Seriously?

[pennymachines]

Stripy backflashes were a feature off all Bryans allwins (except the Pilwin).

A few other 50's allwins also wore stripes, but not the same colour pattern.
Wondermatics made a Ten Cup (1957) with horizontal stripes and diamonds on the flash.

and Oliver Whales made a cigarette payout version in 1949 and a coin payout one in 1956. Post '50s Whales allwins usually had picture flashes.

[mei-mei]

Thank you, very helpful. Mei-mei

[gameswat]

I've had quite a few pre-war allwins, many BMCO, that had plastic stripy flashes to update from original felt, and these were sheets of solid coloured plastic cut into stripy patterns and glued down.

[mei-mei]

Neat, are they copies of originals or did you come up with the pattern yourself?

[gameswat]

The pattern above is restored to as I found it, though this machine started life with a green felt background. These separate plastic sheets versions tend to shrink and curl over time. Some have been angled one way or the other in an asymmetric style. I found this as just a ratty door and purchased for parts but ended up saving it.

[mei-mei]

Wow amasing! I'd like to use the felt as that is how I remembered it, but worried about the curling up issue.

[gameswat]

The original style cloth felt can't ever curl since it's one piece. The multi piece plastic coloured sheet was an operator re-vamp done to modernise these older felt backed machines, possibly done late 30's to just after the war. I quite liked this particular pattern so decided to leave the machine that way as the green felt backgrounds can look quite basic in comparison once you've owned a few. Plastic will shrink over time but it will take like 25+ years, if not a lot more!

After WW2 they started using the newly invented clear plastic sheet for backflashes, silk screening on the back so the ball wouldn't wear the art off. A one piece backflash (as used by Bryans) will be much less likely to curl compared to the older style multi-piece version I've been talking about as shown above.

[mei-mei]

Neat. The more I get into this, the more I just love it. The history is so interesting and the satifaction from restoring a machine is better than chocolate!!!!

[arrgee]

The more I get into this, the more I just love it. The history is so interesting

Mei-mei - check out these books:
Arcades and Slot Machines by Paul Braithwaite: available in the Library (British) part of the Menu (top left of screen)
also:
Automatic Pleasures: The History Of The Coin Machine by Nic Costa
Both are excellent reading material with plenty of photos

WARNING: this hobby can take over your life

[mei-mei]

Too late, already has!!!!

[mei-mei]

P.S. thanks for the book info, looking into it later today!

[coppinpr]

take a look at the results from our Coventry auction and elephant house auctions(both available on this site) to get an idea of how much you should expect to pay for the books( and machines for that matter )

[mei-mei]

Useful thanks.