Classic Mode

Mechanical Memories Magazine

Issue: 2012-November - Issue 70

Out of the Closet
By Martin Larcombe
At last! After many years of denial, side-stepping questions such as "what arrives
every month in that little brown envelope?" I can finally come out in the open and
admit, "I am a slottie!" It seems appropriate just before another MMM auction that I
put to paper my thoughts and experience from last years gathering.
I am afraid I do not seem to have a defining moment from my past where (as
some of you seem to) I became fascinated by mechanical slot machines; I wish I did.
All I can say is for our holidays as children we always went to the seaside: Margate,
Weston-Super-Mare, Bournemouth etc .. and once a year a travelling Fair used to pitch
up on a playing field in our village, directly opposite where we lived.
On entering the penny arcades I would always head straight to the allwins. There
is something about the connection of putting money into a slot and pulling a trigger,
knowing that the pressure you place on the release of that handle determines if you
win or loose. You have control, therefore you can determine the outcome; the cups are
fixed, the circular track is motionless, the only variable is in your level of skill. It is a
challenge. Placing money into a machine with three reels where you pull and wait. ..
just did not do it for me.
So having drifted into my late forties, I did not expect that fascination to be
rejuvenated. But a visit to a pub in Giggleswick, which had a couple of allwins on the
wall, did just that. Of course, I could not resist playing them and on return home
searched the internet to find that not only could you buy these machines but there was
also a dedicated website, and a magazine. So I signed up, subscribed to the magazine
and my brown envelopes started to arrive.
I laid dormant for a couple of years enjoying the articles but not daring to go to
an auction and bid for fear I might buy a 'minger', until finally taking the plunge last
year and booking a hotel well in advance, so the date was fixed.
It is a strange experience going to/meeting a collectable group; you have no idea
what type of people you are about to mix with. Will they all be experts? Will anyone
talk to me, having little knowledge? Will they brush me aside for not knowing the
difference between a Whales and a Bryans?
Well we arrived at a social club where fortunately the fast moving world had
passed it by, sat in the car park for a bit and watched a few people entering. They did
not have two heads or strange clothing; they all seemed quite normal. So we entered
and found ourselves standing in front of a small table with a couple that seemed to be
on the ball. I thrust out my programme and just at that moment a guy came up and said
"Jerry, where do you want to put the bandits?" Finally, without realising, I was in
front of the MMM author who had been sharing his editorials with me for the last few
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years. "Hello Jerry, I am Martin Larcombe" - he knew me, we had never met or
spoken .... a quick explanation of what, where, when and we were in. Then
fear/excitement as I looked up to see a mass of organised but tightly crammed
machines in small isles and people, looking at, in and around. Where do we start with
such limited knowledge? Well we stumbled about for a while and then strangely you
start to get a feel, having so many machine types, ages and conditions all in one place
you can get an understanding and you narrow down your choices. Having marked our
preferences on the auction list, we bought a coffee, waited, listened and watched (this
was our first ever auction of any kind)!
Well off it went, on time, with a couple of slick auctioneers, 300 lots and a busy
room; they were not going to be hanging around. More fear .. .. our first lot was getting
closer at No.17 it was early, we had no chance to assess. How high do we go? When
do we start with our first bid? Do we hold our number up? 1 Should we stand up or
maybe shout out? Well, no fears, the auctioneers sharp eyes see all and we were off
and running, £300, £400, £450.STOP, calm down, over my estimate (whatever that
meant)! But it did not appear to be sold- first lesson, reserves.
On we went, we had targeted about five machines with one I particularly liked as
it had an unusual back flash and held balls in reserve. It is quite surprising and I hope
others are reading who may be unsure of coming to the auction, how quickly you start
to get a feel for the value and therefore have a little more confidence in assessing and
making bids. After several more lots my targeted machine was the next up. About five
people were up for it, which came down to two and finally after beating a closed bid I
was the proud owner of my first allwin. If I smoked, I think I would have lit my
Hamlet there and then and puffed away.
Ok, now I have my machine I am ready to pay and leave now .. .. Oh no, you wait
until all lots are bid for then you form a queue (I think a little naive on my part). Well
the bar was open so no problem in waiting! It was also interesting to watch machines
being bid for, whilst making estimates in your mind as to how much they might go for.
So I queued, paid (cash only plus sales commission) and was given a slip of paper
which meant I could finally put my arms around my treasured possession, give my
release slip to Jeremy, leave the hall, carefully walking to my car.
A long interesting and worthwhile day, with friendly people, well organised and
one proud owner of an Oliver Whales all win, with a smile that lasted all the way back
down the Ml. Thanks Jerry, Jeremy and I am sure a few others, who will all be busy
preparing for this years auction later this month. If you are thinking shall I go or shall I
not go, well just do it, as it is a fascinating day and you never know, you might just be
loading your car at the end of the afternoon.
Martin Larcombe
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