Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: davethebirdman on January 24, 2007, 03:47:03 pm
Okay... it wasn't this week but a couple of weeks ago.
A shop on the area I work was being renovated. It was an old sweet shop originally but had been left to fall into a state of complete disrepair. It was in a row of shops (remember we are quaint so a row of shops ain't like a strip you guys are used to) and to be honest I'd never noticed it. Then one day driving past I looked over and saw a old fruit gum vending machine stuck to the outside of the wall. How the hell had I missed that.
Well I stopped and had a closer look. It was in a sorry state and had lots of penatrating rust with a few holes on it. It had faded over the years but still salvageable.
It had been abandoned years ago.
Now I had a dilemma. There it was looking at me. Nobody wanted it. Let all alone. But I'm in uniform. I can't just take a crow bar out the boot and jemmy it off the wall. So I make some enquires and they all draw a blank. Nobody had seen the builders for months and months. Not sure even if they are coming back. So I leave it.
I'm going past the other day and decide to have a look around the back of the shop. To my suprise there the owner is. I ask him if he wants the machine out the front. He takes one look at my uniform then looks at his work force all made up of probably illegal immigrants and say "its mine." He even takes it off the wall for me.
I shake his hand and off I go with my new toy. Not a penny. I strip it down. y father who was runnnig out of projects re-sprays and fills it and I got it back from my man up the road who did the graphics for me. All told it has set me back £25.00.
It has not been used since we went from old English money to new money in 1971. Has probably been there since the 1950's. Te area it was in has the highest crime rate in the country and yet it has mmanaged to withstand it all.
Not as exciting as a RC 81 but in its own little way my favourite little treasure. The first item I own that I actually know where it worked.
Dave
A shop on the area I work was being renovated. It was an old sweet shop originally but had been left to fall into a state of complete disrepair. It was in a row of shops (remember we are quaint so a row of shops ain't like a strip you guys are used to) and to be honest I'd never noticed it. Then one day driving past I looked over and saw a old fruit gum vending machine stuck to the outside of the wall. How the hell had I missed that.
Well I stopped and had a closer look. It was in a sorry state and had lots of penatrating rust with a few holes on it. It had faded over the years but still salvageable.
It had been abandoned years ago.
Now I had a dilemma. There it was looking at me. Nobody wanted it. Let all alone. But I'm in uniform. I can't just take a crow bar out the boot and jemmy it off the wall. So I make some enquires and they all draw a blank. Nobody had seen the builders for months and months. Not sure even if they are coming back. So I leave it.
I'm going past the other day and decide to have a look around the back of the shop. To my suprise there the owner is. I ask him if he wants the machine out the front. He takes one look at my uniform then looks at his work force all made up of probably illegal immigrants and say "its mine." He even takes it off the wall for me.
I shake his hand and off I go with my new toy. Not a penny. I strip it down. y father who was runnnig out of projects re-sprays and fills it and I got it back from my man up the road who did the graphics for me. All told it has set me back £25.00.
It has not been used since we went from old English money to new money in 1971. Has probably been there since the 1950's. Te area it was in has the highest crime rate in the country and yet it has mmanaged to withstand it all.
Not as exciting as a RC 81 but in its own little way my favourite little treasure. The first item I own that I actually know where it worked.
Dave
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: collecture on January 24, 2007, 03:58:56 pm
Very cool Dave and also very unique!
Congratulations on your own personal find!
Can you still get Rowntree's Fruit? I've never heard of them.
Congratulations on your own personal find!
Can you still get Rowntree's Fruit? I've never heard of them.
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: MCarter on January 24, 2007, 04:59:08 pm
Very nice Dave !! Great Job!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: Kilroy on January 24, 2007, 05:44:03 pm
A great story, and a great find.
It looks great Dave
It looks great Dave
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: Creighton on January 24, 2007, 06:34:22 pm
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: aspbear1 on January 24, 2007, 06:53:27 pm
Great find, great story and a very nice looking finsihed product. That is what is nice about this site....I am surprised those 80 MPH winds did not blow it off the wall for you...
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: johnieG on January 24, 2007, 06:55:32 pm
An excellent job Dave! well done, I guess it's in my blood, but as a young boy growing up in Detroits east side, & in the course or wandering the back alleys with my gang of little holdems, it never ceased to amaze me , even then what some people consider "trash" & worthless, maybe it's just the nostalgia of it all, but when I see something be it a vending machine, a childs toy, or an old automobile thats been restored, it does my heart good, knowing that some parts of the past are "new" again & presented to the current day. what 's old will be new again! (a loose paraphrase)
My Grandfather on my mothers side owed a candysweets store that survived the great depression, and Rowntrees where part of his penny candy's ( I only know them from the old black & white photo's of his store)
again great job!
My Grandfather on my mothers side owed a candysweets store that survived the great depression, and Rowntrees where part of his penny candy's ( I only know them from the old black & white photo's of his store)
again great job!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: Ltransam on January 24, 2007, 10:24:57 pm
Dave ,
Great Find !!
Great Find !!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: dr galaga on January 24, 2007, 10:55:13 pm
Wow, looks nice!
And you kept this a secret from us for a few weeks?
And you kept this a secret from us for a few weeks?
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: collecture on January 24, 2007, 11:24:51 pm
QUOTE
And you kept this a secret from us for a few weeks?
I think he did take a crow bar to it while in uniform and he was waiting to see if he got caught before he fessed up.
P.S. I guess the wife is not complaining about a free one - huh Dave!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: Marvin on January 24, 2007, 11:42:33 pm
Cool machine and even better story. Thats what this hobby is all about!!!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: BrianB on January 25, 2007, 07:01:34 am
I love it when a "find" also comes with an interesting story! Great job, Dave!
Also, very nice job done on the restoration!
Also, very nice job done on the restoration!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: davethebirdman on January 25, 2007, 07:36:46 am
Thanks guys for your very kind words.
Rowntrees is a very old English company. In the sweet world it is up there with Cadbury.
The pastilles are a staple diet for lots of kids, even now. They are readily available at every shop and petrol station. The only problem is they have grown in length over the years and the packets
on sale today are too large for the machine. I am hoping that the company do a smaller packet for modern vending machines etc. I have e-mailed them and await a reply.
My wife is very happy with this latest addition to the room. What she is even happier about is the fact that I have now run out of wall space. My two little ones have volunteered to have a few machines in their bedrooms though..
Dave
Rowntrees is a very old English company. In the sweet world it is up there with Cadbury.
The pastilles are a staple diet for lots of kids, even now. They are readily available at every shop and petrol station. The only problem is they have grown in length over the years and the packets
on sale today are too large for the machine. I am hoping that the company do a smaller packet for modern vending machines etc. I have e-mailed them and await a reply.
My wife is very happy with this latest addition to the room. What she is even happier about is the fact that I have now run out of wall space. My two little ones have volunteered to have a few machines in their bedrooms though..
Dave
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: sodaworks on January 25, 2007, 08:32:38 am
Dave, way to go. I like it.
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: Eric on January 25, 2007, 08:38:20 am
Very nice Dave... Looks great! Man! and restored in a couple weeks too!
Way to go!
Way to go!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: cormy on January 25, 2007, 09:06:46 am
Hey Dave,
You mention a uniform, What are you, a copper?
Aren't you afraid of being accused of as being "on the take" ?
You mention a uniform, What are you, a copper?
Aren't you afraid of being accused of as being "on the take" ?
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: halehouse on January 25, 2007, 11:46:31 am
That looks really good and you have only had it a couple of weeks? You got a lot done on it.
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: rogerz on January 26, 2007, 12:51:35 am
That looks great!
Nice job.
rz
Nice job.
rz
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: davethebirdman on January 26, 2007, 02:45:29 am
Hello Cormy
Yeap - I'm a Copper or Wooden Top... As for "On the Take". Well I think my bosses would probably forgive me. The machine in its original state was probably worth nothing. It didn't actually belong to the shop. It would have belonged to an independent operator who long ago abandoned it. In English Law anything that is abandoned is free to be taken. I was just doing the curtious thing by asking permission. Now the damage it caused to the wall when taking it off, well that's another matter....
BTW - with alittle bit of clever moving around I managed to get a space on my wall for it. I have laready secured my next project much to the joy of the kids and (pretend) disgust of the wife..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws....=1&rd=1
Yeap - I'm a Copper or Wooden Top... As for "On the Take". Well I think my bosses would probably forgive me. The machine in its original state was probably worth nothing. It didn't actually belong to the shop. It would have belonged to an independent operator who long ago abandoned it. In English Law anything that is abandoned is free to be taken. I was just doing the curtious thing by asking permission. Now the damage it caused to the wall when taking it off, well that's another matter....
BTW - with alittle bit of clever moving around I managed to get a space on my wall for it. I have laready secured my next project much to the joy of the kids and (pretend) disgust of the wife..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws....=1&rd=1
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: 90grad on January 26, 2007, 06:16:14 am
Dave,
Both of these machines are great. Plus, you can't be the story of how you found the first one. Congrats!
Both of these machines are great. Plus, you can't be the story of how you found the first one. Congrats!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: collecture on January 26, 2007, 06:37:07 am
Nice buy on the Wrigley's machine.
The only thing my wife says about my stuff is it keeps me out of trouble!
The only thing my wife says about my stuff is it keeps me out of trouble!
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: MoonDawg on January 26, 2007, 12:13:18 pm
(collecture @ Jan. 26 2007,3:37)
QUOTE
The only thing my wife says about my stuff is it keeps me out of trouble!
Yes this keeps us out of the bingo parlors.
Title: My very own find of the week.
Post by: collecture on January 26, 2007, 12:27:26 pm
Bingo!