The next morning I went to my bank, got a cashier's
check and sent it via Overnight Express mail. Now, it
was time to wait and hold my breath. Would he cash
the check? Would he call the competition and start an
auction? I resolved to sit quietly and wait for instruc-
tion from the seller. On Friday, I received an email
from him stating that he had cashed the check but when
he called my bank to see whether or not the funds had
been debited, he was told he could not get the infor-
mation without my permission. Could I please help?
I breathed a sigh of relief. The deal was really being
consummated!
I'm going to skip the part where I rant about the
banking industry. The money was withdrawn from my
account when I had the cashier's check drawn. The
funds were actually transferred from my bank to his the
next day when he deposited the check into his account.
I was able to verify these facts with my bank. His bank
then floated him for at least a week, telling him to call
my bank to see if the check had cleared when his bank
already had the funds in their hot little hands. After a
call or two, I was able to get him the reassurance that
the funds were transferred and the check was good.
The Cricket Match is a terrific game from years gone
by. It is a two-player cricket match. After depositing
a large British penny, depressing the right lever on the
front of the game introduces a steel ball that rolls to
rest in front of the "pitcher" figure on the right. De-
pressing the right lever from this point forward causes
the pitcher to roll the ball toward the "batter" figure on
the left side. The left lever controls the batting of that
manikin. The ball is knocked between the two figures
until it drains into either a "win" or "lose" hole. If it
goes into a "win," the coin is automatically returned.
When you consider that this game was first introduced
around 1899, one can only say "WOW!"
The rest of the story is just shipping and delivery
of "The Cricket Match" to one very excited and happy
collector. I have included a few more pictures for your
entertainment (see below.) The moral of the tale is that
you do not have to be a big time fancy-pants collector
with money hanging out of your pockets to build a nice
collection that may even include a signature piece or
two. What you do have to have is a passion for col-
lecting and a diligence in learning everything you can
about these fabulous games. You also have an obliga-
tion to encourage and assist the other collectors who
turn to you for guidance and expertise. Never forget
that we were all neophytes when we began this fabu-
lous journey into the world of coin-operated marvels.
If you do these things, the rewards that return to you
will be bountiful. I tell you this truly, as one Jimminy
Cricket to another.
POSTSCRIPT: Got the British game bug? Want
to talk about it? You can write me at jp4@charter.net
or call 952 891-2312. Next time we'll take a look at a
French girly game with a decidedly American twist and
I'm not talking Chubby Checker.
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