Southern Counties 2: Sale Report

... auction was great!! I even bought a couple of allwins to boot! ... Low buyers premium makes it very attractive for impulse buyers like me and there was a large range to choose from....and a bar as well!! Prices were very reasonable too...I should imagine there were one or two disappointed sellers as many machines went for below the estimate... I may enter some items next time if I get fed up packaging machines for sale on ebay!! Well done and thanks!

These comments of a visitor to the second Southern Counties Auction of Vintage Slot Machines last Sunday (21st May) sum up the day quite well. The general slump we've seen this year in prices has created something of a buyers' market. Fortunately, sensible reserves on most of the lots meant that, despite this, the majority of machines sold. There were certainly some bargains to be had amongst over 200 lots. Having sold a couple of large and heavy machines in the auction, I felt justified in bringing home four smaller ones.

I'll publish the full prices in the Arena as soon as I get them, but a few I noted were Lot 19, Novelty Merchantman Crane (in fair to good condition): £1300; Lot 57, Screen Stars single reeler: £330; Lot 80, Caille Commercial: £400; Lot 83, Bradley Challenger: £360. A Mills Poinsettia and Jennings Victoria both made £800 and the Jennings Governors of which there were about half a dozen sold for £700 - £800 with one going for a bargain £500. There were a similar number of Bryans Clocks one of which sold for as little as £230 and 30a, the Bryans Retreeva (in poor condition), made £2400.

Although the weather outside was dreadful (putting a damper on carpark trading) and I would have prefered a mid-session break in the sale, it was good to catch up with collector friends in a pleasant, comfortable venue.

It will be interesting to see if the price trend continues on Wednesday (31st May) at Christies Mechanical Music and Technical Apparatus Sale with its second time around reduced reserves. The online catalogue is here.

Also at Christies (New York) on 21st June is a major sale of Historic Cards and Games which includes only one or two slots but some very attractive gaming related ephemera.