Ideas and advice for new member

[dave3648]

Hello all I am new on the site and Forum and joined today 8th Oct. I am an Electrical engineer with a workshop and nearing retirement. For many years I have had an urge based on my childhood seaside experiences to obtain an old slot machine and refurbish it. In particular my interest is not really in gambling machines but in what I would describe as 'action' type. I remember as a child spending most of my pennies on a mechanical slot that displayed a cemetery with some limited sound effects. Ghosts popped out of the ground and bodies rose out of graves. There were other themes but I cannot remember them
Anybody have any ideas please anything would be welcome
Many Thanks Dave

[slotalot]

Hi Dave , Welcome to the site, the machines you are thinking of are known as working models, if you look in the "see it opperate" section you will find some good one's there both photos & videos, you can also find some on my own web page at http://www.slotmachines.bravehost.com are you thinking of building one of your own ... Regards Stuart,

[dave3648]

Thanks Stuart 'Working Models' I will remember that I am a newcomer to this hobby. No I had not really considered building one just getting hold of an old model to refurbish is that possible do you think? and where would I start to look.
I will take a look at your site right now
Thanks a lot Dave

[dave3648]

Stuart I looked at your site great brought back old memories and saw a few working models I remember from childhood. Do you have a museum or is your collection private
Regards Dave

[slotalot]

Stuart I looked at your site great brought back old memories and saw a few working models I remember from childhood. Do you have a museum or is your collection private
Regards Dave

Hi Dave , I wish I had a museum or large collection of my own but at the moment I dont have the room, I spend a lot of my time now restoring and makeing repro machines, maybe one day I will get another collection together , as for finding a machine to restore ......they do turn up at slot machine auctions and even on Ebay from time to time but they can fetch a good few hundered pounds, even for a wreck of a machine that needs lots of work .. if you want to look at and play on some vintage machines there are lots of collections up and down.... take a look in the "Locations Draw" of the Penny Machines Archive you will find a list of sites to visit.... Regards and good luck with your quest..stuart

[dave3648]

Many thanks for your advice Stuart if you do come across anything please let me know
Best Regards Dave

[daveslot]

if the machine you remembered had sound that it was probably a late machine by animated amusements made about 1970. there is one one ebay at the moment

[dave3648]

Perhaps Im confused about the sound effects or maybe they were added by the arcade owner. I was a child in the 50s and early 60s so the working model would have been manufactured well before then I am guessing, I spotted the one on ebay but it was not what I wanted. I will keep looking.
Many Thanks for your advice
Regards Dave.