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Every pinball enthusiast dreams of finding a classic machine for free. For my client David in Winchester, that dream came true 15 years ago when he rescued a 1968 Gottlieb Funland straight out of a skip. He managed to get it into his car and safely home, but the game never played 100%. Eventually, it…
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In the world of pinball, The Addams Family isn’t just a game; it’s a masterpiece. Recently, I was contacted for an Addams Family pinball repair Stroud job by a client whose machine is her absolute treasure—bought in Poland 20 years ago and meticulously cared for. However, even the best-kept machines have a hidden enemy: original…
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Recently, I headed over to Llanelli for a tricky Star Trek 25th Anniversary pinball repair. His Data East classic was suffering from a frustrating mix of symptoms: the machine would reset after a couple of games, it kept losing its memory (requiring Rob to constantly re-enter the menu to set it back to freeplay), and…
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Today, someone reached out asking for advice on a Gottlieb Centigrade 37 they just acquired. As one of my all-time favorite machines—and a proud part of my personal collection—I was more than happy to share some tips. This conversation sparked a bit of nostalgia, leading me to dig through my archives. I found the photos…
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Every now and then, you hear a story that makes every pinball fan a little jealous. Recently, I was called out to Pontypool to look at a Gottlieb Class of 1812. The amazing part? The owner had wanted a pinball machine for a long time and was incredibly lucky to be gifted this one by…
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Location: UO Arcade (Urban Outfitters), Cardiff City Centre The Machine: Sega Batman Forever (1995) The Mission: I was called out to the new UO Arcade tucked inside the Urban Outfitters store in Cardiff. It’s a cool, somewhat hidden spot where retro arcade cabinets mix with modern fashion. Their solitary pinball machine, the giant Sega Batman…
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Machine: Bally Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man (1982) Location: Bristol, UK Issue reported: Right flipper extremely weak, barely moving the ball. The Initial Assessment I traveled to Bristol to look at this absolute classic. The owner reported that the game was working, but the right flipper had lost almost all its power. A quick test game…
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The Hidden Treasure in Cheltenham Today’s job took me to Cheltenham to look at the best-selling pinball machine of all time: The Addams Family. The owner had purchased it over 20 years ago for a fraction of today’s value and didn’t realize he had a serious collector’s piece sitting in his home. The Symptoms The…
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The Quest for the Childhood Machine Finding the specific pinball machine you played in your youth isn’t easy. You can’t just walk into a shop and pick one up. That is why, when this client finally found his “Holy Grail” — a Data East Star Wars (1992) — he didn’t hesitate to buy it, even…
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Repair log: Fixing a reset issue on a Gottlieb Capt. Card in Llandeilo. Diagnosis of sticking latch relays and general service on a vintage EM pinball machine