my first pinball

I was living in a student house, while i was no student any more, around 1987 in Valkenswaard.

My fellow housemate, had a pinball machine on his back in the shed.

He wanted to get rid of it, and asked me Fl 50,- for it, that is around €22,-

I bought it from him, set it up in my new shed since i was moved out. and try to repair it, it was a EM machine called The Wiggler, from Bally, made in 1967.

Unfortunately it was a German version, in bad shape, as i heard, during manufacturing, they used a wrong type of grounding paint, so the paint was getting loose even when they were still in the box, that is what i heard. So my Wiggler has a green box, and red topbox. the front was Silver, all handpainted.

I let it technical be revised, so it worked proparly, it even had zipperflipper (they come together, so you cannnot loose the ball in the middle, sure you can ;) ) and to my knowledge it was the first pinball with 3 balls multiball. you have to shoot 2 balls in a hole, where they will stay, the third ball you need to hit the central mushroom, then they will be released.

When i first played this game, in revised condition (i had played it, but then some features were not working) i was absolutely astonished by the game. easy and very brilliant.

all EM, so with scoring roles etc. it will make a lot of noise! i have removed the metal back plate, and put a wooden one in, just to make the sound less.

this has started me with Pinballs, sure as a kid i was mesmerised with it, i remember the sound of Fireball, the first speaking pinball. but now i have one of my own. 

soon i try to repair it, that's how i came to Wizard Collectors Items in Son (near Eindhoven) and after i while i started working there.

this job, was the best job i had since then! i still think that, because working with Pinballs, repairing, selling, talking, etc. it is brilliant.

no i do not own the Wiggler any more, due to no storage room, i have given it away to a dear friend who still owns it...