Love the thread idea and your Swami napkin holder(I want one). I like anything fortune teller related. My brother has a beautiful 1950's big ball bowler. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of it(I'll have to get some), but it is a blast to play. If I had the room, I'd have one too.

I have the madam x and i found a 50's repro menu complete with cover on ebay. Really sets it off. Also bought a big box of fortunes--there must be 10,000 in there so if anyone needs some, let me know. I'll make you a great deal. Also have IMP cig gambler and a chrome vest pocket that pays out nickels. Oh, and every mancave needs a parking meter. Like a 100 bucks on ebay.

Smokey, you should throw up some pics.

I have a 1957 United "Bowling Alley" small ball bowler, a 1962 Chicago Coin "Gold Crown" big ball bowler, and a 1954 United "11th Frame" shuffle alley.....unfortunately, I have never been able to upload photos on pinside.

My restored 160 selection 1961 Seeburg:

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That's a bummer, I'd love to see them. I always thought the ball return on those BBBs were awesome.

Very nice! Looks pretty mint, Steve. A good friend of mine has the exact same model. I helped him move it into his basement and it was the heaviest damn thing I ever moved.

Cool thread Ken! I like this kind of thing as much as pinball, maybe more. Anyway I have quite a few of these type of machines. Here are a couple old Exhibit Supply penny arcade games. The one on the left is a counter-top love tester and the one of the right is a peep machine. You look inside and you see a run down shack with a lady with a big butt bending over doing laundry. And she is automated. Always good for a chuckle when guests visit.

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Very cool. What is that yellow game on the far right?

1958 Bally Skill Roll. Classic game.

Skill roll.....a classic nickel game.....on location in many Wisconsin venues. Played it often....back in the day.

I think I'm in this camp too. I think pinball rocks, but there is just something special about the old EM coin op/penny arcade games that I just love. I don't care if it's a fortune teller machine or a big ball bowler, I love them all.

Tell me Swami, will I ever get my own TV series?
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I want a peep machine so bad

1964 Chicago Coin Cadillac Bowler

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1959 Williams Crane

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[attachment=1591862,2. 1957 united bowling alley. 11' length

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1954 united 11th frame shuffle alley. Notice the tight fit. Excellent game to go next to my log steps, which is too small for a pin, and otherwise dead space.

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Appropriate place for a WTB bowler ad?

picked this up a few months back..would welcome any thoughts on how old it is..this vid was shot once we got it home

I have one of these for sale in Tampa...Need to sell so price is right.

Was gone through mechanically by Doc Doom.

http://www.pinrepair.com/bowl/team.htm

Heres one of my favourites.. a 1950's peep show machine!!!.. Yep I got it working complete with 1950's B/W peep show film... Last pic is some artwork I did for the backlit topper
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All from the basement. Not quite all organized yet, since i just moved, but it's getting there. Ball bowler is a 20 foot model. Other smaller bowlers too (probably way too many of them.) Fortune tellers...

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That's a perfect spot for that bowler, but how the heck did you shoehorn it in there?

Unless you have to work on it...

I did a mechanical restoration (cleaned all the stepper units, score reels, score motor, pin reset motor, etc) on the shuffle alley before I put it here. Removed the head from the game....and slid it into place. Then put the head back on the game.

So far, it hasn't required any mechanical attention. The mechanicals on the back box are accessible from behind. If it needs attention under the playfield, I have to remove the backbox, and slide the bowler out. Yes, its a bit of a pain. But I'm happy to be using the space. Rec room real estate is precious.

A very tight fit. If you look really close, you'll see I had to remove a piece of trim from the head.....just to get it to fit in the tight place.

I had a 1953 United "Chief" shuffle alley in this spot a year or so ago. When I got my ball bowler operational, I sold the shuffle alley, thinking it would never get played. But some of my buds missed the shuffle alley......and the space wasn't used. So late last year, I picked up the current shuffle alley. Seems the shuffle alley gets about the same amount of game play as the ball bowler.

Here is my take on ball bowlers. If you've got the rec room real estate, a 16' (or bigger) big ball bowler is the ultimate. If you have kids, a small ball bowler is the ticket, as the smaller bowling ball (3" diameter) is more suited for kids small hands.

Close up of the united bowling alley

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Thanks for sharing Clay. No space for a ball bowler but I always wanted one. Would love to see those Fortune Tellers in person......

The guy that helped him move it is still back there.

Got some fun things in the basement:
Condom dispenser - works and is still loaded with sealed prophylactics. I wouldn't trust one, though.
Westinghouse fans - the 2nd one with brass blades was restored. Very heavy "portable".
Unrestored "a-ooga-horn" . Not a Claxton, but serves the same purpose. I used to have this mounted on the side of my '63 Corvair.

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At first glance, that first pic of the condom machine looked like some big white vending machine with an orange inlay.

Have an old fan that is similar - still works great, just have to remember that it'd take my fingers off.

Bowler, Gun game and Ringer.

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A working reproduction of a rare Shake Hands with Uncle Sam strength tester. This item is also the logo for the KLOV web site.

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50's Popcorn coin operated vender. Does not pop popcorn just keeps it warm.IMG_1629.jpgIMG_1636.jpgIMG_1634.jpg

Bill

Here's a couple of coin operated candy machines.DSCF5254.JPGDSCF5488.jpgDSCF5489.jpg

Does your bowler have the ball release mechs still in place (the mechs that trap the ball at the top of the drop, to keep them from being stolen.)? If so, could you shoot a pic and post? I want to re-install them, but have no idea of what they look like!

I know about the ball release mech. When I bought mine, the mech had been disabled and some of the parts were removed. I removed the remaining parts.

Ok, this is a cool thread!

In Norway we have a history of "flick-a-coin" games. They were at one point all exterminated by allowing to replace them by far better earning slot machines. Actually the same rule applied to any coin-op machine including pinballs and arcade games. The government demanded 25% VAT on all incomes, operators complained and they came up with this rule: replace your amusement/skill machine with a slot-type machine.

Anyhow, I collect these machines. Many of the most popular ones were produced in Finland, and also used there. In Finland they are called Pajatso. Finland managed to keep the tradition far longer, even today there are some left in operation.

From my viewpoint these machines share many key features with pinball machines. There is a mechanical almost uncontrollable element. Control requires skill. However gameplay is less complicated. Insert a coin, hit one of the gates and win usually anywhere between 2 and 20 coins.

I enclose one picture, more pictures and more machines on this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ufobkrn3t15ystl/Mbd5muCENh

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Cool. What pin is to the right of "Fire"?

Jokerz then Earthshaker

Here is a 1940s Dodge hula lamp. She even hulas. She has 3 settings, lit, hula or both. My wife says I need a cooler shade and she's right but the period correct ones aren't cheap.

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George Westinghouse would be proud!

Those remind me of my Bally Wulff wall mounted slot machines. The older Gunter Wulff machines were completely mechanical.

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