What do we know about Nixsales?

Somebody knows... Maybe you?
Post Reply
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5091
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by coppinpr »

I had an inquiry on my website asking if I wanted any information about a company called "Nixsales" based in Littlehampton. I, of course, said 'yes please'. Today he sent me just a small sample of what he has, and it looks interesting so I thought I'd show it here to see if this was a very well known company or not. They certainly made their own machines and I defiantly remember at least two of the machines shown here, but I don't remember the name. The gent who sent these has company info, newspaper cuttings, dates and much more. (I'm afraid the photos are quite small and I didn't want to blur them by enlarging too much).
Attachments
teeter.jpg
teeter.jpg (18.77 KiB) Viewed 2922 times
stars.jpg
stars.jpg (24.4 KiB) Viewed 2922 times
ski run.jpg
ski run.jpg (29.27 KiB) Viewed 2922 times
car raace.jpg
car raace.jpg (22.61 KiB) Viewed 2922 times
flyer.jpg
flyer.jpg (24.82 KiB) Viewed 2922 times
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by pennymachines »

NIXSALES Ltd. of 52 Surrey Street, Littlehampton, Sussex has been mentioned here before, but remains pretty obscure, so this is welcome news.
I believe the proprietor was Nick Carter.
The Olympic skiing game looks ambitious and fun.

Teeter, Mini Teeter and Bazooka were discussed here and here

Teeter
Image

Mini Teeter
Image

Bazooka
Image

Fun With the Stars - glimpsed in play at Barry's Arcade, Bangor:



Their Teez-U counter-top pusher and joke-telling Comedian are described in Portable Penny Pushers.
Attachments
Teez-U Pusher
Teez-U Pusher
The Comedian
The Comedian
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5091
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by coppinpr »

The name of the man sending me the info is... Nick Carter!! Perhaps the son and perhaps the young man in the Ski Run photo? I'll have to find out. :cool:
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1586
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by arrgee »

Looking forward to see what information you can get. Too many manufacturers have slid into oblivion with little or no history of them being recorded.
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5091
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by coppinpr »

What a machine the "Comedian" is! I suspect a less than successful machine in its day, but what a collector's piece today.

Update:-
I received this interesting email from Nick Carter today answering a couple of questions asked of him:
The Comedian was a game designed by my father in 1972 which garnered a lot of press coverage at the time. We used the huge supply of unwanted Teezu wall pusher cabinets we had in stock for this game. It was not a big seller however. The jokes were recorded on an 8 track tape player by a northern comic, Bernie Landy, who used to star in the summer show on Shanklin Pier which we owned from 63 until 1970. The figure in the cabinet is an Action Man adapted to suit. The selling price was a hefty £95!! It was first featured at the ATE exhibition in 72 alongside the Zodiac Fortune Teller of which we sold hundreds over the next 2 years, a lot of which are still in circulation in one form or other today.

I am the young man in the Ski Run photo with my grandfather on the left and my father on right. I joined the company in 1970 and remained until its demise in 1980. The photo was taken in Jan 70 at the London ATE. We sold the manufacturing rights to the Ski Run in 1971 to Cromptons who went on to produce hundreds of them under the name The Skier. My grandfather received £12 royalty per machine as I remember.
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5091
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by coppinpr »

Interesting photos.
Attachments
fortune teller.jpg
news paper.jpg
flyer 1.jpg
flyer 2.jpg
rilandroad
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2021 12:26 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by rilandroad »

I've got a Mini Teeter, but not I'm sure how many others are out there (I've only ever seen one other in the flesh). There used to be a Teeter and a Bazooka on Southport Pier. The latter still is. We played on it last year.
User avatar
treefrog
Posts: 4804
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:46 pm
Reaction score: 29
Location: Suffolk

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by treefrog »

I believe the same Nick is a member of the forum, using Trevessa having joined in 2014 and has logged in this year. In both 2014 and 2015 he offered to post more details and pictures, but hasn’t happened as of yet........hopefully he will see this post. ;-)
mason2001
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:16 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by mason2001 »

I still have a Zodiac fortune teller which was gifted to me by my grandad. It was in use in his and my grandma's arcade on Canvey Island. I’d love to see any more info on this particular machine if anyone has any. Thanks !!THUMBSX2!!
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2047
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 9
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by slotalot »

I believe they also made kitchen furniture at one point in time. :didact: Not sure if this was before or after them making machines. !PUZZLED!
User avatar
JC
Posts: 1082
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:38 pm
Reaction score: 9
Location: Kent
Contact:

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by JC »

Here's my Zodiac Fortune Teller, having totally rebuilt it a couple of years ago. This would have been a Mk I model, basically a very cheaply made plywood box. The Mk II model was a bit more up-market, being plastered all round with Formica.

Regarding the Comedian mentioned a few posts above, at least one still exists (or at least did around 25 years ago) as I remember one at one of the Saffron Walden auctions back in the '90s. I recall being tempted to bid - I have a vague idea that the bidding went a bit higher than I had expected.
Does anyone know of one?
Attachments
Zodiac FT.jpg
Zodiac FT.jpg (103.22 KiB) Viewed 343 times
mason2001
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:16 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: What do we know about Nixsales?

Post by mason2001 »

Wow that looks great. I’ll try to attach some pictures of the one I currently have. I would like to have it restored. It is currently in storage. If anyone has any knowledge of having these restored please comment back. Many thanks.
Attachments
18FC3FCB-D28E-461A-8FC4-81C899C8A2AF.jpeg
18FC3FCB-D28E-461A-8FC4-81C899C8A2AF.jpeg (1.39 MiB) Viewed 211 times
E519A321-8E68-4BD8-B90A-77DDA06DC508.jpeg
E519A321-8E68-4BD8-B90A-77DDA06DC508.jpeg (1.23 MiB) Viewed 211 times
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 1 guest