(Topic ID: 243150)

Gottlieb Vulcan...for $1,200?

By PinHollow

4 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 10 posts
  • 8 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by Wickerman2
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 4 years ago

Hey everybody. I'm continuing my search for a first machine and found someone here selling a Vulcan for $1,200 that's a little more than I would have expected after looking it up. I've not seen it in person yet, but according to the seller it's in perfect working condition. it's been well kept with new rubbers and a freshly cleaned and waxed PF.

Any advice?

#2 4 years ago

Vulcan is the 4p version. For a first EM I would get a 1p or 2p, less to go wrong with score reels etc. You will have to work on it at some point most likely. Just breaking it down and moving it may throw a switch out of whack. If it was an absolute mint Vulcan 1200 would be a little up there, if it's an average 100% working I would lean more towards $800 or so tops. But, again I would go for a 1p/wedgehead for a first game to get your feet wet.

#3 4 years ago
Quoted from Wickerman2:

Vulcan is the 4p version. For a first EM I would get a 1p or 2p, less to go wrong with score reels etc. You will have to work on it at some point most likely. Just breaking it down and moving it may throw a switch out of whack. If it was an absolute mint Vulcan 1200 would be a little up there, if it's an average 100% working I would lean more towards $800 or so tops. But, again I would go for a 1p/wedgehead for a first game to get your feet wet.

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I mentioned that to the seller and that it was a little high. His response is that most single players aren't fun and if they are they'll cost a lot more. That can't be universally true, can it?

#4 4 years ago

We had a local swap meet last weekend. A nice looking Vulcan sold for $700 Canadian ($520 USD)

#5 4 years ago
Quoted from PinHollow:

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I mentioned that to the seller and that it was a little high. His response is that most single players aren't fun and if they are they'll cost a lot more. That can't be universally true, can it?

well, another reason people may prefer the single player or two player versions is because you get more artwork on the backglass as well.

#6 4 years ago

I prefer 4 player models always since everyone can play when I have visitors. I'd get it if its in nice shape and you like it.

#7 4 years ago

Honestly, that sounds like a lot for a Vulcan. That title in decent shape should bring around $800.

#8 4 years ago
Quoted from PinHollow:

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I mentioned that to the seller and that it was a little high. His response is that most single players aren't fun and if they are they'll cost a lot more. That can't be universally true, can it?

Single players can keep features between balls so tend to have a little more to them. Multiplayer EM's can't do that. There are a lot of great single players that are fun and not a lot of money.

#9 4 years ago

Vulcan is a great EM, but I agree it is over priced.

Although there are pros and cons for 4/2/1 player games, availability/price/condition is always be more important, so don't limit your search based on those.

#10 4 years ago
Quoted from kguenther6:

Single players can keep features between balls so tend to have a little more to them. Multiplayer EM's can't do that. There are a lot of great single players that are fun and not a lot of money.

Right on.

Here's Clay's take from pinrepair.com:

Why Single Player Games?
The reason single player games are more desirable than multi-player games is simple: game play. Single player games have deeper rulesets, and award more Replays for acheiving game goals. Multi-players games *must* have less rules because there is no memory in these EM games. That is, the game can't remember how far along in the ruleset a player has gotten from ball to ball. Hence multi-player games have a goal that must be achieved in a single ball (the rules are less sophisticated.) And multi-player games usually only award Replays based on score (not on game goals), so there aren't multiple strategies to winning replays (until the 1970s). Finally multi-player games are bigger, uglier, heavier, and more time consuming and difficult to work on.

Are there any "good" Multi-player games?
Yes there are, mostly in the 1970s. Starting about 1971, Gottlieb made heavy use of the modern style drop target and 3" flippers on their pinballs. So many of their single and multi-player games during the 1970s have drop targets. This gives the player a lot to shoot for, and makes those games pretty darn fun. Though I still prefer single player 1970s gottlieb pinballs to multi-players, a lot of the multi-player games have great game-play too. The best thing about 1970s Gottlieb multi-player games is the "bang for the buck". That is, they are inexpensive to buy, yet provide a lot of fun to play. The downside is they are bigger and more complicated to repair than single player wedgeheads, and the rulesets are shallower.

What About 1970s Drop Target, 3" Flipper, Gottlieb Pinballs?
Aww a soft-spot in my heart! The Gottlieb EM pinballs from 1971 to 1979 with drop targets and 3" flippers are amoung some of their best games (especially the single player versions). Frankly they didn't make a lot of titles during this era (just 8 years worth), compared to 1947 to 1970 where they made lots of 2" flipper games. With that in mind, 70% of all Gottlieb production was of 2" flipper games (compared to the 1971-1979 three inch flipper titles). Luckily production numbers are higher during the 1970s, but the number of titles with drop targets and 3" flippers are limited. And these games are quite fun. The 1970s evolved the EM technology to its limit, with advanced features and ideas.

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