Jennings, LA
So, I see this fantastic classic Stern has no club page. All welcome to join. Let's see some pics of your Quicksilver!
(Topic ID: 154032)
Linked Games
Quicksilver
Stern Electronics, 1980
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North Bay, ON
Quoted from Crispin:Congrats TigerLaw!!! Great score!
Thank you!! TigerLaw and I are so excited. We are going to work on doing the restoration work ourselves. I already found the manual. This is going to be fun. Our friend Jodester in Lake Charles is going to help us with the restoration. 
Dothedoo, how did you get those ball swirls out of the yellow head artwork so cleanly? I never get results like that, even with magic eraser. Damn fine work, it must be witchcraft!
Some detail. The above playfield is cleared with PPG3000, .25% flexor and is meticulously prepped with ME / Simple green. Also the inserts were removed and 2 part epoxy used. Also prep paints are House of Kolor with the Green mixed and dried before final mixture finalized. The Green was done starting with a color machine and then fine tuned after with current environment and 3k clear to match perfectly. The white is lettering enamel HOK. It was sprayed with a cheap sprayer and plastic screen enclosure in a pretty hot environment. Air flow controlled with fan under field. Not a bunch of coats either. It is not a "Glazed donut". 2 coats. no sanding in between and at all.
Quoted from Classic_Stern:Some detail. The above playfield is cleared with PPG3000, .25% flexor and is meticulously prepped with ME / Simple green. Also the inserts were removed and 2 part epoxy used. Also prep paints are House of Kolor with the Green mixed and dried before final mixture finalized. The Green was done starting with a color machine and then fine tuned after with current environment and 3k clear to match perfectly. The white is lettering enamel HOK. It was sprayed with a cheap sprayer and plastic screen enclosure in a pretty hot environment. Air flow controlled with fan under field. Not a bunch of coats either. It is not a "Glazed donut". 2 coats. no sanding in between and at all.
The color match and clear is spectacular. You did a fantastic job! It's holding up great...over 3000 plays between 3 shows and at least 1500 of those myself. Still looks like new
Quoted from SealClubber:I always wanted to find a trashed one and turn it into Aeon Flux.
Please tell me you mean the animation and not the movie.
Quoted from SealClubber:I always wanted to find a trashed one and turn it into Aeon Flux.
It would be a travesty to destroy one of these (even a beater). I like rethemes and all, but this game is not common enough. Just my personal view.
I've only just recently started looking for a QS. Sounds like I may have a long row to hoe before I find one.
Coincidentally, I just picked up a really nice Medusa that I think is not really for me, so I'll first try and see if any QS owners out there are interested in a trade. I'll be heading down to Pinfest in Allentown in a few weeks with my fingers crossed.
Pinball Pimp stencil kits available now!
Quoted from OTTOgd:Pinball Pimp stencil kits available now!
Anyone know how good the quality of their stencils might be? I know it varies.
Quoted from jibmums:Please tell me you mean the animation and not the movie.
Animation.
Quoted from TigerLaw:It would be a travesty to destroy one of these (even a beater). I like rethemes and all, but this game is not common enough. Just my personal view.
I'm gonna have to disagree here. I just don't understand your point. What good is playing a pin with a beat to hell playfield, backglass etc.. when I can play the same exact game with nice but different artwork? Its not like parting it out.
Quoted from SealClubber:I'm gonna have to disagree here. I just don't understand your point. What good is playing a pin with a beat to hell playfield, backglass etc.. when I can play the same exact game with nice but different artwork? Its not like parting it out.
Playfields get remade from time to time. Never know. 
Quoted from SealClubber:Animation.
I'm gonna have to disagree here. I just don't understand your point. What good is playing a pin with a beat to hell playfield, backglass etc.. when I can play the same exact game with nice but different artwork? Its not like parting it out.
PFs can get restored, I had mine done. BGs can be found or reprinted. Trashing a rare pin like this is not the best idea. Grab a Flash or Meteor or some other pin where there a billion of.
Quoted from pinlawyer:I want a QS SO FKN BADLY!! And a nice Big Game to replace by beater. And an O-1 bubble to replace mine, that's scratched. And a SG. And.....
No love for Dragonfist?! 
Marcus
Quoted from pinlawyer:I want a QS SO FKN BADLY!!
The one Pav and I acquired came right out of Phoenix. 
Why is it that most every QS pin that i have come across
has significant PF wear (flaming) around the bonus inserts,
if not totally blown out.
see below for what i typically find (not mine)
Hard to find one even in semi decent condition.
My QS pin's PF is just above tolerable in the wear dept.
My BG had loads of bubbling and sheets flaking off, fortunately found a NOS BG from John Jukes.
And the CAB and head has water damage ( the head surround appears to be fiber board).
Since this game is hard to find in any condition, I did buy it when i would have otherwise passed on it due to its condition.
I actually paid more for the NOS BG than I did for the actual game.
Just finished up Season #5 of my Classic Pinball League and a bank of Classic Sterns played a primary role in our finals. Pics attached of the lineup just before game time.
Season goes for 2 months every 2 weeks with each session at one of our 5 private collection hosting sites. Giving us access to over 40 different titles from Bally, Stern and Gottlieb all from the mid 70's to early 80's.
The finals were hosted at my place. QUICKSILVER played very tough and had most players complaining that it was too damn fast. I told them theres a reason why it's called QUICKsilver after all. =)
We warred head to head best 2 out of 3 double elimination on these titles:
Stargazer
ALI
Quicksilver
Stars
EBD
Flash Gordon
Bow and Arrow
Quoted from pinwiztom:Why is it that most every QS pin that i have come across
has significant PF wear (flaming) around the bonus inserts,
if not totally blown out.
see below for what i typically find (not mine)
SDC10484_(resized).JPG
Hard to find one even in semi decent condition.
My QS pin's PF is just above tolerable in the wear dept.
My BG had loads of bubbling and sheets flaking off, fortunately found a NOS BG from John Jukes.
And the CAB and head has water damage ( the head surround appears to be fiber board).
Since this game is hard to find in any condition, I did buy it when i would have otherwise passed on it due to its condition.
I actually paid more for the NOS BG than I did for the actual game.
When this game came out in 1980 I was there. and trust me the players went crazy....Between this game and all of the Classic Stern's we were in Heaven. A pinball mfg. finally understood what the "Player" wanted. It truly was an amazing time for CS games. That is why Quicksilvers are worn because they not only played fast with tons of ball spin, they got played alot. The one I played all the time took a beating during the early years.
Quoted from Classic_Stern:When this game came out in 1980 I was there. and trust me the players went crazy....Between this game and all of the Classic Stern's we were in Heaven. A pinball mfg. finally understood what the "Player" wanted. It truly was an amazing time for CS games. That is why Quicksilvers are worn because they not only played fast with tons of ball spin, they got played alot. The one I played all the time took a beating during the early years.
If it was/is so good (not knocking it---I want one,too) why are the production numbers so low?
Quicksilver: 1201 produced
Seawitch : 2503
Iron Maiden: 1100
Catacomb : 3943
Big Game : 2713
If the players went crazy, why such low sales figures? Were they too good (i.e. not Drain-o-Matics) and the operators could not make any money with them? Or did Stern have a sales force problem or factory production problems?
I have a Big Game and a Bally Playboy. Big Game is head over heels better than Playboy but Bally sold 18,250 Playboys.
Why the low numbers? Thoughts.
I think it was due to the name brand issue. Stern was a new unknown company compared to Williams, Bally, and Gotllieb. The players loved Stern games but the operators weren't buying them in mass due to brand name issues.
Just my theory.
Quoted from cottonm4:If it was/is so good (not knocking it---I want one,too) why are the production numbers so low?
Quicksilver: 1201 produced
Seawitch : 2503
Iron Maiden: 1100
Catacomb : 3943
Big Game : 2713
If the players went crazy, why such low sales figures? Were they too good (i.e. not Drain-o-Matics) and the operators could not make any money with them? Or did Stern have a sales force problem or factory production problems?
I have a Big Game and a Bally Playboy. Big Game is head over heels better than Playboy but Bally sold 18,250 Playboys.
Why the low numbers? Thoughts.
It was a brand issue. You have to realize Stern was the old Chicago coin and they did not produce many good games. And Stern was cash strapped but when they hit their stride in 1979 you have to realize Bally had amazing titles by then and Gottlieb was also just coming off of killing it. Remember Stern's sweet spot was 1979 and 1980. Before that they had a few titles that made serious cash like Stingray; Stars but overall the Brand wasn't there and then "poof" it was gone. I worked in the arcades in the late 70's and early 80's and when the classic Stern's hit the players went crazy; but it was just to late. Especially Stars, Meteor....Big Game...and remember they were so behind they had to copy the Bally boards from I think a set from Power Play ? Something like that. a -17. Can't remember the game Gary said was delivered to the doc. But as folk lore has it the board set was stolen which is not the case. It was a gentlemens agreement between Sam Stern and the leadership at Bally. They dropped off a -17 game to copy when Sam bought Chicago Coin.
But yes the players went crazy!!.....The 1980 stern's are a very special year. Finally the sweetest drop target on the planet with amazing snappy flippers and those crazy plastic pop bumper rings and translucent lighting....Oh the days...
Quoted from Classic_Stern:But yes the players went crazy!!.....The 1980 stern's are a very special year. Finally the sweetest drop target on the planet with amazing snappy flippers and those crazy plastic pop bumper rings and translucent lighting....Oh the
Snappy flippers: Check. I rebuilt mine. That, along with steep pitch, I get get air balls. I get glass balls. I get balls jumping over the sling shots. I get balls jumping over the upper play field plastics. It's a gas.
Educate me: What are the, " crazy plastic pop bumper rings and translucent lighting" of which you speak?
Larodde
Quoted from cottonm4:If it was/is so good (not knocking it---I want one,too) why are the production numbers so low?
Quicksilver: 1201 produced
Seawitch : 2503
Iron Maiden: 1100
Catacomb : 3943
Big Game : 2713
If the players went crazy, why such low sales figures? Were they too good (i.e. not Drain-o-Matics) and the operators could not make any money with them? Or did Stern have a sales force problem or factory production problems?
I have a Big Game and a Bally Playboy. Big Game is head over heels better than Playboy but Bally sold 18,250 Playboys.
Why the low numbers? Thoughts.
I'm sure it had to do with distribution channels as well.
Quoted from cottonm4:Snappy flippers: Check. I rebuilt mine. That, along with steep pitch, I get get air balls. I get glass balls. I get balls jumping over the sling shots. I get balls jumping over the upper play field plastics. It's a gas.
Educate me: What are the, " crazy plastic pop bumper rings and translucent lighting" of which you speak?
The popbumper rings are plastic and super snappy...Beyond anything a metal pop bumper can do and the oh so smooth sound.....Translucent lighting is easy. Think about 1980.....They made it go fast like the bonus on Quicksilver (Green), the rip tide on Seawitch (Blue)....The blue on Flight 2K or the mesmorizing count down and translucent blues on Stargazer.... We just sat there in AWE.....Williams used Red and Orange and more of a bonus ladder which was stagnant and bright to the eyes. Yup an equivalent would be Xenon....but again did not move with the flow of the game. Classic stern had figured it out. Lights that moved as you kicked the games ass and rolled with flow.....Only mfg. to do that. and I forgot 1 other thing.........................
The spinner and spinner switch. Super light and super springy....Fastest spinners EVER!!!!!...... Nothing compares. Again they had it figured out...
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