16 replies to this topic

[Cartier736]

OK, so I love fruit machines but I live in Canada. Thats a big problem. I know I could easily get a vegas style slot machine but they are boring compared to fruties. Same goes for pachislo, it just pales in comparison to the incredible hunk of plastic, technology and fun that is a fruit machine. So as you can imagine there is no changing my mind on getting one. The problem is, I LIVE IN CANADA!!!!!!!! And no, canada is not just some place where people live in igloos and eat fish. We are a very developped country and so I dont see why it is this hard to get a hold of a fruit machine. But I want to know how to anyway. Do I have to import it myself? (Something I have no idea how to do) Do I have to have a importing company or something, do I need relatives in the UK to bye one and ship it to me from there (by the way, i dont have any relatives in europe or near europe). How can I buy one and get it to Canada? How much would a fruit machine cost in Canadian anyway? Sorry for all the questions but I think I might be screwed! Help me!

[Matty.N]

hehe its a few grand tofly one over

or you could come over here, buy one then disassemble it completely & bring it back over (hard work but a hell of a lot cheaper)

[Johnnyafc]

DT/Andy did that for a Crazy Frooooots machine

[pimpalicious]

Or do what I did, and have them shipped to your door. However I now live in the states, so not quite sure of the canadian rules and regulations. However if there is no problem,..this what you could be looking at

Machine cost 100 quid
Picked up from the arcade by shippers 30 quid
Cost to crate machine (do not skip this stage) 60 quid
Cost to ship to Canadian address 750 quid

Thats door to door..and these prices are over 5 years old. I shipped 2 over in total..the first was door to door, and the second I paid to ship just to port, and pay the extra to deliver from the port..works out not much different..

If you have the money..buy barcrest or modern BFM, anything older, and you are asking for headaches in spare parts. I have a Duff Beer Guide, and gone through a spare boards, and PSU that cost 180 quid to ship. I do stress that crating the machine is very necessary, as it gives a lot of protection over the 3000 miles it has to travel through from weather, and port handlers.

Pimp.

PM if you need more details

[Cartier736]

Thanks and keep all the great advice coming but could someone please crunch the numbers and tell me how much in Canadian $ this might cost? Thank to everyone and keep up these quick replies, I really appreciate fast replies!

[stanmarsh14]

Pimp is about right on this, from what I remember, when one of my South Park buddies decided to have BOTH the SWP, and the AWP (Maygay / Global) South Park machines, shipped to San Francisco.

SWP was new at normal price, but lucky bastard got the AWP for £500, and also made the front page of Coinslot too lol.

Another thing you need to watch, is voltages, and also remember, that Canadian power operates at a different hertz rate, so you need to find out if the PSU is multi-voltage, or get in a step-up transformer.

For the step-up transformer, mate ended up using a simple box unit from Radio Shack, so see if you can find a possible equivalent there.

As for local gambling laws, in the states it is a sodding mine field, but in Canada, I do believe it's more strait forward what you can do / not do, but guess that will depend on your local territory laws, so check with your local government's Gambling Licensing dept to get the low-down.

Oh, to get a rough costing in $CAN, pop over to the following and use the converter: www.xe.com

Edited by stanmarsh14, 24 March 2010 - 08:42 PM.

[Cartier736]

Ok well I crunched the numbers and 940 quid (or UK pounds I assume) is 1433.93 canadian dollars (ouch what a price!!!!) thats quite alot for a small buget. Sometimes i wish I lived over there with you guys cause it would be a hell of a lot cheaper at only 100 to 150 quid with me picking it up myself.

any fast ways to lowers my overall cost

[cardie]

Ok well I crunched the numbers and 940 quid (or UK pounds I assume) is 1433.93 canadian dollars (ouch what a price!!!!) thats quite alot for a small buget. Sometimes i wish I lived over there with you guys cause it would be a hell of a lot cheaper at only 100 to 150 quid with me picking it up myself.

I take it you were born in the UK?

[Cartier736]

no why do you ask

did i get that wrong because im horrible with geography and the like and when i google what quid was slang for it said british pound and that wasnt in the list of currencies (or maybe i just didnt see it) so i just made a guess that that was right

PS i was born and raised in canada

[pimpalicious]

Well I'm sure everybody is thinking this..how have you experienced UK fruit machines..did you live or study over here for a while?, it's not something you get a feel for unless you actually play them.

Hmmmmnnn..I live in Ohio, you could visit and play!

Pimp

[Matty.N]

he could go see mr tutt0n and play his crazy fruits

[stanmarsh14]

he could go see mr tutt0n and play his crazy fruits

Not any more..... stupid sod stored it next to an air con unit, totally f***ed it over, electronics shagged, cab was f***ed, etc

Can remember stripping it down too at DT's place in Nottingham, and DT taking it with him (Minus the cab... it was f***ed anyway), and DT having to bullshit like hell @ NJ customs, saying it was classic arcade parts, and AT building a very nice MDF cab for it.

Quite a shame really

[Cartier736]

Well I'm sure everybody is thinking this..how have you experienced UK fruit machines..did you live or study over here for a while?, it's not something you get a feel for unless you actually play them.

Hmmmmnnn..I live in Ohio, you could visit and play!

Pimp

That is my favourite question in the world. However it's my least favourrite to answer as it is essentially my life story. The last time i typed it out my hands went numb so I'll just summarize in point form.

- I was born in halifax nova scotia (in canada)
- I grew up in ottawa (again in canada)
- I spend my teen years in toronto (again in canada)
- I have never been to the UK
- Neither has anyone in my family
- My fasination with fruit machines derived way back when i was a young child who was extremely curious about how everything worked
- My interest had always been pointed at coin-op (or thing that require coins to use)
- It started with a coin-op billiard table
- then went to pinball
- then went to vegas style slots
- then pachislo
- then went to vintage coin-op (eg. vegas slots from the 1930s, check it out on google they're incredible mechanical marvels)
- then pachinko
- then went to arcade games
- then billiards again
- then pinball
- then vegas slots
- then I found a wikipedia article for slots and if told of the different types in the world
- I always thought of the UK as a very cool place and when i saw they had their own type of slot machine (or fruit machine) i did more research
- I played a few for free online at eurocazino.com and realized how boring vegas slot are in comparison to fruities.
- I fell in love and wanted one ever since.
- I found this site and it was a miracle, all the real fruit machines i could think of, waiting to be played by me until I decided on the absolute best fruit machine.
- I soon wanted a real one so I could have the full experience, and something to start building a basement gameroom with, a gameroom that will one day include every one of the obsessions I listed and more.
- Here I am today.

That is how I know so much and am so interested in something most people in Canada havent even heard of. THE ALL MIGHTY FRUIT MACHINE!!

Ahh, when reflecting on this I realise my obsessions change fairly often and that fruit machines is the only obsession (well that and pinball) that has withstanded the test of time.

So I hope that answers everything!

[Cartier736]

any other questions from anyone?

I'm all ears!

Edited by Cartier736, 26 March 2010 - 12:22 AM.

[jim2311]

Why don't you book a holiday to a uk seaside resort like Blackpool. You can play all the machine you have played from fruit emu and hundreds more. You could get cheap fligts then stay in B&B,s they range from about 25 to 60 GBP a night.

Thinking back to my own costly experience in Blackpool, and that was just a weekend, can you imagine what he would spent in a fortnight.
He would probably be cheaper shipping a few machines to Canada.

[Matty.N]

set yourself a limit

just play the £5s

play for fun and not for profit

simples