I'm considering putting up my sample TZ for sale, trying to get an idea of what it should go for. I've tried to roughly keep it as intended when the prototype was developed - yes there are toy mods but they are integrated fairly well, imo. Any more "permanent" changes (e.g. Door flashers, 3rd magnet) are modification to keep the spirit of the game as originally designed.

I've got the following going on:
- Sample playfield with different colored inserts, original 3rd magnet hole factory drilled, other various minor differences
- 3rd magnet installed, including optos
- 4 independently controlled door flashers (as originally intended by Pat)
- Factory translite with star shapes cut out
- Miniplayfield does not say "Flip Here"
- Original screenprinted cab with 3 holes drilled (legs have only 2 holes)
- original Powerball
- Prototype screenprinted backbox
- boards are clean, matching serials (sound board is included but not shown in pics)
- playfield has original B/W Mylar (which is why it appears some inserts are ghosting)

Couple issues:
- Cab has some fading in the reds; very dark overall
- 2 screws have slightly tapped the PF from below (screws too long)
- yes it could use some cleanup in spots

Mods:
- Robby the robot
- low profile mini PF switches
- rocket toy
- car toy
- slot machine mod which spins when ball passes
- twilight zone street sign (metal cut "twilight zone")
- resin sculpted Piano mod
- enhanced clock lighting (LED all around clock face)
- starlight back wall mod (EL lit background)

There are a couple spots where the cab could use some work, gouges and whatnot. Edges are in pretty good shape. What do you think?

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Alligator clip is for the behind-Rod multicolor led mod on the backbox

Yep, you bet. Thought I had one on my phone but looks like I'll have to take one.

Forgot to post one of the 3rd magnet

Me too! It's subtle but a nice touch

Backboard pic

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Coyote here's the spiral pic - I think this is the decal. Man that was tough to take! I'll do another one with the glass off if you can't see what you wanted

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Yeah this is the only thing i wish was "original" (you know what I mean) , but it's got to be exceedingly rare to find one that still says Gumball

Happy to take pictures if you want to look at specific areas. That "spiral" insert was really hard to get a good angle on but I'm sure I can get some choice shots

It really is cool when you get all three and they release simultaneously. I suck at hitting the magnets while in that mode but when you get it, it's awesome!

Cool, I got it. Might take me a few days but I will look

This is true - the game is well documented as having had changes made later-than-usual in the run, due to cost savings. ALL games which make use of the "sample" features required some modifications after leaving the factory -so while my comment may have been confusing, there is no unit at all which ever included all these features and actually left the factory as a working game. There are several well-documented articles and threads here on PS which are very thorough in terms of identifying changes to the game, and how to (help) spot a genuine vs one modded to appear as though it is.

In the case of my post, I suppose my comment about the spirit of Pat Lawlor's original design was targeted toward the audience who already understood this, and whose opinion might carry more weight, simply as a result of having been better informed.

TZ did have lots of parts left over after the true "sample" run, and therefore an official production run game might still possibly contain the leftover stock from the sample designs - at this point though, the term "sample" is behind used as a shorthand to denote the feature set, not necessarily a Truth about whether or not B/W said On That Day, "henceforth all games are no longer samples, they are all Production units!" I don't believe we know for certain what that day was.

So this post is asking "here is a game made from the very early part of the TZ lifecycle, with all original parts as intended by the game's designer, with changes made to suit that original design before cost-cutting was invoked. What value might you place on this example?"

Better?

Thanks! I absolutely love this game and reeeeealllly am having a hard time with the decision. We have space for only a few games and right now I'm over the limit, so something has to go: the DW that my son loves? The MB I am in the middle of restoring? The CFTBL that is my favorite game at the moment? Arrgh..

Thanks guys - I am enjoying revisiting why I bought this game in the first place - maybe the answer is buy a bigger house?

That is exactly what's happening with me. I don't play it for long stretches, and then every time I go back to it, I go "Why am I not playing this ALL the time?!" I have considered moving it into my office to make more space, but I am also wanting to buy another TAF... and Alien... and Houdini... This is a problem.

Exactly. Mine was dialed in pretty well from the out set - just lucky, I guess. Lately it's occasionally having some weird brick shots I didn't used to have trouble with (hey the problem can't be *me* can it?) but it's held up really well. Wow, you sold an IJ? I thought that was another all-time classic that doesn't leave collections often.

This all sounds sooooo familiar... I would like to get at least one game with longer ball times (TH or LoTR I suppose) eventually.

Oops, that's what I meant - longer game times! Mine is set to give out extra balls relatively freely after you hit 400,000,000 (If I recall correctly), but sometimes even getting up to that score is tough!

Definitely - I think these games that have differences such as the sample TZ are more suited to the pinball historian, so to speak. Is there another game with such big differences ?