I finally found a really nice, minty TSPP to add to my collection! I missed out on two nearly perfect examples the past couple months, and it was really bugging me. I finally turned my wishlist alerts on when a TSPP came up for sale. This time a local one appeared, and I locked it up right away. These appear to be getting more and more valuable and sought after. I overlooked this game for years. I didn’t realize how deep the code was, or how much customizing you can do with it. I can’t wait to get it downstairs and get into it! Such a great theme and unique playfield design! Now, to learn the rules.

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Hello, fellow TSPP club members. So I just added a very nice, clean TSPP built in 2008. The playfield is very close to mint. My question is, for those of you who have owned one for several years, are there areas that you would recommend placing mylar to protect against wear? I'm hoping TSPP is a keeper, and I have a feeling it is. I want to prevent any wear to vulnerable areas, if there are any that typically sustain damage over time. I don't want to use a playfield protector or too much mylar over everything, but I do like to use a little here and there for hot spots. I have the Cliffy protector around the Itchy and Scratchy scoop, but does the area directly in front of the 3 drop targets get worn over time? How about directly in front of the garage? I appreciate any suggestions people may have. Thanks!

I wanna play it too tho, Mo!

Also, is that image of the pro model? My game looks different. I have an upper pf.

Yep, I was just kidding with OneAngryMo...he posted a picture of a sofa with plastic on it, and said "encase it in plastic furniture wrap and no worries..." So I wondered if that picture was of the pro model! Just kidding around with Mo.

I finally cracked 100 mil on my new TSPP! I got to Alien Invasion, but didn’t complete all the ball locks. My game lost track of a ball and did a ball search as time expired. Maybe next time. It’s chaos during that mode! Really fun pin!

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Definitely. I always thought the Simpsons Pin Party cabs were prone to major fading. However, it appears to be just the low-res printing on the cabinet and the color saturation. Like you said, it’s intended to be very faint compared to the larger, main characters. Also, if you look at pics from different TSPP production runs over the 5 or so years (2003-2008 or 09), the color seems brighter on some cabinets. I’m not sure why, but it does vary on some pins. My 2008 pin looks very faded in the background, but the color is crisp on the logo and larger characters.

You could add a new garage door decal too, or possibly clean off the ball marks if the decal isn’t worn thru. I tried using gel hand sanitizer on a Q-tip to clean the black off flippers and stand up targets. Worked great, and it evaporates without leaving any behind. You could use a cleaner or even Goo-Gone, but that’s much more harsh and has a strong odor. Looking good!

That's a clever mod, but one I decided against and returned once I saw how much it obstructed. I'm sure others really like it. The monorail train mod also looks great but the trade off is less visibility.

I recently bought a clean, low-play HUO version for $5700. I had been in the market for a really minty version for about 6 months. I almost bought one for $5200 in early 2019, and was kicking myself for passing on it. After that, finding a really pristine version was tricky, and most were pushing $6k, especially if modded and with color DMD. TSPP stock has risen the past year or two. A nice TSPP was $4500, or even less, in 2017.

I hope you find one for a good price. Such a deep, challenging and really fun pin!

I bought mine just a few weeks ago, and mine was built in 2008 also! I had no idea they produced so few that year. That was the final year of production, I believe. Is that right? I wonder what, if any, differences there are from when they began in 2003.

Congrats on your new addition. Such a cool pin. I just added some stuffing to the tops of my smoke stacks...pretty cool, very cheap mod!

Here's a pic of my "smoking" towers...it's not my idea, of course. So I give credit to whomever thought to do this first!

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I’ve had lots of practice with the reverse flippers on GB. Mass Hysteria MB is reverse flippers too. I was very surprised how well that works, crossing your arms. But on GB they revert back to normal and then reversed again during MB when you hit a stand up target. Fun!

Agree with Electronmagic. It’s quite a bit wider than the other side, noticeably so. I was a bit surprised at how that looked when I got mine. Clearly Stern wanted the ball to feed from the pops safely into that inlane. Mine looks almost bent, which made me wonder if Stern physically bent that wire guide to fit into the hole drilled in the pf. Maybe they discovered in testing a standard left lane wouldn’t work? I don’t know, I just wonder if that was adjusted “on the fly,” during production?
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Congrats and welcome to the club! That's a really awesome looking example, and I like all the extra critters on it. I have lots of Simpsons characters on mine too, it's a fun pin to do that with. Some prefer the stock look, which is fine too! Enjoy.

You know you've got a nice collection when they all feel like keepers to you. You have great games, even a couple that may seem likely to get cut by some, may be favorites to you. I should really sell 2-3 of mine, and I don't know what I could part with! Definitely not TSPP, for me.

NGG is an excellent Pat L. pin from the mid-late 90s, I feel. I was always skeptical of it, because of the theme and 2 gopher bash targets that pop up. Too silly or gimmicky for me, so I thought. Now that I've given it a fair chance, I realize this is yet another excellent, creative game from Pat L. I'm particular to his games, admittedly, but I would love to have a NGG. I would be hard pressed to ever give up a game like TSPP for one, but if I find a really pristine one for a fair price...Bud and Buzz are coming home! I just spent about 2 hours playing Wonka at a local arcade, and some shots (the rear ramp side-shot) feel similar to NGG, which I played the next day. I can understand the appeal now!

I use the ones from Pinball Life, they are cheap and the mylar offers plenty of protection. Normal HUO isn't going to wear the cab down for years, but the mylar will protect it. You do need to remove the flipper buttons before applying them, I found. Well worth the $3.

It's definitely supposed to be a tricky shot to hit the couch with the upper right flipper. Assuming your upper flipper is working properly and at full strength, it's mostly about timing. I have a sweet spot on the flipper where I can hit the couch more than half the time. I'm glad it's tricky, because the garage and the side ramp will send the ball up to the living room. I find the ball spends a lot of time up there, so the shot to the couch being difficult makes sense.

Adding a super hero CBG! I rarely see these versions. Found one on Ebay. Cool mod!

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I have owned a new WOZ since 2016 and haven’t had to repair anything yet...knock on wood. Only mods and code updates. JJP build great pins. TSPP is a well-made game and has a good reputation for its mechanics. It feels more solidly built than pins coming off the line today.

He’s pretty much identical in size. I can remove the glass and place them side by side, but I can see they are virtually the same toy.

Congrats on the refurbish job! There is a great video on YouTube of a cabinet restoration. It’s about 45 mins long and the restoration is of a Indy Jones Pinball Adventure. It might be an Australian vid. It shares several great tips on cabinet prep and application of the decals. You did a great job from the looks of it. You were smart to cut the edges of the decals in about 1/16 inch from the edges, to prevent catching the edge and peeling it back. Nice work!
It wasn’t easy for me to remove the stock CBG to replace with The Collector version, but it’s done!
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Color DMD has an “LED vs LCD” info page you can click on the upper right of their home page. It explains the differences. It’s really a matter of personal preference. They do look slightly different and offer different features. LCD offers some cool font options and looks bright. I prefer LCD, personally. Both are HUGE upgrades on TSPP.

I’m not sure about the ROM update, but the NVRAM is plug n play on TSPP. I just installed one in LOTR and TSPP. Be sure the little notch in the nvram is facing the correct direction (consistent with the other chips) on your board. If installed upside down it can fry the NVRAM or worse. See Pinitech.com for more info.

I’ve had OCD boards that came installed in other pins, and they are nice, but not essential for me. Regarding led kits, I generally prefer choosing my own colors and overall look of my pins. I replace all the insert lights with LEDs and many of the GI. I prefer Comet or Titan bulbs, frosted and, if possible, non-ghosting. Comet has nice non-ghosting bulbs. I prob spend $75 on LEDs per pin and I don’t miss the OCD board. Comet also sells LED strips in various lengths for just a few bucks each. They are great for scoops, troughs and any dim areas. They come in several colors. Have fun!

If the insert itself is already colored, I usually start with a warm white bulb and see if I’m happy with the color. If the colored insert isn’t producing the color I like or enough color, then I might add a matching colored bulb and it often adds to the color. Sometimes a colored bulb will change the look of your insert, so I try white first.

For white or clear inserts, I decide if I want to stay neutral with a white bulb, or possibly add color to the insert with a colored bulb. For example, if a pin features a clear/white insert for “light lock” or “lock,” I generally add a green bulb, because I associate green with the “light/lock” inserts on most games. Other games I add certain colors because for me, it may add to the theme.

It’s all personal choice, so whatever looks good to you. Just be sure your socket voltage (6.3v or whatever it happens to be) matches your bulbs. I once put a 6.3v bulb in a 13v socket on my X-men pin and it melted in 10-15 seconds. I caught it just in time and was able to remove the damaged bulb. The socket and game didn’t sustain damage, luckily!

Agreed, and now I think the Titan “Stern slim post sleeve” has been replaced by a “tapered slim sleeve.” I bought some, because I really like choosing my own colors for the Stern post sleeves, and they are definitely tapered. They still fit, and fit better than the short, fat Bally/Williams ones, but why tapered?

Great idea! Swapping mine tonight too. Never occurred to me. Big improvement.

I have an extra CBG with "Worst Pinball Ever" on his shirt. I replaced him with the "Collector" CBG superhero figure. If you are interested, message me. Sounds like you may be all set though!

Congrats! TSPP is such a deep game to own! Color DMD is a nice upgrade for sure. Cliffy protectors for your ramps, if you don’t already have them, and some type of Simpson’s universe art blades. I like the ones by Silly Old Elf available from his Pinside store, but there are many styles. You can search different mods here or on mod company websites, or simply search for Simpsons toys you like and add whatever floats your boat! I like the Duffman figure and beercan mod, and the alternate Comic Book Guy where he is a superhero. Have fun!

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You don’t have to take the playfield out, although some do. You can remove the balls, and raise the pf all the way up and rest it against the head. The next step is best with 2 people, at least, that’s how my wife and I apply art blades. She takes one end and I take the other, keeping it tight. She places the decal about 1/8 inch from trim piece in the rear of the cabinet, and we both make sure the blade is 1/8 or 1/4 inch BELOW the channel for the playfield glass. If you install the blade too high, with the glass touching the top of the blade, it will peel away. Keep it 1/4 inch or so below the channel. Then, when she says it’s almost to the back of the cabinet, without touching the trim back there, we both stick the blade at each end while keeping it pulled tight. Then we meet in the middle and smooth it down. We’ve been installing blades for about 3 years, probably 30-40 blades by now. I’ve tried it alone and it went so-so. But our 2-person system works for us. You may like a different method. Also, I highly recommend the removable plastic blade protectors that you slide in between the playfield and blades whenever you raise the playfield. On many games, it’s very tight. You will damage the blades and waste $75-90. The protectors are around $35-40 I think. Well worth it. Good luck!

I ordered the decal set from Russia too. They took 6-8 weeks, but they arrived and were nice decals.

I found this throwback pic from 2020 when I owned my beautiful tspp. Mmm poison donut. I’m no longer in the club, but I remember this game fondly! It seems like a theme that could easily support another game or two. How about a Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror pinball?

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