let's talk cocktail pins

Talk about anything that you would like.
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let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

what are your favourite cocktail pins?

Which ones do you think are duds?

I love the ones with Torrey art, like Eros One, Star Shooter, and Hearts & Spades.
https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?searchty ... l%20Torrey

But I haven't played enough of them to know which have better gameplay.
I also think cocktail pins should be put on furniture sliders and have their tilt bobs removed. :D
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by semicolin »

Yep- just picked up a Star Trip and I can already just imagine how much fun it's going to be once I get it fixed up... but boy oh boy does it ever need fixing up. I've repaired quite a few rotten Bally/Stern boards and I have *never* seen one with the amount of damage that this one has. By the time I'm done it's going to have so much Kynar hanging off of it that it will look like a wire-wrap prototype. Still, I always need something to keep me busy through the colder months and this looks like the ticket.

I have a lovely Take Five playfield that I picked up from Mary Ellen a few months ago and I'm still not sure what to do with it. Likely, I'll whip up an LED chaser circuit and hang it up in the break room at work. I'll be pulling the solenoids and pop bumper brackets, etc, so I'll have some Allied Leisure playfield machinery to give away at the next swap meet we're allowed to have.

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by Chris Silver »

I’m loving my Night Moves. Best cocktail ever made. It has at least one of everything in it and a better layout than Caribbean Cruise.

Cocktail pins are great to take up space that you can’t fit a normal machine and to and gives you a place to sit and drink beer
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

Anyone played Star Shooter? it looks like an amazing game for a cocktail https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=3500 ... 068&zoom=1
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by Hammerhead »

I just recently acquired a Rotation VIII. I’m new to the cocktail scene but this one has always intrigued me. It’s BIG for a cocktail, so it can play floaty. These are hardly ever found in fully working condition, and The rotating playfield doesn’t work currently.

This is going to be a great winter project, just need to find someone with good playfield touchup skills.
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

Hammerhead wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:37 pm I just recently acquired a Rotation VIII. I’m new to the cocktail scene but this one has always intrigued me. It’s BIG for a cocktail, so it can play floaty. These are hardly ever found in fully working condition, and The rotating playfield doesn’t work currently.

This is going to be a great winter project, just need to find someone with good playfield touchup skills.
I'm sorry if I'm late a little but, congadulations :) I've always wanted to own a Rotation VIII , had a few occasions to buy one over the years but it was always bad timing for me. When I picked up my second Rat Race from Greg Kemnitz he had a garage full of rare games for sale, I picked up Ice Cold Beer from him and he also had a very nice Rotation VIII but Rat Race and Ice Cold Beer was all I could afford on that trip.
Does Joust and Rat Race count as cocktail pins? They are quite similar to cocktail pins. If so, those are my 2 top cocktail pins that I've owned, great family/guests fun games.

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by Chris Silver »

GILV wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:28 am
Hammerhead wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:37 pm I just recently acquired a Rotation VIII. I’m new to the cocktail scene but this one has always intrigued me. It’s BIG for a cocktail, so it can play floaty. These are hardly ever found in fully working condition, and The rotating playfield doesn’t work currently.

This is going to be a great winter project, just need to find someone with good playfield touchup skills.

I'm sorry if I'm late a little but, congadulations :) I've always wanted to own a Rotation VIII , had a few occasions to buy one over the years but it was always bad timing for me. When I picked up my second Rat Race from Greg Kemnitz he had a garage full of rare games for sale, I picked up Ice Cold Beer from him and he also had a very nice Rotation VIII but Rat Race and Ice Cold Beer was all I could afford on that trip.
Does Joust and Rat Race count as cocktail pins? They are quite similar to cocktail pins. If so, those are my 2 top cocktail pins that I've owned, great family/guests fun games.
Rat race is cool but doesn’t count. Joust is a solid probably. How tall is it anyway?
Pins: Spirit, Centaur II, Af-Tor, Avatar, Embryon, Timeline, Baby Pac Man, SkyJump, Night Moves, Split Second
Gone: Space Station, Top Score, Flash Gordon, Solar Fire, Haunted House, Fire (x2), Vector, Bally Playboy, Tropic Isle, Beat the Clock, Blue-Chip, Disco, Punk!, Lightning, Time Fantasy, 8 Ball Deluxe LE, Double Dragon, Stellar Wars, Alien Poker, Panthera, Elektra, Blackout, Black Hole, Black Knight, Silverball Mania
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

GILV wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:28 amI'm sorry if I'm late a little but, congadulations :) I've always wanted to own a Rotation VIII , had a few occasions to buy one over the years but it was always bad timing for me. When I picked up my second Rat Race from Greg Kemnitz he had a garage full of rare games for sale, I picked up Ice Cold Beer from him and he also had a very nice Rotation VIII but Rat Race and Ice Cold Beer was all I could afford on that trip.
Does Joust and Rat Race count as cocktail pins? They are quite similar to cocktail pins. If so, those are my 2 top cocktail pins that I've owned, great family/guests fun games.
Wait, ALJO is that you???? :o

Joust and Rat Race both count as cocktail games imho. Documents say Joust is 37" tall and Rotation VIII is 31" tall. Most regular cocktail pins seem to be 30" tall but some are just 26" tall, at their lowest settings. So Joust is pushing it, but hey it's flat so you can safely rest your COCKTAIL on it
(I generally don't consider Rat Race to be a pinball game)
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

cait001 wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:52 pm
GILV wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:28 amI'm sorry if I'm late a little but, congadulations :) I've always wanted to own a Rotation VIII , had a few occasions to buy one over the years but it was always bad timing for me. When I picked up my second Rat Race from Greg Kemnitz he had a garage full of rare games for sale, I picked up Ice Cold Beer from him and he also had a very nice Rotation VIII but Rat Race and Ice Cold Beer was all I could afford on that trip.
Does Joust and Rat Race count as cocktail pins? They are quite similar to cocktail pins. If so, those are my 2 top cocktail pins that I've owned, great family/guests fun games.
Wait, ALJO is that you???? :o

Joust and Rat Race both count as cocktail games imho. Documents say Joust is 37" tall and Rotation VIII is 31" tall. Most regular cocktail pins seem to be 30" tall but some are just 26" tall, at their lowest settings. So Joust is pushing it, but hey it's flat so you can safely rest your COCKTAIL on it
(I generally don't consider Rat Race to be a pinball game)
Yes, that's me :)

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

welcome back!!! let me know if you're ever in Ottawa I think you might appreciate some of the things I've been playing with.
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

cait001 wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:34 pm welcome back!!! let me know if you're ever in Ottawa I think you might appreciate some of the things I've been playing with.
Please explain, I'm curious as to what games you have? :)
Thanks for the invitation, I appeciate it a lot, I'll surely let you know if I go to Ottawa.

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:25 am
cait001 wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:34 pm welcome back!!! let me know if you're ever in Ottawa I think you might appreciate some of the things I've been playing with.
Please explain, I'm curious as to what games you have? :)
Thanks for the invitation, I appeciate it a lot, I'll surely let you know if I go to Ottawa.
check out the 'collection' link in my signature, or just go to http://www.pinballowners.com/cait001 there is a pic there for everything
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

cait001 wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:53 am
GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:25 am
cait001 wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:34 pm welcome back!!! let me know if you're ever in Ottawa I think you might appreciate some of the things I've been playing with.
Please explain, I'm curious as to what games you have? :)
Thanks for the invitation, I appeciate it a lot, I'll surely let you know if I go to Ottawa.
check out the 'collection' link in my signature, or just go to http://www.pinballowners.com/cait001 there is a pic there for everything
WOW! WOW! WOW! :jumpy :thumbup
Your into old school pinball, lots of vertical games in there, I am very impressed by your collection.
Suddenly I want to go to Ottawa, even if it's only to go see your games :)

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 11:59 amWOW! WOW! WOW! :jumpy :thumbup
Your into old school pinball, lots of vertical games in there, I am very impressed by your collection.
Suddenly I want to go to Ottawa, even if it's only to go see your games :)
Yeah someone had to pick up the slack and collect the oddballs when you left ;)
I just wish I had room for larger ones. Ah well, it's a very tightly curated space. It hits all of the aesthetic and historical notes that most fascinate and delight me.
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

cait001 wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 2:59 pm
GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 11:59 amWOW! WOW! WOW! :jumpy :thumbup
Your into old school pinball, lots of vertical games in there, I am very impressed by your collection.
Suddenly I want to go to Ottawa, even if it's only to go see your games :)
Yeah someone had to pick up the slack and collect the oddballs when you left ;)
I just wish I had room for larger ones. Ah well, it's a very tightly curated space. It hits all of the aesthetic and historical notes that most fascinate and delight me.
....and you did a terrific job after I left, my experience with searching games tells me you did'nt find those games easilly, am I right? did you restore some? one game looks like new, Admiral. at a certain point, when I was collecting, I wanted to aquire every vertical PF pinball that was made, I bought Catacomb, Banzai Run, Sea Hunt, I wanted Varkon and could have bought it 3 times but all 3 times were bad timing for me, I also wanted Still Crazy......but you have got the most incredible collection I've ever seen, you found vertical pinballs that I had never knew existed before.
When I was looking at your list of games my 6 year old son was waiting for me to finish because I told him, "just a few minutes and I'll be with you" , well I said out loud "SHE's GOT a SKILL ROLL" SHE'S GOT A SKILL ROLL" he did'nt understand a thing I was saying :mrgreen: , he looks at me astounded and says "what's a Skill Roll? I show him the picture and he says "that must be fun" .
I also owned USA Football and Soccer Ball from Alvin G. , are those cocktail pins as well? they both have a flat surface for cocktails.

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:34 pm ....and you did a terrific job after I left, my experience with searching games tells me you did'nt find those games easilly, am I right? did you restore some? one game looks like new, Admiral. at a certain point, when I was collecting, I wanted to aquire every vertical PF pinball that was made, I bought Catacomb, Banzai Run, Sea Hunt, I wanted Varkon and could have bought it 3 times but all 3 times were bad timing for me, I also wanted Still Crazy......but you have got the most incredible collection I've ever seen, you found vertical pinballs that I had never knew existed before.
When I was looking at your list of games my 6 year old son was waiting for me to finish because I told him, "just a few minutes and I'll be with you" , well I said out loud "SHE's GOT a SKILL ROLL" SHE'S GOT A SKILL ROLL" he did'nt understand a thing I was saying :mrgreen: , he looks at me astounded and says "what's a Skill Roll? I show him the picture and he says "that must be fun" .
oh gosh yes these machines came from all over the world. Japan, the Netherlands, England, Alaska, etc. My research has been much more international though, as I've been trying to trace games like these across the past century and continents with a focus on history. You were more focused on the things that were more in the pinball spectrum. My goals were vastly simpler because the machines I got from around the world are all way smaller than any kind of pinball game. Pinball is still my primary passion, but it was my lack of space that partially led me to embrace the smaller machines.
I'm kind of surprise that you didn't have a Skill Roll. A decade ago they weren't that hard to get. As of 5 years ago though they became all the rage, and I think that coincided with Ice Cold Beers drying up. The next vertical machine that is on the rise seems to be Ringer. Everyone has cramped arcade spaces and it sometimes lets them fit in that one more machine. :) (or at least, space constraints open their eyes to what else is out there)

I have never played Still Crazy, but really hope I get to some day. Mind you, I also want to play King Kong and there's probably more of those still out there than Still Crazy!

Is your youngest kid 6 now? My daughter's 9. Time flies! I'll always remember how long I've been immersed in this hobby because I deliberately got started shortly after she was born and I was stepping away from running events and leaving the house.

GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:34 pm I also owned USA Football and Soccer Ball from Alvin G. , are those cocktail pins as well? they both have a flat surface for cocktails.
OK, I have to rethink my classifications. I don't think Joust counts as a cocktail pinball machine because then we'd have to also include the other head-to-head ones.
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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by GILV »

cait001 wrote: Thu Nov 18, 2021 9:04 am
GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:34 pm



Is your youngest kid 6 now? My daughter's 9. Time flies! I'll always remember how long I've been immersed in this hobby because I deliberately got started shortly after she was born and I was stepping away from running events and leaving the house.

GILV wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:34 pm I also owned USA Football and Soccer Ball from Alvin G. , are those cocktail pins as well? they both have a flat surface for cocktails.
OK, I have to rethink my classifications. I don't think Joust counts as a cocktail pinball machine because then we'd have to also include the other head-to-head ones.

Yes, youngest is 6 and my oldest (6 kids earlier) is 30 years old, I'm grandfather of 5 kids which are from 1 year old to 8 years old as well, so my 6 year old son is the uncle of my 8 year old grand son

. :mrgreen:
Most people get lost when I start explaining this...... :ugeek: :)

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Re: let's talk cocktail pins

Post by cait001 »

someone's gotta pick up the slack for the rest of us ;)
it sounds lovely, congratulations
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
marquees wanted: Roller Aces, Quiz Dragon, Strider, Varkon, Dark Planet, R-Type (w/ship), Quantum, Ninja (Sega)
blog -- collection -- want list -- Pinball Women Ottawa -- Ottawa Pinball Map -- ratings

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