Once I found a Nip-It in a cow pasture next to an old rusted car upright. The game was not in good shape at that point. Playfield glass was gone, and game was full of bird $!#@ surrounded by slop manure and mud. It was spring so the water around did not help me drag the cabinet out of the muck.
Another time a Big Brave in a hayloft in an old barn. Not sure how they got it up there with other coin operated parts as there was no conveyor door or pulley system. Mostly mouse nests, bird droppings, and hay. Restorable except for backglass. Good find.
Yet another pin in the back of a hulk pickup truck in a car junkyard. I don't remember the title. It did not fair well either. But the playfield was salvaged. I did not want the rest, as I had no way to transport the game at the time.
Finally, a Xenon was being prepared to be pushed off the edge of a flatbed into a landfill crusher when I was getting rid of excess scrap wood from my garage. I actually asked the owner if I could have the backbox as I had my toolbox in my truck. I had to pull the bolts as the game backbox was upright. I saved the entire double backglass and mirrors on the front panel. The rest of the game was trashed.
It is still hang this on my wall to this day. I only needed to pull the wires and #44 bulbs to "dress it up". The rest of backbox was scrapped, but I kept the Bally PCBs for refurbishment.
These are few off of memory.
Many adventures, many stories.
