No Tampering! | Written by Michael Papa

An Excerpt from the forward,

Today in the world of collecting coin operated amusements, there are many machines which are classified as “unattainable.” These machines are either so rare that there are only 1-2 or no known examples today. Over the past several years, the crew at National Jukebox Exchange has been creating a collection of re-creations of these unattainable penny arcade machines. As a companion to this collection, we are proud to present our book, No Tampering! A Guide to Papa’s Re-creations. No Tampering is a guide to every re-creation machine made by National Jukebox Exchange in Mayfield, New York. 60 pages of history, records, process and a look inside of all of the projects.

“I’ve been intrigued by penny arcade machines for as long as I can remember. My first recollection of seeing one of these magnificent machines was at Sherman’s Amusement Park in Caroga Lake, New York. I must have been about five or six years old. Sherman’s then had a separate building for their penny arcades and I remember being fascinated by the international Mutoscope ‘Love Analyst’. This was just a simple love tester with a back glass that showed a man and a woman with a red heart. I was so small I had to look up at the machine ... but at the time, it represented all things heady and exciting. Years later, that exact same machine from Sherman’s is now in my private collection.

My interest in penny arcade machines led to my son, Michael, creating this book. I wanted to establish a very clear record for potential and current collectors and dealers of the origins of these re-creation machines which explains the title ‘No Tampering.’ I also wanted to thank the many friends I have made over the years who share my passion for collecting these machines.”

John Papa – June 2014