Edistan Automatics Skittles
Edistan Automatics Skittles
Not seen one of these before: Skittles, what looks to be an old '60s penny roll down game, but I cannot work out how it works, e.g. where the coin goes etc....
Sold on a buy-it now on ebay for £100..
Sold on a buy-it now on ebay for £100..
- coppinpr
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Re: Skittles
What a great machine and in great condition. No wonder it went straight away - I would have bought it. I guess the coins had to hit or knock over the pins (closing a switch as they went over?) reset by a pull string? The fact that the highest winner is almost totally hidden by the balls would make it look something like that. My question is what happened to all the losing coins on the play field?
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Re: Skittles
I saw one of these at the top of Dave Hooper's Regent Street emporium in Leamington. I don't recall the maker - possibly Shields (looks like a Krafts Automatics distributor badge in the picture). It wasn't in such good condition, was missing some of the skittles and wasn't plugged in, so my assessment of the game was based purely on a close-quarters visual inspection. My conclusion was that its mode of play did not match its interesting appearance.
I believe it's just a glorified "flasher". You roll your coin down the slide, but it doesn't actually enter the playfield. Instead, it drops straight down to trigger a microswitch and set light bulbs beneath the balls and skittles flashing. I'm not sure whether you could swivel the roll down chute - I think not (the above pictures seem to confirm this). It would have made no difference, as the outcome was entirely determined by the electrical gubbins which probably resembled the inside of a Rotolite. Very odd really.
Edit to add...
Looking more closely at the pictures, I'm not sure you actually drop your coin into the wooden roll-down. There seems to be a standard coin slot to the left of it, beneath an "Insert Penny" instruction and notice the familiar chrome button on the other side, beneath a "Press to Stop" instruction and the LIGHT-A-SKITTLE-TO-WIN title. £100 seems very fair if it's working.
I believe it's just a glorified "flasher". You roll your coin down the slide, but it doesn't actually enter the playfield. Instead, it drops straight down to trigger a microswitch and set light bulbs beneath the balls and skittles flashing. I'm not sure whether you could swivel the roll down chute - I think not (the above pictures seem to confirm this). It would have made no difference, as the outcome was entirely determined by the electrical gubbins which probably resembled the inside of a Rotolite. Very odd really.
Edit to add...
Looking more closely at the pictures, I'm not sure you actually drop your coin into the wooden roll-down. There seems to be a standard coin slot to the left of it, beneath an "Insert Penny" instruction and notice the familiar chrome button on the other side, beneath a "Press to Stop" instruction and the LIGHT-A-SKITTLE-TO-WIN title. £100 seems very fair if it's working.
Re: Skittles
Yes PM, I think you're right, they would have been very big skittles to knock over and, as Coppin states, the coins would have just blocked the field.....
Looked a clean item - here is the link to the ebay listing. The seller states it was made in London on a sticker on the inside:
SKITTLES RETRO AMUSEMENT ARCADE GAME 1960 End Of The Pier Style for spare/repair
Looked a clean item - here is the link to the ebay listing. The seller states it was made in London on a sticker on the inside:
SKITTLES RETRO AMUSEMENT ARCADE GAME 1960 End Of The Pier Style for spare/repair
- slotalot
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Re: Skittles
It was missing its pay out mech, and maybe other bits??? I was sold off Ebay in the end
And no I didn't get it
And no I didn't get it
- badpenny
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Re: Skittles
I do hope Elaine bought you.slotalot wrote:.......................... I was sold off Ebay in the end
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Re: Skittles
I can't see any spelling mistake in that sentence.slotalot wrote:I was sold off Ebay in the end
- coppinpr
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Re: Skittles
Was this an "auction" or a "Buy me now" or... dare I say it... "make an offer"?I was sold off Ebay in the end
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Re: Skittles
I bought this, looked cool, although I was surprised when the coin didn't actually enter the field but I still think it has a lovely look about it.
It was sold as non working, although the back of the machine looks complete enough, the front payout and push to start button is just a mass of wires, well OK, not a mass but a few. I take it nobody has one of these and could send me a few pictures? Would a schematic be like winning the lottery?
Phil
It was sold as non working, although the back of the machine looks complete enough, the front payout and push to start button is just a mass of wires, well OK, not a mass but a few. I take it nobody has one of these and could send me a few pictures? Would a schematic be like winning the lottery?
Phil
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Re: Skittles
Hi Phil,
The only examples I've seen are the one in Leamington and this one from the Southern Counties (Salisbury) sale of 2005.
This was attributed to Kraft Automatics, who I take to be the distributor. I suggested Shields of Bridlington whereas the vendor of your machine said it was made in London, but the stamp on the inside clearly identifies the maker as Edistan Auto Machine Company of Clacton-On-Sea, Essex (about whom I know nothing).
I see what I took to be a coin slot on the left, is apparently a cigarette holder So you do in fact drop the coin into the wooden "roll down".
The innards don't look too distressed and their similarity to a Jamieson Rotolite type mechanism, with its use of old GPO Uniselectors, is too close to be mere coincidence. I think, therefore, you might benefit from a peek at Slotalot's Roto-Pool Manuals with wiring diagram
See also: Roto-Pool, Roto-Fruit, Rotolite, Electrodart, Bingola, etc.
The only examples I've seen are the one in Leamington and this one from the Southern Counties (Salisbury) sale of 2005.
This was attributed to Kraft Automatics, who I take to be the distributor. I suggested Shields of Bridlington whereas the vendor of your machine said it was made in London, but the stamp on the inside clearly identifies the maker as Edistan Auto Machine Company of Clacton-On-Sea, Essex (about whom I know nothing).
I see what I took to be a coin slot on the left, is apparently a cigarette holder So you do in fact drop the coin into the wooden "roll down".
The innards don't look too distressed and their similarity to a Jamieson Rotolite type mechanism, with its use of old GPO Uniselectors, is too close to be mere coincidence. I think, therefore, you might benefit from a peek at Slotalot's Roto-Pool Manuals with wiring diagram
See also: Roto-Pool, Roto-Fruit, Rotolite, Electrodart, Bingola, etc.
- slotalot
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Re: Edistan Skittles
I quite fancied this machine myself
I was in fact in email contact with the seller when he told me it had been sold to someone else
Glad to see it turn up on here, I hope you get it working Phil.
I was in fact in email contact with the seller when he told me it had been sold to someone else
Glad to see it turn up on here, I hope you get it working Phil.
- coppinpr
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Nice bowling game on ebay
Topic merged - Site Admin.
Really nice bowling game on ebay right now, cheap start price, nice case and looks to be fully working. Too far north for me though.
Really nice bowling game on ebay right now, cheap start price, nice case and looks to be fully working. Too far north for me though.
- badpenny
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Re: Nice bowling game on ebay
I think we've discussed these before. * merged above
They are not as they appear. The whole bowling theme is fake and totally superfluous.
They are not as they appear. The whole bowling theme is fake and totally superfluous.
Re: Edistan Skittles
I have not checked the pictures for comparison, but there were a few that sold in the John Morley sale a few years back and reappear regularly. As you say, a big box full of components often seen on wall machines. There is a visual appeal to these, which I guess was the intention.
Re: Edistan Skittles
Nothing worse in my book (arcade) than a machine that looks really interesting as you walk up to it but turns out to be dead borin'! That's a lot of floor space for very little pay off.
- coppinpr
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Re: Edistan Skittles
We discussed these long and detailed when we first talked about them. It was as if we wanted them to be more than they were. I remember thinking what a pity they were such a con when they look to have so much potential. I don't remember photos of any in this good a condition at that time.
Ediston Automatics
Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.
Ediston Automatics used to make slot machines in the '40s and '50s. The manufacturer was based in Clacton. Now, even a former employee can’t remember what they made so can anyone throw any light on the company or the types of machines that they made? Thank you.
Ediston Automatics used to make slot machines in the '40s and '50s. The manufacturer was based in Clacton. Now, even a former employee can’t remember what they made so can anyone throw any light on the company or the types of machines that they made? Thank you.
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Re: Ediston Automatics
Well done. That must be the same company. I remember playing a similar machine in and around the Clacton area. I’ll update the employee. Hopefully, it will jog a few brain cells. Do you know of any other machines they made?
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