1970 Hokoku Half-Gauge Vintage Pachinko Machine

[mxfaiman]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Hokoku-Half-Gauge-Vintage-Pachinko-Machine-/120814106882?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2114f902

This one seems really odd to me. First I have never heard of the brand. And second the mechanis are really funky. It looks like it is set up like a model C style.

[hanabi]

It is one of the lesser known brands / manufacturers, but I spotted one for sale on ebay a couple of years ago and posted the details here.

I think PT Member Mudfud snapped that one up, and I'm sure she made some videos about it, (check out youtube)

Also I think another couple of members may also have one of these in their collections

[JACKSJE4]

My avatar is a 1953 Hokoku Half Gauge machine, meaning that only half of the play field is used. The one in the ebay ad is a full gauge, as 99.9% of machines are. Perhaps in their Google searches to locate more info, they found my postings and decided theirs was a half gauge machine as well.

[JACKSJE4]

I sent a message to the seller to let him/her know that the machine is not a half-gauge machine, so hopefully the description will be updated. I also noticed ZERO seller feedback, so I would be cautious if you are planning to bid.

[prunfarm]

B/C this machine is somewhat close to me, I asked if local p/u was ok. I got three separate responses. Essentially the answer was yes, but each response had a different 'tone.'
Me: "Would local p/u be an option?"
1st response: "It is an option" 11/18 @ 0857
2nd: "Yes it would!" 11/18 @ 0858
3rd: "Yes if its a public place and the price is right" 11/18 @ 1928

Just thought it was odd. Maybe b/c they are new to daBay? Interesting machine, lots of leaf switches in the back and curious top of cell, but I think I'll hold off.

[pachiwall]

I sent a message as well, told him he could see a half gauge here. He may own a Hokoku, it is an unusual looking machine.

[pachiwall]

I bought the Hokoku! Waiting for it to arrive!

[JACKSJE4]

Congrats!! Can't wait to see the pics.

[emmadog]

I sent a message to the seller to let him/her know that the machine is not a half-gauge machine, so hopefully the description will be updated. I also noticed ZERO seller feedback, so I would be cautious if you are planning to bid.

I was wondering why the seller was calling that machine a half gauge. I'll post some pics of other half gauge machines from my pachinko encyclopedia books in the future. BTW Jeff, your machine is the most interesting single shot I've seen yet. I'd love to get one for my collection.

[JACKSJE4]

I was wondering why the seller was calling that machine a half gauge.

He responded to my email and said he researched Hokoku on the internet and found the youtube video for my Hokoku. He didn't know what "Half Gauge" meant; he assumed that his machine fit the same description. He did post a correction in the auction description, but was unable to change the title.


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BTW Jeff, your machine is the most interesting single shot I've seen yet. I'd love to get one for my collection.

I know of only one other Hokoku half gauge machine, and it belongs to a PT member who rarely logs in anymore. His has a manual ball lifter integrated into the machine.

http://home.comcast.net/~gmanind/wel...y_gameroom.htm

[emmadog]

Vintage Pachinko Book Pics
theres the link to a thread I started about the above mentioned books. there's at least 4 half gauge machines on there and some other great machines.

[JACKSJE4]

[mxfaiman]

Vintage Pachinko Book Pics
theres the link to a thread I started about the above mentioned books. there's at least 4 half gauge machines on there and some other great machines.

man all those machines are cool. do you have full page scans of every page? If so can you send me a PM I'd love to be able to look through that book. before we knew anything about pachinko we saw 1 ss on ebay and we almost got it but we didn't know what they went for so we stopped bidding and it got away from us. we have been kicking ourselves since because it was one of the coolest machines I have ever seen. but i don't know who got it and I can't remember the brand. all I do remember is that the whole front was blue and the background had huge trapezoids on it.

[emmadog]

check out my albums (there's 2 pages) for a bunch of pics of old single shots. they're from a guy in the midwest i think, who has a ton of them. i didn't even post all the pics he sent me and as far as i know, he's not a member here. no other machines can touch those old single shots for coolness and aesthetics. i almost bid on the one that Jacks has as his avatar. glad it went to someone who really appreciates the old machines.
i have two beautiful, full color books on pachinkos and their history. the one i used for the scans here i got from YJA. one of the best purchases i've made since being in the hobby. the only other copy i know of is owned by mudfud and she got hers off of YJA also. i was in the process of getting one of them translated and was about a quarter way through when other projects came up. right now both books are packed away while i wait to close on my house so it'll be a week or so until i move everything if all goes according to plan. then i'll be setting up the basement (never had one before), it has a wall that runs thru the middle of it lengthwise. one whole side for all my vintage pinball machines and the other side will be arrangeballs/library. the house also has a separate concrete garage that's looks identical to a bunker. gonna be a party deck on top and i'll carve some firing ports in the concrete walls for when the revolution starts. just kidding. sorta. anyway, i digress as usuual. so i'm pretty excited about that but i'll try and pull the books out and scan more pics.