Oliver Whales of Redcar 'Easy Perm'

[jamie5059]

Hi,
Was wondering if anybody can help, I have recently inheirted an Oliver Whales of Redcar Slot Machine, It is called 'Easy Perm' and the design is based on a Premiership football table (1st Division back then). I have tried looking up this machine on-line to find out a bit more information about it and when it was made etc. Does anybody know about this machine, or can anybody point me in the right direction? I know we have had this slot machine in the family for over 25 years and it looks like a lot of the Allwin machines from the 50's period I would guess.
Thanks, Jamie

[slotalot]

Hi Jamie, welcome to the forum, you are right about the date of this machine, this model was made by Oliver Whales from 1956 onwards, Oliver Whales made lots of different allwins in the 1950s-60s. and most of the cases looked the same but the artwork on the playfield covered a range of subjects, on payout some machines gave a free go,some gave you your penny back,some gave sweets or ciggs as a prize. why not post a photo of your machine on the site? and someone may be able to tell you more about it. regards Slotalot.

[jamie5059]

Hi Slotalot,
Thank you for the warm welcome to the forum. Sorry I have not responded sooner but I have been away on business. Thank you for the initial info on Whales of Redcar, I have got some images of the machine however, am having a little difficulty posting the pictures. It won't allow my to copy and paste. Am I missing the obvious way of posting pics?

[slotalot]

Hi Jamie, I don't think you can cut & paste to this site, so when you posted your message you should have scrolled down the page to the upload attachment box,and you will see a Browse button,click on this and then open a photo from your computer,then press the add this file button and wait for it to load, you can repeat this for more photos it you need to, then press the submit button, also make sure that your photo files are not to large or they may be rejected. I hope this helps, Regards Slotalot.

[treefrog]

Topic Merged - site admin.

More advice really, not knowing what is right or wrong in the Allwin world, but a local Easy Perm is finishing on Ebay tonight has taken my interest, but I am not sure how right this machine is and seek your fountain of knowledge. The coin entry looks different to most Whale machines I have seen and it is also missing the Arrow. Also how original is the mechanism as some of the coin slide looks very new, also I can see many holes not used on the back wooden cover where changes may have happened and it looks like clear perspex is used as a cover instead of others that use a metal sheet. Any advice welcome before I waster my hard earned cash...TIA

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

[coppinpr]

I have an easy perm (photos already on the forum) I've had a good look at mine and this one, on the outside the coin entry IS a slightly dif shape and the 'pennys only' is missing as well as the arrow. The coin cup is the same shape as mine but seems to have a chrome bolt head on each side where as mine is flush, Inside its exactly like mine,including the 'free ball on a winner' switch at the base of the payout drop for the ball, it dose look very clean,especially on the payout slide side.Mine dose have several holes on the wood side that appear to be part of the pinning for the playfield, Importantly, mine also has the perspex sheet on the inside which i'm sure is original. The case is exactly like mine,very chunky and rounded on the edges,also the same light colour. I think I paid £290 for mine with a damaged playfied.

[coppinpr]

I've just looked at the enlargments on ebay and there is one thing missing from the mech, the overflow chute that directs the coins to the cash box is missing from next to the payout tube,you can see the holes that held it in place

[coppinpr]

me again, I can see now that there are problems on that very clean area, the ball release is all wrong, in fact I cant see how it works, the ball release arm should reach all the way to the bottom of the first coin chute,there the coin should hit the arm and release the ball, on this one the arm is short and seems to release by dipping down into the lower chute. The lower chute is also new,very thin and tinny the original is very thick and strong,looking now id say the ball release,chute and possibly the tube are not original,sorry,it fooled me the first time i looked

[13rebel]

Well spotted coppinpr, I too fail to see how a coin will trigger the ball release,but then I'm no expert,perhaps the really clever chaps will enlighten us.The seller says it is in working order so it must be okay as ebay sellers are allways honest aren't they?

[gameswat]

The coin release looks ok to me. I think maybe you're not looking close enough? The arm does go all the way to the coin chute but is just hard to see as it bends side on, so not a lot of metal. Most allwins I've owned over the years have had some kind of adjustment of parts during their lifetime. And this seems like an honest enough machine, def not a wolf in sheeps clothing. Anyway I like my machines to have lived, that's what makes an antique, the passage of time and accumulation of use. There are those two 60's Bryans allwins on eBay right now that have never been sited. I'm sure there's an interesting story as to why they weren't operated, but to me that's like a still birth. Don't get me wrong, I love NOS parts because they help me restore the battered machines i find back to good health. But totally NOS machines seem pretty boring, like a well aged person who hasn't done a thing in their life! Sure they look good but try having a conversation. With the machines I collect it's almost like every player has left a tiny piece of the fun and excitement they had behind and it's been soaked up by the wood and metal.

[treefrog]

I can just see what Gameswat has mentioned as the arms bends upwards on its side, instead of straight across. The trigger looks like a replacement as well as the lower coin shute made on simple tin bent and cut to shape. The other machine he is selling has an overflow plate mentioned that is missing, so I assume coins will fall where ever they decide to, although I suspect easy to replace....

I will see how bidding will goes....thanks for the feedback.....

[13rebel]

Some eyesight gameswat!

[coin-op]

There are those two 60's Bryans allwins on eBay right now that have never been sited. I'm sure there's an interesting story as to why they weren't operated, but to me that's like a still birth. Don't get me wrong, I love NOS parts because they help me restore the battered machines i find back to good health. But totally NOS machines seem pretty boring, like a well aged person who hasn't done a thing in their life! Sure they look good but try having a conversation.

By the time these particular machines were made (my guess is possibly as late as the '80s or '90s) the operators demand for allwins had fallen off and Bryans order book mainly comprised requests from collectors for machines. So they were probably supplied direct to a collector and never went the operator route.