Pinballs

My pinball collection is constantly changing. I keep telling myself I'm going to stop acquiring them, then something comes along.

The table here details my current collection. I still have pictures from some previously owned games, which can still be seen from clicking on the links below the table. I have listed all of the games I've owned throughout the years, and what has become of them.

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Big League - 1946 - Bally
It's got wood rails, but no flippers. The ball moves slowly, but the games are short. A truly different kind of playing experience, with a different kind of skill required to score well. This particular unit was a big restoration project, from the ground up - literally!
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Spot Lite - 1951 - Bally
This is my first bingo game, and is a project in progress. It's a single-card game, and is the first "Futurity" game produced by Bally.
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Stars - 1978 - Stern Electronics
One of the earliest games with digital scoring, yet still has the old-style chime unit for sound. Steve Kirk's first design, and is a true target-shooting game. It's a pretty fun little game, but often overlooked due to the fact it's not from one of the 'big three' manufacturers.
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Spectrum - 1982 - Bally
Unique gameplay of a type not seen before or since. It is the pinball equivalent to the popular 1970s board game "Mastermind". There are no pop bumpers, no slingshot bumpers, and not even a shooter rod! Scarce game with fewer than 900 produced.
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Rollergames - 1990 - Williams
This game is based on a television show by the same name which ran from 1990-92. It is a roller-derby theme, which features ramps, multi-ball, a kickback lane, upper flipper, magnet and some very catchy music!
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The Shadow - 1994 - Bally
Based on the mid-90's movie starring Alec Baldwin, this pinball game is a lot better than the movie (or so I'm told). Has a reputation of being a real "player's game", it can be incredibly frustrating to play... Which makes the good games even more satisfying.
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Safe Cracker - 1996 - Bally
Another unique game from Bally. It is physically smaller (about 20%) than a standard game. It is based on time rather than number of balls played. It awards 'Magic Tokens' for accomplishing certain tasks. And when the tokens are put back in the machine, you play a special mode not available through regular gameplay! Another scarce game, with only a few hundred made for domestic use.
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High Roller Casino - 2001 - Stern Pinball
This is a recent release by the only major pinball manufacturer left. This was my first New-In-Box game. Dot matrix scoring, and the first (I believe) to use the mini-DMD display. This is one of Diane's favorite machines.
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The Simpsons Pinball Party - 2004 - Stern Pinball
Here's my second New-In-Box purcahse. This ia a very deep game, with many many different modes, and one of the most difficult games to "complete". I may never get there, but it's fun trying!

The Evolution of my Pinball Collection:

My current collection is marked by the *.

1. Galaxy : Stern Electronics, 1980
2. Black Knight : Williams, 1980
3. Drop-A-Card : Gottlieb, 1971
4. Top Score : Gottlieb, 1975
5. Darts : Williams, 1960
6. Darts : Williams, 1960
7. Flip Flop : Bally, 1976
8. High Roller Casino : Stern Pinball, 2001 *
9. Cirqus Voltaire : Bally, 1997
10. High Speed : Williams, 1986
11. Stars : Stern Electronics, 1978 *
12. Big League : Bally, 1946 *
13. Spectrum : Bally, 1982 *
14. World Fair : Gottlieb, 1964
15. Monte Carlo : Bally, 1972
16. Safe Cracker : Bally 1996 *
17. The Shadow : Bally 1994 *
18. Spot Lite (bingo): Bally 1951*
19: The Simpsons Pinball Party: Stern Pinball, 2004*
20: Rollergames: Williams, 1990*


The Gameroom


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Here's what my gameroom looks like as of December 2005. The desk has been moved out of the way so that I can now fit eight pinballs along with the Joust upright.


Old Gameroom Picture, west wallOld Gameroom Picturre, east wall

Here's my gameroom from some time ago. The Darts, High Speed and Cirqus Voltaire are no longer in my collection.


catwatchlineup

Here are some older pictures showing machines which are no longer in my collection.
The Galaxy machine, which was my first pinball, went to my parents,
and the Flip Flop was shipped to a guy in Utah. The Darts game sold to a collector in Australia.


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