Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

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coin-op
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by coin-op »

This article has a section on Bradshaw in relation to Toroidal engines. Admittedly outside the scope of amusement machines, but interesting non the less.
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWE ... C.htm#brad
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brigham
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by brigham »

scorpa163 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:50 pm If anybody wants to know all about Granville Bradshaw, a book all about is life and his “genius” inventions can read Barry M Jones book “A Flawed Genius“ published by Panther Publishing.
He was involved in Radial engines, motorbikes, aeroplanes, Wankel engines , as well as The Little Stockbroker.
And Green Ray Television!
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

Hello, liked to share my recent find.
I purchased it in Canada, Victoria, British Columbia. It wouldn’t have worked here in a business as the Canadian penny is significantly smaller than the UK’s.
Not complete, missing the large disk on the inside that spins and displays the words that show through the display window like “Sterling” “Loan” etc... If not working, will make for a great conversation piece however I’d loved to complete it so it’s working again.
One thing it does have that I’m very happy with, is the brass circle on the front holding the original sequence sheet.
Information on these machines is virtually non-existing (that I can find) other than this web site… so Thank You to the members.
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brigham
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by brigham »

Nice looking machine, seems to be complete except for the disc.
I've never seen a 'spare' disc for one of these; it might be worth advertising in the MARKET section, although finding one already in Canada is probably unlikely.
It's a dished aluminium pressing, quite light. A decent metalworker could make one up, given the right dimensions. It would be nice to have a batch made commercially, but demand would probably be low.
'Spins' isn't exactly the word I would use for the action of the disc. 'Jerks' might be better, or possibly 'flops'!
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john t peterson
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by john t peterson »

I cannot speak for Canada but here in the US, many of the imported British games were neutered in some fashion or other to render them inoperative as "gambling" devices. Sometimes, only a small critical part was discarded, other times, a major component. If this machine came through the United States on its way to Canada in the '60's or '70's, it is conceivable that we pulled the disc and trashed it. If so, my apologies. And no, we no longer have the disc.

J Peterson
Border censor, USA
Last edited by john t peterson on Tue Nov 08, 2022 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
pennymachines
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

:WELCOME: canuck
canuck wrote: Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:55 pm One thing it does have that I’m very happy with, is the brass circle on the front holding the original sequence sheet.
As Brigham says, a sheet metal worker could make the missing disc, although (as any hand-crafted item) probably pricey.
Perhaps frustrating to know that 3 spare discs sold for £10 in the Coventry auction of 2014:

160.jpg

Another bonus - yours has the metal cash box which is almost always absent. Is the cast back door of yours missing? It often is.
Another Little Stockbroker rarity - the custom stand:

stand.jpg

The various versions of the framed instruction cards also tend to be absent:

instruct1.jpg

THIS MACHINE
IS

PRE - DETERMINED
FOR AMUSEMENT

IF WINNING COMMODITY
SHOWS -
INSERT A FURTHER
COIN TO OBTAIN
AWARD.
brigham wrote: Tue Nov 08, 2022 9:53 am 'Spins' isn't exactly the word I would use for the action of the disc. 'Jerks' might be better, or possibly 'flops'!
'Judders', 'shudders' or 'rocks' !PUZZLED! :



Roundup:
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badpenny
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by badpenny »

john t peterson wrote: Tue Nov 08, 2022 1:26 pm And no, we no longer have the disc.

Oh dear John, have you checked behind the clock on the mantlepiece?
That's where all my misplaced schizle languishes.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

Great info, thank you for the responses. The pictures of all the machines are very helpful particularly the one of the counter readers. Will post on the Market regarding the counter reader.

In order to get it working again having one made is something I would consider way down the road but for now a nagging feeling of having to keep it original. Plus, there’s the challenge and excitement of finding a part not to mention the 2nd instruction card frame.
Interesting John, something I could see happening. If it would have been the '30s '40s the whole machine would have been dumped into the ocean.

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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

Appears to be at least four different fronts.
The upper instruction card frame - 1 round with the raised edges radiating from the center running underneath and 2nd square frame with the raised edges stopping and starting around the frame.
The lower card frame – two different shapes.
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canuck
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

Any thoughts on what these two holes could have been used for? Noticeable on some of the other machines.
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gameswat
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by gameswat »

Canuck, I thought the award card graphic of the wheel placement you have was just a miniaturized version of the actual wheel, so surely you can just blow that up to size and you're mostly there? And those higher lhd frames are all over the place, and they have offset mounting brackets specially for under the payout, so appears they just moved the far too low award card frame from the terrible spot under the payout to make it easier to read. If it was meant to be up high from new they'd surely have cast the same placement shape as under payout spot. I guess later they did do this with the rectangular shaped placement, if that's actually cast into the face?
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brigham
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by brigham »

The award card shows the order in which the stocks appear in the sequence of play, not the sequence in which they appear on the wheel.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by gameswat »

Brigham, OK, but if he has the machine in front of him then he can count the steps it makes each play. I assume it's the same each time, like 5? Not rocket science. !PUZZLED!
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

The good news if I were to have the counter reader reproduced it sounds like the sequence could be deciphered. Hopefully someone on this site will be able to share a clear picture of the disk.

Gamewest, I didn’t notice that before. You're correct in that the upper frames are located in slightly different locations on the machines. I did remove the upper frame to see if it would fit on the lower location. Won’t fit, the upper frame is slightly larger, and the offset holes wouldn’t line up even if the frame was smaller, as the location of the screw holes on the lower location aren’t offset (not on mine anyways).

My original thoughts… the upper had the sequence and perhaps the lower would have been instructions or a maker’s plaque? The upper having offset screws so this miss the raised ridges?
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

canuck wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 7:49 am Hopefully someone on this site will be able to share a clear picture of the disk.
As mentioned, it should be easy to reproduce the disk graphic working from the info we already have. There's nothing fancy about the commodities font (Arial Bold). The aluminium bowl-shaped disk itself - a bit trickier.

Here are two versions of the rectangular instruction card. The second one is more informative, but neither include the crucial future-pay caveat on the previous card I posted: "IF WINNING COMMODITY SHOWS - INSERT A FURTHER COIN TO OBTAIN AWARD."

VCA1a.jpg


Rectangular-Instruct1.jpg


Drop Penny
in Slot
-
Press
Lever Down
-
Receive
Dividends

black-1.jpg


Rectangular-Instruct2.jpg


DIRECTIONS

This Machine is
pre-determined.



Results are certain

Machine retains only
a percentage of coins
inserted.

All other coins are
returned to players.
Cricketers instructions:

Cricketer-instruct.jpg

This Machine is Pre-Determined
For Amusement Only


When Winning Name appears place
another penny in slot and
pull handle

I've seen an original Bradshaw flyer (not sure if I have it somewhere). This shows the game with both a rectangular instruction card and a round card below. As Gameswat said, the lower position's too low for player instructions, but would make sense for the sequence chart.
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brigham
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by brigham »

canuck wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 7:49 am The good news if I were to have the counter reader reproduced it sounds like the sequence could be deciphered. Hopefully someone on this site will be able to share a clear picture of the disk.
I'm not sure which part you are referring to as the 'counter reader'. The sequence of the stocks on the disc won't be a problem, especially if you have the award card. I'm sure the plum-and-pink machine in the photos is one of mine, although not my picture. I timed that up just this year, for a 'slotties' meet in Yorkshire, and I can give you the settings just as soon as you get a disc.
In the meantime, you could be checking the payouts on your machine. If you like a logical challenge, there machines are for you!
Does inserting a penny, and squeezing the trigger, move the rotor one notch? If so, good.
Make sure you have enough coins to play at least half-a-turn of the rotor; 35 should do on yours. It takes the British penny of its day, 1¼" across. There are no safeguards to reject washers, so you will most likely be able to find a substitute.
You will need to mark one of the notches on the rotor, as a starting point. I am expecting your machine to be correctly set from new. It is the only one I have seen without generations of previous tinkerers marks daubed all over the rear face.
I use a ruled note-book. I mark the numbers from 1 onward down the left hand side, and note the outcome of each play alongside it, pays 0,3,6 &c. accordingly.
Once the rotor has made a full turn, the sequence will start again. I run it twice round, to make sure all is well, then add the name of each winning commodity in a third column, one position before the correct payout amount.
For instance, if play no.6 yields a payout of 4 coins, I write 'shipping' in the third column alongside the result of play no.5. This will take into account the 'next game payout' aspect of the machine, and will simplify matters when lettering the disc.
Our note-book should look like this:-
PLAY PAYOUT COMMODITY
4. . . . . . . . 0
5. . . . . . . . 0. . . . . . . . Rubber
6. . . . . . . . 4
...and so on.
If you have the payout card, you should now be able to compare the payouts, and check that they correspond correctly. If they do, you have a non-tampered-with machine, and the rest will be so much easier.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by canuck »

Pennymachines & Brigham … some great info with your last posts, Thx’s

Nice having all the pictures of the machines, not only documenting an inventory of the Stockbrokers still around but identifying enough small variations that may one day lead to a process of approximately dating them. The last picture you posted Pennymachines of the black/yellow/red machine, the viewing window, different shape and appears to be attached to the outer ring.

Examples of the instruction cards (+font), helpful for myself and over time I’m sure others. Still leaning towards the idea that the machines originally had two frames, as it appears in the flyer photo of the Stockbroker. Pennymachines, the flyer, was it more than one page on Stockbroker? If you ever to do come across it, interesting to know if there is a date associated with that flyer.

Brigham, good to know you have one. Certain I will have questions or a photo request. That’s valuable info for the disk setup, I’d assume even if I was to secure a disc, I’ll need to figure out the sequence to know what position the disk needs to be installed. The bracket that the disc attaches to has four holes – the disk could be installed correct or out ¼, ½, ¾?
Dug around a bit and found 4 UK pennies, the rotor does rotate one (I’m very happy). Ordered a Kg of pennies on Ebay, thinking that would be around 100 pennies.
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Re: Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

Post by pennymachines »

canuck wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 9:42 am Pennymachines, the flyer, was it more than one page on Stockbroker?
I believe it was a single sheet. There was one attached to a machine at auction, which is where I found that blurry image.

Bradshaw made a twin disc game which worked on a similar principle called, Flying Colours. I don't know if it was earlier or a deluxe-super-improved version prompted by evident sales success of the Little Stockbroker. Either way, I've only seen two examples.
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