Canterbury Auction Galleries auction: 6-7 Feb '18

[pennymachines]

There's not been much to report on the auction front since November so it was good to have early notice of a big sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries scheduled for the 6th - 7th of February, comprising two collections and amounting to about 60 machines. Catalogue to appear shortly - see Calendar.

[treefrog]

Catalogue online now with no pictures......

http://www.thecanterburyauctiongallerie ... #sale-lots

Nothing giving me a kick, although pictures may help. Also some machines have higher estimates with 24% commission. One or two I would be interested to see, like the French Lot 571, “A 1930's French L'Eclair shooting game by Louis Loubet, with pistol shooting twenty-five Cent coin into a slot, contained in mahogany polished and red painted aluminium casing of 'Art-Deco' design”.

[coppinpr]

Photos have now been added.

[coppinpr]

As you say, few very interesting machines once you add in the 24% but there are a couple of star attractions.

The Stoner "Turf Champs" must be a front runner. This pinball is said by some experts to be one of, if not the first, true electro mechanical pinballs. It was made in 1933 not 1950 and is interesting because it has a payout with electrically random selected odds. Also of interest if, as it says, this machine was supplied by Ruffler & Walker and if it was new at the time, it would be one of the first machines they ever put out! Of course they could have supplied it second hand, but even so, it must have been early days for them. The case is not original so perhaps R&W re cased some old machines and rented them out before the war.

The game itself is not very interesting and takes about as long as a single allwin play. You select a horse, fire the three balls (God knows why three, as it only pays the winner). If the first ball goes into your selected horse it pays you the random odds into a hidden compartment low on the front (open in this case). Should fetch a good price but not all original.

[shiny penny]

The Allwins look to be in fantastic condition, pity no mention of the more mundane such as working order or presence of keys.

[treefrog]

Yes the Allwins do look nice, almost new.....

The below L’Eclair looks nice, although I tend to avoid US coinage machines....

Lots of Stimulators have not seen before there, shame I don’t collect them. The most boring machine ever made and certainly not worthy of Mr Bryans is there, the Rippler.....he must have had a bad day when he produced this and the Six O More...

[badpenny]

That's a shame. The estimates are about retail price which indicates where the reserves are sitting.
Some nice machines if you are prepared to cough up and then pay another quarter on top!

If you sit at home and bid on line then you'll pay another 3% and despite the recent change in the law regarding charging for using a Credit Card they want a further 2.5% + VAT as well ...... Gulp!

[pennymachines]

Provided it's not a business card, they can't demand the 2.5%. A percentage on personal debit or credit cards was unlawful as of Jan 13. No doubt we'll see buyers' premiums go up again shortly.

[coppinpr]

I noticed another possible breaking of the law in this auction. There are several long glass mercury barometers for sale. I'm told that the selling of even antique barometers containing mercury is now against the law (since june 2017). Several of these are also listed as having ivory back plates. These would need a certificate to say the ivory was pre 1947 and even that will be against the law soon. Perhaps someone is unloading their collection while they still can?

[pennymachines]

The mercury restrictions, I believe, apply to manufacturing of mercury-filled measuring devices, but specifically exempt old barometers etc.

The restriction in paragraph 1 shall not apply to measuring devices that were in use in the Community before 3 April 2009...
The restriction in paragraph 1(b) shall not apply to: (a) measuring devices more than 50 years old on 3 October 2007;

LIT 7498 Mercury in measuring devices - Guidance note (PDF)

No certificate is required for worked ivory produced before 3 March 1947. After that date, it is.

At the moment, for worked ivory items produced before 3 March 1947, traders do not have
to apply to the APHA for certificates to authorise trade in ivory within the UK or other EU
countries, but a permit is needed to import/re-export ivory outside the EU.

The new proposals are still vague and unsatisfactory with regard to antiques, but include a 'de minimis' clause which would probably exempt the barometers, although ratio of ivory to other materials is not yet defined.
Banning UK sales of ivory October 2017

[coppinpr]

The restriction in paragraph 1 shall not apply to measuring devices that were in use in the Community before 3 April 2009...
The restriction in paragraph 1(b) shall not apply to: (a) measuring devices more than 50 years old on 3 October 2007;

I think that quote is from the 2015 guidelines and refers to the 2007 law with its amendments. The 2007 law was totally removed in May 2017 and replaced with a totally new law in June 2017. This new EU law is so badly written (now there is a surprise) it's not clear what it means. The N.A.G have circulated a memo to all Jewelers who are members saying that in their view the sale of even old mercury products is now against the law, but it's true the law is ambiguous in many areas and has been referred back for clarification. By the time that gets done we will be out of the EU anyway so I guess nothing will change anyway.

[sweetmeats]

Just a few notes on the auction: the vendor is well known to me and I'm certain all machines will be in full working order with keys. The L'Eclaire was bought from me many years ago and plays on French 25 centimes, the ones with a hole in the centre (I can supply some if needed at 25p each).

The Rippler is a repro. The Turf Champ is original. I saw it before it was restored. It was in poor condition, but basically the same - the Ruffler & Walker plate is a red herring and probably added in the 1960s when sold secondhand. This and two other Turf Champs came in a parcel of machines bought from an operator 15+ years ago by a now deceased dealer. I understand part 2 of this collection is to be sold in 2019 at these salerooms.

[coppinpr]

Thanks for the info, very helpful.

[treefrog]

Suspect sellers of machines will be reasonably happy with results today. I went down for the ride, but bid on nothing. The machines were not raw enough for me...in the sense untouched rather than rough.

I reckon more than 50% of the items are going to France, there were multiple bidders from there. Makes sense now why this place is a good placement to attract the continental money....

I did pickup the below bandit yesterday, more my thing, so have something to play with I have two Mad Melons now and only the second one I have seen for sale in 10 years.

[pennymachines]

Full results now in the Arena.

[aristomatic]

Thanks for posting results.
The L'eclaire is a fine looking machine, only ever seen one close up and that was maybe 10 years ago. Seemed a low hammer price in relation to some of the other items?

[coppinpr]

The prices for a lot of the items seems to reflect that bidders were taking the 24%+VAT on top into account The real winner, as usual, is the auction house.

The seller of the shooter walked away with £668.80. The buyer paid £1138.72 (if he was in the room, over £1150 if he was not). The house made a min of £394.60 (more than half of what the seller got) and VAT man got £78.32.

[pennymachines]

I would not have been surprised to see L'Eclaire go a lot higher, even taking into account the total cost, but it seems there are few collectors in the UK with a passion for such stuff. I think if it had been a British shooting game of similar vintage there would have been stronger bidding. I wonder if, as TF suggests, it went back to France.

[aristomatic]

I agree the figures can look outrageous when you consider what the seller walks away with net compared to what the auction house takes, however it still looked to me on the low side in comparison to some of the more usually seen items, however I never enquired about it or viewed it so it may have had a condition issue?

[gameswat]

The L'Eclair was a nice complete machine, mech is fairly basic so not a lot to ever go wrong. Tried to interest a local friend in this but no idea yet if he ended up bidding?