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(Vintage) Slot Machines. Ladwig Pelham Puppets: A Collector's Guide. Leech. Pinball. Deiter.
Pinball. Deiter.
Our Price: $45.00
Secondhand, GC, small tear to top of dust cover on spine.
Slot machines, nickel grinders, or one-arm bandits as they popularly came to be known, have had a long and chequered history. Chequered because their very design left them open to abuse, and consequently they often fell foul of gambling laws in various American states.
Although the era of the slot machine began in the last quarter of the 19th century, according to legend the founding father of vending and slot machines was the Greek scientist Hero, who invented a device for selling 'holy water'.
Slot machine manufacturers were hard hit by the Depression in the 1930s, although most managed to keep their heads above water by producing cheaper machines and getting around the gambling laws. This book shows some of the many models and variations that were produced during this time.
Packed with interesting information and details of the most famous slot machines, accompanied by a wealth of colour photographs, this book pays homage to the old one-arm bandits - a Hall of Fame for all those classic and beautifully designed machines of yesteryear.
 		Complete with reminiscences by professional puppeteers and instructions for string untangling, here is a comprehensive history of these fascinating puppets that have reflected society and social change through the latter part of the 20th century. The Pelham Puppets company was formed to provide a vibrancy and colour that had long been lacking in the lives of children—and adults. The puppets produced ranged from fairytale characters, such as kings, queens, and wicked witches, through loveable animals such as Wags the dog and Muffin the mule. An absolute must for collectors, this book explains the development of the puppets and the different types and their related terminology. Enlivened by lavish colour photography throughout, together with contemporary illustrations, newsletters, and other memorabilia, the book provides a fascinating insight into the world of Pelham Puppets. Topics covered include the story of the Pelham company, the boxes and packaging, the manufacturing process, and insight into the world of Pelham Puppets collectors. PINBALL MANUAL
Classic Toys of the 1960s and 1970s. Ward. Tv and Film Toys and Ephemera. Ward. Sixty Years of Airfix Models. Brook.
By the early 1960's such famous toy brands as Airfix, Dinky, Corgi, FROG, Matchbox, Tri-ang, Meccano, Hornby, and Scalextric had secured a firm hold on the imagination of children and hobbyists throughout the world. Other names were also arriving on the scene, including Barbie, Revell, Monogram, Solido, Lego, and Hasbro's G.I. Joe as well as a couple of dolls called Sindy and Tressy. Today, anyone lucky enough to have surviving examples of toys from this era, especially mint and boxed ones, is sitting on a gold mine. Each category is thoroughly explored with descriptions and photographs of the famous and not-so-famous. With more than 400 colour photographs taken by the author, and further advice on storage, presentation, and display, this is an invaluable reference work for the collector. Since before World War Two manufacturers of toys and games have sought to cash in on the popularity of children's films and radio and television programs by producing toys relating to them. The best-known and most important manufacturer of plastic model kits in the UK, Airfix has been at the forefront of the industry since 1955 when the first Airfix aircraft kit appeared in UK branches of Woolworth's. The kits were made to a constant scale and covered a wide variety of subjects, from aircraft to birds and from tanks to dinosaurs. In 1981 the famous London-based company closed down and only the kits survived intact. For the next twenty-five years Airfix was run by Palitoy and later Humbrol, but suffered from a lack of investment. In 2006, Hornby Hobbies Ltd, the train and Scalextric manufacturer, bought the ailing company and transformed it. Money and resources were ploughed into the range, and today Airfix releases around twenty new kits per year, designed to an incredibly high standard. The old kits of the 1950s and 1960s are gradually being replaced by new state-of-the-art tooling, all bearing that most prestigious name - Airfix. Published to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of the first Airfix aircraft kit, Sixty Years of Airfix Models, tells the full story, year by year, of the company and its products. 350 colour