(Topic ID: 170287)

Join the middle-pop club!

By NicoVolta

7 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 379 posts
  • 73 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 months ago by pinwiztom
  • Topic is favorited by 28 Pinsiders

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There are 379 posts in this topic. You are on page 5 of 8.
#201 6 years ago

Looking to get in the club if someone knows of an available Score-Board.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wanted-gottlieb-score-board

#202 6 years ago

I tried to get into the club, but the lady said her average Spanish Eyes goes for $3500, but she was willing to sell it for $1000. Uh No. one of these days I will have one.

#203 6 years ago
Quoted from bflagg:

I tried to get into the club, but the lady said her average Spanish Eyes goes for $3500, but she was willing to sell it for $1000. Uh No. one of these days I will have one.

They made a lot of Eyes'ses. I'd pay a premium for perfect glass/pf/cabinet, but for $1000 I'd need it to be really special.

Most sell in the $400-$500 range and are at least pretty nice, typically unshopped.

BTW, my favorites have shifted somewhat. I played 8-Ball at Allentown and it was a lot more fun than I expected, especially 2-player. I think it is the best of the 2" middle-pops... and Magic City the worst. Love the art, but the geometry is the weakest in the lineup.

I NEED TO REWRITE THIS ARTICLE! Will need your help to submit new photos, because I can't embed IPDB ones here due to copyright.

1 month later
#205 6 years ago

Well thanks to a deal too good to pass up.... I'm now a member of the club with a decent shape, albeit dirty Spanish Eyes. Now I just have to find a place to put it.

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#206 6 years ago
Quoted from setzkor:

Well thanks to a deal too good to pass up.... I'm now a member of the club with a decent shape, albeit dirty Spanish Eyes. Now I just have to find a place to put it.

Nice, I have a line on one and they may have finally come to a reasonable price. Hopefully soon. Such a fun game.

#207 6 years ago

Good luck with yours. Mine came via an apparently "unsniped" eBay auction that let me snag it for $255...at that price I didn't power it up to check if everything works...hopefully I don't regret that. Guy I bought it from was cool, also had some funky looking game called Jungle with a beer tray and cigarette holder in the front that he said he was selling to Shay.

#208 6 years ago

For that price id be fine if it didn't work at all. Half the fun is getting them to run. I've only seen pics and I have to drive 3.5 hours to see it. They were at $1000 when I contacted them a couple months back. As time went on they are down to $400 which is fine as long as it's in good cosmetic condition.

1 week later
#209 6 years ago

Howdy y'all!! I'm a proud new member of the club with a 65$ magic city storage unit auction find . Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me. Check out this terribly botched ac cord conversion. . . Lol, I think it's from a lamp. But more importantly, can anybody help me identify the wires that seem to be cut on the bottom right of the head box. Are they ground wires? Thanks in advance!?

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#210 6 years ago
Quoted from crosbyjack:

... can anybody help me identify the wires that seem to be cut on the bottom right of the head box. Are they ground wires? ...

Leftovers from some unknown mod. Not factory equipment. Maybe a quick-release for that lamp cord.

2 weeks later
#211 6 years ago

Rose Bowl from 1951

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#212 6 years ago

Good find, Odin! I saw this game at the PPM Annex and my eyes almost popped out. How did I miss that one?!?

I took a few good photos of Rose Bowl and will include them in the rewrite. This article needs inline images to make it readable... almost have them all ready.

#213 6 years ago

Yeah, it's hard to believe this thread went this long without anybody mentioning Rose Bowl. As far as I know, after Carolina this would have been the second game with a middle pop.

It should also be mentioned that the pop bumper (thumper bumper) itself debuted on Williams Saratoga in 1948.

6 months later
#214 6 years ago

Finally found the Score-board I've been looking for, so i guess I'm joining the club if you'll have me.

Actually, I got it last weekend but I've been a bit too busy to spend much time with it.

Great game. It plays a lot quicker than i was expecting. Also my first EM, so learning the fundamentals of repair has been both fun and a little frustrating.

1 month later
#215 5 years ago

Has this game been listed before as a middle Pop game??
Certainly rare here in USA, but still.
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=4561&picno=65978

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#216 5 years ago

Looks awesome

#217 5 years ago
Quoted from setzkor:

Looks awesome

drop targets PLUS a revolving turntable with 3 pop bumpers (much like NAGS)

#218 5 years ago

Yes indeedy our own Ryan Claytor found that obscurity last year... https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/join-the-middle-pop-club/page/4#post-3570488

You know... there is a distinct possibility that Roanoke Pinball Museum will soon have all of the middle pops. Well, at least the ones after the woodrail era!

#219 5 years ago

On a further note, the geometry is really weird. Has 60's-style Bally angled lanes at the top, spinning pop platter like Williams Nags, left drop target bank like a 70's Bally, and the lower portion is a fusion of Norm Clark's earlier 2" middle-pop layout but with 3" flippers... an inferior arrangement if you ask me. Norm's "castle" arrangement with the flipper drains and rebound zone was the best version by far (Spanish Eyes, Fan-Tas-Tic, Freedom proto).

Still, would like to flip it. Looks like it'd be a bit of a mess though. Too much waiting/dead space.

#220 5 years ago

Now that you mention it I do seem to recall that post about a year ago.

Do not forget the 2nd chance rebounds on side drains (ala Flip FLop or other Patla designs)
Also I think there are 2 drop targets in the middle of the playfield, (kinda like GTB Mustang)
You are correct that the mid pop between flippers and surrounding areas,
does not give much chance of exciting recovery or action down there.

Interesting game none the less.

#221 5 years ago

Good point. I see the side drain rebounds (Flip Flop/Viking)... however, there is nowhere for the ball to re-enter except for a lucky sideways bounce to the middle-pop. Even if that happened, it's unlikely a hit would send the ball upwards. Another poor adaptation of existing concepts.

It is interesting that the upper left kickout hole has two directions, either back to the top or across the rotating pops down the right drain lane (assuming a pop isn't hit on the way out). However there is no way to hit it from the flippers. Looks like it can only be hit with a rebound shot, which isn't a good design if so.

Looks like it would be clunky and frustrating overall. I wonder if any survived...

1 week later
#222 5 years ago

I just joined the club and this is my first em. On Friday I picked up an early production Freedom off CL. Nic’s posts got my interested in this game but I figured I would probably never play one let alone own it. Then one just showed up as I happened to be browsing the pin listings. It’s not working but shouldn’t be too bad to get fixed up. It looks complete and the only down side is the playfield has a bit of wear.

There are some interesting aspects of this game. It has a later backglass without 1776, 1976. The apron is white and blue like Captain Fantastic. I cannot locate any serial numbers. It doesn’t look like the cabinet has been altered to remove them but who knows. It was routed at some point but lived in the previous owners basement for the last 30 years.

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#223 5 years ago

Just goes to show there are still some rare holy grails out there, just have to be lucky and persistent.

#224 5 years ago

Whoa! Excellent find... and of course I’d say that because it is my favorite EM.

If you like the gameplay, I suggest having it airbrushed and clearcoated by a professional restorer. Or if it’s not your cup of tea, please contact me immediately.

#225 5 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Whoa! Excellent find... and of course I’d say that because it is my favorite EM.
If you like the gameplay, I suggest having it airbrushed and clearcoated by a professional restorer. Or if it’s not your cup of tea, please contact me immediately.

Hey now, no hoarding!

...contact *me* immediately

#226 5 years ago

Hi kickabit
great pin --- reminds me to / of "my loved Fan-Tas-Tic" --- here http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=952 ipdb talks about "early production - see the flyer in ipdb" --- playfield design changed because of european people - changed EARLY in production --- LATER the backglass was changed.

Well - YOUR pin has an early playfield and an later backglass - please donate to ipdb an picture "full view" of Your pin. Greetings Rolf

#227 5 years ago

After closer examination the Freedom I picked up looks like a prototype. Here are pictures of the center of an early production playfield and mine. The arrow inserts are red and some of the text is different. There are also hand written lables on the undersides the playfield.

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#228 5 years ago

Nice catch! Even though mine is a middle-pop Freedom, yours appears to be even earlier than mine. My playfield text matches the later version...

freedom (resized).jpgfreedom (resized).jpg

#229 5 years ago

Also his eagles have no eyes, it appears.
That and fact that he has no Serial numbers on CAB or Head
point to early Proto of this mid pop Proto

#230 5 years ago

Does anyone have the schematics for an early production Freedom? I can only find copies of the later version.

#233 5 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Steve Young has it, I think.

I tried him. He only has the later version. I ordered a copy of those but I’d like to see if there are differences in the wire colors between the two versions. I don’t need a hard copy just a picture or scan of the early version.

#234 5 years ago

I’ll have it in a month. Moving my prototype to the museum.

#235 5 years ago
Quoted from frobozz:

Can Harry's lost designs join the middle-magnet club?

Not until it is finished and playable.

Good luck on getting it completed
prior to the VFW showcase deadline.
hope you find someone to help transport it from Chicago to Ann Arbor Mich.

Regardless
more photos please
do not be such a tease.

#236 5 years ago

The second 'middle pop' pin, Spanish Eyes, has left Pecos' Palatial Pinball Parlour. The good news is that you can play it and Fan-Tas-Tic at D&D Pinball in Tucson. If you ever find yourself in Tucson with nothing to do, check them out!

I have heard that their 'middle pop' pin has become a favorite at D&D.

1 month later
#237 5 years ago

I'm a proud owner of a middle-pop Williams Magic City. I've totally restored the mechanic which roar like charm. My cabinet is authentic and the backglass looks like new. A very nice machine I love to play.

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#238 5 years ago

Very cool! I've got two I'm working on at the museum. If you'd like to try something fun, you can put slow-fading RGB's behind the fountain (you'll need four total). Norm Clark wanted to install a spinning color wheel there, but Williams said it was too expensive. Technology to the rescue!

magic city (resized).jpgmagic city (resized).jpg
1 week later
#239 5 years ago

OK... time for a Fan-Tas-Tic tweak to make the middle-pop less stingy. Note how the side posts are angled downward?

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Nobody wants that. Even Norm Clark himself updated the design later and straightened them out.

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All you need to do is align all three posts by drilling a new hole for the middle post.

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Bingo! More rebounds, more fun.

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Also be sure to slide the lowest posts inward to the “most generous” horizontal position. This will narrow the drain gap and increase the rebounds... because those dramatic saves are what middle-pop games are all about.

#240 5 years ago

Would be neat to see a modern game use a middle pop bumper. Talk about a major change in the direction of current designs.

1 week later
#241 5 years ago

Fan-Tas-Tic owners... finding your flippers a little sluggish? You can upgrade them to these.

IMG_5974 (resized).JPGIMG_5974 (resized).JPG

Same ones used in Aztec. Lastest and fastest in Williams EM pins.

1 month later
#242 5 years ago

My San Tan Valley Project Pin Guy has had this game for more than a year. I wan't interested in it because it was a 60s game and I prefer the 70s pins. I delivered two pins to him and he offered this up in return. Yes, that's right, free, gratis, no charge. No way he is going to get away with that! I told him he is far too generous. I will give him some cash, just as soon as I get some.

I first told him I wasn't interested in it, but would look it up before a definite 'no.' To my surprise, this is a Middle-Pop game. I had forgotten about that! I told him I would gladly take the game. Unknown to me, the deal came with a second backglass and a second fully populated playfield! Yeah, far too generous!

You can see more pics here and the story about how I survived the desert heat.

This is a Magic Town, an AAB. The extra playfield and backglass are from a Magic City. IPDB shows 3,950 Magic Towns manufactured with only one rating and 2,675 Magic City's made with 22 ratings. Those Magic Town production numbers can't be right. Everyone knows there are almost always fewer AAB games made!

The Magic City playfield has metal flipper bats. I will be moving those to the Magic Town playfield. Metal flipper bats look so cool!

This is my third middle pop game and fourth total counting the two Spanish Eyes. Tucson likes Middle-Pop pins and this one will be put on route if I can find a client and a coin door with all of the coin mech parts.

magic_city_middle_pop (resized).jpgmagic_city_middle_pop (resized).jpg

#243 5 years ago

Very cool Pecos! I’ve got a Miss-O, Magic City, Fan-Tas-Tic, and Spanish Eyes here. Once I bring my Freedom prototype, I’ll only need an 8-Ball to have the complete set (excluding Safari and the woodrails).

Might have to line them up and do a special exhibition someday...

1 week later
#244 5 years ago

Who can name this one?

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#245 5 years ago

1950 Marchant Palm Beach. The most well known 1950 French middle pop game out there.

#246 5 years ago

I cheated, you can read most of the name on top of the playfield. Never seen one before today. Looks interesting. I guess the real question is that a pop bumper or dead bumper?

#247 5 years ago
Quoted from AlexF:

1950 Marchant Palm Beach. The most well known 1950 French middle pop game out there.

Gotta give credit where credit is due. It may not predate Carolina who the OP says does not qualify, but it certainly predates Rose Bowl and All Star Basketball.

Quoted from AlexF:

I guess the real question is that a pop bumper or dead bumper?

From another angle it certainly looks like a metal ring on that bumper.
image-7 (resized).jpgimage-7 (resized).jpg

#248 5 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

From another angle it certainly looks like a metal ring on that bumper.[quoted image]

Yes, and the playfield wear around it suggests the same. Neat find.

#249 5 years ago
Quoted from AlexF:

Yes, and the playfield wear around it suggests the same. Neat find.

Anything to show these young bucks what's really up.

#250 5 years ago

I’m always excited to see when this thread pops up, and I am in love with that center pop Freedom that some of you have in your collection.

I’ve played CP Freedom in Banning, and I just love the gameplay. If anyone wants to sell one, I know the line is probably longer than there are games available, but I am severely interested in buying one.

Super congrats to @kickabit! Great find!

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