Bradley Challenger and variants

[bryans fan]

I have always thought the 30s version was underrated, it looks great I think. The later Formica Super Challengers come up for sale more often, but it is some time since a nice 30s one came up. They were fetching around £600 a few years ago, so I guess the price this one made reflects this.

[terry]

I seem to remember one going quite cheaply at Salisbury a few years back and I wished I'd bid on it. They are indeed a handsome machine and I see that somebody has listed a Bradley Crusader hopefully trying to emulate the Challengers success! Strange that these two machine share their names with British tanks!! (Bit of useless information there)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-Bradley-Crus ... 3f03465378

[treefrog]

There was a nice Challenger at either last year's Coventry auction or the year before that went for well over £500. I was tempted by the one on ebay as it did look good, certainly compared to my sorry machine.

I am convinced now, having been watching prices for a while, that it is completely the luck of the draw on the auctions. A number of Super Challengers sold over the last three weeks on ebay, all fetching very low prices, two of them under £100. Other droppers that vary hugely are the Bell-Fruit Cascade - a couple of years ago, these were fetching as much as £300, but more recently good ones are lucky to make £100 (I was lucky to buy such a one). The Cascade on ebay now mentioned on another thread, currently stands at £205, with rusty coin entry and missing hammer. This has to be purely luck, surely, and who happens to be watching at the time. Of course the location of the item makes a difference - there are many machines now I cannot be bothered to bid on due to location (bored with the driving and not sure I would trust shipping).

I guess one just hopes the right two people see your machine who have a want when you plan to sell.... Of course this has always been the case with auctions

It is a nice looking Crusader though

[treefrog]

Well the so-so Cascade ended up at £335, yes that was £335... I can only assume the bidders do not use this forum...

[jimmycowman]

Yes, I had the one from Salisbury, it seems cheap now

[terry]

Have an unrestored example for sale at the moment. See the marketplace.....

[grabber]

Bradley Challenger Brass Plates

Hi, I've just found these people. I think they will be able to make instruction plates in brass for most machines.
Try this website: http://www.vintagebrassplates.co.uk
Phone: Chris Astell 07594969146
Plates can be reproduced from a picture or original.

[pennymachines]

Good find. I've put it on the Archive/Services page. If the cost isn't prohibitive, it should be useful for all sorts of missing plates, like an Anglicised version of the Elektromat score plates...

[grabber]

And also a name plate making company on Kew Bridge in West London.
I have not contacted them yet, but I think they do similar work.

[john t peterson]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Just when you think you've seen about everything, along comes "Snakes and Ladders."

Take a look: http://www.ebay.com/itm/180915401385?ss ... 500wt_1413

Obviously, a Bradley Automatics "Challenger." So...you guys hitting the sauce before you ship these games to us here in the States? Think we're afraid of SNAKES? Or LADDERS?

J Peterson
Your American herpetologist

[arrgee]

Ah Mr Peterson Sir, good to hear from you again.

Interesting how things come full circle. When I was a child snakes and ladders was an innocent game, when I was a teenager a snake was your best mate who created a ladder in your girlfriend's stockings, as an adult a snake can become a venomous and treacherous person and a ladder is a mere ascending implement that your wife sends you up to clean out the gutters or wash the windows or paint the fascia and if you survive into the 'mature years' snakes and ladders is just a game again.
..........................funny old world.

[treefrog]

Looks old and an add on over the original text.....see thread below with a variety of add ons and marques used on these.

Threads merged above - site admin.

[john t peterson]

Well said Arrgee, the Circle of Life, complete with snakes and a ladder to climb away from them!

[pennymachines]

Arrgee, you're a poet and a philosopher!

So we have a Challenger, Zig-Zag, Shooting Star and Snakes & Ladders.
I've never seen one before, but this version, with its screwed-on name plaque, is in the Amusement Equipment Co. Ltd. catalogue.

[john t peterson]

Mr. PM; have I mentioned lately how amazing you (and your resources) are? Most amazing, indeed.

[arrgee]

Arrgee, you're a poet and a philosopher!

Well Mr PM, I have been given quite a few epithets in my time and some of them quite disagreeable,
but never a poet or philospher

I'll just settle for a 'slotty'

[bamsefar1]

I got my hands on a good condition early Challenger recently.
It lacks the upper locks. So I wonder if any of you have these for sale; or know what type / where to buy this?

Thanks for any help

[treefrog]

I have found the long neck locker type locks fit. I will need to check the actual length in the morning, but similar to the below on ebay... I believe Union, L&F and Yale did these. The only issue is the screws mount wings will need a slight trim on one side, as they sit very close to the edge of the wood. Not sure where you would get an original type, but these at the right length sit nice and flush.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-8-Zinc-Plat ... 6fe&_uhb=1

[bamsefar1]

What a great feedback. Thanks

If you do check it tomorrow and confirm the length is fine, I will order that lock ASAP.

[treefrog]

Just checked and 7/8" inch is correct and sits almost flush to the front. I can only assume the originals would have had no wings/tabs and the screws would go through the lock, which I suspect could be achieved or cut off one side and rely on the single screw.