Lock Bars are they really a bad thing?

simpsons99

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I have been trying too trade away my Mint TZ the only Main Problem with it has a Darn Lock Bar on the Front of it.. *It's a really Nice one* Looks like it came from the Factory*

Does everyone Judge a Game/Pin if it has a Lock Bar on it or not? Does this factor into you getting the machine?

Seems like everyone is wanting too do the trade intell they see or hear it has a Lock Bar.

I know there things that Fill in the holes that the Lock Bar Makes. Most of our games are on Free play or tokens or what not. So whats the big deal with them? First things where first Made too Make Money for the Venders. Collectors are just a thing that is happening too them now or later in there Lives.


Let me know what everyone thinks

and thankyou for your time!
 
Every game I've received either had the lock holes where there "use to be" a bar or the bar is still intact. When I restore a machine I remove them and patch the holes. You could buy a dowel and plug the holes. Yeah it might not match the paint but it does look better than the gaping holes staring you in the face. If you were lucky enough to have a cabinet with wood grain like a Bally Midway cocktail there's colored putty that works awesome to hide the holes. Anyway having holes or a lockbar are never a deal breaker for me but it does make me drop my offer a little.
 
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I hate them. Theyre bulky, ugly, annoying, and no longer necessary once theyre in the hands of us collectors.
 
Funny you posted this. Just last night I removed all lock bars and bolts from all my machines. It didn't bother me untill I noticed almost all my machines had them. I bet a threw away 30 lbs of scrap metal. LOL
 
Take it off, then plug the holes with carriage bolts painted black.

I personally never pass on a game because of this...
 
Pinball collectors are weiner heads. Anal retentive wiener heads.

Remove the lockbar and put in some kind of unobtrusive black plug. That will help, but it won't completely solve it.

The trouble with lock bars is the new owner can't claim "HUO".
 
I have been trying too trade away my Mint TZ the only Main Problem with it has a Darn Lock Bar on the Front of it.. *It's a really Nice one* Looks like it came from the Factory*

Does everyone Judge a Game/Pin if it has a Lock Bar on it or not? Does this factor into you getting the machine?

Seems like everyone is wanting too do the trade intell they see or hear it has a Lock Bar.

I know there things that Fill in the holes that the Lock Bar Makes. Most of our games are on Free play or tokens or what not. So whats the big deal with them? First things where first Made too Make Money for the Venders. Collectors are just a thing that is happening too them now or later in there Lives.


Let me know what everyone thinks

and thankyou for your time!

I try as hard as possible to get games that do not have them but of course I'm trying to get games in the best condition possible anyway. I have a TZ and it had a LB, it might have actually came that way from the factory. For high end games or something rare it would not be a deal breaker for sure.
 
Lockbar/lockbar holes don't keep me from picking up games. I think it's purely an aesthetic thing. Personal preference of whether to keep the lockbar or not. It's almost like giving your cab a piercing. :)

Assuming I'm going to sand and paint the whole cab anyways, I usually bondo, sand, and paint the lock bar holes. Looks way better IMHO.
 
Personally, I hate lock bars. Having said that, that wouldn't stop me from buying a game if it was in good condition.

I think the think that detracts most folks from buying games with lock bars, is that it gives the impression that the game was a route game or on location which equates to heavy play or abuse.
 
I remove and patch up the holes anyone need a few I'm sure I have some hanging around. It wouldn't stop me from buying a game. I would say 90% of the time its on an area of the cabinet that's just black easy to patch and paint.
 
The reason pin players don't like lockbars doesn't have to do necessarily with the aesthetics.

If a game has a lock bar on it, it must have been in a rough location. Pinball collectors really like their machines to be nice, but if it's been in rough locations it's probably got gouges sideart missing and probably wasn't cleaned very often so it will have playfield wear, broken plastics, etc.

It's not so much the lockbar itself, but what it tells you about the pin.

If you find a pin that's never had a lockbar, it probably was in a decent location, if a pin is in a more high-end location then it's been necessarily maintained better, or else the nice location would have kicked the op out on his ass.

Pins have physical parts that wear. Vids have less of that, a lot of arcade game problems can be fixed with a new control panel overlay and a capkit. Once a pinball has been neglected for years you can't get it to look new again no matter what you do.

Now with all that said, I could give a shit less I take 'em as I find 'em. If it has a lockbar, that's alright. I remove lockbars off every game I get, though. It doesn't keep me from buying one, though.
 
first off, are you insane? Any possible trade would be a negative move for you..

As for the holes, remove the bar. either wood filler and touch up paint or painted carriage bolts. Unless your treying to sell to an operator, never show a game with security bars.

Anyone who would walk from a nice TZ beacuse of a lock bar was just wasting your time.
 
Anyone who would walk from a nice TZ beacuse of a lock bar was just wasting your time.

Yep, you have a TZ. most pinheads would kill for that game! If the PF is nice, everything is working, nothing is broke, then the game is good no matter if it has a bar or not. Take the bar off and put carrage bolts in the holes. Half my games have the bolts, and no one has ever said one word.

You are crazy trading a TZ anyway. Keep it. :)
 
its always a bummmer when you find a real nice example and its lock bar-i-fied...

however, that would not deter me from a otherwise nice machine..


unfortunaterly for me most of my games were bought on the cheap so i cant be too picky lol...
 
The longtime operator I used to work for automatically had us install a lock bar on EVERY machine he bought brand new. This is before the game even went out on the route.

On games we sold, we removed the lockbar and put carriage bolts in the holes.
 
Lock Bars are they really a bad thing?

Yep, you have a TZ. most pinheads would kill for that game! If the PF is nice, everything is working, nothing is broke, then the game is good no matter if it has a bar or not. Take the bar off and put carrage bolts in the holes. Half my games have the bolts, and no one has ever said one word.

You are crazy trading a TZ anyway. Keep it. :)

I've had many people with Simpsons Party, Restored Indy,Addams,Spider Man,

One person was sooo worryed about removing the lockbar and it Messing up the art.*once removed*

Dang it would be a HUO Machine without this Bar on it. In which the past ower said it was grrr lets not even get into that one!
 
It's possible for a game to be HUO and have a lockdown bar. Some games came with them. Golden Tee Fore! comes to mind, and I've seen pins that it was done so well it's hard for me to believe it didnt' come from the factory like that.
 
Lock Bars are they really a bad thing?

It's possible for a game to be HUO and have a lockdown bar. Some games came with them. Golden Tee Fore! comes to mind, and I've seen pins that it was done so well it's hard for me to believe it didnt' come from the factory like that.

Makes me ask this question then is this a Factory *LockBar* Then?



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I actually like having them on some games. It's like a medal of honor showing how they were "out in the trenches" on their tour of duty!

Plus, for people like me who take forever to buy new coin door locks, it keeps the coin door closed. :D
 
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