Gusher by Williams
What exactly would be considered vintage pinball machines? Well, when I think of vintage pinball machines, I think of the old woodrail pinball machines, which were made back in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. Woodrail pinball machines had wood rails down the side of the machine, and a wood frame around the back glass. If you’ve got a game room with a bunch of vintage pinball machines, you’re going to want to have at least one woodrail machine. I used to own a woodrail machine called “Gusher”. It was lots of fun – my dad bought it for me from a bar back in the late 60’s.
If you’re a little younger than me, you will probably consider some of the machines that came out in the 1960’s and 1970’s to be vintage pinball machines. I really think that this was the heyday of pinball machines, back before video games were invented and pinballs were the only game in town. Back in the era of vintage pinball machines, there were thousands and thousands of different models, from manufacturers like Williams, Bally, and Gottlieb.
Drop-A-Card - A Simple, Fun Vintage Pinball Machine
One of my favorite vintage pinball machines was called Drop-A-Card. It was a poker themed machine that had playing card drop targets along both sides and along the top. It was a very simple machine, but offered hours of enjoyment, possibly because it was fairly easy to win free games. I remember putting my quarter on the glass and waiting for the guy before me to finish playing his free games so I could play. Drop a card had the older, smaller flippers that say “FLIPPER” on them. As machines got a little newer, they had bigger flippers that were quite often another color, with yellow rubber around them.
Back in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, all pinball machines were what were known as Electromechanical, or EM machines. They had reels that turned around to show the score, or lights that shown through the backglass. If you’re looking for vintage pinball machines, you would probably be talking about any of the machines that were built before 1977. In 1977, the advent of the Solid State, or SS pinball machine came about, and the industry was changed forever. Now, circuit boards and digital displays took over.
Williams introduced their first solid-state pinball machine called “Hot Tip” in 1977 and because of this new technology, they and Bally thrived in this era as they both sold large amounts of games with fancy sound effects, speech, and game features that only a computer could make possible. In fact, during this time companies put out machines in both styles, and Hot Tip was one of those. Here are pictures of both backglasses, so you can see the difference.
 Hot Tip Electromechanical |
 Hot Tip Solid State |
Solid state pinball machines can be really cool, with all the music, talking, and computer effects. Still, there is just something about the old EM machines that can’t be beat, with their spinning reels and bells and lights!
If you’re looking for your own vintage pinball machines, one of the best places to search is . Here are a few vintage pinball machines available on Ebay right now.
Bally Arcade Pinball Machine Vintage Eight Ball Orig.
 | US $750.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 19:32:46 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Bally Silver Ball Mania Vintage Pinball Machine. Minty.
 | US $1,200.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 16:28:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Vintage Williams Space Shuttle Pinball Arcade Machine
 | US $899.99 End Date: Friday Oct-01-2010 10:10:35 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $899.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
GOTTLIEB FOOTBALL GRIDIRON PINBALL MACHINE VINTAGE
 | US $700.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 14:39:28 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
BALLY WIZARD TOMMY PINBALL MACHINE VINTAGE ANTIQUE
 | US $800.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 14:38:43 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Vintage 1979 Dracula Pinball Machine by Stern
 | US $1,050.00 End Date: Thursday Sep-30-2010 13:50:58 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,050.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
1973 VINTAGE GOTTLIEB JACK IN THE BOX PINBALL MACHINE
 | US $500.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 17:06:53 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
JENCO VICTORY PINBALL MACHINE 1941 VINTAGE
 | US $1,495.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 13:22:31 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Gottlieb HOLLYWOOD HEAT Vintage Arcade Pinball Machine
 | US $1,595.00 End Date: Wednesday Sep-29-2010 13:17:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,595.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Vintage Bally Golden harv payout pinball slot machine
 | US $1,000.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 17:41:26 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,100.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Anyone that’s been around pinballs at all for any length of time is familiar with William’s pinball machines. They were one of the main pinball machine manufactures for 55 years, from their first machine called Zingo which was manufactured in 1944 to their last machine, Star Wars Episode One in 1999, they were always one of the most popular manufacturers of Pinball Machines.
I have a special place in my heart for William’s pinball machines. I’ve personally owned 3 for them myself, and some of my very favorite’s growing up were William’s pinball machines. The ones I owned were Gusher, High Speed (I still have this one), and Road Show. These were 3 very different machines from different eras.
Gusher by Williams - Disappearing Bumper is near the top and says "Spots" on it
Gusher
Gusher was made in 1958, when I was just 2 years old. It was a wood rail machine that my dad bought for me from a bar for $200. It’s worth much more than that now – that’s for sure! Gusher was the first William’s pinball machine to have a disappearing jet bumber. It was an extremely fun machine to play, and I had many, many hours of entertainment from it.
Bally Arcade Pinball Machine Vintage Eight Ball Orig. | US $750.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 19:32:46 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Bally Silver Ball Mania Vintage Pinball Machine. Minty.
| US $1,200.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 16:28:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Vintage Williams Space Shuttle Pinball Arcade Machine
| US $899.99 End Date: Friday Oct-01-2010 10:10:35 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $899.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
High Speed
High Speed is a great game, and you can find it pretty readily nowadays if you want to look around on . It has a flashing red light on top that comes on when you escape from the cops! High Speed 2 – The Getaway is a later model of this game, which is also lots of fun.
 | US $2,281.18 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 4:34:07 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $2,281.18 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Williams High Speed Pinball Machine**SUPER NICE**
 | US $2,495.00 End Date: Wednesday Sep-08-2010 17:31:42 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $2,495.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Road Show Red and Ted
Road Show
Road Show was a later machine that I had also. It has lots of ramps, tunnels, and holes, and also 2 talking heads, Red and Ted. At one point of the game you shoot the ball in Ted’s mouth and he swallows it! It’s pretty funny, and really a blast to play. This machine was manufactured in 1994, and is one of the newer types of William’s pinball machines.
RED & TED'S ROAD SHOW PINBALL MACHINE | US $3,499.00 End Date: Tuesday Sep-14-2010 8:03:27 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $3,499.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Spanish Eyes
One of the older William’s pinball machines that I used to love to play was called Spanish Eyes. It was a very fast moving game for its time, and I spent a lot of time and money at a place called P. M. Jacoy’s in downtown Spokane, WA playing this game. I remember that like it was yesterday, but it was more than 35 years ago!
Bally Silver Ball Mania Vintage Pinball Machine. Minty. | US $1,200.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 16:28:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Vintage 1979 Dracula Pinball Machine by Stern
| US $1,050.00 End Date: Thursday Sep-30-2010 13:50:58 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,050.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
I could go on and on – I’m really a lover of William’s pinball machines, but why don’t you check them out for yourself? Ebay is a great place to look for William’s pinball machines – who knows? You might even end up having one in your own basement!
BALLY WILLIAMS POOL SHARKS PINBALL MACHINE-VERY NICE!! | US $1,265.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Sep-15-2010 6:20:21 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,399.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
WILLIAMS ALIEN POKER BEAUTIFUL PINBALL MACHINE-NICE!!
 | US $1,055.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Sep-15-2010 6:17:53 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,166.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Williams Monster Bash Pinball Machine
 | US $2,025.03 (5 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 5:07:36 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
1990 WILLIAMS WHIRLWIND PINBALL MACHINE GREAT PLAYFIELD
 | US $1,400.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 16:42:08 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,600.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
1989 WILLIAMS EARTHSHAKER PINBALL MACHINE GR PLAYFIELD
 | US $1,400.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 16:35:07 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,600.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
New or Used Pinball Machines?
The only company still making pinball machines today is Stern, so if you want any other type of machine, you’re going to have to look into used pinball machines. It’s ok though – the truth of the matter is that there are lots of great used pinball machines out there, and many of them have been refurbished into top-notch condition.
So where do you go to find used pinball machines?
One thing you can do is look around at the local want ads and Craig’s list. You very well could find a great bargain right in your own backyard, but if you do the chances are you’re going to have to do some work on your machine. Not that this is a bad thing – in fact, you’re going to need to know how to do some minor fixes anyway, as they do have a lot of moving parts, and quite often need “tune-ups”.
A quick search around google turns up quite a few sites that sell new and used pinball machines. One thing I noticed right away is that there are all kinds of sellers – from ones that have really great websites, with lots of pictures and even promotional videos to ones that are very homemade websites with hardly any facts at all.
Used Pinball Machines on Ebay
If you’re looking around at the different sites, be careful to choose one that seems reputable, as this is a pretty major expenditure, and you want to make sure you don’t get cheated. For this reason, I think one of the best places to shop for used pinball machines is Ebay. They have very strict controls over fraud, and with their rating system, you can be sure you’re dealing with someone that’s reputable. In fact, I’ve bought a couple of machines from there myself.
Another good reason to use Ebay is you’re going to be able to get a fair price, since it’s an auction site. I noticed one cool site that had a lot of really nice machines, but I thought the prices were kind of high. At Ebay, there is a lot of competition, so you’re free to take the best price.
So there you go, there are lots of options for finding used pinball machines, either locally or on the web. Happy shopping!
Williams Monster Bash Pinball Machine | US $2,025.03 (5 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-12-2010 5:07:36 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Indianapolis 500 Pinball Machine - Home Use Only
 | US $2,025.00 (5 Bids) End Date: Saturday Sep-11-2010 13:10:20 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Williams White Water pinball machine
 | US $1,080.00 (7 Bids) End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 16:02:09 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Pirates of the Caribbean Pinball Machine
 | US $2,572.22 (11 Bids) End Date: Friday Sep-10-2010 2:47:56 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
SOPRANOS - STERN PINBALL MACHINE - LESS THAN 600 PLAYS
 | US $2,022.00 (12 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 18:30:06 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $3,699.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Filed under Pinball Machines, Used Pinball Machines 