Retro-Arcade allwins

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scottie
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Retro-Arcade allwins

Post by scottie »

Hi
I was just looking around the internet and found sales@retro-arcade.co.uk....
Do you know if they're still operating....?
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pennymachines
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by pennymachines »

Interesting. Looks like they do a range of repro allwins, rather like Nostalgic Machines used to, only made in the UK.
Their website includes a phone number and contact form.
Why not try sending a message?
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badpenny
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by badpenny »

If you go to their website (courtesy of Google)
http://www.retro-arcade.co.uk/home

There is a link to contact them for a price guide. However if you persevere, you'll find a price list showing new machines priced at around £700 ....... gulp! :o

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JC
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by JC »

I found this site about a month or so ago, and in fairness I think the prices are not particularly unreasonable, given the machines are made from oak and appear to be fairly well made. However, a couple of things struck me: first, the backflashes in the main seem to me to be out of place on a 1930s styled machine, as many seem to be more 1960s inspired. But the most striking thing that caught my eye was that, with a couple of exceptions, all the pictures are of the same machine (look at the wood grain). They've simply mocked-up loads of different playfields and super-imposed them on the same picture. So how many machines have they actually made?
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by widget2k4 »

I bought a payout cup off them as I needed one for a machine that was missing it and it was really good quality I must say, and service was great.
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by coppinpr »

I see they offer a service making personalised backflashes. Could this be a way of getting new backflashes made for original machines with damaged artwork?
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Re: Are these people still in business?

Post by jimmycowman »

There is a gap in the market since Nostalgic machines packed up, anyone bought one?
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treefrog
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by treefrog »

I would think if someone was happy to produce low volume high quality items and tap into the spares market you could make a couple of Bob, maybe not a fortune. Would be good to hear more about the company and future plans. I am sure some people on here must know the owner...it would be great if they moved into a variety of game plays and target traditional themes rather than advertising.
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by moonriver »

Allwins are still classified as gaming machines, you cant just site them to operate anywhere you like. The only way you could is to block anything that the machine pays out, or ensure that EVERY coin inserted vends a chocolate.

As far as operating modern reproduction allwins commercially (for example in a licenced Family Entertainment Centre) the usual issue for operators historically was that they never took any money as the gallery pins were poor quality and too widely spaced and allowed too many winning balls through, whereas original allwins made money very well.
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badpenny
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by badpenny »

moonriver wrote: Allwins are still classified as gaming machines ............The only way you could is to block anything that the machine pays out, or ensure that EVERY coin inserted vends a chocolate.
Really? ...... So how do our friends operating Vintage Arcades cope?
Perhaps they buy chocolate in bulk.
I appreciate that when it comes to selling one they are classified as gaming machines which stipulates one requirement.
So far as operating one is concerned it comes down to where and what Category it would be registered under (stake & payout).
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moonriver
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by moonriver »

To operate an amusement arcade or 'pleasure fair' as local authorities used to call them you first need planning consent. They are sui generis use and obtaining planning consent used to be very difficult indeed without then having to follow on and obtain a local authority permit where you basically had to prove 'need'.

Certain types of commercial environments such as motorway services or shopping/ garden centres where there has been an automatic grant of mixed retail and other entertainment uses within the site can be utilised legally for both gaming centre or family entertainment amusements ancillary to the main shopping use as far as PLANNING terms are concerned.

The current lumbering white elephant that is the Gambling Commission does not see any milage whatsoever in prosecuting the small vintage penny arcade operator and therefore they allow them to operate on a 'turning a blind eye' basis within very grey areas.
One other reason is that vintage old penny amusements dont generate any duty and there are much bigger fish to fry for the Gambling Commission which is entirely funded by the gaming industry, ironically they are now struggling financially having almost wiped out the traditional amusement industry (the hand that fed them) all within a decade.

Amusement only machines, anything that you pay to watch something, such as working models or mutoscopes, anything that you play a game that doesnt pay a prize, such as table football, anything that you pay and it (always) vends , such as an elephant vender, you can set up anywhere as long as ancillary to some other use. As soon as you add one armed bandits or allwins or cranes etc that are games of chance and pay out then you technically fall under the Gambling Commission rules.
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scottie
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by scottie »

Well I did fire off an email and YES they did get back to me, so that answers my question.
As usually I'm always looking for spares/parts... and the only thing they sell as spares is the pay-out bowl...
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by badpenny »

moonriver wrote: As soon as you add one armed bandits or allwins or cranes etc that are games of chance and pay out then you technically fall under the Gambling Commission rules.
Strewth .... So Justice Scrutton has finally been branded a fraud.
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by moonriver »

Unfortunately his judgement in 1912 related to the Pickwick and its design.
Allwins were later not accepted as games of skill by The Gaming Board and are currently not accepted as such by the Gambling Commission either.
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by badpenny »

Ah, but there is an old British film (brought to our attention on this forum several years ago) it concerns, IIRC, an ex naval man who buys a pier. He ends up down the police station letting an urchin prove that a Bryans allwin can be played and through skill indeed win.
Who remembers this, or is it just me?
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moonriver
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by moonriver »

Yes I remember seeing that film, Barnacle Bill 1957, the kid brought in to demonstrate being able to win on the allwins when others couldn't ...... pre Gaming Board's opinion that allwins are games of chance.
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Re: Is Retro-Arcade still in business?

Post by pennymachines »



Unfortunately the Gaming Board (now Gambling Commission) moved the goalposts by insisting that:
...a game in which the outcome or result can be influenced to any appreciable extent by chance is, in the Commission’s view, a game of chance for the purposes of the Act (Gambling Act, Section 6).
It follows that the machine on which the game is played is a gaming machine.

It does not matter for these purposes whether the element of chance / luck predominates over the element of skill.
Nor does it matter whether the element of chance can be eliminated by superlative skill.

See Justice Scrutton's Tipple
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Retro machines

Post by polaris »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Came across these recently - looks pretty well made take on the original. Anyone have one in their collection? http://www.retro-arcade.co.uk/
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lenny
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Re: Retro-Arcade allwins

Post by lenny »

The Win and Place themed games have proved to be really popular. We have made many versions since its introduction with the latest being made for John Wardley. He is the designer of many iconic rollercoasters including Oblivion, Air and Raptor selecting his creation Nemesis, from Alton Towers, to be the backflash. He kindly allowed us to offer the Nemesis Allwin for sale on our site and it has become a best seller.
http://www.retro-arcade.co.uk/newpage
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Re: Retro-Arcade allwins

Post by pennymachines »

Hi Lenny,
Is it possible to buy parts, mechanisms and exterior fittings from you? I'm sure there would be some demand for them from members of this site, given the difficulty of sourcing original spares.

By the way, I posted a link to your website in the Archive today.
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