This information provided via the courtesy of Vintage Slots of Colorado, Inc.

If you have an antique coin machine and want to sell it, please send me an email. If I am not interested in it, I will forward your email to a collector who probably is.


The following information is the web version of Coin Op on CD which was a book all about antique coin machines and it was distributed on a CD-ROM. This book was written in 1995 and sold in 1996. Please take this into consideration when reading the articles. There are no plans to come out with version 2. However, we do plan on periodically updating the information on the web version.
The CD version of the book has pricing information as well as a dealer directory. Since the prices are out of date and many of the dealers/collectors may no longer be collecting the machine we have purposely left this information out of the web version. However, we do keep in contact with many dealers and collectors who are actively buying and selling machines and would be happy to put you in touch with one if you have a machine you are looking to sell.

If you are looking to purchase an antique coin machine you may also send me an email and I will put you in touch with a reputable dealer. Odds are, I will not be selling the machine you are looking for (since I rarely sell any machines).


Pinball: Kinetic Excitement For A Coin
By Dick Bueschel

Let's talk about pinball games. We have alluded to them in past columns, but never by themselves. Yet pinballs are the coin machines that most people are familiar with, and there are probably more pinball games in different private homes than any other class of coin machine.
So why did it take so long to get around to them? It's a matter of attention span. Pinball people are, well, different. As collectors they don't see themselves as coin-op enthusiasts. They're pinball enthusiasts, and the fact that their machines work by a coin (although many of the "home" machines have been converted over to free play by pushing a button or tripping a lever, which in itself is major disdain for coin-ops) is of little matter to them. If anything, it's an annoyance. They want to play, not pay.
But if you are a pinball collector, or have a machine or two, you are in for some rude shocks. They aren't worth much. Oh, some games are. The Rockola JIG SAW of 1933 goes for over $1,000 at most coin-op shows (the going rate now is about $1.400!) and its companion Rockola WORLD SERIES goes for 2/3rds as much. But most other games from that period have a hard time topping out at $200, provided they are in prime shape.
It's worse with later machines. A lot of people paid a lot of money to get a game in the house, and when it finally came time to sell or get rid of it they find that they almost have to pay someone to take the game away. I get at least a call or two a week from people who want to sell me a pinball, and they often get mad when I don't jump at their offer (in the high hundreds, usually) and try to explain the facts of pinball life.
That's the down side. There are up sides, and they top the down sides by a wide margin. No coin-op is more fun to play! None! And if you are lucky enough to get a game that you grew up with in grade school, high school or college, it's a fountain of youth for you as you try to make the same holes and scores you did as a kid. That's glory! To those true devotees, they'll never give up their game. The furniture goes first. So how can you put a value on that?
Gamewise, there are 5 major pinball periods. The mechanical countertops and early legged machines (circa 1931-1934) are marvels of ingenuity and often a lot of fun to play. But aren't worth much, maybe $125 to $225 at the top end in prime condition from a dealer. Figure the auction value or selling price at half that.
The battery powered electrics and early payouts (circa 1934-1936) add to that marvel of ingenuity, and many of these games are classic collectibles. And that makes them worth more. A Bally ROCKET that pays out well and doesn't have a trashed cabinet is valued at around $350-$750, depending on where you find it. But most of these games are in the $150-$250 value area.
By 1937 the electromechanicals with plastic bumpers had entered the scene, and they revolutionized the game. Same $150-$250 value area, although the Bally BUMPER goes for $450. This trend carried right through World War 2 (it's the revamps that are worth the money. SLAP THE JAPS, a rebuilt regular game, is worth $700 easy, provided the glass and playfield are prime) until the Gottlieb HUMPTY DUMPTY came along in October 1947. Guess what it had? They called them "kicker bumpers," but they later became known as flippers. That's the beginning of the modern game. It's only gotten racier and faster since then.
The flipper "Woodrail" (1950s) and "Steelrail" (1960s) games are in a $150-$250 class, although that HUMPTY DUMPTY is an easy $350 worth, and going up, up, up! By the 1970s the modern game with ramps, pop bumpers, skill shots and fast action led straight to the unbelievable solid state world under glass you see today. If you haven't played a pinball game in 10 years, try a new one. It'll scare you. But watch a kid play. It's magic!
Hot pin lovers will pay around $1,850 for a recent game just off location (they cost about $3,500 new), but can't get more than 10% of that if they hold for 3 or 4 years and try to sell. With some exceptions. The Bally CAPT. FANTASTIC celebrity game of 1975 still sells for over $1,000, whereas the Bally DOLLY PARTON celebrity game of 1978 is such a dog it's hard to give one away.
Last notes. The "cosmetics" of a pinball game are the most important value and collectibility factor. A good game with a bad backglass and a worn playfield isn't a good game. A mediocre game with good glass and playfield is worth more. If the game doesn't work, that isn't as important as bad cosmetics. You can fix the mechanical stuff, but you usually can't replace the glass or painted cabinet and playfield.
In short, for fun pick up a pin. As an investment, stay away from them unless you really know what you're dealing with.

Q. - We have a pinball game using glass balls, electric, shooting bumpers and is named TOP HAT. Some damage to the glass parts. We are settling our family estate and we feel you may be interested. J. and C. S., Lancaster, OH..
A. - I will need photos. There were three pinball games named TOP HAT made between 1935 and 1948, and I don't know which one you've got.
It makes a difference. So does the glass damage.
Q. - I own an early pinball game made by the Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company. I've been told it dates to the mid-1930s. It depicts the Army-Navy football game. All mechanisms are in working order and it is in beautiful original condition. I would like to know how many were made, scarcity and value. D.F., Pemberville, OH.
A.- I've asked around about this one, and you have a classic. Your game is the Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company ARMY AND NAVY made in Chicago and introduced in December 1934. No one knows how many were made, but it wasn't anywhere near the big numbers that the popular Rock-Ola best sellers such as JIG SAW and WORLD SERIES of 1933 and 1934. In fact, the game was all but a flop as it relied on the ball to advance across the football field. Any dirt that gets in the field plugs the game, and the ball has a difficult time moving. They tried to overcome that with a "Gold Top" model in 1935, but it still didn't solve the problem.
But its play features are unique. Little chains drive the ball across the football field, and that makes it a highly desirable game. Between collectors the game is valued at around a thousand dollars. Even at the sellers half price, you're looking at a $500 game. Congratulations for coming up with one of the prime early pinball collectibles.
Q. - Enclosed find a picture of a non-electric pinball machine called FLASH that I have had for about 30 years. There is no identification as to manufacturer. A nickel releases 10 balls and the score must be added in the players head. I want to sell it. J.m S., Bloomsbury, NJ
A. - My, my, what an interesting machine. I mean it. However, "Interesting" does not mean "valuable" per se, but it does mean "history."
I'll tell you what I think it is, but before I start that you'll be glad to know that I can date it precisely. 1933! The "10 balls for a nickel (or penny!)" is a 1932-1933 play format, and it didn't last beyond that year. As for the maker, it's a revamp. I'll explain. It wasn't made that way. It probably started out as a Rock-Ola INTERNATIONAL or similar game made in Chicago and introduced in 1932. Then, to keep the game interesting and new, a local operator or professional revamper changed the playfield and gave it a new name. They did that a lot in the early days of pinball. So it's a rarity. Which isinteresting.
Sadly, vintage pinball machines aren't worth much. Between collectors your game is valued at about $100-$150. Once restored, a dealer might try to get more, but even then it would only be around $200 range. It takes a true collector to be interested in a piece like this.
Q. - I have a pinball that needs a little work as it does not complete all functions. I'd like to sell this machine. What would be a fair price? J.S., Adrian, MI.
A. - A pinball game that doesn't "complete all functions," or is missing parts, such as the original lock on the door, takes a real drop in value fast. Your game is a nice one, the Gottlieb WORLD FAIR of April 1964 (named after the New York World's Fair of that year). But even in tip top shape-which to collectors is Class 1 or Class 2 -- your game commands around $250 max. As it is, it's somewhere between Class 3 and 5, and I'd estimate a fair selling price at about $100, provided somebody wanted it.
As for selling, you might try some of the local trader publications. Or run an ad in Antique Week.
Copyright Richard M. Bueschel, 1992