Slightly grotesque but nonetheless fascinating, this Mills lung tester called Hats Off from the early penny arcade era is a wonderful example of creative theming for the era. Also, the game's free if your lungs are hardy!
@ourlostarcade.bsky.social
Discovering the arcade's past! A journey through the history of coin-op. Games, jukeboxes, vending, and more from the 1st century to the 20th! Also @playhistory.bsky.social
Ready to rock with Rock-O-Ball? Rock-Ola really knew how to brand in the 1930s. Even this miniature skee ball-alike soars with a fun name like that!
Created as an add-on to kiddie rides, Bally's Fun-Phone was an interesting audio novelty to keep kids occupied while a grown-up did their shopping. All of the fun of the telephone with none of the AT&T mark-up!
Ron Haliburton is one of the few designers of electro-mechanical games that moved on into early video games! His work with All-Tech and Allied Leisure were stellar examples of late EM design. Check out the article for info on Alyssa' project!
Alyssa Brown@machinesentience.bsky.social · 4w agoI spoke with UVA Today about how the unearthing of a long extinct arcade machine led to my collaboration with Allied Leisure's co-founder, Ron Halliburton. Check it out: news.virginia.edu/content/pres...
The Fourth is passed, but patriotic coin-op lives on with the Uncle Sam handshake grip testers! This iconic, creepy mannequin lasted on location for decades after first appearing in the early 1900s.
Thanks for the boost @cpi.pinball.horse! If you want to have a look at the threads I've done without trawling the endless scroll, check out this post.
the original Aloof Wife@cpi.pinball.horse · last mo.Our Lost Arcade: arcade history threads on Bluesky pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2026/07/our-... A list of wonderful @ourlostarcade.bsky.social arcade history threads! #retroarcade #pinball #videogames #gamehistory #coinop
Mills Novelty was the most important company in the formation of the American coin-op industry in the early 1900s. And in its first years of operation, it faced several major crises that nearly put it out of business. This is the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad first decade of Mills Novelty.
Despite widespread pinball bans in the 1940s, some people still found their salvation in the silver ball. This 1949 articles by Ted Hodges highlights the 'addictive' quality of these underground games in the post-War era.
The first notable automatic photo station operated in Minneapolis in 1890. For just a nickel and two minutes of development time, you could walk away with a handsome picture with minimal human involvement.
Par-Golf, and elaborately painted mechanical pinball by Moorman Game Co of New York City. The game has a several interesting gimmicks - which you can view in this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNuh...
The opening was truly grand! Some amazing historic pinballs and lots to look at! Looking forward to seeing the space evolve and hopefully take in some great business!
@ourlostarcade.bsky.social · 2mo agoThis weekend marks the opening of The Flip museum in Chicago, a pinball-dedicated museum space in its homeland! www.theflip.museum/blog/grand-o... I'll be heading to the grand opening at 4pm today. They've amassed an impressive collection!
This weekend marks the opening of The Flip museum in Chicago, a pinball-dedicated museum space in its homeland! www.theflip.museum/blog/grand-o... I'll be heading to the grand opening at 4pm today. They've amassed an impressive collection!
Gum pistols! Here's the Victor Vending machine Home Run, where you could earn a sweet for your sweet home runs
Mills Novelty pioneered in the micro-sized music access device. Move over remote touchscreens, this is the Wallbox.
scans: Sega electromechanical games flyers (2 of 3) pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2026/05/scan... #retroarcade #eremeka #sega #arcade #japan #showa
the original Aloof Wife@cpi.pinball.horse · 3mo agoscans: Sega electromechanical games flyers (1 of 3) pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2026/05/scan... #retroarcade #japan #eremeka #arcade #showa
Hailing from the unusual amusement zone of Boston, Massachusetts, the Tally-Bowl was a unique take on the skee ball/miniature bowling concept. Players had to roll the ball up a turn-around ramp - and then reset the balls themselves! It was not long-lived.
Rock-Ola's 1937 World Series machine, created by Harry Williams as a continuation of the EM pitch-and-bat baseball game. I previously did a thread all about the creation of this vital genre: bsky.app/profile/ourl...
@ourlostarcade.bsky.social · last yr.And it's one... Two... Three inventors of the Pitch-and-Bat baseball game? Today we explore another of the great coin-op machines of the electro-mechanical era. Synthesizing the nation's past time, let's learn how the balls flew before the flipper.
THIS IS NOT COMPUTER QUIZ A new flyer scan provided by @cpi.pinball.horse has dug up memories of one of the first game history debates I was involved in. Let me take you down the confusing mystery of the competing Nutting quiz machines: Computer Quiz and I.Q. Computer.
Today is an important day in #pinball history: 90 years ago, pinball operation was banned in the City of Chicago. The "Prohibition against Bagatelle or Pigeonhole Games" was maintained until 1977, even as the pinball companies continued to build their machines there.
Mannequins and models were great eye-catchers for a novelty, especially when selling something like perfume. Mills Novelty's Perfume Lady line had both stand-up and life-sized models of many stripes to draw the eye - and fetch the coin.
It's the beginning of the space age, but I also want to go bowling. Rocket Shuffle by Chicago Coin satisfies both of those base needs! The 1950s - as encapsulated in a single cabinet.
A resurrection of the classic Wild Gunman EM film game by Nintendo! Keep an eye on this one.
Ian Scott@polpo.org · 4mo agoI was bummed the 74XX YouTube channel hadn't uploaded in a while but today was blessed with this amazing video that starts with finding some Wild Gunman film reels and ends with an amazing recreation of the original game. Probably my favorite low sub channel! www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOfq...
A beautiful penny pistol: Early model countertop shooting game L'Éclair by Louis Loubet of Charlebourg france. Note at the bottom that is has a dispenser - I'm sure those were just souvenir coins.
What would be your desert island game? Midway hoped to - at the very least - fill that question literally with Sea Rescue in 1971. It was a Helicopter-type landing game with some more intricate maneuvering required - featuring all the standards of EM "audio visual" experiences.
Fifty years ago today, a historic game was played for the New York City council. After years of lobbying, the Music and Amusement Association challenged NYC's ban on the operation of pinball. Pinball expert Robert Sharpe volunteered to play a game as evidence.
The dream of hot food vending in North America lived for a brief moment in the 1950s and 60s - the era of food kitsch. These images from the latest scans by @thestacks.ca provided by @cpi.pinball.horse archive.org/details/Cana...
Photos from inside Bally Manufacturing. These come from a 1937 profile on pinball, about a year after the game's operation was banned in Chicago. That doesn't stop business!
At the famous 1939 New York World's Fair, Bally set up an exhibit of their bumper-powered pinball games at the penny arcade on the premises. Of course, a little over two years later, pinball would be officially expelled from New York.
Cap off International Women’s Day with this thread and tribute to an early pinball legend. Meet Babe Kaufman — America’s Only Woman Jobber!
They say it's the season for scary games. What better time to play Spook Gun by Bally? A Dale Gun-style game advertised for its "junior" quality, the novelty of sniping the undead has never really gotten old.
