Victuallers' Shooting Range
By John Peterson
Before we shove off on today's story, first a swing by the editor's desk. Daniel Webster
defines 'victualler' as: "l) the keeper of a restaurant or tavern; 2) one that provisions an
army, a navy, or a ship with food; 3) an army or navy provisions ship." With that under
our belts, cast off the lines; we're underway with today's tale.
I remain in semi-constant amazement at the number of British coin-operated
games that have found their way across the Atlantic to America. I have heard various
explanations as to why: the antique container craze of the 60s where shipping vessels
were stuffed with flotsam-jetsam from England for an ever gullible American public and
their insatiable appetite for anything British; or the twin demon scavengers of British
arcade who swept through fairs and seaside resorts, grabbing all discarded games for
foreign disbursement. I like to think that there was a much simpler force at play. I
believe that the Karma Force Commander (KFC), ruler of the coin-op universe, knew
in his infinite wisdom that one day, in the distant future, in a land far, far away (the cold
and windy state of Minnesota in the United States of America,) there would be an
enterprising lad who would grow up to love and cherish all these orphans from a long
forgotten period of British history; the time when English men, woman and children
frolicked and played in their innocent youth with the magical games of chance. You
think not? What else explains my marvellous success at cornering some of the best
games from Britain's high water era of coin-op history? Still think I'm kidding? Read
on, Doubting Thomas.
The games I favour within my own collection are those by the manufacturer
Handan-Ni. I own three games by them: Domino Model 4, Multi-ball, and Bomb
Dropper. All three share several common traits. They are close to the turn of the
century, all three are ball drop games and they are all visually stunning. It is with great
sorrow that I had to announce to the 'hand-and-eye' group: "Move over, boys; there is a
new kid on your block!"
I have advocated tirelessly for expanding your knowledge first before looking to
expand your collection. Part of the challenge with collecting British games is the lack
of written literature on the subject. There is one decent book on the field, Automatic
Pleasures, by Nie Costa. This pitiful state of credible information impedes both
collectors and researchers from advancing their knowledge of the rich history of British
coin games and those English inventors who so clearly displayed their ingenuity with
early design and development. In spite of this impediment, the coin-op stars do align
upon occasion to illuminate a jewel from the past.
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