Williams Super Star

hindered

Well-known member

Donor 2015
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
1,796
Reaction score
32
Location
Kalamazoo, Michigan
How would a Williams Super Star be as a starter pin? I'm mostly into vids but wouldn't mind a pinball in the arcade and don't particularly care if it's one of the new ones with all the bells and whistles. Any opinions? What's one of these worth, ballpark?
 
Really depends on condition...is it working? Any playfield wear?

Hard to tell from the picture posted. I'm assuming it's working, and the playfield is in good condition. Obviously price would be adjusted if the condition is otherwise.
 
Mr pinball price guide says 375.00 for a nice one.I'd say,working,good shape....200-300 bux would be a good deal.I'm also a cheap bastard.... :)
 
This EM is seriously sparse with respect to features. I predict it would become boring soon and gather dust. Although I like many old WMS EM games, there needs to be something interesting to make it a home purchase--drop targets, a spinner, something.

Case in point: I had a beautiful 4-player Ro Go back in the 80's. Pretty machine, excellent condition. Boring as heck. 2 pops, an upside-down U in mid-playfield, 2 gates on the right and one on the left. Traded it even-up for a somewhat worn Gold Strike with 15 drop targets, not as pretty. I still play and enjoy the GS to this day. If I had the Ro Go, I'd probably frame and hang the backglass.
 
Last edited:
I agree,however if he gets a good deal on it then tires of it,he could clean it up a bit and unload it for a good price.Then the money could go towards a better pin.Or he might think it's the best game ever...it's purely a personal thing.I'd say go for it and see....
 
Williams "Superstar" is my favorite EM of all time. Tons of fun. Drop target, hidden kickout hole, several bonus advance rollover buttons, and one hell of a good bouns countoff when you get everything lit (sure makes a lot of neat noises counting down the bonus).

Standard Williams back door key # 288.
 
I had a big star (same pin, different add-a-ball vs replay). Very fun game... one of the faster EM pins. Not overly complicated, but a fun game.

/Tim
 
Hmm ok, if he'll come down on price any I might bite. Here's a pic. He says everything works well except one bumper is weak. I assume that would be a relatively easy fix?
 

Attachments

  • pin.jpg
    pin.jpg
    68.5 KB · Views: 21
Hmm ok, if he'll come down on price any I might bite. Here's a pic. He says everything works well except one bumper is weak. I assume that would be a relatively easy fix?

A weak bumper could be a toasty coil, gummed up coil, or mushroomed end on the plunger. replacing the coil sleeves and cleaning / deburring the plunger will likely take care of it.

hope it works out for ya!
cheers
/Tim
 
Hmm ok, if he'll come down on price any I might bite. Here's a pic. He says everything works well except one bumper is weak. I assume that would be a relatively easy fix?

unless you've actually played this pin and really want it, save your cash for a newer pin.
 
For me it's not "DMD or crap." I love good EMs. (See my earlier post.) I've had and played some Ems that I find boring, for lack of features (like my ex, Ro Go). For example, I love my old Williams Travel Time (which doesn't have much besides a saucer, couple of bumpers, and a handful of standup targets) because it's timer-based, so each game eventually goes into 'sudden death' when the clock runs out.

But I see that some people really like this particular game. I also agree it's good to start with an EM, learn to doing some maintenance/repair, and maybe flip it someday (or increase the collection!). Plus, a clean and well-adjusted EM should play as fast as a newer game. (Sadly, many I see at shows do not.) A lot of fun in owning a pin (for me, anyway) is being able to keep it playing well. Although I won't complain because newer games tend to need less maintenance, generally.
 
How would a Williams Super Star be as a starter pin? I'm mostly into vids but wouldn't mind a pinball in the arcade and don't particularly care if it's one of the new ones with all the bells and whistles. Any opinions? What's one of these worth, ballpark?
Super Star is a middle of the road EM not the best but not the worst.(see link below) I would go for it for your first pin. Price wise I'd stay around $300 or less. As for these clowns that get on these threads and post that EM pins are boring and slow, Well they are just wrong. Of course an EM is not going to be as fast as a new pin but so what. If you properly adjust an EM pinball machine it will play great. Super Star is no different than Funhouse, If you let Funhouse sit around for 25 years unplayed and never clean or adjust anything or rebuild the flippers. I'll bet it plays like crap too. Go get it and enjoy it. If it gets boring then sell it and buy another. I own about 20 EM pinball machines and I get bored with some of them from time to time.
Glennon

http://ipdb.org/search.pl?any=super+star&searchtype=quick#2446
 
Well-maintained and properly adjusted EMs do play as fast as modern games. (At least the two I own do--Gold Strike and Travel Time.) Except for Jurassic Park-Lost World--NO other pin I've played anywhere plays as fast as this game! I rarely clean the pf because then it becomes ridiculously fast. Seriously, a shot to the ramps at the top of the playfield come back to the flippers almost too fast to control when it's cleaned up. And hitting those small greenish-yellow standups by the ramps rockets the ball back at the flippers.
 
Back
Top Bottom