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Interesting auction today with twenty machines in covering all tastes.



A few interesting items, but this below fortune teller was one that I had not seen before, very basic operation where you select question and turn handle to get answer which lights up. This the case was a replacement, but at £250 not too much money

I see some nice machines there

Wow... that was a well kept secret. Was I the only one not to spot this auction?

Where was that?

In Norfolk, Gazes......

Below are pictures and results

The Allwins were not perfect, in fact the Polo was a R&W in a Wonders case. Lots of early machines like Argyle and Electric Amuser had new cases. I did like the Kalloscop and looked very original. Had to tie my hands behind my back as cannot afford spending lots, but got a few of the lots. There were about 6 people at the end of the auction and only 3 bidding on machines and no collectors. You needed to see lots though before bidding as lots of messing had occurred, Tura had new thin case, same as Boland Screen Stars and Extraordinary had changed base and non Mills castings.....anyway enjoyed the day.

Gazes 18% commission

5642 Extraordinary £380
5643 wonders Win a Place £400
5644 groetchen stim £170
5645 polo allwin £440
5646 Daval stim £300
5647 Electra Amuser £250
5648 Kalloscop £320
5649 argyle fortune £440
5650 electricity of life £240
5651 mini Sega £95
5652 groetchen stim reel 21 £140
5653 fortune teller? £240
5654 Duoscope £340
5655 Mills Torch Front £280
5656 Buckley bandit £500
5657 Mills Romanhead £280
5658 Bolands Screen Stars £320
5659 Jennings Victoria £280
5660 Tura bandit £260, but did not hit reserve
5661 Mills Poinsettia £280

pennymachines wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 5:45 pm Wow... that was a well kept secret. Was I the only one not to spot this auction?

No there was two of us!

Three actually,
However, it wouldn't have mattered as I had my instructions for today and they comprehensively indicated putting up a garden fence.
I have learnt to my cost in the past that no way can such an instruction be loosely interpreted to encompass buggering off to Diss in Norfolk to attend an auction offering slot machines ..... what kind of dribbling idiot am I anyway?

Interesting group of slots and prices reminiscent of years gone by, but 18% commission, although lower than many is still a wedge to me.

BP

Ridiculously cheap, would have bought most of these at that price, especially the early stuff. Never seen the Argyle fortune teller. A well kept secret auction! Think the seller should be disappointed.

My guess is that the vendor wasn't the original collector, otherwise surely they would have tipped us off here.
I wonder why TW Gaze contrived to keep it off thesaleroom.com? To slip twenty vintage slot machines under the radar is quite an achievement in the internet age! TreeFrog - did you spot it because it was local, or find it online first? The vendor might wonder why a 15% seller's + 21.6% buyer's commission didn't buy exposure to the major auction search portals.

Well done to the assiduous few! The rest of us can console ourselves that if we'd known about it, so would Dave, so what good would that have been?

Was the reserve £300 on all the bandits?
A surprise the Tura didn't reach reserve but others sold for £280?
Did the auctioneer let other bandits sell for £280 using discretion?

aristomatic wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:59 am Was the reserve £300 on all the bandits?
A surprise the Tura didn't reach reserve but others sold for £280?
Did the auctioneer let other bandits sell for £280 using discretion?

Answer is yes, I was bidding against auctioneer reserve. I did not want the Tura, don’t like them. Believe it or not, I still mostly buy things I like rather than because it is cheap, also replacement ply cabinet was half the thickness it should have been.

I wonder how many sales have occurred like this and the one person in the know has just not shared afterwards, we will never know. I recall the last one I went to at Gary Donn, I had no idea who may be there, as it turned out a number of collectors got word, for all I knew the same could have occurred yesterday.

We all wish there were more auctions like this, eg not online, as the Saleroom and other online services have so affected the fun of auctions. I do know a number of auction houses are starting to move away from standard online services and are creating their own online bidding systems, as the lifeblood of every auction house are the local customers who have moaned for years, especially around cost.

I was aware of the rarity of most of the machines, but was not happy with changes and originality on things like the fortune tellers and shockers, also less my interest. Only regret was not buying the Kalloscop...

The Poinsettia, I had never seen before with thin jackpot and a token vendor, not even sure it would have been called a Poinsettia, only found one picture a similar of machine in the US. My favourite bandit is the Torch Front, always like the Art Deco style of the front.

Of course I do miss collectors auctions as meeting people is good and it has been a long time

Some great looking machines on sale there, I have to say, if it wasn't for the internet I wouldn't have the vintage vending machines I have now, after visiting multiple antique shops, all I would have have amassed so far would be a vintage condom and tampax machine

I have not been to a specialised gaming machines auction as yet, would involve having to travel a fair few miles as they all seem to be in the darkest deep south, has it become too easy now to get hold of machines, is the fun the thrill of the chase ?

The Jennings Victoria unusually had its original lower door, often missing and locked. So had a quick look over machine this morning and could see something in the cash tray area......anyway managed to pull it out through the front and low and behold it was a canvas money belt




Before I got too excited, of course my luck was not going off the scale, as it was empty not the first time I have heard of the cash box areas being used for treasures, crazy really....

treefrog wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 7:47 am Only regret was not buying the Kalloscop...

Tree, I think you meant to say you regret not having a few more bids on the Kalloscop, because unless you know the high bidder and he told you this was his limit, then you'd have no way of knowing what the high point might've been. I hear this all the time after low auction sales. But in all my years only in a handful of times have I later talked about the bidding with the eventual owner. But I can say on many occasions I've won machines for a fraction of what my high bid might've been! Hopefully there are a handful of happy collectors out there in the knowledge they got some deals at this auction.

Just noticed this for sale on eBay looks almost the same as the one that sold for £240 or be it a few bits missing!

watlingman wrote: ↑Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:56 am Just noticed this for sale on eBay looks almost the same as the one that sold for £240 or be it a few bits missing!

Ha ha , that’s funny. I know originals of these can fetch a bit in the US, but another crazy ebayer.

Interesting as we now have two on eBay in the U.K., the one from this auction and another down south. I am intrigued if these were every copied, as the one I saw looked like it had been cast three years ago......anyway hope they achieve their goals

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Superb-Victo ... 1438.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/antique-Penn ... 1438.l2649

Wow congratulations on spotting that one. I’ve heard that there have been a few discovered barns of machines in Norfolk but who owns them, and where they originated, remains a mystery. A great find Tom and we know they are safe in your hands.

treefrog wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:55 am I am intrigued if these were every copied, as the one I saw looked like it had been cast three years ago.

I've certainly never seen any copies and really doubt anybody would bother as these are complex to re-make and by far the most common early shockers there are. My guess would be a survival of at least 100 machines. Whereas the Electric Sailors are far rarer and I have seen a fake of those and know of at least another, though easy to spot in person as the bases were welded steel plate as opposed to one piece cast iron.