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Writer's pictureGiacomo Malvermi

The ultimate Pinball guide

Updated: Oct 27, 2018

"There is no temple" - taken from the short animated film the Jam Remainz the Same (Beacon Light Productions 1977).


Gottlieb wedgehead line-up at #pinballcreative
Wedgeheads are thus called because of the shape of their backbox. #pinballcreative love to restore Gottliebs but some people prefer Bally games. Which should you choose?




We can only guide and advise. What makes a good game for one man may make for an awful game for the other. There is no ultimate pinball guide as there is no ultimate pinball machine. Sure we all have favourites and in the 50+ years I have been playing pinball I can

honestly say that I have played some fantastic games as well as some utter pigs. 


Here is a guide on choosing between the top three manufacturers of the 60s and 70s.

Gottlieb vs Williams or should I buy a Bally???


In our opinion choosing the right game is very important.

Over the past four years we have found that most people are either #Gottlieb or #Bally. few go for both brands. Rarely do people mix and Williams tend to sell less than the other two bigger brands. However, in fairness to #Williams their games were possibly the best engineered pinballs ever made as they were owned by Seeburg (juke-box) from the early 60′s.


The right game is subjective. Which is the right game for you? Well, only you can decide that.


We have focussed on games from the 60’s and 70’s mainly because we feel that this was the golden era of pinball. The artwork on the games of this period is truly astounding. That is why it is imperative that the games we sell are restored to the best of our ability. That is why we lovingly clean the playfield and get rid of 70 – 90% of all ball swirls. That is why we replace back glasses where needed or restore the cabinet. The combination of a perfectly restored pinball, an exciting game, and beautiful artwork is fundamental.


Good games are now getting RARE!


In our opinion choosing the right game is imperative, however, we offer a completely unique service should you wish to change your game: PINBALL BUY BACK. We guarantee that we will buy back your game at up to 50% of the original purchase price. As long as the game you originally bought was not damaged, mis-treated, tampered with, or modified whilst in your care, plus it MUST have been serviced only by Pinball Creative during your possession. After a thorough inspection, and as long as we are satisfied, we will give you up to 50% of the original purchase price. This can happen at any time, 6 months, a year, two years after the first sale. Should you get bored with your game you can change it. Please read through our Terms and Conditions regarding Pinball Buy Back as we are also limited to buying ONE unit of the same model at any given time. This in essence means that we are not tied to having two games of the same title.


Viewing and playing the right game

Our games are not just on the internet. We normally have a stock of around 7 to 8 games set up to play in our workshop near East Croydon in the suburbs of south London. This can vary as games sell all the time. These can be viewed by appointment only. You can simply make an appointment, chat, view, play then go away and think about it. If there is a particular game that you have in mind just e-mail or call us and we’ll ensure it’s set up for you when you come to view it. At Pinball Creative we love our #pinballs and want you to enjoy them as much as we do. This type of business can only be run by people who are passionate about pinball and at #PinballCreative we are very passionate about the game!

"Not to worry young fella, we'll find your folks" Cross Town - One of the very best EMs every made


A tricky game this Star-Jet, but a Holy Grail for many!

Bally Mata Hari (EM version) excellent game. Sold at Christie's in 2014

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