Have you been waxing it? That would be step one...after that is insanity.

Playfield protector, restoration with clear coat, repro PF if exsist etc etc

Edit: just FYI, my 'insanity' statement was it can get to an insane level...not that its insane to want to get your machine in tip top shape

Well this is always tough. Keep in mind the game is valuable to you….these can be found for relatively cheap given today’s market so it’s really how much time/money you want to put into it.

A good cleaning and coat of wax is the most important thing you can do as TheLaw said. You can try magic eraser and alcohol to see if you can get some of the ball swirl out but be careful because if you go too far you will remove paint. If the inserts are not affecting game play I would not mess with them. If they are sunken you can level them. If they are cupped you can also fill and level those. There are several threads for cleaning and playfield restoration with lots of tips on how to touch up playfields so I would check those out. You can search for a new playfield and do a swap is also another option. There are also a few people that do touch ups and clear coating but it can get expensive. You can quickly put more money into a game than what it’s worth but for many this is a hobby and they enjoy these kind of projects. Check out those other threads and you will find the help you are looking for.

Every playfield is going to suffer this same fate one day.

I am currently working on restoring an EM playfield to be clear coated for the first time. It is a lot of work. And I mean a lot of prep if you want the best result. I’ve learned so much by following Vid’s guide.

I have previously touched up playfields with acrylic paints and wax frequently to protect the paint. This has worked fine for home use. And is also reversible if the paint touch up doesn’t match all that well.

But for my enjoyment pinball is a game of skill. Cupped inserts make it a game of chance due to random ball behavior.

It’s a rabbit hole.

Ball swirls will come out using small pieces of Magic Eraser soaked in alcohol. Do a small area at a time. Watch for any color (art) on the sponge and stop if you see any. I did my Genie years ago and it came out great. Nothing else will remove deep swirls. Go slow and you'll be amazed at the results. You have some nice and bright yellow and orange paint under all those ball swirls.

Mylar is about all you can do for sinking inserts and wear areas. If balls aren't getting stuck on the inserts, wax is fine. Other than the nick by the 8000 insert, I'm not seeing any wear.

Start with a good deep cleaning using novus 2 plastic polish & a good coat of wax. See what it looks like after a good clean/buffing.

If at that point you still feel it needs more improvement then options like magic eraser would be next. But that’s usually a step reserved for games with ball swirl much worse than yours.

Proceed with caution beyond using novus 2. Things like magic eraser are aggressive enough to cause damage.

I always go for a playfield protector for Gottlieb System 1, 80s and EMs whenever they are available. The inserts are always sunken and if you play the game regularly the paint starts to flake off in places. I typically clean the playfield thoroughly, touch up all insert to wood edge circles with black paint to eliminate the white/grey lines which appear in the gap between these two materials and then install the protector. Once the protector is on you can play the game to your heart's content and the artwork is preserved forever. I also find the game stays much cleaner with a playfield protector because the clear coat and artwork is not being slowly chipped off by ball traffic.

https://www.playfield-protectors.com/Home/Details/Nsm2YEsJikegAx1-sKyQgw?catgoryid=22&name=Sindbad%20%7C%201978%20%7C%20Playfield%20Protector

While a game can look much better after magic eraser be aware you are eliminating the factory protective clear coat and it is super easy to go through the artwork too. Would only do that if I was planning to clear coat the playfield.

Have installed dozens of these protectors for my and my friend's games, they are a great solution for situations like this.

These will protect the insert art while leveling them with the playfield, which helps preserve the playfield wood around the insert. Just another option to consider. If interested, my website sells them for $4.95 a pack. TheEMScoreKeeper.com

Wait a second… what? Half of the inserts on Sinbad don’t have any artwork and the rest on that game looked fine. The artwork beginning to chip off is actually on the wood part of the PF.