Gottlieb woodrails Niagara, Spot Bowler, Queen of Hearts, Grand Slam, Bank-a-Ball and Daisy May belong on the list of EMs which continue to command a premium price, although peak prices for woodrails have softened somewhat in the last 2 years.

Gottlieb wedgeheads Blue Note/Rock Star are very low production games, which are great fun and which fetch top dollar. Wedgehead Hit-the-Deck (and Neptune to a lesser extent) has escalated in price over the past 5 years and continues on an upward vector.

Prewars have been hot in the last 3 years. The "aging collector " theory has limited merit, in my opinion. Current collectors never played a 1934/35 Rockola Army Navy on location, in their youth. Yet, restored examples of this game have sold for $15K -$23K in the past 6 years. This title sold for about $6K in 2007 and fetched about $3K in the late 1990s.

Likewise, 1933 Rockola Jigsaw continues to escalate each year in value.

The scarce games, which are fun, innovative and aesthetically appealing always have a respectable marketplace of enthusiastic buyers. Era of release, flipper size, "fast quotient" are, in my opinion, secondary factors which dictate price.

I am referring to 1953 Gottlieb Grand Slam, among the best playing woodrails. Restored and nice original examples fetch $2K to $4,500 and a few were selling for over $5K at the market's peak. You have the 1972 Grand Slam wedgehead which is the $800 game.

I would also add 1951 Gottlieb Glamor to the list of high-priced EMs. A restored Glamor fetched about $12K or more a couple of years ago.

But, the market for $10K+ woodrails is indeed quite limited. An exceptionally nice, all-original Glamor was available last year. The seller relied too heavily on the previous game's sale price. The seller turned down an offer of $8,500 and, months later, ended up selling the game for several thousand less.

A few Williams woodrails and a several Bally EMs remain in high demand and continue to garner high prices. Bally Star Jet and Ted Zale zipper flipper designs have been on the rise for several years.

I agree that those great Gottlieb woodrail titles have held their value, especially Marble Queen whereas Mystic Marvel and Sittin' Pretty, for example, have declined.