Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

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slotalot
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by slotalot »

Now that's a job well done. !THUMBS! The chrome has come up well. You must be well pleased with the results. !!YIPPEE!!
So then, what's your next project going to be? :D
silverbitz
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by silverbitz »

Only a Mills Melon Front to do now. Similar to the Bursting Cherry. Need some more projects! Don't like building my hopes on things via eBay as we know they get removed half the time. Anyone with any scarcer bandits that they wish to part with? Or perhaps the odd Buckley Bones!
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coppinpr
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

Very very nice indeed. Bringing machines back to life is so much better than just owning them. Well done.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by silverbitz »

Totally agree...
Andy.
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coppinpr
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Little Stockbroker (Cricketers)

Post by coppinpr »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

As most of you know by now, what I like doing in this hobby is taking a machine that's past looking "used" and is more like "scrapped" and restoring them. This way, I get to do the restoration without feeling I might have ruined a machine that should have been left alone.
Today I picked up a machine from a very nice guy in Margate which certainly meets my requirements (see below).
While I was there looking at other machines he has for sale, I saw he had 6+ little Stockbrokers, 4 working, 2 in need of work and loads of spares. He told me he had sold the lot to one guy for a ridiculous low price that he now regrets. I persuaded him to sell me one of them - a Cricketers, in working condition, with original keys and lidded cash box for £150. I've never had one of these, so:
1. Did I get a good deal or not?
2. In the condition it's in, should I restore or leave alone?
3. Do we have pictures in the archives of what it originally looked like?

Your views and advice on restoring please :!?!:
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stockbroker start.jpg
buckley2 start.jpg
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gameswat
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Re: Little Stockbroker (Cricketers) advice and views please

Post by gameswat »

Coppin, I find about 95% of the time all the finish details you'll need should be there to find under layers of later paint, grime and age. Just means taking the time to carefully try different methods to remove and find the clues. And often while doing this I'm sometimes actually able to find salvageable finishes that i thought must be ruined, which means an even better restoration in the end! Especially exciting to find screened graphics, lettering, decals etc.
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Re: Little Stockbroker (Cricketers)

Post by pennymachines »

Sound advice, as ever, from Gameswat.
Of course, its original appearance would have been that of the Little Stockbroker from which it was converted. Unless they have been ground off, the original name and stocks, with their values, are in the casting behind the "Cricketers" plate and the right and left instruction/payout frames. Many Little Stockbrokers were revamped in this way, either to ring the changes or to further disguise the gambling intent and I'm not suggesting you should erase history by returning it to its original form. Presumably there are famous cricketers of the day on the disc?
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help needed with a "little stockbroker"

Post by coppinpr »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

OK, so I don't usually work on machines like this, but I always wanted one and I'm giving it a go, BUT I opened it up and haven't got a clue how it works. I know they are pre-determined payouts. I believe this one is complete, well almost (see below), but I need to understand just how it works from coin entry to payout. Help please.

As I'm planning to return it to a Stockbroker from a Cricketers (should I or shouldn't I ? any views?) can any one tell me the order of the stocks on the reel?

Anyone got any clues on original colours? All the photos I can find don't look like original colours.

Please forgive the photos - I have no editing software here at work (so BP no comments about there being a machine growing out of the top).

I believe there is a spring missing in photo 3. Is this the case? If so, is it a strong spring like all the others in the machine?
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DSCF0081a.jpg
photo 1
photo 1
photo 2
photo 2
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photo 3
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treefrog
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Re: help needed with a "little stockbroker"

Post by treefrog »

Cannot help you with the mechanism as yet to own one... Interesting, I see there are four for sale at the Elephant next time round, three of which are Cricketers, all from Margate Pier... I think the one you got was from a well known seller from Margate..... How many of these machines could have been based there....? Depending on the state of them, I may have a go at one, depending what they go for... There is a thread of a member restoring one of these about a year ago with lots of pictures... (now merged above - Site Admin.)
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

Mine did come from Margate. The guy had six, all of which he had sold (too cheap) to one guy. I managed to get him to sell me this one out of the six, complete with original locks and keys, for a little more than the other guy was offering (but still cheap). I'll be very interested to see how much they go for in the auction. Fancy putting four in at the same time! Seems like cutting your own throat to me.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

You can see your machine on location amongst rows of Cricketers and Little Stockbrokers towards the end of this clip of Margate's Dreamland arcade, 1953.

https://www.metacafe.com/watch/4559342/o_dreamland/
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by badpenny »

One of your better finds Mr P and no mistake!
At 2.44 there's a Whales of Redcar/Caille type Greyhound racer, however apart from the case being cheap and harsh looking it takes only one coin and isn't made to bet on different colours. So what's going on there?

Trying to look at the symbols on the wheel it looks like there are gaps between each dog, so is it pretending to pay out on alternative symbols?

I'm starting to wonder if I should take stronger tablets as I often find when I watch these old seaside films I start hearing maniacal laughing !PUZZLED!

BP
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arrgee
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by arrgee »

And I notice that BAC also supplied allwins as well? Not seen any reference to that before.
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treefrog
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by treefrog »

Great video, and we of course know who owned most of these machines and are being slowly sold off. Of the Stockbrokers, could not see the match, but I guess they may have been refurbed between these dates or there are many others in the background.

Good point BP, I guess not seeing the award it would work like the Town Broker type machine/payout

As a matter of interest, at the Elephant, maybe two auctions ago, there was a restored Stock Broker on a metal framed stand, which looked really good... Would these have been originally on a similar type stand, as you never see any?
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coppinpr
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

Really good video, and my Cricketers could be either of those shown in close-up. I can see no differences to mine as it was before I started to strip it down. Interesting thing about the video, I've looked at it carefully and not one person looks to be having a good time!! Not a single smile, half the kids look scared to death, miserable old geezers stomping past the stalls. Very odd.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

I think this has much to do with Lindsay Anderson's personal perspective and how he conveyed it with shot selection and editing. I believe the lad who appears to stare glumly at the Laughing Sailor was more likely witnessing the torture scenes.
Anderson’s first feature for the Free Cinema was “O Dreamland” (1953). Dragging a comparatively light-weight camera around a post-bellum amusement park in Margate Anderson shows us with his quick editing and found sound a sensual, disturbing world. This is austerity fun pursued joylessly by the sunken cheeked and toothless, everything is peeling paint and jerry-built; the rusted mechanics show through, grinding and shuddering, as they must have done in people’s lives in that benighted time. What he films is the dull ache for consumption, the pinched greed of those who habitually have not: the cheap gee-gaws and kewpie dolls, the unvaried foodstuffs dipped into an ancient ocean of grease; rock ‘n’ roll blaring from wartime tannoys like strange news from a distant star.
http://theholbornmag.com/2013/03/21/lindsay-anderson/
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

In an attempt to understand how this machine works, I've downloaded the patent and it makes interesting and, to me anyway, surprising reading. The first thing I noticed is that although the "stocks and shares" version is stated as the "constructional" version it could be converted to several other options which would be made available.

I already knew these were both pre-determined and future pay but what really struck me was the actual intention of the machine, not as a gambling machine but simply as a game with no hidden intent to deceive the player. It states that the reason that three tabs can be seen in the window is so the player can determine if it is worth playing again as the tabs are mounted in such a way as to allow the player to work out the next result. It states that the player could either watch the machine and work out the sequence or read the sequence from the attached card (interesting that this card is often missing from the machine). It actually says that if the player plays the machine long enough he will recover all his money LESS THE NORMAL CHARGE FOR PLAYING THE GAME.
I think our modern minds would see this as an odd concept, but it does make this a very interesting machine.

I also found I'm missing a very odd spring, it bends almost 180 deg round the central shaft pulling the kicker back into position.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

coppinpr wrote:It states that the player could either watch the machine and work out the sequence or read the sequence from the attached card (interesting that this card is often missing from the machine).
I saw this on the red Stockbroker (with stand) at the Elephant House and took a close-up, having never noticed this card before.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

Thanks for posting the sequence card. I've been looking for one off these. Although my machine has the oval card holder and not the round one, I think I can do something with it. !!THUMBSX2!!
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coppinpr »

OK, so I've finished the Stockbroker, and I think it looks OK, a far cry from the state I got it in (see above). Just the bottom display plate to attach correctly and a couple of new bolts to paint so NOW can someone tell me how it works :!?!: I don't seem to be missing any parts but I can't make it work!! What am I missing...? Please!!!
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stock a1.jpg
stock finish.jpg
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