Old Arcade Token

[Poetheraven1]

In looking over the topics I ran across one discussing arcades and gaming machines. Seems like you guys know a lot about them. I was never into them because they became popular after my time. Our hangout used to be the corner malt shop or the local drive-in. Too bad, but these, like the arcades, seem to have fallen by the wayside. Memories are frozen in time, but time marches on to new and better? things. Now its Xbox, Nintendo, Playstation, Wii, and PC games. Anyway, I have what I believe to be an arcade token which I have been unable to identify. Google search for Wright or Wright's arcade, or Wrights Game Token has met with disappointing results. I was hoping that since you guys really seem to know your stuff when it comes to the arcarde things, someone might have some knowledge of this token or what its for. Since I wasn't able to figure out how to attach an image, describing the token will have to do. Its 20mm in diameter, made of aluminum, has a smoothe edge, and one one side it has a picture of a castle within a circle, and the inscription "Wright's. On the other side, it simply states 1 point.

Regards,

Bill

[05pro]

Ask this guy - he seems to have similar Wrights tokens (it was the 1st image when googling wrights arcade)
http://jsicktheslick.wordpress.com/2012 ... d-tickets/

[PC Engine Fan X!]

A lot of those cool arcades back in the early 1980s used to utiltize tokens to coin-up such an arcade game cab. I do have an extensive arcade token collection myself that dates back to the early 1980s easily. Some of the arcade tokens are from arcades that are no longer around and are cool mementos from a by-gone era. Of course, each arcade token would be worth the equivalent of a U.S. quarter.

I used to patronize one local arcade called The Regency Game Palace based out of Modesto, CA, and if you'd put in a five dollar bill into the token exchange machine, more often than not, you'd get at least fifty to sixty game tokens easily (when it'd usually be around twenty tokens = twenty quarters type of deal at the other local arcades). Surely, "quite a bit of bang for the buck" as the ol' saying goes.

Some of the defunct local arcades such as The Game Station Arcade #1 & #2, Cals-R-Cade, Dalo's, Super Cade, Land of Oz, etc. all used arcade tokens as the "gold choice" to coin-up an arcade game back in the day. Even the Santa Clara based Marriott's Great America amusement park's arcades took tokens as well back in the early to mid-1980s.

The must-have arcade token nowdays would be, Flynn's, from the classic Tron/Tron Legacy films portrayal of the legendary Flynn's arcade joint.

Some rare promotional arcade tokens such as the California Extreme token is cool to look at as well. It was never sold to the public but rather given away if you attended such a CAX event in years past. They don't give 'em away nowdays.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... collection

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Poetheraven1]

We used to have a Regency Game Palace in Pleasant Hill next to the Regency Theater. I think the Regency Game Palace and the Regency theater were aligned together, perhaps the same company. I have a couple of the Regency tokens myself. However, the Wright's token I have was probably never used in a Regency Arcade. I'm supposing there was a Wright's family fun center, or Wright's arcade that used my token, but I can't figure out what the 1 point is for on the back of the token. It must be a point towards something, but what?

Regards,

Bill

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Some arcades were known to use arcade tokens to buy merchandise/swag. I know with Chuck E. Cheese, you could use good ol' fashioned cash to buy some cool swag if you didn't have enough prize redemption tickets at Jasper's General Country Store back in the early 1980s.

Actually, the Regency Game Palace was a seperate arcade franchised business that had nothing to do with the movie theater business (despite their similar sounding names). The one I used to go to often in the late 1980s & into the early 1990s, it was never hooked up to a movie theater chain anyways. I do recall, seeing, current Hollywood blockbuster film posters on the walls of the Regency arcade that would be changed from time to time.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[GaijinPunch]

I liked the places that gave you more tokens than 4 for a dollar. I had a members card for a miniature golf/arcade joint that of course, is no longer around. I think the card costed $15 for a year. Every Saturday I got 7 tokens for $1, and unlimited golf until 3PM or something. Not a bad deal. Rarely played golf though, but did on occasion. Most games were 1 token per credit too. Much cheaper than the 100 yen I pay these days.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There was this indie arcade in Ceres, CA, called Dalo's where for a single dollar, you'd get eight tokens. That was quite a bargain, especially in the early '80s. I'd look at the random arcade tokens and they were all different arcade tokens from other places. Surprisingly, none of the tokens said Dalo's either.

I've seen a coupon published in the local newspaper good for 100 tokens for $10.00 at my local Funworks sometime back. Decided to take advantage of it before it expired and had a great time for a few hours.

And just last month, saw another arcade token coupon where spending $30.00 would net you 200 Funworks tokens (still not as good as the 100 tokens for a mere tenner is the better deal easily).

When the local Regency Game Palace in Modesto, CA, was closing it's doors for good back in June of 1994, they had a message board that stated: 1,000 game tokens for $20.00! But I arrived a day or two too late as they were all gone by then. So it was the end of an era for one of Modesto's better arcades that would get the newest cabs and/or Jamma conversion PCB kits in all the time (and not to mention they had the largest collection of pinball machines from the likes of Williams. Bally, Gottlieb, Data East, etc. in the area -- it was THE place to be at for pinball wizards indeed).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Poetheraven1]

Well, I don't get deals like you guys did/do. I have to go to my local coin shop and I buy coins at $5.00 a pound, and among them I'll find tokens as well. Don't get a whole lot each time, but over time they add up. Since I collect foreign coins too, its not a loss for me. So I'm getting a small but decent collection of tokens as well as my, getting to be large, coins of the world. Both coins and tokens are very interesting to research. You certainly learn a lot of history from them. I'm just collecting, so everything that is duplicated goes into my duplicates bin. Haven't decided what I'll do with them. The last batch I had (about 100 pounds), I gave to a cousin of mine. She found them so interesting that she's now collecting as well. I don't mind too much as long as they don't cost a lot..of course you're not going to find anything really valuable (i.e. gold or silver coins or tokens), but there are some interesting ones that can price out to $40.00 or $50.00. Again, these are few and far between though. I'd say the average is somewhere around 25-50 cents, but I'm not in it to make money, just an interesting hobby. There are a lot of coins and tokens for sale on ebay, but I find these to be grossly overpriced. Guess the sellers are looking for folks that just fell off the turnip truck, but then some people will pay rediculous prices for items being auctioned...guess its a spirit of competition. I don't feel competitive.