Vintage Amusements Fetch £40k

A remarkable collection of historic East Coast seaside amusement arcade machines, rescued from the brink of obscurity half a century ago, fetched an impressive £40,000 at auction in Louth.

The auction witnessed intense bidding for 25 amusement machines, with prices far exceeding estimates. Some of these arcade attractions are now exceedingly rare, with only a handful known to exist worldwide.

The highlight of the auction was an ultra-rare 1930 "Marathon Cycle Race" game, where players spin wheels to race cyclists around a track. With less than ten known examples in existence, the bidding quickly soared past the estimated £1,800, reaching an astonishing £6,300 before the hammer fell. The victorious bidder, present in the room, wasted no time in loading their prize into a hatchback and heading home to York.

Another surprising outcome was seen with a variation of the game produced by the Bridlington firm R. Wright & Son, involving monkeys climbing trees instead of cyclists racing. Expected to fetch £200 to £400, the machine sold for an impressive £4,200, igniting applause in the room. It was acquired by a buyer from Lincolnshire, with an under-bidder from Wales.

Further surprises ensued, with a 1935 Gypsy Fortune Teller machine fetching £5,200 (estimate £2,000 to £3,000), a rare 1931 "Green Ray Television" machine claiming to read minds with "television rays" selling for £4,500, and a post-war "Chamber of Horrors" automaton fetching £2,700.

Even a "Payramid" machine by Britain's slot machine genius William Bryans, while not rare, fetched double its expected value at £1,300.

James Laverack of auctioneers John Taylors remarked on the remarkable success of the auction, exceeding expectations and serving as a triumph for the vendors. The local couple, who decided to preserve these arcade relics from a bygone era, have certainly seen their foresight pay off handsomely.

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20 March 2024

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