Cromptons Magic Toppers

[JC]

For Issue 82, Robert Rowland started a short series of articles about his boyhood memories of playing the arcades in the 1960s. He kicked-off with a large floor-standing Cromptons machine he remembers playing in Great Yarmouth, called Magic Toppers. In his piece, Robert said he doubts any have survived, and I tend to agree - anyone seen one?

[Potless]

Wow - this is another of the machines I have been trying to get a picture of for ages - I certainly remember playing on one at Great Yarmouth (and its occasional amusing malfunction, which caused two balls to appear under two hats at the same time!).

I have not seen one since my childhood though. There cannot be many left, machines like this were probably scrapped once they became unreliable and their initial novelty value had worn off.

Like old steam engines, if we knew how affectionately these machines would be remembered today, I am sure many more would have been preserved for future generations to enjoy.

[cait001]

I wanted to let you know that some Magic Toppers ended up in Japan in the early 1970s.

Magic-Toppers-import-by-Crompton-Japan-Overseas-Business-4a.jpg (170.36 KiB) Viewed 6654 times

Anyone recognize the game on the left?
I'm unable to find any images for Streets' Horse Racing and I'm wondering if that is that game...