Norwood, OH
My Star Race had only 870 produced.
(Topic ID: 28169)
I also have a Majorettes. It's a great game. What would be some of the other EM games that would be rare?
Quoted from renodakota:Is Radical that hard to find? I've always wanted one.
Well... In the past 5 years I have only seen two for sale including mine, and I look daily for pins. Production: 1,315 units (approximate) Not rare like Loch Ness, but rare enough to own 
In addition to EM, SS and DMD games my kids and I have a collection of and make parts for some of the 1930's Rockola games such as World's Series (50,000 made), Jigsaw (70,000 made), and Army Navy (estimate >2,000 made). World Series is fairly common. The Jigsaw games are difficult to find--often they are found in other countries and re-imported. The Army Navy's are nearly impossible--after looking for four years I have only identified 13 still in existence world-wide. A few pictures can been seen at http://www.buckwerx.com click on the Rockola section.
Nate
Quoted from Nate:In addition to EM, SS and DMD games my kids and I have a collection of and make parts for some of the 1930's Rockola games such as World's Series (50,000 made), Jigsaw (70,000 made), and Army Navy (estimate >2,000 made). World Series is fairly common. The Jigsaw games are difficult to find--often they are found in other countries and re-imported. The Army Navy's are nearly impossible--after looking for four years I have only identified 13 still in existence world-wide. A few pictures can been seen at http://www.buckwerx.com click on the Rockola section.
Nate
Wow. I just saw a jigsaw in person and flipped. The army navy looks amazing. Wow. I would love to play a game on that. Thanks for the picture.
Quoted from Marc:Hercules may not be all that rare of a title but a NICE Hercules is rare. These are some pictures of mine during the restoration last year. Completely sanded and re-stenciled, turned out very nice.
Love the Paul Stanley poster on the wall! I had that very poster growing up.
My grail of the hard to find is a factory diamond coated Banzai Run.
I've had two of these. About two and a half years ago I bought a BR from an an op, bought it for the sole reason that the playfield was very nice. Two weeks later to my surprise I found out it was an XR-7. I had no desire to sell it but to make a long story short I ended up selling it 2 days after the 2011 TPF for ALOT of money.
Fast forward to about Janurary 2012, I got another XR-7, this time out of a collection, it actually has a nicer playfield then the first one I had and this one has red boards in it to boot. Learned my lesson on the first, I'm not selling the second.
The first one I had
SDC10291.JPG SDC10292.JPG SDC10293.JPG
The second one had red boards
IMG-20120301-00278.jpg
I have a Solar Fire which i think is the best of the four games at 782 units and have midways Flying turns which is a great two player with dinky cars in the back box at 475 units made.
Class of 1812!
Not the deepest game in the world but is very fun for casual play and you just can't beat the chickens clucking out the 1812 Overture, trust me, that never gets old!
This game was truly an inspired effort on Gottlieb/Premier's part. Inspired by what, I dare not guess... 
Mine's in need of a playfield if anyone has one stored away they don't need...
One of the toughest machines that I worked to find was a Bally Vampire. These early Bally's were not the most durable, so many ops would often part out machines to keep others on route, leaving very few operable pins still available.
I love the campy graphics, the center ball save post activated by rollovers, and old school chimes.
Fun theme and a nice casually player for non-pin head friends.
cheers,
rody
Goin' Nuts . Its on the gottlieb collection for Wii but there isn't very many real ones out there .
IPDB says 10 were made .
Fun to play when more than one player is present.
Quoted from trilogybeer:Goin' Nuts . Its on the gottlieb collection for Wii but there isn't very many real ones out there .
IPDB says 10 were made .
Quoted from blownfuse:Fun to play when more than one player is present.
I'm so freakin' intrigued by this game. Love the concept, love the Gottlieb Collection version and would really like a chance to play one for "real". Just a neat idea to have a timed game, where your skill determines not only your points, but directly extends the duration of the game.
If you're ever in my area (SFBA), LMK and I'll make sure you can play mine. 
Quoted from albummydavis:I'm so freakin' intrigued by this game. Love the concept, love the Gottlieb Collection version and would really like a chance to play one for "real". Just a neat idea to have a timed game, where your skill determines not only your points, but directly extends the duration of the game.
Quoted from MattElder:Well, you're closer, but also wrong. Take off an "s", and add a "The". The full and correct name of the game is "The Champion Pub". Even though the "The" is often left out, it's right there on the backglass and cabinet...
This is proof that I shouldn't drink and post on forums 
...Sorry to Whoknowsgoi, and thanks for the help Matt...I guess with a buzz my post was alot funnier than it appears now.
Quoted from aeneas:I have a Majorettes so don't consider it rare, but it's really great to play
I'd put some Bally games on the list: Embryon, Elektra, Mystic.
Nice looking games, quite fun to game, but hard to find compared to Space Invaders or Xenon..
As a classic Bally SS collector I can agree that Embryon, Elektra and Mystic are harder to find in good condition, but certainly not rare. I've seen at least four Embryons for sale in the last three month-- they seem to come in waves. Elektra only a few in the last year, while Mystic only one in two years (in the market now for one in good shape).
Take a look at Bally's Voltan Escapes Cosmic Doom for a really rare one-- only 364 made, and arguably the best backglass of the classic Bally's. Game play is surprisingly fun for such a simple pin.
Quoted from dgpinball:No one has mentioned some of the rare EM's, There were only 425 Majorettes made, and it's an awesome game.
EM's are tricky because of all the configurations.
Here's some EM's that seem to be truly rare, and interesting, but I have no idea if they're good:
Gottlieb Challenger
Bally Bigfoot (No known survivors)
Williams Bo Bo
I have a Bally Surfers project and that seems to be rare but they originally made 908. Anyone have a spare backglass?
They made 170 EM Mata Hari so that's rare, but they made 16,260 SS.
They made 675 Captain Card (add a ball) so that might be rare, but they made 4,950 High Hand with the same playfield, and the same basic backglass art.
Quoted from davewtf:I can't say or I'll get blacklisted by my buddies. Sorry!
badcats????
Quoted from rancegt:Bally Bigfoot (No known survivors)
I thought 2 were built.
So far, Kingpin is my favorite of the super rare titles. I've played it a ton at both shows and private collections and always look forward to trying to find Kingpin's loot. Nice physical design, fantastic art direction (one of my favorite backglasses), great sound design and cool, yet simple for 2012, rule design. I'm a broken record, but if just Kingpin and BBB had gotten normal releases, Capcom would have definitely been a major threat. The other Capcom titles are good, but Pinball Magic with BBB and KP would have left a very significant impression on a wider audience.
Gottlieb Spirit is pretty rare to find.
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2292
As mentioned above - the famous Capcom protos Kingpin & Big Bang Bar.
Mike
www.HabosArcade.com
Quoted from kwiKimart:I thought 2 were built.
That's what ipdb.org says but their newest pictures seem to be from around 1978. No one seems to know what happened to them.
Just like the real Bigfoot, I think we're left to wonder if any really exist.
Werribee
Quoted from jimster102:Godzilla
That's my favorite rare pin that I have played out in the wild at least. Not SUPER rare but underrated IMO. I think it might be my favorite game with a shaker too.
To the guy who said Radical! is rare... I just got one and guess I didn't realized how lucky I got. The person I got it from had 2(!) of em. She wanted to trade both for my DH, but I wasn't ready to let it go yet.
Quoted from Wickedquickss:rare enough that you don't know its called "Champions Pub"
I think this should be called the "KoolAide thread" Just saying...How many of us have actually played "Krull" "KingKong" or even "Kingpin" to even make a opinion beside someone else telling you they are GREAT rare games...I think any pin under 2500 units is pretty darn rare....well compared to Addams Family or the Getaway....anyways....Drink up...OH YEAH!
It's called THE CHAMPION PUB. There's no S in the title.
Quoted from Breadfan:Here's the holy grail of rare! WMS The Pinball Circus. Only made 2.
That was my vote too....See above post. This thing was awesome. IF it had finished rules besides....it would have been phenomenal. I still want one, even half finished.
Brampton, ON
Quoted from radrats:Whoa. Never seen BMX. I just looked it up and it blew my mind! If I could have one of those next to my Radical! I would be eternally stoked.
Having the identical playfield designs, I really want to know who endorsed the Hardbody theme 5 years later. Wasn't BMX-ing still popular at the time? Great looking artwork. But I guess late '82 was the decline of pinball and the Golden Age of Vids.
... and a 720 were to be on the other side of Radical!, that would be even more gnarly stokedtastic: http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=6791
Quoted from Whysnow:davewth said:
I can't say or I'll get blacklisted by my buddies. Sorry!
badcats????
No, I don't want to disclose the name of a game a buddy is looking for. It will make it that much harder for him.
I don't care about youz guys knowing i want a bad cats. meow ma meow meow...
Blackwater is a very unique game. It does start with a 3 ball multiball for each "heat" but has random goals at the begining and they be come liner as the first set of goals are reched. Lots going on with some crazy shots. Somewhat hard to find with good vaccume forms but well woth a play and good for medium or bigger collections. Or if you are dirt bike rider I guess it along with Banzai Run are no brainers based on theme.
Here is another rare title...Kabuki
"This game was a gift to lift the spirits of the chairman of NAMCO who was trying to fight off a very painful and aggressive form of cancer"
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4537
Very cool artwork.
Surprised it hasn't been mentioned but I'll give a nod to Varkon, production is 90 but how many actually still exist 20?. Maybe not the funnest game to play long term but very unique and has an important place in pinball history.
Here is a link to the current restoration of my Varkon.
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/varkon-restoration-started
my friend has a varkon. he recently had high offers on how many are left is a good question
i have a friend with a very rare game...wrecking ball...it was pat lawlors first game he ever made. he actually but the game him self with ply wood and pvc fittings. working game with custom made wrecking ball roms.... wms decided to put pat on as a designer and use the game which was renamed banzai run.
first pic is from expo in 1988 the rest are the game today at my friends...if any real high end collector is interested i may be able to help give it a new home some day
Quoted from lllvjr:my friend has a varkon. he recently had high offers on how many are left is a good question
i have a friend with a very rare game...wrecking ball...it was pat lawlors first game he ever made. he actually but the game him self with ply wood and pvc fittings. working game with custom made wrecking ball roms.... wms decided to put pat on as a designer and use the game which was renamed Banzai Run.
first pic is from expo in 1988 the rest are the game today at my friends...if any real high end collector is interested i may be able to help give it a new home some day
now that is cool! It should be in a museum!
Awesome to know that game is not been lost. Lawlor said in the TOP cast interview that he had given it away and did not know where it was. Tell your friend it would look great next to my Banzai Run XR-7
Maybe Bigfoot will surface next...
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