Agreed. We all need to get in on this. Tell people what to do and why... and what a “good” vs “great” score might be.

JustageFehler came up with this variation...

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I'm going to do something like it. Maybe with point thresholds and more explicit references of scoring strategies...

Yo Pecos... enjoying your thread and hope the quarters start rolling in soon. BTW, I’m going to drill new lower-post holes for Fan-Tas-Tic at the museum. Ever since you pointed out how they angle downwards to the drain, I’ve been wanting to correct that. Seems easily doable by moving the lower pair of posts inward to eliminate the tilt. That’s how the Freedom proto is set up... looks like Norm agreed with your findings and corrected it in his final middle-pop layout.

Making EM’s 50c has been done using a spare score reel. Wire the start relay to deliver a click to the reel instead... and then piggyback the start relay though the even numbers on the reel traces. Two clicks = two coins = 1 credit.

Haven’t done this myself yet but sounds cool.

I hear ya, Pecos. Some of my TPF award-winners are at the museum and we sell beer and wine from time to time. It can get a little bar-like in here. But kids can be worse, actually. "MOMMY LOOK I CAN SWING FROM THE PLUNGER WEEE!" Depends upon the group. Most of those cabinet carvings from back in the day probably came from teens.

I suggest remaining open to the bar idea. Beer and pinball are an ideal match in terms of entertainment. Maybe find a less-rowdy venue? Something which isn't totally overrun with frat dudes?

Fact is, regardless of venue, your games will bleed for you. Unavoidable part of the bidness. May your beer seal be fresh and your pingulps at the ready!

Baton or Cobra locks are good for commercial vending use.

Is it legal in Tucson to give away a beer for attaining a certain score? The redemption/gambling aspect is always a huge motivator.

It’s not the price, it’s the draw. What glory can be achieved for winning? Three of our most popular pins are Fan-Tas-Tic, Klondike, and Wheel of Fortune.

What do they all have in common? Gambling awards. That’s what Pat Lawlor correctly predicted with Safe Cracker... and why it still gets huge lines at TPF when loaded with custom tokens.

Leagues and tournaments are primarily based upon winning and prizes. I have a friend who has an 8-Ball in a bar near Austin. He gives away a free beer for hitting a certain score. The game is hugely popular for that reason.

I’m not saying redemption is the only important thing, but we pinballers (particularly operators) are missing a HUGE piece of the pie by not incorporating awards into the game. We need to get creative again while pinball is making a comeback... it’ll hook many more players if done right.

Norm Clark was a pinball design genius. So many cool wacky inventions.

How quickly could direct sunlight exposure begin to cause issues?