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Fortune Tellers were wildly divergent in form, but operated on two very ancient mechanisms of chance: spinning pointers (or disks) and shuffled cards. The spinner is the prototype gaming machine. It's a small step from passively reading a fortune or disposition from a dial to staking the future on it by placing bets. Such simple mechanisms, which offered nothing to the punter but the indulgence of superstition, made them an excellent proposition in the early days of coin-operated automation. The rows of electric lamps on later machines were essentially the same, with a revolving battery contact replacing the pointer. Card dispensing fortune tellers were simply vending machines disguised to sustain suspension of disbelief. An impressive outward appearance obscured a primitive inner mechanism, often incorporating animated figures and other automata.

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British Beauties Bureau

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Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 05/06/17

British Beauties Bureau



This machine deserves a description...

Argyle Auto Co   1920s
Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 05/06/17

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Colour of Your Hair

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Added to Fortune Tellers by bob on 23/02/18

Colour of Your Hair



This delivered a card taken from a drawer based on the person's hair colour as per the doll's heads on display in the cabinet.


Unknown maker   Unknown date
Added to Fortune Tellers by bob on 23/02/18

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Cupid’s Post & Telegraph Office

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Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 01/10/18

Cupid’s Post & Telegraph Office



With its combination of Cupid's Telegraph and the Matrimonial Camera, this very early example of the genre fuses two 'magical' technologies of the age. Advances in telegraphy and photography brought them into widespread use by the late 19th century, which would appear to be the date of this machine, judging by the studio cameras depicted.



James Fuller   1890s
Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 01/10/18

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Gypsy Fortune Teller

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Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 17/05/17

Gypsy Fortune Teller



Inserting a coin causes the dial to spin alternately clockwise and anti-clockwise, driven by the weight of the coin.


Automatic Amusement Co.   Unknown date
Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 17/05/17

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Mother Shipton

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Added to Fortune Tellers by djjfive on 03/09/18

Mother Shipton



Very early card-vending fortune-teller by Meurice & Co. (who manufactured fortune cards for other makers), possibly made as a one-off. No documentation or other examples of this game have been found. The Argyle Automatic badge is believed to have been added at a later date. Books attributed to the cave-dwelling 16th century soothsayer of Knaresborough, Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil), contained rhyming couplets similar to the machine's slogan: DROP IN YOUR PENNIES I WILL TELL YOU TRUE WHAT FORTUNE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU



Meurice & Co.   1900s
Added to Fortune Tellers by djjfive on 03/09/18

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One Penny fortune teller

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Added to Fortune Tellers by 13rebel on 08/12/17

One Penny fortune teller



Spinning dial type fortune teller, possibly a revamp of another machine. Two battery operated bulbs in the top corners light up when the handle is turned.



G Robinson   1950s?
Added to Fortune Tellers by 13rebel on 08/12/17

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Personality Love Meter

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Added to Fortune Tellers by pennymachines on 15/05/20

Personality Love Meter



Rare half penny version (showing mechanism).



Oliver Whales   1930s
Added to Fortune Tellers by BAZZA on 15/05/20

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Robot King

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Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 12/08/19

Robot King



The first of a new, but short-lived, genre of robot-themed fortune tellers, Robot King incorporated a small printing device. Those who consulted him could see his predictions were custom produced for them, and the operator was saved the expense of ordering pre-printed cards. Dirty smudges transferred to other machines in the arcade from ink-wet hands was an unfortunate consequence.



Brenner   1934
Added to Fortune Tellers by sweetmeats on 12/08/19

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Tele-Test

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Added to Fortune Tellers by widget2k4 on 24/05/17

Tele-Test



Insert a penny and squeeze the handles together to see three bulbs illuminate revealing your romantic mood, lucky day of the week and sporting passion. Myers made several versions of these love tests in slightly different guises.



Myers   1930s
Added to Fortune Tellers by widget2k4 on 24/05/17

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Uncle Sam’s Philosophy

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Added to Fortune Tellers by pennymachines on 20/07/17

Uncle Sam’s Philosophy



'Consultation fee 1d.' Uncle Sam's finger points to philosophical advice, personal traits and predictions as the weight of the penny causes the lithographed disc to spin.



Unknown maker   1890s
Added to Fortune Tellers on 20/07/17

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