Wonders Feast

[treefrog]

I am sure you have all seen the trio of Wonders machines on ebay, but one is not listed as a Wonders. The Win & Place looks to me like a proper Wonders, the case and playfield, but the "W" is missing from the flicker and ball trigger cover, also the seller states it is a Ruffler and Walker. I assume this is due to the badge on the playfield. I assume this is a Wonders and some did not always have the "W" there? I guess the lower bid price is due to the condition.

The other two machines I guess are rarer based on the price reached so far....

WIN and PLACE

CHIP or BUST

SPIN a WIN

[terry]

I "Wondered" when somebody would mention these! The Win And Place is most definitely a Wonders but may be badged up as a Ruffler & Walker as they distributed many makes of machine. The other two aren't as commonplace so should fetch a pretty penny! Saying that, they're being beaten by a Whales Double Six on ebay at the moment which is well on its way to £800!!!

[slotalot]

I have been watching that Double Six Machine
But I am a bit puzzled as it is listed by Dave Hooper at the old Elephant House
I thought Mr Hunt had taken over last year

[terry]

Maybe Dave just uses the Elephant House name as his ebay ID. I'm not sure you can change your name on there without a lot of fuss and bother! Oh...and the Double Six is now up to £850!! I've got one of those in the shed awaiting paint removal... I shall have to get my skates on!

[13rebel]

The Spin a Win seems highly priced at £750 as one went for £530 this time last year and was in better condition with regard to the chrome and glass and had a good cabinet and backflash but I believe it didn't have a traditional Wonders roof but I've heard that this can sometimes be the way with Wonders, any info with regard this? There was also a Chip or Bust on 12d that went for £910 last summer.

[terry]

Were those both on ebay, Reb? I don't recall seeing them but would certainly have had a punt at £530!

[13rebel]

Yes Terry, they were on ebay; the Chip or Bust in May and the Spin a Win in July. Any views on the lack of roof on the Spin a Win - would that have held the price/interest down?

[terry]

It may have been a later one which tended to be housed in rather ugly painted ply cases but if it merely had the "roof" missing then I can't see a reason why it sold so cheaply. It wouldn't cost much to get a new one knocked up! Such is the unpredictability of ebay. Wonders machines seem to have taken over from Bryans as the "flavour of the month" over the past couple of years so they are worth keeping an eye out for.

p.s. The Double Six is now pushing 900 quid with four days to go... must be silly season!

[13rebel]

It was in a standard oak case.

[treefrog]

The Spin a Win went for £530, didn't see the other last year.
I suspect the higher prices are also due to the lack of machines hitting the market both on ebay and other auctions.

[terry]

Nice looking machine! You have to hand it to Wonders for their inventiveness. I know the engineering wasn't as good as Bryans but they definitely kept their machines interesting. They were built to last too!

Here's another beauty:

WONDERMATICS "HONEST JOE"

...not that I'm plugging it or anything like that...!

[coin-op]

Hey, if you can't plug your own machine, what can you plug? My guess is that if you'd started it at less it might well have got up towards your listing price, but when there's an actual price, it tends to subdue the auction fever of many. It seems to me that we live in a fleabay created era of auction bidders (and don't forget the watchers ) these days and they like nothing better than stewing for a week on what their trump bid will be, or just putting in another bid the second they are outbid.... set prices just don't give them the challenge!

[pennymachines]

I am a bit puzzled as it is listed by Dave Hooper at the old Elephant House
I thought Mr Hunt had taken over last year

As far as I know Dave still owns the Elephant House but makes it available for the auctions.

Any views on the lack of roof on the Spin a Win - would that have held the price/interest down?

Provided it's in an original, golden oak cabinet, be it the traditional or later style, I suspect it makes little difference to value. Unsurprisingly, the painted ply cabinets are regarded as less appealing.

Going from memory and over many years of collecting, I've seen three in the classic style case (fluted edges, peaked top), five in the plainer style (no fluting, flat top, usually with a square plate around the coin cup) and one in a plywood case (painted ply, no coin cup). When I first tried to hunt one down, it seemed a real rarity, but they've continued to turn up over the years (three within the last twelve months). Nevertheless, I still think its quirky design makes it one of the most desirable Wonders allwins.

This is only the second Chip or Bust I've seen and again both turned up in the last 12 months.
Now it's time the elusive 1965 Wonders Jack-In-A-Box made an appearance.

[slotalot]

I am a bit puzzled as it is listed by Dave Hooper at the old Elephant House
I thought Mr Hunt had taken over last year

As far as I know Dave still owns the Elephant House but makes it available for the auctions.

Maybe someone is not telling the full story
I got my info from this link to Joyland Books Forum
http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/vie ... 9acc5eaffc

[13rebel]

Results are in:- Win and Place £514, fair enough. Chip or Bust £1038, Spin a Win £1038. Is it odd that same buyer won the Chip and the Spin, same price, same number of bids and was close to winning W&P? Or maybe just a couple of new Wonders fanatics? Certainly appears to make last year's Chip or Bust at £530 a bargain (seemingly in better condition).

[coin-op]

Certainly appears to make last year's Chip or Bust at £530 a bargain (seemingly in better condition)

Do you mean a "Spin a Win" as I seem to recall that the "Chip or Bust" last year went for a similar, but lower, price to the one just sold.

[13rebel]

Yes Coin-op, I did mean Spin a Win as I had indicated in my post 8.36pm May 8 but my faux pas was on Friday 13th so that's my excuse!

[treefrog]

Maybe Dave just uses the Elephant House name as his ebay ID. I'm not sure you can change your name on there without a lot of fuss and bother! Oh...and the Double Six is now up to £850!! I've got one of those in the shed awaiting paint removal... I shall have to get my skates on!

Not quite the £850 for the previous OW Double Six made, but a Double Six at JS Auctions near Banbury reached £590 including commision today. I rarely drive a long way for a single machine at auction, but they had a few other things I was interested in including loads of Enamel signs..... In the end I never even bid, as there were many telephone bidders and a couple in the auction house. Don't understand why this machine reaches such high values, this one had no keys, usual heavily wrinkled back flash and the coin cup was missing.....

[raj]

There is a big rush into non stock market investments at the moment & a few names seem to be on the 'hot' list... see the silly Jennings prices paid this week for well tired Governors. Looks like Ollie's are having a good run also, so now might be the time to cash in?