rec.games.pinball FAQ~
*******************************************************
Last modified: September 2003
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Rec.Games.Pinball
< last update by Daina Pettit - daina@xmission.com >
The latest edition of this FAQ can always be retrieved from:
http://www.MrPinball.com/ (Daina Pettit)
Changes: Updated some parts suppliers contact info and added Marco
Rossignoli's PINBALL MEMORIES book.
------------------------------
Subject: 1. Introduction, Intent, and Disclaimer
This is the FAQ for the rec.games.pinball Usenet newsgroup. It
attempts to answer many of the Frequently Asked Questions. It also
provides pointers (both on-line and on paper) for more information
about the world of pinball, and explaining how to buy your own
pinball machine, as well as helpful techniques and parts suppliers
for keeping home pinball machines up and running.
The format of this file has been changed to meet the
recommendations of the "FAQs: A Suggested Minimal Digest Format"
file, as posted to the news.answers Usenet group.
Some newsreader or browser programs may have difficulty with
Internet addresses. Therefore, all e-mail and web addresses (URL)
are shown on a separate line, without periods at the end.
------------------------------
Subject: 2. Table of Contents
1. Introduction, Intent and Disclaimer
2. Table of Contents
3. What is rgp ?
4. How do I buy a pinball machine ?
5. Buying pins at auctions
6. Shipping pins
7. On-line resources
8. Publications
9. Manufacturers
10. Abbreviations / Acronyms
11. Other Frequently Asked Questions
12. Miscellaneous
------------------------------
Subject: 3. What is rgp ?
Tom Yager created the rec.games.pinball USENET newsgroup in on 20
November 1990 for the discussion of pinball machines. Discussions
can include history, ownership, maintenance, playing techniques,
plans for new releases, places to play, announcements of events,
related paper items and generally anything having to with pinball
machines (or pins for short).
The topics generally cover "real" machines, but there are
occasional postings on computer simulations. All games with a ball
(usually steel) rolling or falling down a surface with obstacles
and objectives are covered here, including pitch-and-bat (baseball)
machines and pachinko (vertical) pinball games. The majority of
machines considered are coin-operated commercial games, but
discussion of non-coin varieties is accepted. The group is
generally recognized for being fairly civil, and newcomers are
welcomed.
Each post to the newsgroup should contain a sufficiently descriptive
subject line with one of the following suggested prefixes if appropriate:
"ANNOUNCE: " - For announcements
"FA: " - For auction
"FS: " - For sale
"TECH: " - For repair issues
"WTB: " - Want-to-buy
"WTT: " - For want to trade
If your post is about a particular game, put the name in the subject
line! And do NOT use stars in the name if the post is really about that
game. Putting the manufacturer or year might be important since some
games share the same name.
Examples:
Subject: Want help with my machine
This is BAD. Is is a SS or EM? Which system? Why should I help?
Subject: Want help with Gottlieb EM
This is NOT QUITE AS BAD.
Subject: Why does my GAUCHO do this?
This is A LITTLE BETTER, but there were several GAUCHO machines.
Subject: TECH: Reset problem with Gottlieb GAUCHO
This is MUCH BETTER.
With hundreds of postings every day, you need to get the point across in
the subject line. Help the readers choose to read your posting and skip
the others. Teaser subject lines not only aren't helpful, they can elicit
anger and frustration resulting in you or your subject being killfiled!
That also means that when the time comes to sell your game, the posting
should give the NAME and CURRENT LOCATION (state/province or more local)
of the game in the subject line.
Before posting for the first time to this (or any) newsgroup you
should read some important tips on how to ask questions. Ignoring
this advice may get you branded as a moron and no one will listen
to you, ever.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Questions on other coin operated amusement equipment are usually
acceptable, if there are no other groups already in existence, such
as those noted below. The names are self-explanatory.
alt.collecting.juke-boxes
rec.games.video.arcade
rec.games.video.arcade.collecting
rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace
rec.sport.billiardsrec.sport.table-soccer (foosball)
I don't think there a coke machine / soda newsgroup.
Postings on shuffle alleys (bowling games) also come up from time
to time.
------------------------------
Subject: 4. How do I buy my own pinball machine ?
Frequently Asked Question number one: "How do I buy a machine?"
Buying a pinball for home use has a lot in common with buying a
car: It can be a big investment, the item requires proper care, and
the business is filled both with honest, decent people and sleaze
balls whom will rip you off.
The first thing to do is to decide what sort of machine you want.
(Actually, step 1 is to read this FAQ !)
Games available for home purchase fall into three categories: Used
electro-mechanical (EM), used solid-state, and new (all new games
are solid-state). Which is right for you depends on what you want,
how much you're willing to spend, and whether you ever intend to
sell or trade the game.
Think a bit about why you want a game. If you want it to play, you
may want a solid-state game. They play faster, and the software
has features that could take you some time to uncover. However,
there are many that prefer EMs to solid state.
If you're looking for something to tear apart, down to the bare
wood, and build back up again (only better), you'll probably want
an EM. Doing the fix-up on a solid-state game may not be as
fruitful. At some point, you'd be staring at an IC-laden circuit
board, and that's way beyond cleaning contacts and tightening
springs.
Aside from knowing why you want a game, you should zero in on which
game you want. The market is fat with choices, and there is a fair
chance that, if you look in the right places, you can eventually
find what you want. But you can't go into the market saying, "Oh,
just find me something you think I'll like." It goes deeper than
issues of color and whitewalls or no: You will fare best if you
have a wish list of games you are interested in.
How much will it cost? It depends on the popularity and rarity of
the game, the condition of this particular machine, and whether or
not you live in California. (Not a joke ... Prices run higher in
The Golden State!)
A semi-functional older solid-state machine can be had for as
little as $100, while a new game fresh from the factory can run to
$4000. Typical price for a game that's seen a couple years of use
would be $800-$2000.
An EM game can run anywhere from $150 to $750 and up, with real
collectors items (like Humpty Dumpty) significantly more. Other
popular EMs that can run $1000 or more are Bally Captain Fantastic
(with Elton John on the backglass), Wizard (Ann Margaret and Roger
Daltry on the backglass), and Fireball (with the classic backglass
designed by Dave Christensen).
If this is your first machine, it's highly recommended that you get
a working one! Picking up a cheap junker may be tempting, but
you'll never get it going without experience, specialized
equipment, and a stock of spare parts. Try to buy from someone
who'll deliver it in working condition, and stand behind it for a
while. Ask for references! Generally, you will be better off
buying from a collector or dealer that specializes in shopped
and/or restored games. You'll generally pay more than if you
bought the same title from an operator or a distributor, but the
machine is more likely to be "plug and play"
As a counterpoint: if you like to tinker, have the tools and
aptitude for taking things apart and putting them back together
again, and don't mind buying something that doesn't work solely for
the joy of fixing it, a non-working pin is a tinkerer's dream.
Just be sure you understand what you are getting into
Next, go looking for one !
The path a pinball machine travels typically looks like this:
Manufacturer--->Distributor--->Operator--->Collector (or junkyard)
Manufacturers only sell to authorized distributors. Unless you
have very deep pockets, you won't be buying your machine brand new
from the distributor. Current production machines are generally in
the $3000-$4000 range new. Some distributors will not sell
directly to home collectors, believing that most home users will
expect a higher level of service than most operators need.
Operators are the ones who put machines out in the field and
maintain them. They're usually willing to sell used machines once
they stop pulling in the quarters. Some operators want nothing to
do with the home market, for the same reason as mentioned above
under distributor.
Go to your favorite machine in the field, and ask who owns it. If
the location doesn't, there's probably a sticker on the machine
pointing you to the operator. Another way to find operators is to
hit the Yellow Pages, and call up the companies listed under
"Amusement Devices." First, ask them if they sell machines for
home use, then ask for the specific machines you're looking for.
Many operators see a lot of "tire-kickers", so your chances for
success are greater if you are ready to pay cash and take the
machine "as-is", "where-is".
You can also buy machines from collectors, at regional auctions, or
at on-line auction houses such as eBay, Yahoo or AuctionRover. In
fact, this is pretty much the only way to go to find an Electro
Mechanical machine. You probably aren't going to find an EM in the
field, or with an operator. Note that eBay has recently introduced
a Regional search option. This will help you find any pins that
may be in your area.
There are also a number of well-respected pinball dealers that
cater primarily to the collector. Many are regular participants on
the rec.games.pinball newsgroup. When looking for a new machine,
don't forget to check rgp!
For both EM's and solid-state machines, the little ads in
periodicals like Game Room and PinGame Journal are an excellent
source of leads. (See list of periodicals below) Also, you can
try to find something locally. Buy every newspaper you can,
including the little "nickel ads" type, and check the classifieds
under Misc for Sale or Yard Sales. You should also see if your
local newspaper offers on-line searches of Classified Ads. Some
even have a notify feature that will send e-mail if an item matches
your search description. Keep doing this for months. It takes
time, but good deals occasionally pop up.
You can also find a "broker," a sort of super-collector in business
to buy up old used games, fix them up, and resell them. Again, you
can reach these people through the publications listed below.
Also, believe it or not, check with a dart supply store! One RGPer
in the Boston area knows one that sells used pins, and at least one
Norwegian store does.
------------------------------
Subject: 5. Buying pinball machines at auctions
Another source for machines is the gaming auctions. This may not
be the best place to buy your first machine, but with a little
knowledge it can be a good deal and a lot of fun! Note though
that, since the closing of Williams pinball, operators are holding
on to pins longer and true "deals" are harder to come by at
industry auctions.
Auctions pop up all over the US. The collector's magazines, like
PinGame Journal or Game Room, list upcoming auctions, and you can
also find listings at web sites such as:
http://GameroomAntiques.com/Show.htm
http://www.empireamusement.com/supplies.html
http://www.pinballmachine.com/
http://www.usamusement.com/calendar.html
You can download a list of recent auction results from
http://www.xmission.com/~daina/auctions/index.html
These auctions can include video games, change machines, slot
machines, juke boxes, crane machines, skee-ball, beer lights, pool
tables, etc., as well as the pinball machines...Just about
everything from the arcade or amusement arena!
Machines available at auctions tend to be those that have stopped
generating enough revenue for an operator to keep them on location.
However, they can range from New-In-Box (NIB) to 30+ year old EMs.
The biggest thing to note is that all items are AS IS, and the only
guarantee you get with an auction machine is the guarantee that
SOMETHING will be wrong with it!
If you find a machine that you are interested in, you should
examine and play it to determine if everything works. However,
don't let operational problems deter you. The cosmetic condition
is usually more important. It's far easier to buy parts to repair,
than it is to find new playfields or backglasses. Closely examine
the playfield (and the plastics), backglass, and cabinet to
determine if the amount is wear is excessive for the age of the
machine. Look for signs of neglect, such as mouse droppings, chewed
wiring and such, and any sign of termites.
Check to see if the manual/schematic is included. If not, these
are usually available for around $20. For a solid-state, try to
run the machine through the self diagnostic tests. Look inside the
machine and under the playfield for suspicious items such as
cut/spliced wires, burnt components, missing components, etc.
When you find one (or more) machines, determine what your maximum
price will be. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding and go
higher than you want. Realize that you may/will be bidding against
the owner of the machine, who's trying to drive up the price of the
machine. This is known as a buyback, and is apparently legal in
some states, and often condoned by the auction company.
There are several things that you should take to the auction.
These include:
1) 100 foot, heavy-duty, three prong extension cord. There will
probably be several outlets available, but all are not accessible
from every machine.
2) Tools - This should include sockets and/or wrenches (5/8" and
9/16") to use to remove the leg and head bolts for transport.
3) Blanket, towels, cardboard, rope/ratchet straps - Used for
transport, or to place the playfield glass on during inspection.
Do NOT set the playfield glass or backglass on a hard concrete
floor. While you will usually not a problem, it could result in a
"shattering" experience.
4) Food and drinks - The auctions can be quite long. Snack bar
food is the other option, usually of last resort.
5) The afore-mentioned list of past auction results. This will
give you an idea of what the machines have sold for in the past.
Although each machine's unique, having a baseline like this will
help you be a more informed buyer.
------------------------------
Subject: 6. Shipping pins
The success of eBay, and other auction houses has made it easier to
find a specific pin that you may be interested in. However, it may
be located across the country from you. There are several
alternatives available for shipping.
The first option is a commercial shipping company, such as Forward
Air (FA). These companies provide city to city shipping. The
seller usually must crate and deliver the pin to the shipper. The
buyer must pick up at the shipper on the other end. FA is usually
mentioned on the newsgroup, as they are often the least expensive
(~$80 to $100 for cross country). Pinball games shipped through FA
must be crated and CODs are no longer accepted. Note that contrary
to their name, FA is actually a trucking company. The pins do not
travel by air. Other shippers, such as Pilot Air, Yellow Freight,
and Overnite are options, but are usually more expensive.
The second option is a 'door-to-door' shipper. There are several
people that specialize in the transportation of coin-op equipment.
They will pick up the game at the seller's house, and deliver to
the buyer's house. Prices usually run about $200 - $250.
Depending on where they are in the country, it could take several
months between pick-up and delivery. Instead of trying to keep
this document up-to-date with which shipper is partnering
with/split up from whom, I refer you to the:
Arcade shipping database
http://www.paraseek.com/arcade/
------------------------------
Subject: 7. On-Line information sources
The listings are divided into two sections. The first are sites
with general information or individual collectors. The second
includes vendors and repair sites.
General Information
===================
A great place to start is Webfind, offered on the GameRoom Magazine
site. This site has links to many great coin-op sites on the web.
Http://www.gameroommagazine.com/webfind.htm
Daina Pettit maintains the Mr. Pinball page including the largest
Buy/Sell pinball classifieds, photos, repair tips, a registry of
collectors, and the auction results mentioned below.
http://www.xmission.com/~daina/pinball.html
How much is that pinball machine worth? The "Auction Results"
file, indexes thousands of recent sales, with price, condition,
location, date of sale, and notes about the individual machines.
http://www.xmission.com/~daina/auctions/index.html
The Internet Pinball Database (IPD) provides details on almost
every pinball machine ever manufactured. There are thousands of
photos and it is updated often.
http://www.ipdb.org
Clay's Website contains detailed information about pinball and other
coin-op games:
Gottlieb Electromechanical Evolution
http://marvin3m.com/gtb
Williams Woodrail Evolution
http://marvin3m.com/wmswood
Sports Games/Pitch and Bat
http://marvin3m.com/baseball
Bowler (Ball and Shuffle)
http://marvin3m.com/bowl
Electromechanical Penny Arcades (includes fortune tellers, arcade
games, gun games, driving games)
http://marvin3m.com/arcade
The Game Archive web site covers both arcade video as well as
pinball machines, and includes links to flyers, schematics, as well
as information on Game Plan and Capcom machines.
http://www.gamearchive.com/
The "Flipper Cowboy" pages contain a list of pinball historians and
a variety of historical essays about pinball machines. Maintained
by Terry Cumming (e-mail = tcumming@inforamp.net )
http://1930s.com
Scott Piehler maintains a web page containing the game rules for
many pins.
http://www.pinball.org/rules.htm
Dan at Pinball Classics has begun repository for scans of playfield
plastics.
http://
You can upload your plastic scans to ftp.pinballclassics.com
(username= pinball , password = pinball)
There's the "Pinball Pasture" Web site, once maintained by David
Byers but seems to have been abandoned two or three years ago.
http://www.lysator.liu.se/pinball/
The "Pin-Wizard" Archive, covers league and tournament info.
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~dstewart/pinball/
Steven Craig maintains an up-to-date list of pinball machines and
their owners (the PAPS list), so that other netters can find people
who have a specific game.
http://www.visi.com/~scraig/PAPS/PAPS.html
Federico "Wiz" Croci maintains a "FlipperPage" in Italy, at:
http://www.tilt.it/
Russ Jensen has wonderful articles online, mainly on the history of
pinball, including topics such as the evolution of the thumper-
bumper and The Year That Could Have Ended Pinball!
http://members.aol.com/rusjensen
Harold Balde maintains a slick web page.
http://tilt.largo.fl.us/hbalde/
The Pinball Owners Association in Cambridge, England.
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/poa/
Randy Fromm's Amusement International Magazine is a web-based
magazine for the coin-op industry. Reviews of the latest machines,
tons of technical tips, and "Yellow Pages" and "Classified"
listings. Heavy on the graphics, but very worthwhile!
http://randyfromm.com/
Coin-Op Classics magazine has gone out of business, but their web
page is still worth a visit.
http://www.coin-opclassics.com/
Star Tech Journal ("The Technical & Informational Monthly for the
Coin-Operated Entertainment Industry")
[http://www.cyberenet.net/~startech link is dead. Anyone know of the
correct one?]
Vendors and Repair Sites
========================
For those looking to do their own restoration and repair of pins, a
great place to start is the "Marvin3M" site. Clay has prepared
several guides covering backglass restoration, EMs, as well as
Bally, Williams and Data East solid state games.
http://www.marvin3m.com/fix.htm
The following commercial sites are listed in alphabetical order,
with no recommendation of one vendor or another. Except where
noted, the descriptive information has been provided by the vendor,
as to the type(s) of services offered.
Action Pinball & Amusement. Ray Johnson
- Specializing in pinball machine restorations, sales,
repair, parts, and circuit board repair.
- Can supply game specific EPROM chips.
http://www.aros.net/~rayj
rayj@aros.net
For Amusement Only [Ft. Collins, Colorado]
- Specializing in pinball parts, books, schematics, flyers
- New game room sales - pinball, foosball, air hockey, pool
- Frequent specials
- Bally, Williams, Stern game specific parts.
Phone: (970) 282-8282
http://www.foramusementonly.to
info@foramusementonly.to
John's Jukes. John Robertson [Vancouver, BC]
- Offers pins for sale and a collection of technical tips.
- Services most pinball boards including: Allied Leisure, Atari,
Bally, Game Plan, Gottlieb, Stern, Williams.
- Can supply game specific EPROM and PROM chips.
- Specialize in battery acid/leakage board repair.
- Can fabricate replacement circuits to replace obsolete parts.
- Please contact for special shipping info if not in Canada.
(604) 872-5757 [voice] (604) 872-2010 [fax]
http://www.flippers.com
jrr@flippers.com
Marco Specialties. Marc Mandeltort
- parts only, including supplies.
- provides an auction calendar and a section for "for sale" and
"wanted" ads, as well as selling parts, books, and supplies.
- authorized distributors of Ni-Wumpf (Gottlieb System 1)
replacement CPU boards, Pinball Lizard Williams High Voltage
boards, Pinball Lizard Gottlieb System 80 pop bumpers.
- free catalog available.
(803) 957-5500 [M-F 10-7 EST] (803) 957-6974 [fax]
http://www.marcospec.com
Mayfair Amusements. Steve Engel
- parts only, including supplies.
- vintage pinball parts, including hundreds of backglasses.
http://www.mayfairamusement.com/
(718) 417-5050
The Pinball Heaven.
- specializes in selling restored 1990 and later Bally and Williams
machines, in the United Kingdom. Can also ship to the US.
http://www.PinballHeaven.co.uk
phil@pinballheaven.co.uk
The Pinball Resource. Steve Young
- parts only, including supplies
- game documentation (schematics, manuals)
- vintage/old stock, reproduction parts
- Williams/Bally-Midway and Stern (Data East/Sega) parts
distributor
- Gottlieb manufacturer/distributor..repository of the parts
inventory that was at the plant when it closed, exclusive
mfr. of Gottlieb parts
(845) 473-7114 [voice] (845) 473-7114 [fax]
pbr@pbresource.com
http://www.pbresource.com
The Repair Connection. Tom Callahan
- Services the early Bally/Williams systems
- Manufactures a replacement MUTHA.PCB for Bally pinball games
- Has a page with tech tips. Many are reprints from his articles
that were published in GameRoom Magazine.
(508) 224-1919 [voice] (508) 224-6247 [fax]
http://www.repairconnection.com/
tcallahan@adelphia.net
Silver Ball Amusement, Tony Page
- specializes in Bally, Williams, and Stern board repairs,
including battery acid damaged MPUs.
(415) 893-9600 [fax & message]
Tony@SilverBall.tv
Two Bit Score Amusements. Bob Sokol
- A pinball repair shop. Accepts Bally, Stern, Williams and
Data East circuit boards. Sells brand new Bally 2518-35 MPU
boards. Gives free estimates on boards sent for repair. Stocks
every GAMEROOM and manual from 1977 on. Sells diagnostic
fixtures to repair your own pinballs.
(512)447-8888 [voice] (512) 447-8895 [fax]
http://www.Twobit.com/
Sales@Twobit.com
------------------------------
Subject: 8. Publications
Magazines
=========
There are many periodicals good for getting background information
on the pinball world and for contacting other collectors.
* pinGame journal is probably the best one for home pinball
collecting. Written by pinball collectors. Has info about new
games in development, as well as articles on finding,
reconditioning, and playing older games. Subscription includes one
free classified ad per month.
31937 Olde Franklin Drive Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 626-5203 message/fax
10 issues--$34 (add $20 for First Class). Canada $38, Europe Air:
$67, Pacific Rim $77, $40.00 (all overseas surface--very slow and
unreliable.) Sample issue: $5.00, Information: Free.
http://www.pingamejournal.com
* Game Room Magazine covers general home game rooms (soda
fountains, jukeboxes, etc) with a healthy dose of pinball included.
Equipment and parts advertising. Steady supply of pinball
articles. Successor to the defunct "Pinball Trader."
PO Box 41, Keyport, NJ 07735-0041
Phone: (732) 739-1955 (Fax 24 hr): (732) 739-2834
$33/year for US, $53 first class; $35/year Canadian (surface),
$55/year Canadian (air); $53/year European(surface), $87/year
European(air); $57/year Pacific Basin (surface), $93/year Pacific
Basin(air). Accepts credit cards. Sample (current) issue $5.25
See website for additional subscription options.
http://www.gameroommagazine.com
Pinhead Classified has gone out of business (Jan 1999), but the
100-page final issue (No. 29), and other back issues may still be
available for purchase.
Contact :Atomic Groove, Attn: PC Back Issues ,1945 "N" Street, Hole
111, Newman, CA 95360
Other magazines (Replay, etc.) are largely "for the trade"; i.e.,
arcade operators and their ilk, though it's fun to have a look from
the other side of the backglass!
Play Meter Thick, slick trade journal, mostly aimed at arcade
owners and operators. Provides uniformly glowing reviews of the
latest games. Covers crane games, kiddie rides, etc., as well as
video and pinball.
PO Box 24970, New Orleans, LA 70184
$60/year US & Canada, $150/year overseas. Sample issue $5 USA, $10
foreign.
http://www.playmeter.com
Distributors Research Associates (DRA) Price Guide. 8 issues
(quarterly with mid-quarter updates], USA check/MC/VISA. Price
listings for conversions, pins, bowlers-shuffles-misc., video
games, jukes, pool tables, other vending equipment currently in
active trading, although phonographs [jukeboxes] and vending go
back as far as 197
11522 State Road 84, Suite 223, Davie FL, 33325
Voice: (954) 423-4000 FAX: (954)423-4005
$85/year, 5.
RePlay Another monthly trade magazine with the same content as Play
Meter.
P.O. Box 2550, Woodland Hills, CA 91365
$65/year US, $85/year Canada & Mexico, Foreign $220 (air) $80
(boat) sample issue $6.
http://www.replaymag.com
Canadian Coin Box
NCC Publishing, 222 Argyle Ave., Delhi, Ontario N4B 2Y2 Canada.
$38/year, sample issue $3.50.
Coin-Op Newsletter A bimonthly hobbyist publication. Covers
antiques and coin-op collectables.
P.O. Box 2426, Rockville, MD 20852
$24/ten issues.
Coin Drop International. A large-format newsprint magazine (11x17)
covering electromechanical coin-op amusements. The most likely
place to see old horse race machines, strength testers, etc.
Pinball articles are just as likely to cover bingos or pre-flipper
machines as they are the more conventional EMs with flippers. They
published their last edition in 1999. The editors now write for
Game Room Magazine.
MultiBall magazine is about drinking in bars, alternative rock, and
pinball. It assumes that its readers are of legal age to indulge in
all three of those things. Recent issues have been about 72 pages
with color covers and a 45-RPM record included. For more
information, go to
http://www.multiballmag.com
Books
=====
Some of the more popular books are noted below. Those currently in
print are available from many of the pinball vendors listed
elsewhere in this document.
"The Complete Pinball Book" by Marco Rossignoli was published in
January 2000, and has over 300 pages of color pictures and text.
The reviews in the newsgroup have been very positive.
http://members.home.net/crinear/pinbook.html
"The Pinball Compendium, 1930s-1960s", Michael Shalhoub. Published
in 2002, with lots of color photos and stories of industry greats
and collectors. 240 pages.
Pinball Troubleshooting Guide, Russ Jensen. For upkeep of electro-
mechanicals. Can be ordered directly from author; $20 ($21 for
First Class postage) to 1652 Euclid Av, Camarillo, CA, 93010.
RUSJENSEN@aol.com
The "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PINBALL" is a planned six-volume work covering
the game's history and development from its earliest antecedents
through the present.
- Volume I, WHIFFLE to ROCKET 1930-1933 was published in 1996.
- Volume II, CONTACT TO BUMPER 1934-1936 was published in 1997.
Each volume contains 252 pages and includes hundreds of photos -
many in color. The "Dean" of Coin Machine historians, the late
Richard M. Bueschel, wrote volumes I and II. Just prior to his
death, Dick asked Gordon A. Hasse, Jr., a well known pinball
collector and Bueschel's former editor and publisher, to assume the
responsibility for writing the remaining four volumes in the
series. Volume III SKIPPER to NUDGY 1937-1947 is planned for
release next year with Volumes IV, V & VI to follow.
"Pinball machines" by Herbert Eiden & Jurgen Lucas
A chronology from EMs to solid state pinball machines. Lots of
color pictures. 168 pages
"Pinball, Lure of the Silver Ball" by Flower & Kurtz. Lots of
color pictures. 130 pages.
"Mr. Pinball Pinball List & Price Guide" by Daina Pettit. Handy
reference guide listing flipper game names, dates, features,
production runs, and values; sorted by machine name and
chronological. Includes separate sections for bingos, baseball
pitch & bat games, bowlers, and gun games. Published annually.
190 pages.
Larry Bieza also publishes a Price Guide in October of
even-numbered years for the next year. Last update is 2003 Price
Guide. 110 pages.
"This Old Pinball" video tapes. Wonderful (and inexpensive at
$6.00 each) VHS video tapes show how to care for your game. See
the website for details.
http://marvin3m.com/top
"Pinball Memories" by Marco Rossignoli, released January 2003, has
272 pages, and over 700 color photos. Marco features 50 machines
from 1958 to 1998, each with its own chapter. See
http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~maavmr/pinball.htm
for more information.
------------------------------
Subject: 9. Manufacturers
Alive and flipping:
=============
Stern Pinball
Formerly Sega Pinball Inc. (Includes Data East)
2020 Janice Avenue
Melrose Park, IL 60160
tel: 708-345-7700
fax: 708-345-7813
toll free: 1-800-KICKERS (number valid only in US and Canada).
www.sternpinball.com
Now sadly out of the pinball business:
======================================
Williams Electronic Games Inc. (Includes Bally and Midway)
(In late 1999, Williams announced they would no longer manufacture
pinball machines. The other parts of the company, including
Williams's slots and Midway and Atari videos are still being
produced. Independent companies make other products bearing the
Bally brand. Williams was only making Bally-branded pinballs.
Premier Technology (Includes Gottlieb and Mylstar)
[The property rights are now owned by Gottlieb Development LLC,
apparently a holding company for intellectual property rights.
Steve Young at The Pinball Resource purchased the remaining
inventory]
Capcom Coin-Op
Chicago Coin / Stern Electronics
Stern Electronics purchased Chicago Coin. Stern Electronics is not
the same company as Stern Pinball, but Gary Stern is/was involved
with both.
Other Companies that produced pins
==================================
Alvin G. & Co.
Game Plan
Atari
Allied Leisure
Keeney
Genco
United
Exhibit
------------------------------
Subject: 10. Abbreviations, Acronyms and Definitions
Here are some terms that may be unique to the industry/hobby. A
file that defines many of the abbreviations that you will see in
rpg can be found at:
http://www.bull.usyd.edu.au/pinball/
Shopped - a vague term that implies that the owner has performed
work to restore the machine to top condition. This can mean
anything from just putting new rubber rings on, to refurbishing
with new parts. Some buyers have claimed that a seller's shop job
consisted of swiping the dust off the playfield with a dirty rag.
NOS - "New Old Stock". This is material that was manufactured at
the same time as the machine, but never used.
EM - Electro-mechanical. A game consisting mainly of relays,
switches and motors. They contain no solid state electronics, such
as circuit boards or dot-matrix displays.
Woodrail - The first EMs (up through 1960) had wooden legs, and
wooden siderails. Most of the single-player games had "bulb
scoring," in which a large portion of the backglass area has
numbers and lightbulbs behind those numbers are turned on by
stepper units. Woodrail games had a few gadgets for the playfield,
such as pop bumpers and moving targets, and the designers would
have a new layout of those gadgets for a new title every two months
or so. Home use of older games was prevalent in that era, but not
an organized activity as it is today. Survival rate of woodrail
games to the present era is estimated to be from 0.5 to 5%,
depending on whom you ask. All of the above factors combine to form
a rosy glow of nostalgia around woodrails, so many say it was the
Golden Age of Pinball.
PB2K - Pinball 2000. The next-generation pinball released by
Williams. The game consisted of a video monitor mounted in the
head. The image reflected off of the playfield glass, and provided
changing views, depending on game condition. Revenge From Mars,
and Star Wars - Episode 1 were released before Williams shut down
production.
WPC - Williams Pinball Controller (?). The version of pinball
processor/architecture used from 1991 (Funhouse) through 1999
(Cactus Canyon). Succeeded by PB2K.
Gtb - Gottlieb
Wms - Williams
Games/Pins
AFM - Attack from Mars
AFV - Addams Family Values
BoP - Bride of Pinbot (The Machine)
BR - Black Rose
CC - Cactus Canyon
DH - Dirty Harry
DM - Demolition Man
DW - Doctor Who
FB - NBA Fastbreak
FH - Funhouse
FS - Flintstones
FT - Fish Tales
GI - Gilligan's Island
HD - Harley Davidson (2 versions - Sega & Stern)
HSII - High Speed II : The Getaway
JD - Judge Dredd
JM - Johnny Mnemonic
MB - Monster Bash
MM - Medieval Madness
NGG - No Good Gofers
PZ - Party Zone
RFM - Revenge From Mars
RS - Road Show
SC - Safe Cracker
SS - Scared Stiff
STTNG - Star Trek : The Next Generation
SWE1 - Star Wars Episode 1
T2 - Terminator : Judgement Day
TAF - The Addams Family
ToM - Theatre of Magic
TOTAN - Tales / Arabian Nights
TTT - Ticket Tac Toe
TZ - Twilight Zone
WCS - World Cup Soccer
WW - White Water (or Whirlwind)
------------------------------
Subject: 11. Other Frequently Asked Questions
(This section will cover general questions or frequently asked
questions posted to rec.games.pinball. Major update was coming
March 2001 but due to ownership changes it was postponed.)
------------------------------
Subject: 12. Miscellaneous
[reserved for future use]
end
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