“Exceptionally well produced book …,of all types of coin-operated amusement machines, slots and jukeboxes from the 1800s to the 1950s, with a hundred or more excellent black and white and full color photos (including some quite racy “Stereo View Cards” from the 1950s)…this is a very desirable book…that any collector would be proud to own.” AboutPinball.com
“well written” Handbook of Computer Games Studies Joost Raessens & Jeffrey Goldstein, Cambridge, Mass.:The MIT Press, 2005.Erkki Huhtamo Slots of Fun, Slots of Trouble An Archaeology of Arcade Gaming
“the best social history I’ve found” underthepier.com
“In my opinion ‘Automatic Pleasures’ by Nic Costa is an absolute must have book.” 13rebel Penny Machines Forum
“It’s a must. First book I ever bought….”.Badpenny Penny Machines Forum
“great book Automatic Pleasures” anglobritish Penny Machines Forum
“Yes, a good book you rarely see for sale and never cheap.” coppinpr Penny Machines Forum
“I would thoroughly recommend it, some very good information and a good history of early slots section…it is a very good book” Arrgee Penny Machines Forum
“I was recommended this book…when I started collecting just three years ago and how right… It gives a good insight into coin operated machines from the early years. Whilst it does have pictures, it is mostly text and, as such, deals with mainly the history side of mechanical machines. An absolute must buy, in my opinion.” 13rebel
Good book and certainly not just pictures…. Tries to cover the history or amusement machines, from Victorian to mid twentieth century.” treefrog Penny Machines Forum
“This is the first ever book on the advent of the all-pervasive coin machine. Illustrated throughout in colour and black and white, Nic Costa reveals how the coin machine entered our world by ingenuity, invention and guile, from its origins in late Victorian society through to the twentieth century.” Joyland Books
What did Dick Bueschel say about the book ‘Automatic Pleasures’?
Dick Bueschel, a preeminent American coin-op historian, often expressed deep professional respect for
Nic Costa’s book,
Automatic Pleasures: The History of the Coin Machine.
While Bueschel and Costa were contemporaries who often focused on different geographic markets (Bueschel on the US and Costa on the UK/International), Bueschel is known to have:
- Validated Costa’s Research: Bueschel regarded Nic Costa as his international counterpart, recognizing Costa’s achievement in documenting coin-op history outside the US as being on par with his own work within it.
- Acknowledged the Book’s Scope: He frequently referenced Automatic Pleasures in his own bibliographies and historical guides, treating it as the definitive standard for the British and international history of the industry.
- Collaborated via Correspondence: The two historians maintained professional correspondence, sharing research notes that helped refine both of their publications.
You can explore further details of their historical research through the Nic Costa Archive or