Anyone Interested In Pinball Machines?

Pinball Ireland · 29-07-2008 3:12pm #1

Hi Guys,

My name's Andy and I'm new to this forum.

Basically I'm into pinball machines in a big way. I had 45 of them up till recently but I've trimmed the number down to a more manageable 20-odd (for now!!

)

Anyway I buy, sell, repair and mainly collect pins and was wondering if anyone else here is interested in them and if so, what have they got?

I already know Mitchomagic from elsewhere!! Btw, Mitch I have a Superhero in my van with your name on it

Andy

wonderboy1 · 16-08-2008 6:34pm

hi andy im also into pinball :-) just playing them though i would'nt be able to fix or service them. i ve always wanted one for my house and might buy one before the end of this year i would really love to buy mars attacks but i think it is a bit expensive

My questions are what ones you have for sale , what guarantees do you give? And if parts are needed can you supply and fit ect. Btw im in kerry

Pinball Ireland · 17-08-2008 4:19pm

Hi,

Nice to hear there are other pinheads out there!!

By Mars Attacks do you mean "Attack from Mars" or the Pinball 2000 game "Revenge from Mars"? The latter is the one where the video animations are reflected down onto the playfield glass. The former is a standard pinball machine but is hard to come by and very expensive!! Think €2,000+

I normally have about 20 pinballs at any one time. Many of those are kept in my own collection but I also buy and sell pins as well. Whenever you're ready to buy one then give me a shout. If I don't have what you want then I can always get hold of them.

I repair pins and I also carry quite a few spares as well. You'll only ever really get a guarantee on a brand new pin (on the whole) but I guarantee the pin will be fully working at the point of sale and I'm always on the other end of the phone/email. I also sell "project machines" as well but I wouldn't recommend this for you as you've already said you can't fix them.

Hope this helps.

By the way, I'll let you know when I will be hosting the next "Irish meet" where there'll be a weekend of pinball, beer and pizza at my place.

You can always email directly at andrew@pinball.ie

All the best,

Andy

gary 234 · 13-09-2008 9:54pm

hi,

i wonder if you could help me out. i have just got an old addams family pinball table and there is just one small problem with it. the left lower flipper does not work. i would be greatfull if you could advise me on how it could be fixed.

thanks,gary

Pinball Ireland · 17-09-2008 4:18pm

Hi Gary,

What happens to the flipper when you press the left flipper button then? Does it shudder or try to move or is it completely dead?

Feel free to give me a call on 087 745 4110 and I'll talk you through it if you like?

All the best,

Andy

valleyoftheunos · 17-09-2008 5:39pm

great thread Andy,

One question you might be able to answer. Is there sucha thing as an affordable Pin and if so how much do they cost?

Cheers

Pinball Ireland · 17-09-2008 6:03pm

Hi valleyoftheunos ... I assume thats NOT your first name? ;-)

Price-wise, it depends on what you're after. You could buy a cheap pin on Ebay but I've yet to buy one there which doesn't have faults. Also, you could easily buy a "dog" on Ebay.

I fix all my pins myself.

If they're properly prepped then they should be reliable BUT pinball machines are very complicated and there are many things that can go wrong. Most things are fairly easy to fix though if you know what you're doing.

I sell pins for upwards of about €1,000 and provide full back up by email and phone.

Contact me on 087 745 4110 if you want to know more!!

Cheers,

Andy

cynos · 18-09-2008 1:29am

I got offered a Taxi Driver and a peterpan machine recently for stupidly cheap money, ya didnt pick em up yourself, did you?

Pinball Ireland · 18-09-2008 3:06am

Nope it wasn't me!!

valleyoftheunos · 18-09-2008 9:17am

Thanks for that Andy, I really enjoy PinBall but wouldn't have that kinda money to spend on one. Besides my Girlfriend views the fact that I play games at all as slightly idiotic at best, I cant imagine what she would say if I brought a pin home.

Pinball Ireland · 18-09-2008 12:15pm

No problem.

I host an Irish Meet every year, which is basically a weekend of pinball, beer and pizza. I'll post here when the next one is and you're welcome to come over. I should have around 16 pins set up and working for that one.

Andy

Bluehair · 25-10-2008 10:59pm

Hi Andy, any update on the Meet your organising? (roughly when or where?) I'd love to attend as space permitting i've been promising myself a machine for years, personal fav was the Star Trek:TNG machine. One concern though; are they hard to maintain in the long term?

Pinball Ireland · 25-10-2008 11:30pm

Hi,

Well the meet will def be at my place just outside of Limerick and will hopefully be this Jan. I'll post full details when I know exactly when.

Am thinking about taking this a step further for 2010 and hosting a proper event in a hotel or reception area with a competition element - like the Irsh Pinball Open maybe.

Anyway, back to your question - Star Trek The Next gen, or STTNG as its abbreviated, is a widebody pin and is one of the more complicated pins as there are so many features on it. For me, I find pins very logical but they can be very daunting for those who don't know their way around them. Put it this way, whether or not you get a pin from me, I'll always help with advice when I can. All problems are fixable and I hold a lot of spares too. There are also companies in the UK and Stateside who sell plenty of parts.

Saying that, its very much hit or miss with pinballs when it comes to reliability. I've had pins in my own collection that I've barely had to touch over the years and they're still going strong. But even brand new Sterns can have faults out of the box!!

If I had to offer just 2 bits of advice to a new pin owner they would be:

1. Polish the playfield once a month to keep it clean and shiny - this also helps to prevent playfield wear
2. If you're going to store the pin or not play it for a long while (read many months or years) then REMOVE THE BATTERIES FROM THE CPU BOARD as they will leak and corrode the board.

I think I've got a STTNG coming in before Xmas - if I do then I'll let you know.

All the best,

Andy

BLITZ_Molloy · 26-10-2008 7:09pm

Meet in Limerick? Savage. I live in Ennis, spent two hours playing Pirates of The Carribean in Dr. Quirkies in Dublin the other day. They have Family Guy too but It's a bit of a boring table.

They have Indiana Jones in Galway. It's great fun. I must drop up there for a few more games soon.

I've always been put off buying a pin because of issues of maintenance. That and the cost. I'll get one one day though. I'd like Royal Rumble or maybe a TNG. Adams Family plays so well I'd be tempted by that too.

Bluehair · 26-10-2008 9:01pm

Andy, sounds great I'd be well up for the meet i don't mind the trip down from Dublin for the day. I'm hoping to put together a Mame cabinet first so doubt the cash will be there for a pinball machine before Christmas but do keep me in mind.

silverball · 15-11-2008 4:15am

Hi

Im based in Belfast and love pinball..

Im on the lookout for a cheapish table :rolleyes:

Pinball Ireland · 16-11-2008 5:35pm

Hi Blitz - Maintenance can be fairly straight forward. Even if you can't do it yourself, there are others who can - such as me.

Hi Silverball - so what kind of tables are you after and what's your budget? Email me off list if you like.

The prices of pin tables are determined by factors such as pin table model, cabinet & playfield condition and whether its been serviced or not. If you have any specific questions or requests then fire away ...

Andy

phillo · 16-11-2008 8:29pm

I used to play The Adams Family (probably one of the most popular?) and Lethal Weapon 3. I could never play them fairly though. Tilting was the order of the day. If I didn't tilt it, I wouldn't last two minutes on any table.

I noticed that some tables had a more sensitive tilt that others (obviously set by the venue), but it was something that I certainly took into consideration when deciding whether to play again, or not.

How are pinball machines supposed to be played?

With or without tilting?

hargo · 16-11-2008 9:05pm

Hi Andy
Just came across this thread and great to know where to go if one needs advice and would love to visit some day if i,m down Limerick way. I have Adams Family for the past 10 years and i love it to bits. For anyone interested in pinball machines i would say its necessary to be able to fix some things yourself. I had a lot of problems at the start and found it difficult to get people to fix them. There is however a huge amount of info on the net. There is one guy who has a site in the USA which is excellent. He also sells videos on fixing and overhauling Pinballs which were a great help to me. Got a great kick out of stripping down the machine and cleaning verything so it looks like new.
I have some parts for Twilight Zone if you are ever stuck or if you have it as a "project Machine" might be interested.

Pinball Ireland · 16-11-2008 10:19pm

Phillo - pinball machines have a massive amount of possible adjustments - most of them based withina game's diagnostics - to allow operators to make the tables harder or easier to play. The main tilt mechanism is a plumb bob with an outer metal ring. So, when the table is moved too much then the plum bob touches the outer ring and the machine gives you a warning...then a 2nd warning ... and then it tilts. This plumb bob can be adjusted up and down to make it easier/harder to tilt. Many home pin table users remove them altogether!! There is also a slam tilt switch to stop you doing "death saves" - ie: slamming the coin door as hard as you can when the ball drains down the middle to put it back into play and another cabinet tilt switch to stop you physically lifting the table up and down - and in some cases dropping it.

In the earlier pinball days, especially the late 70's and 80's - pinball playing was VERY physical and in many cases it was essential to getting a high score.

Tilt mechanisms help to preserve the life of the machine and obviously minimise the number of maintenance visits however CLEARLY there were many operators who "took the piss" by setting pins up to tilt with only the slightest movement of the table!

Hope this clarifies things for you. Personally, I prefer playing pinball physically too so I can understand you getting frustrated!!

Hargo - let me know when you're Limerick way and you're welcome to pop in for a few games. Also let me know if you're ever looking to do a part-ex with your Addams Family. What sort of TZ spares have you got? I wouldn't normally sell on a TZ as a project machine as they're worth more to me once they're done up. Am currently about to do up one with a lovely cabinet.

Andy

phillo · 16-11-2008 11:30pm

Thanks Pinball Ireland,

What you have said just reinforces what I was thinking. When I played pinball, I would slide the table left or right, about 8 or 10 inchs. I was having fun, but wasn't sure if I was cheating.

I think a lot of people who were attracted to pinball, never got the chance to immerse themselves in a game because of very sensitive tilting mechanisms, thus, making them unpopular.

I got into pinball in the 90's, when the dot-matrix screens were starting to be used. I discovered their "theme" element as well e.g. hitting certain targets 3 times allows you to progress to a more difficult target, (Adams Familys Cousin IT, the thing, tour the mansion e.t.c.) .........

.....I'm dying for a game right now.

Pinball Ireland · 17-11-2008 12:17am

While I agree with you that SOME pins were set up with too sensitive tilt mechanisms, most were definitely playable. Part of the art of being able to learn and ultimately "master" a pin is being able to adapt to it and how it plays. Therefore if it tilts too easily, just be that much more careful with it. Everyone else who plays that particular machine will have the same issues with it as you - so to that extent, its a level playing field.

Anyway, I'm off to plug in (and hopefully play) a Tales of The Arabian Nights for the first time :-)

Andy

silverball · 17-11-2008 12:56am

Always liked a machine if it 'could take a bit of hip' (slight nudging with my right hip)

But as Pinball Ireland says the art of pinball is adjusting your game to the table, if its sensitive you play less physically etc

PI, id love a 'The Shadow' or a 'Theatre of Magic' table but basically anything from the 90s on (matrix display)

Just missed out on a 'Fun house' a few weeks ago which was going cheap.

I guess im hoping for a sub £500 machine that probably needs work.

I might fetch my old machine back from my brothers to keep me going in the mean time (pinball pool by gottlieb & co 1979)

Pinball Ireland · 17-11-2008 1:10am

Was that the Funhouse near Belfast? If so, I have it.

Those 2 pins you mentioned are both "premium" machines. TOM, or Theatre of Magic, in particular goes for £1,200 + on the open market and a fair bit more for shopped/refurbished.

Shadows go for around £800 + on the open market and £1k + shopped/refurbished.

I have just sold a Shadow and am currently fixing another.

When you say you don't mind doing them up, what is the extent of your experience? Can you handle board repairs, for example? If so, I may be able to sort you out with something sub £500 but I'd have to check my inventory. Feel free to post here, email me directly at andrew@pinball.ie or call me on 087 745 4110

Andy

silverball · 17-11-2008 1:28am

Id say thats the one all right Donaghadee ?

Id been talking to Davey via email a few times and was trying to organise to get down to see it when he informed me you had rang and agreed to buy it.
:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Oh well that what I get for faffing about....;)

Was it in decent condition then ?

Yeah I have done board level repairs in the past (not on pins though) Although im probably a bit rusty now as my electronics exposure is fairly high level now days (comms is now mainly board swapping rather than repairing these days)

If you have anything for sale you can get me at ian.craig (at) mac.com

CLADA · 17-11-2008 1:29am

Hi Andy,

This thread is bringing back some serious memories, in 1975 I was a 10 yr old pinball wizard, can't remember exactly what the two machines were called but one was based on parachuting "Sky high" maybe. The 2nd was a gottlieb based on playing cards with targets A K J Q in the 4 different suits.

Great memories and no smart answers saying they ran on turf:eek:

Pinball Ireland · 17-11-2008 2:37pm

Hi Ian (Silverball) - I had the Funhouse picked up as I didn't fancy the long trip to Donaghadee so I haven't actually seen it yet!! I'm expecting it to be fairly rough though. Am considering completely restoring it for myself as it's one of my favourite games - a Pat Lawlor classic. If so, I'll get a NOS playfield and cabinet decals from the States.

Hi Clada, no jokes about them running on turf ... but I guess they're so old that the instructions for them are written in Latin!! ;-)

Check out www.ipdb.org and have a browse through the site to see if you can find the ones you remember. I don't deal with electromechanical pins myself but if you ever want to get your hands on one then I know guys in the UK who would either have one or could source one for you.

Andy

hargo · 17-11-2008 7:07pm

Hi Andy,
I have the clock, small play field and the bubblegum machine. I was given the playfield as spares for Adams Family so i just stripped it. I presume they work but don't know. If i'd known then what i know now i'd have taken all the boards as well as they were thrown out!!!!

silverball · 08-12-2008 1:49am

So

Does anyone know off any pinball tables located in or near Belfast ?

Or even any in the North?

defenderdude · 09-12-2008 12:06am

silverball wrote: »

So

Does anyone know off any pinball tables located in or near Belfast ?

Or even any in the North?

I've sold a few to guys (well 2 specifically) in Belfast a few years back. (Twilight Zone, Adams Family, Dracula etc...) They may be available. I'll make a few calls and try find out for ya to see what's about.

If you dont hear from me - send me a PM in a few days to remind me just incase...:rolleyes::o

silverball · 14-12-2008 1:22am

Any news Defenderdude ?

I dont have enough posts to PM yet (not sure how many i need)

Cheers for any info...

edit: It would seem five posts is all you need :rolleyes:

Anyone Interested In Pinball Machines?

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