Star Express Machine - I know!!! :)

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cjfenney
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Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 3:36 pm
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Star Express Machine - I know!!! :)

Post by cjfenney »

Well for my sins I caved into the Mrs who fell in love with a ghastly kitsch 'Star Express' all singing and dancing wall machine and for the life of me, I can't find anything about them at all. You probably all saw it (and dodged a curve ball by moving on :HaHa:) on eBay at £295, and as the Mrs was watching it, the seller offered it to her for £195 and I thought 'well what the heck'.

So does anyone know anything about it at all? I think it's early 70's just by the look and I know it's on a 2p play, but I don't think it's originally a British machine as the win bulb says 'win' on, but the lose ones say 'loose' on.

Would love to put a bit of history to the machine if anyone has seen one before. :!?!: TIA
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moonriver
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Re: Star Express Machine - I know!!! :)

Post by moonriver »

Well, this has travelled quite a bit! It came through my hands several years ago from a rash eBay purchase from Blackpool in a cheap job lot of electro mechanical machines, this one wasn't working, and it wasn't something I wanted to keep or operate.
A well known slottie friend and wise old sage on here collected them for me and repaired components so it was in a functioning condition and converted it to accept 2p's which go straight down into the cash box and made it pay out from a 'hand fill' tube of 2p's purely to move it on quickly as there wasn't enough space inside to fit a chute to self fill.
I sold it on in a friend's junk shop in Yorkshire and over several months it was brought back twice for minor repairs by the purchaser exercising his assumed lifetime warranty until told no more.
Then it recently reappeared, years later with another eBay company that dabble in selling fairground related items, add exciting descriptions and arty photos and usually pop a zero on the end of the price tag.
So, any labels stuck on are not original, the 2p hand payout tube is not original and it doesn't quite work now as originally intended............enjoy
cjfenney
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Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 3:36 pm
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Re: Star Express Machine - I know!!! :)

Post by cjfenney »

Hi @moonriver and firstly thank you for taking the time to reply! That's fabulous information and I know the Mrs will be delighted to read it. I love that it's come via Blackpool, imho the mecca of arcades. I also particularly love the line 'it wasn't something I wanted to keep or operate' :HaHa: Well I suppose for under £200 it's not a bad purchase as they go, and this one will hopefully be staying with us. Oh I know what you mean about those companies, I'm a fairground owner/artist by trade and it amazes me how I hardly get anything for my artwork when I sell it on eBay directly and yet one of these companies come along, buy from me and add a couple of zero's on there and then do sell it...I guess I haven't got the fancy background theming they have! :!?!: who knows! Thanks again, much appreciated info!
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