News

One for the punters!

              The entire contents of a seafront amusement arcade . . . everything from the slot machines to children’s rides . . . are to go under the hammer in an auction in Scunthorpe next week.

              In total more than sixty coin-operated machines, some dating back to the 1970s, are to be sold off by industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management on Tuesday (September 30th).

              CJM Director Paul Cooper said: “The owners of the amusement arcade on the promenade at Cleethorpes took the decision to close their doors and mothball the facility a couple of years ago.”

              “They have now decided to do something more profitable with the building and we were instructed to clear it out and sell off all their amusement machines.”

              “As well as the traditional fruit machines . . . and we have got loads and loads of those, of various vintages . . . we’ve also got some fairly exotic stuff such as waterfall machines, horse racing games and grab machines. Some of them can take up to half a dozen players at the same time.”

              “There are also a number of coin-operated toddler rides.”

              “They date right the way through from the early 1970s through to around 2004. In their time they would have been very expensive things to buy. We’re expecting them to sell for between £30 and £400 a machine, depending on what they are and what they do.”

              “There will be some interest from people in the arcade business of course but there are always lots of private buyers and collectors for these things – and in these straightened times there could hardly be a more cost-effect way to keep the kids happy than to have your own arcade ride!”

              Further evidence of the hard times hitting the entertainment business is provided by the sale of machinery, tools and equipment from Coincheck Electronics Limited, a Beverley company that specialised in manufacturing bingo hall machinery and fittings. The firm went into administration two months ago.

              Mr. Cooper said: “As people will be aware bingo halls have been badly hit by the smoking ban, on-line gambling sites and the credit crunch. With halls around the country closing down, Coincheck has been struggling.”

              “We’ve sold their remaining component stock from the site and we’ve brought their manufacturing machinery and their fitting out tools and equipment to the saleroom for disposal.”

              He added: “The economy is in a bit of a state. The downturn continues and we’ve been dealing with company closures and insolvencies all over the country.

              “This auction includes some very high value food processing kit, including equipment from Limousin Meats, a Hull wholesale butchery company that’s gone under.”

              “We’ve also go some really serious UPVC window manufacturing machinery from a Lancashire company that’s gone under, some of it just a couple of years old. It could well provide the highest prices of the auction. Whilst there are not a lot of UK buyers in the market for this sort of kit at the moment, with the building industry being in the state it is, there is strong demand from abroad.”

              The IT section of the auction includes brand new computers, printers and peripherals . . . still in their boxes . . . that has been consigned for sale following the failure of a Cheshire till systems company.

              In all next Tuesday’s auction extends to almost 800 lots. Viewing is on Friday, 26 September 11 am to 4 pm, Monday, 29 September from 1 pm to 7 pm and on the morning of the sale from 8.30 am until the start of the auction at 10 am. The catalogue is available from CJM or can be downloaded from the firm’s website, www.cjmasset.com, free of charge.

For further information please contact Paul Cooper on 01724-334411