Unboxing a 1970 Allied Leisure Wild Cycle arcade machine.
I had the opportunity to purchase a New In Box (NIB) game, but not just any kind of NIB. My kind of NIB... from 1970!
This is something I've dreamt of doing ever since I started collecting coin operated machines: unboxing a vintage machine.
I had to drive a 1300 km round trip to pick it up but it was worth it. Just for the experience.
When you are buying a vintage NIB it's a bit like Schrödinger's arcade machine. You don't know what's inside the box. You gotta take the risk.
It's not because the machine hasn't been opened that the machine is perfect... Especially after 50 years!
It's a cardboard box. Not a time capsule. It all depends on the storage conditions.
Be aware that rubber parts dry up. Box or no box. There's always the risk of corrosion (switch points and metal parts) or nasty traces left by critters.
I was fairly confident the machine was clean judging by the state of the box but you're never 100% sure.
In the end you're paying a premium for the privilege of the experience of unboxing the game. Once the game is unboxed it's most likely worth only a fraction of the paid price. All in all, I'm satisfied with the machine's condition. Could've been worse.
Here is a photo journey of Wild Cycle's unboxing. Enjoy!
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