Strikes and Spares as your "first" pinball machine?

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Strikes and Spares as your "first" pinball machine?

Hey all,

I've been a vids guy almost exclusively outside of a Bally Speakeasy I lucked into and had for a few months before trading it to someone for a Black Widow. Just wondering what you pin veterans would think of a Bally Strikes and Spares as a "first" pin... one I hope to keep and really work on. They don't seem nearly as daunting to work on as far as more modern pins in terms of a ton of stuff on the playfield to remove to work on. I don't have a lead on one or anything and before I start posting WTB's I figured I'd get some opinions. I know Pinball at the Zoo is coming up next month and maybe there would be one I could try out, but my schedule doesn't look good for going.
 
I'm not an expert, and I've never owned a pin... But I played S & S at PHOF and absolutely loved it!! (I remember it BITD too. Just busy playing vids). I captured the high score at the time.:cool: Late '09.

I'm sure guests/party goers would love it. Great multi-player dynamic.

I would love to own one!!
 
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I picked up one as a basket case and have slowly been gathering parts for it. Got the worn out playfield re-painted and will be clearcoating it in a few weeks. Also signed up for one of the repro playfields when they are available.

Boards are next since they are missing and I don't want to get an old set and try to repair them.

So I'm going to have more in it than what I could have bought a working machine for, but mine will be mostly new parts when I finish it and it's a keeper so it's worth it to me.

If you're unsure about the play then try to get a few games in on one before dropping the money. I love the SS era machines since that's what I grew up playing, but a lot of people like the newer machines since there's more to do on them.

Overall I think it's a good game and you can't beat the artwork on it. They are relatively inexpensive compared to the newer machines. If you get one for a decent price then you shouldn't have a problem getting your money back out of it if you decide to get rid of it somewhere down the road.

Be sure to get one with a decent backglass, they are not easy to find and can be expensive to replace.

- JM
 
Overall I think it's a good game and you can't beat the artwork on it. They are relatively inexpensive compared to the newer machines. If you get one for a decent price then you shouldn't have a problem getting your money back out of it if you decide to get rid of it somewhere down the road.
Pins have always seemed out of my price range just because many of the semi-modern titles are worth more than the vast majority of vids. It's good to know that SAS isn't a high dollar title and from the prices I've seen, I should be able to find one for under a grand, but of course depending on condition. The closest I've come to playing one is on PinMAME. :eek:
 
I'm not an expert, and I've never owned a pin... But I played S & S at PHOF and absolutely loved it!! (I remember it BITD too. Just busy playing vids). I captured the high score at the time.:cool: Late '09.

I'm sure guests/party goers would love it. Great multi-player dynamic.

I would love to own one!!
You mean the PHOF in Vegas? I was there and for some reason I don't remember playing it, but I didn't get to spend much time there either.
 
This game definitely has some satisfaction value from making multiple strike shots in a row. That said, I think you will need to fire up some multi-player games to keep it interesting after a while.

-BB
 
Having owned 4 of these over the years (including JM's above), I can say that it's pretty linear in gameplay. Ballys of this era all have bad light sockets and of course potential acid damage on the processor board. As male oriented artwork, it is the absolute BEST ever.

I have about $1500 invested in mine (which is WAY too much). I had the playfield restored, I put on new plastics, and changed some of the circuit boards. The game had the best backglass of all of them I've owned. This was the 2nd one I bought and the playfield was from the 3rd that was bought as a parts machine. JM's came after mine was fully restored and I really just sold it for a friend.

As a first pin, it's OK. I think you'll want a lot more in your second pin.
 
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There was another machine in or near Atlanta a few weeks ago. The pics were too crappy to tell if it was complete or the condition on it. It did have a backglass on it, but again, it was too poor of a picture to see if it was worth using.

Did you get it Al, or did someone else on the forum pick it up? Just curious to see what it sold for and what kind of shape it was in when you get up close to it.

-JM
 
It wasn't me. I'm looking for a RFM now.

I played my S&S last night and it was still fun. Works pretty well except one flipper is a little off. Still a fun "Classic Pinball" game. That's another thing, because it has chimes instead of a sound board, it has an EM feel to me. They were still working out what a computer could be used for in pins. I like this actually.

-Al-
 
And just so we're Clear...

And just so we're clear - We're talking about "Bally Strikes and Spares", not "Gottlieb/Premier Strikes & Spares". They are totally different games and the Gottlieb game is more of a novelty than a pin.
 
I told ya' I wasn't an expert... Yeah, I thought he was talking about Strikes 'N Spares... My bad;)

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