I stumbled across a 1933 Bally Rocket payout pinball in an antique shop today! Game is original, unrestored and in good cosmetic shape. The clerk knew nothing about the working condition of the game, although it is probably safe to assume it would need major TLC to operate properly. The seller is asking $750. Does anyone have any idea of what the actual value for this game would be? Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

Jim

Oldpinguy,

Thanks for the reply! I will stop by the antique shop and give the game a closer look. The totalizer on the playfield looks like the front end of a 1933/34 Ford which caught my attention (I've got a '34 Ford). The game would look cool sitting near the car in the Hot Rod Grille garage/gameroom!

Jim

'34_Ford_pic_#2_(resized).jpg

Thanks for the great advice. I'll closely examine the mech before making any offer. I once owned a Buckley Diamond Mine payout pinball, but this Bally appears to be quite different in the way it operates. I haven't looked inside and am not sure if the shop even has the keys. I can only hope that the dry-cell batteries have been removed to prevent corrosion! I'll let you guys know what I find.

Jim

Well, I got back by the antique shop today and got to talk with the game's owner.

Good news: game appears complete with all payout equipment, coin mech, tilt mech, etc. Batteries were removed many years ago (no battery acid leakage). Overall a decent, complete, unrestored, non-working example of a rare game.

Bad news: game needs complete cosmetic restoration due to following: all metal trim on sides of cabinet is rusty, shooter, coin slide, etc needs replating. Glass has deep scratches. Chrome rails and all hardware on playfield shows some rust. Cabinet paint is worn, chipped, and has yellow paint spatter/overspray on left side. Looks like game may have spent some time in a damp environment due to evidence of rust on plated metal. Game is missing a couple of the small "mushroom" posts on the playfield. Game has original locks on all three doors but they have been disabled by removal of lock tabs. No keys or tabs for the original locks.

Really bad news: owner adjusted price from $750 to $700 FIRM. Said that he saw a YouTube video of a guy in Chicago that restores similar vintage games and sells them for $5K. I offered a bid of $500 that I considered fair due to the anticipated cost of restoration, but he declined. I left my phone number and told him the offer was there if he changed his mind later. He stated that he thought about listing on eBay but didn't want to crate the game for shipping.

Jim

Thanks for the comments guys. I appreciate all of the knowledge and help available on this site. I have received a couple of PM's and have forwarded the seller's contact info to them, so the old game may still get a new lease on life with someone who has deeper pockets.

Jim

Wow ... that is an amazing restoration! Thanks for sharing.

Jim