My first Pachinko - Help with ID.

[TheRaz]

Hi all!

Just picked up my first old school pachinko at an auction today and I was wondering if you all could help me with any specifics about it. I'd also like to know a general price range it would fall into as I only paid $30 for it.

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I know this pic doesn't give great detail and I didn't take one of the back yet, but I'll add more pics tomorrow when I have good light again.

It has a Sophia sticker in the back, so that makes it a Nishijin Style A - Single Ball, correct?

As far as condition goes, it is pretty dirty and has some rust in the back, but seems to work correctly for the most part. It has two issues. The tube that connects the top and bottom reservoirs is jammed with (I'm guessing) an oversized ball. Also, forced payout lever (terminology?) on the front right side seems jammed. I can't even move it manually in the back. But I'm not too worried about that at the moment. I'll dive into the forum for help with mechanics.

Glad I could find what looks like a great place for help with my new (old) machine.

Thanks!

[Moparformances]

nice simgle shot.. its a "model A machine"

please post more pics and ask any questions
'
and of course

Welcome to Pachitalk

[MrGneiss]

WELCOME!!!

[browne92]

Welcome!

I think you got your thirty bucks worth in just the cabinet. Somebody went through some effort to make it nice.

[TheRaz]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Here are the closeups I promised.

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@brown392 - Yeah, the cabinet is great, but needs tightened up in places. You can also see in my first post that one corner is chewed up pretty bad. The nicest part is the hole at the bottom in the back where a tub would go to catch balls. instead, they just fall through into the drawer, so I need some carpet in there to quiet it down.

Any guesses for a date range on this model? It has the exact pin layout of one that I saw called a "Doves" model/design, but obviously has different playfield art. I'm guessing that was common, though?

One thing I like about the gameplay, in videos I watched about this style of machine the people said the tulips shouldn't open unless you land directly in them, but the red cups on either side of this one will actually open the tulip. But the greens don't.

[Moparformances]

One thing I like about the gameplay, in videos I watched about this style of machine the people said the tulips shouldn't open unless you land directly in them, but the red cups on either side of this one will actually open the tulip. But the greens don't.

this is not uncommon.. some machines work this way others do not...

[Moparformances]

ya might wana try and clean thouse Pachinko balls up.. (or better yet buy new ones) the rust on thouse ones is going to be hard on your playfield..

[TheRaz]

ya might wanna try and clean those Pachinko balls up.. (or better yet buy new ones) the rust on those ones is going to be hard on your playfield..

I figured I'll probably buy a set of 500 to replace them. Is there any benefit to having vintage balls to go to your machine? My father-in-law has a small tumbler I could try to clean them with, but I didn't want to ruin the words and shapes imprinted on them. But forget the playfield, they are gumming up in the mechanics and giving me headaches. :/

this is not uncommon.. some machines work this way others do not...

Glad to hear it. I figured I couldn't be that special.

[Moparformances]

ya can try to clean them but they look perty bad...

no one can really tell the differance between new and old balls.. i have seen older Pachniko balls that are colored on the engravings but other then there no real differance...

[luckydog]

your machine will love nice shiny balls

[pachiwall]

One thing I like about the gameplay, in videos I watched about this style of machine the people said the tulips shouldn't open unless you land directly in them, but the red cups on either side of this one will actually open the tulip. But the greens don't.

When you do your detail cleaning, you will notice that the red pockets are above the tulips, and there are "rails" that channel the balls from those pockets to the center and into the tulip from behind. The green pockets are below the tulip...and can not defy gravity to open the tulip.
The only difference between new and old balls (other than rust!) that I have noticed is the really old balls seem to be engraved deeper...and the engravings may be painted. Although I like the deeper engravings...it is far better to have new, rust free balls! A tumbler with crushed walnut shells and maybe a squirt of metal polish run for several days MAY make them acceptable. However the rust will probably come back. Don't worry about the engravings, you won't harm them...unless paint filled. Then you might lose the paint, the engravings will still be visible.
Thirty dollars was a good price for the machine only...the cabinet is SWEET! Looks like someone put some work into that!
What year is it? If I am not mistaken, this is the expiration date sticker from when it was in a parlor. I never really focused on this...so I'll probably get it wrong. Add 25 to the expiration date of 45...I don't know the specifics, but I believe that is the Showa era date. This means it had to be removed from the parlor in 1970. Subtract 2 years, the maximum it can be in a parlor, and you have 1968. EWC: Market Information
The pin layout is known as "Masmura gauge" I don't know what year it started, but once it did...it lasted for decades! If you ever see an old one with staggered rows and columns...like the stars on an American flag...BUY IT.
The word Sophia don't make it a Model A, single shot...but that is what it is. I believe Sophia was a sub contractor that made parts for Nishijin. I don't know if the word Sophia is on any other brand. It is on Model B machines and maybe Model C as well.
"Forced payout lever"...nice phrase, but if no jackpot ball in queue, then you can't force it. I have not heard a good name for it...but I like to call the red area above the flipper the "jackpot reserve chamber". If 2 balls fall in a pocket at the same time, one pays out, while the jackpot seesaw is down, the other ball falls into the jackpot reserve chamber. You will see it in the window. I can't tell if you have a lever or a button, but you twist or push the lever or button and an elevator lifts the ball to a place in front of the jackpot seesaw to pay out another jackpot.
Value...whatever someone else is willing to pay! But in my opinion, between $50 to $100. The cabinet helps the price. Work out the bugs and clean it up really nice...could fetch more. But then you probably wouldn't want to get rid of it!
AND FINALLY! TO PACHITALK!

[pachiwall]

By the way...THIS is the nail pattern I was referring to when I said "BUY IT!"

[TheRaz]

...you probably wouldn't want to get rid of it!

I definitely won't, the wife on the other hand... not so much.

Funny thing is, I convinced her to try it out today and she hit 3 jackpots in less than 3 minutes of playing. So the best player in the house wants nothing to do with it.

Thanks for all the great info, especially on the "jackpot reserve". I knew what it did, but I didn't know the term so I winged it. I have a twist type and it has a window filled with 4 balls and the elevator you refereed to refuses to lift. Even if I get into the back and try to do it directly, it won't budge. I already fixed the jammed tube (it was an oversized ball like I guessed) and once I fix that, it should be completely operational again. Then it's on to deep cleaning, maybe even a plate of real glass so I can move the plexi to the front of the door.

Thanks again for all the info!

[Rival]

That should be a 1969... the last of the singleshots.

[TheRaz]

Well, with some minor surgery this afternoon, I was able to remove the lower reservoir and get to the jackpot reserve. Still not sure if it was jammed up or if the wood had swollen a little, but once I could lightly pry from the bottom, it loosened up and with a few dozen actions, it is working freely again. So, unless there is a feature I'm not aware of at the moment, it should now be 100% operational.

[pachiwall]

Try moving the jackpot seesaw to the down position, then drop a ball or two into a pocket. They should go into the jackpot reserve chamber. Not really an official name,,,I made it up. I don't hear anyone else calling it that, so I guess it isn't official. If they do go into the chamber, then reset the seesaw to the up position and twist the lever to make the elevator lift the ball in front of the seesaw and it should payout! If it does...it works! What I like to do, since I have never had an instance where it was needed in game play is...flip seesaw down, load 5 balls into a pocket, filling the chamber, then reset seesaw. play whatever amount of balls you like...when you run out, twist the lever and get 15 more balls to play!

[Card Shark]

Welcome to PachiTalk!!!

Love the cabinet on your machine. Looks like you got a great deal.

[TheRaz]

Well, I started the cleaning process tonight. That was a mistake.

I'm still infatuated with my machine, but getting in there close with Q-tips really points out the flaws. I have a lot of subtle (some not so subtle) grey discolorations on my cell that radiate out from single and groups of brass pins. But they only seem to effect the white areas and not the colored ones. I'm worried this is the beginning of bubbling laminate. Any thoughts? I'll try to get a good pic and post it, but it may be tough to show.

Now I have to decide if I want to go to the trouble of replacing it or not, but I'll keep that scary thought on the back burner until I'm done cleaning.

[MrGneiss]

Of course I can't tell without seeing the pics first, but it sounds like water staining..If thats what it is it is Incredibly common on vintage pachis.. This is usually cosmetic and shouldn't effect play.. A lot of people just live with it, some choose to replace their cell backgrounds..

[TheRaz]

Here are the pictures. I put the areas I'm referring to dead center so you know what I'm talking about.

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