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Anyone come across one of these before....Seems to be for amusement only and is listed in Braithwaites book, but not year. I would guess mid to late 1930s.

I think this machine was an attempt to cash in on the "Bar Billiards" craze in mid '30s so your date would be bang on. You were actually meant to play a game of darts on this machine. You got three balls and a player fired them all and added the score reducing the total needed on a blackboard next to the machine,he then released the balls with the lever next to the plunger and the other player took his turn. What I don't know is how it set the length of the game: timer, number of rotations of the balls? It's not immediately obvious from the photo, but I believe the balls were fired straight up the right hand side of the machine hitting a pin just round the top rail and jumping back to fall into one of the holes (if you were lucky) like a vertical pin ball.

It has all the hallmarks of a BMCo machine. I recall there is a Darts listed in Braithwaite's book under BMCo, although I don't have my copy to hand at the moment. It would certainly make it 1930s.

So nice when something different comes along - never seen one before.
It looks like the lower pins are retracted, releasing the balls, when you push the coin slide in, then the lever to the left of the firing trigger allows the player to feed them to the hammer one at a time (like the Hooper Automatic games, which this resembles somewhat). If this is correct, it's a one-player-per-penny game - the idea being to better the last player's score.

I'm credited as the source for the BMCo. Darts referenced in Braithwaite's book, from a letter I wrote to him in '96. I think I had in mind Lot 3136 from a Sotheby's sale of 1987:

A British Manufacturing Company 'Darts' Wall Game, late 1920s, oak case with large framed paper title board above, glazed front over green baize flash with coloured paper dartboard to centre over win cups, ball propelled into two 10s sectors or one 20s sector returns coin, penny play, brass fittings... 122cm; 48in high.

This was typical of the early, tall BMCo. coin return games and not very much like the Darts pictured above.

Interesting, as I have a floor standing version of it.

I bought Daveslot's machine from the Elephant and thought it would be a quick job getting to a working state, but had underestimated getting the rear board attached to the machine which has 31 pins for releasing and holding the balls that have to be perfectly aligned to fit......boy frustrating. So have cleared woodworm, fitted new “bandit” safety glass, new rubbers on all pins and balls. Also had to fit replacement locks and 1D coin slide and finally now working. A few small adjustments to make to hammer and a new back door to cut.

There is one at Milestones Museum arcade and talking to Simon who works with Clive he was telling me it is a big money taker. Does not surprise me as it is a quick game with three balls and no reward. Just loved the looks of this machine, very impressive looking, well of course IMO.....think I am going to have to setup an arcade soon with all these bigger machines....

By the way, I now realise the wall machine I showed at the beginning is in fact a smaller version, with smaller board, balls and cups, so not a cut down version but a separate version in a wall cabinet.


Clive's arcade at Milestones

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It's simply an upright bagatelle board, is it not?

Topic merged - Site Admin.

On ebay at the moment, interesting game, not seen anything like this before. Anyone know anything about it? Looks like it comes from a serious slot collector's home judging by the Grand National in the background. Numbers look to be typical 'house number' digits and do not look right (or original) on the machine.
I assume the whole backboard supporting the pins retracts back to drop the balls.

You don't get out much then?

moonriver wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:34 pm You don't get out much then?

I sold it stupidly cheap on Colcon for others to make a profit. Just needed the space. Try searching this site you will see history… Maybe I need to use eBay instead as it is not the first time stuff I have sold on Colcon that goes straight on eBay… I just like getting things working. It sold previously by Daveslot at Elephant needing loving care... Looks good in person, a lot of presence…

I was thinking it could have been made into a game to operate, as it was too flat not being able to win anything.
If the bullseye had been made into a single winning cup, the ball disappearing inside could trigger a microswitch and with relay, penny tube and solenoid with say 4 x coin thicker slide, drop a jackpot.
I think arcade punters would play for that and it makes it far more interesting. Good job on the restoration by the way!

This has had an interesting history and travelled miles.
I think found in Essex around 1990 then sold to a German collection, then got sold to an American collection and ended up in an auction there, I think in Florida. It was bought at auction by a British dealer and I purchased it from him when it arrived back in the UK for £800 I think. I was going to convert it on the lines of what moonriver suggested, but never got round to it and slung it in one of EH auctions, made £200.

Well I thought it was interesting.

You pays your money, you takes your chances.

It was quite interesting, Daveslot.

J Peterson
Darting around, USA

daveslot wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:19 pm Well I thought it was interesting.

It's the reality that the last bargain we bought could easily be a disaster when we come to sell it, Dave.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned the money! I meant the amount of miles it clocked up was interesting.

No don't think about the money. Sometimes it works the other way round. It's all part of the challenge, and as you say, some machines have travelled the World.
I found two Dennison working models on a road trip that were way out in the Midwestern US in a little town, completely lost out in the sticks, that were originally made just a few miles from me in Leeds.
So much of our stuff was shipped out there in containers almost as fillers in the '80/'90s.