Charlottetown, PE
ebay.com link: The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine New 32 Impossibly Rare
"Where to start... The Big Lebowski pinball machine may very well be the greatest pin ever made.
It is now the rarest non-prototype machine ever produced. Designed by Dutch Pinball of The Netherlands, this game took nearly 3 years to license, design, test and produce. Inner-company scandals, licensing issues, embezzlement of funds... this all happened with Dutch Pinball. And now, with the machines ready to be produced and distributed, another problem, the ultimate nail in the coffin...on March 25, 2017, Dutch announced in an e-mail a permanent stoppage in production and shipping (which ceased in October, 2016) due to a business dispute with a former partnering firm (who will no longer acknowledge or communicate with Dutch) over a financial dispute that has been on-going for nearly 2 years. It is very likely to put Dutch Pinball out of business, as they may face a costly legal battle which could easily bankrupt them, while simultaneously shafting all unfulfilled game order depositors.
Only 300 machines were initially slated to be produced (these were long-ago sold out), but only 36 machines were actually produced and made it out of the factory, distributed world wide. I placed my order for this machine on the day it was announced. I risked thousands of dollars in deposits, which I thought were gone for good when the company seemed like it was run by a bunch of clowns and the money appeared likely to be stolen. I had a former executive from the company, who I believed had taken off with the money, bizarrely invite me to come eat ice cream with him at his apartment somewhere in Europe as his response to my demands for a refund when things looked the bleakest... things always looked bleak right up until the day the machine was delivered to my door.
The game itself is a pinball engineering marvel. These guys are brilliant engineers and designers who managed to incorporate two amazing, never-before seen features into this machine. The rolling rug, which rolls back with each ball strike to ultimately reveal a trap door, is off the charts amazing. And, there is a fully functional bowling alley under the field, two different bowling modes, an engineering gem. There's also a very unique single-flipper upper play field with 4 different things going on up there, including a replica of The Dude's car which rotates out of a hidden garage and serves as a bash toy.
The build quality is the best I've ever seen. It's heavy and solid as a tank. This machine looks gorgeous, both the cabinet art combined with chromed legs and hardware, as well as the back glass and play field. It plays like a golden-era Bally/Williams machine. The theming is spot on... they did an incredible job of incorporating the movie into the game. From great scenes to one liners, it's seamlessly part of the game. I have the most up-to-date version of the code installed, which came out just in time to fix the few original coding bugs.
Most people will never even see a final production Big Lebowski machine. They are far too valuable to put in any arcade. This game is now the most desirable and valuable (non-prototype) pinball machine ever. It is a high-end collectible, investment-grade unit. Of the few that will ever exist, this will probably be the only opportunity you will ever get to own one.
Included with the game will be a brand new rug, produced by Dutch Pinball as a runner to go under the machine. It's still rolled up in the original packaging.
I also have the shipping box, you can have it if you want it (it will be folded flat), as well as proof of purchase, original delivery receipt.
White-glove shipping to any location within the continental US is included.
Serious inquires only please. I believe this will be an appreciating asset, demand will forever greatly surpass supply."
Minneapolis, MN
