Buffalo Nickle Arcade Sign

z3k3

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Does anyone remember this exterior sign from Knott's Berry Farm? If so, do you happen to remember what color bulbs were placed in it? I'm assuming clear bulbs. If anyone has any pics and/or remembers, please share.

Thanks!

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That sign is cool!!!!!

Thanks blkdog! Discovered a bit more info at Yesterland.com. Looking at some other pics and judging from the size of the arcade, I'd guess the sign was an interior one, even tho it's 8 feet in diameter. Still would like to find pics of the arcade BITD.

yesterland.com said:
The Buffalo Nickle Penny Arcade opened as part of the Roaring 20's Amusement Area in 1975...Since 2006, the former arcade has been world's largest Johnny Rockets.


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Haven't found an interior shot of the Buffalo Nickle Arcade yet, but I did come across this nifty shot of their Gypsy Camp arcade, The Thieves Den. Some killer EMs in the shot.

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Update for anyone interested... I replaced multi-colored bulbs with clear ones making the chaser effect more pronounced.




Here's an image of a parted cabinet beside it to give a sense of scale. A project down the road is moving the sign inside my house and mounting it to the ceiling of my arcade. Before anyone posts a panic response, it's certainly dry under a 12' deep overhang within a courtyard.

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Does anyone remember this exterior sign from Knott's Berry Farm?

Was that always at Knotts? We used to go every year, but I don't remember ever seeing it. I was pretty young then though, so games weren't what we played we always just rode the rides.

What a rad sign!
 
Was that always at Knotts? We used to go every year, but I don't remember ever seeing it. I was pretty young then though, so games weren't what we played we always just rode the rides.

Not sure what years the sign was in place. The Buffalo Nickle Arcade itself was active from 1975-2006. The arcade interior probably changed over that 30 year span. For all I know, the sign could have been in a warehouse for most of the arcade's existence. Again, I would love to find a picture of this sign within the arcade. Anyone?

Similar signs were used in a Knott's Berry Farm theater pictured below.

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Where did you get it? That is a very cool sign. I may have to see how hard it would be to reproduce it at 18" using an Arduino to run LEDs.

If you have already posted the "How I found this..." thread, please link it, there has to be a good story there.

ken
 
A local collector shipped the Buffalo Nickle Arcade sign along with some other arcade games from California to the east coast. The seller told him the sign was about 5' in diameter. You can imagine his surprise when an 8' in diameter sign arrived. He had no way to fit it inside of his house. Heck, it barely fit in the storage unit he was renting.

This collector and I had done a few deals together, and he knew I had the space for it. He sold the sign to me for his cost + shipping. This was early 2009. He may have had it since 2008. I did not do much with the sign until recently. I'm finally getting my collection in order, and had some time to look at it. And here it is.

Where did you get it? That is a very cool sign. I may have to see how hard it would be to reproduce it at 18" using an Arduino to run LEDs.

If you have already posted the "How I found this..." thread, please link it, there has to be a good story there.

ken
 
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