisted way. Most have been replaced over the last 20 years with enamel signs replicating the artwork .