When did pins go from a dime to a quarter per play?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's

/Tim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

can't answer your question, but chew on this:
1975 pinball was .25 to play.
Adjusted for inflation to 2005 that would equal .94

no wonder pinball isn't making money anymore at .50 a play.

in 1990 an average pinball was .50 to play. Adjusted for inflation to 2005
would be .74

So $1 a game REALLY isn't out of line, is it??

and you really can't argue with my numbers. they came from
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi

Dan

That game of .25 pacman back in 1980 would cost .63 today.
"Tim Iskander" <tiskande@_no_twcny.s-p-a-mrr.com> wrote in message
news:ACuOe.27699$Hx4.23209@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
> I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's
>
> /Tim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Right about late 1960's you'd be seeing two or three games for a quarter and
the dime play disappearing. By early 70's the dime play was gone, at least
on new games. LTG

"Tim Iskander" <tiskande@_no_twcny.s-p-a-mrr.com> wrote in message
news:ACuOe.27699$Hx4.23209@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
> I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's
>
> /Tim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

i have had machines as late as 68 that took dimes, but my 70 expressway
is a quater only machine. figure the swirch took place around then.

Ctsteps5

owner of
71 Bally Expressway, 72 Williams Superstar,
74 Williams Star Pool, 75 Gottlieb Fast Draw.
68 Williams Student Prince

Moderator of EM Pinball Group
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/empinbalmachines/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I don't know the exact time either but they didn't jump at one time
from one dime to one quarter. In the 60s basically it was a dime a
play, 3 plays for a quarter. Then around 1970 they got rid of dimes and
took quarters but it was 2 games for a quarter. Then somewhere in the
late 70s it jumped to one quarter for one play. These were basically
all 5 balls per game at this time. The next jump was a quarter a game
and 3 balls a game, then came our basic 50 cents a game at 3 balls. So
we've gone from 15 balls for a quarter to 3 balls for 50 cents, or an
easier way to figure 30 balls for 50 cents to 3 balls for 50 cents, so
10 times less balls for the same money. Balls went quick on those old
games though.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

>I assume maybe early 70's

Games were also adjustable which was nice for locations I grew up in.
The bars in rural areas needed more bang for the buck, so you got more
plays longer. Sooner or later it was 5 balls for a Q.

The op I talk to went to 1p for a Q in the mid to late 70's and that
was made easier with the jump to electronic games. It was too bad that
a lot of EMs were ignored when digital games hit the street (a lot of
my late 70's EMs are in great shape)

Kirb

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Actually here in Olympia, Washington around 1972 there were still
plenty of new 10 cents/3 for 25 cents pinballs around here. Once in a
while there'd be a brand new one that came from the factory with dual 2
for a quarter chutes. Around 1979 we started seeing 1 for a quarter/3
for 2 quarters chutes.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

i agree $1.00 is not out of the question. look at how much it costs to
play some newer vids.
but honestly-
you can not use the inflation adjustment on everything thow. just like
they are trying to justify high gas prices to that aspect. its just an
excuse. the truth is the more oil companies keep merging and buying
others out, the more monopoly they have and can charge what they want
until its regulated. and yes, price gauging still exists at the pump
right now (not just bcuz oil prices are high).
when ever the stock exchange rings the bell and oil barrel price is up,
they (gas stations) instantly all raise their prices at the pump. but
if it falls at the bell ring, they do not instantly drop price per
gallon. in other words, even if they have their current stock of gas on
hand that they purchased at x amount of dollars per barrel, they
increase their current gas price as if they paid the new higher amount
per barrel.
sorry guys, i know its pinball, but the gas & oil b.s. needs to be
stopped now. just try to heat your home this winter "reasonably". too
bad kerry wasnt elected heh? the extreme profit money is going into
someones pockets---- hmmmmmm? i wonder who? how about the guy who
suposedly sold his oil "biz".

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

using that same logic, a NIB MM in 1997 was roughly $3200.
So if you kept it and sold it now for the same "money" it would be worth
$3771.

Anyone have one for sale?
Dan

"DWGoett" <pinball@midamerica.net> wrote in message
news:lJuOe.8596$ih4.637@fe02.lga...
> can't answer your question, but chew on this:
> 1975 pinball was .25 to play.
> Adjusted for inflation to 2005 that would equal .94
>
> no wonder pinball isn't making money anymore at .50 a play.
>
> in 1990 an average pinball was .50 to play. Adjusted for inflation to
> 2005 would be .74
>
> So $1 a game REALLY isn't out of line, is it??
>
> and you really can't argue with my numbers. they came from
> http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi
>
> Dan
>
> That game of .25 pacman back in 1980 would cost .63 today.
> "Tim Iskander" <tiskande@_no_twcny.s-p-a-mrr.com> wrote in message
> news:ACuOe.27699$Hx4.23209@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>> Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
>> I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's
>>
>> /Tim
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Pricing thoughts aren't out of line. Problem on location is you have to give
a couple dollars worth of fun to attract players for dollar play, and pins
have trouble attracting players at 50 ¢ play which is a bargain when you
consider how much cost of equipment and up keep has risen in the last 25
years. LTG

"DWGoett" <pinball@midamerica.net> wrote in message
news:lJuOe.8596$ih4.637@fe02.lga...

> So $1 a game REALLY isn't out of line, is it??
>
> and you really can't argue with my numbers. they came from
> http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi
>
> Dan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

When I started dumping my paper route money into pins, they were 10
cents a play or 3 plays for a quarter. That was about 1966. There were a
few older games around, usually the ones with a manual ball lift, that
were at 5 games for 25 cents.

bogart
www.pinrestore.com

Tim Iskander wrote:
> Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
> I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's
>
> /Tim

 

[BillB]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

> When I started dumping my paper route money into pins, they were 10
> cents a play or 3 plays for a quarter.

i remember that well into the 70's. But I think 75 on it was 2 plays for a
quarter and dimes were history.


There were a
> few older games around, usually the ones with a manual ball lift, that
> were at 5 games for 25 cents.

those are the first games i remember. they seemed ancient even then too.
zero maintenance of course, and rubber rings nearly broken. people would
lay lit cigarettes on the glass by the lockdown bar and make a mess, tar
would accumulate and never be wiped off. guys would put their nickels line
up all the way to the back glass. flippin and smokin.


--
billb

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In article <ACuOe.27699$Hx4.23209@twister.nyroc.rr.com>,
Tim Iskander <tiskande@_no_twcny.s-p-a-mrr.com> wrote:
>Just curious... someone was talking about 10 cent games earlier and
>I got to wondering... I assume maybe early 70's
>
>/Tim

It varied by region. Urban areas usually increase the price before rural
areas. (I know, gross generalization....) I think add-a-balls stayed at
a dime longer because it was simpler: the game didn't need a credit unit
for any other reason (no credit/replay awards), so 1 coin/1 play saves
some parts.

In New England, the distributors tried to "encourage" price changes as
much as they could without breaking price-fixing laws. They used long
flippers as the justification for the move from a dime to 2-for-a-quarter
(or "quaddah" as many New Englanders call it). Later, solid state was the
justification for 1-for-a-quarter pricing.
--
.................David Marston at MV

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

i'm happy-talky-talking tina, here's your extra ball wrote:
> i agree $1.00 is not out of the question. look at how much it costs to
> play some newer vids.
> but honestly-
> you can not use the inflation adjustment on everything thow. just like
> they are trying to justify high gas prices to that aspect. its just an
> excuse. the truth is the more oil companies keep merging and buying
> others out, the more monopoly they have and can charge what they want
> until its regulated. and yes, price gauging still exists at the pump
> right now (not just bcuz oil prices are high).
> when ever the stock exchange rings the bell and oil barrel price is up,
> they (gas stations) instantly all raise their prices at the pump. but
> if it falls at the bell ring, they do not instantly drop price per
> gallon. in other words, even if they have their current stock of gas on
> hand that they purchased at x amount of dollars per barrel, they
> increase their current gas price as if they paid the new higher amount
> per barrel.
> sorry guys, i know its pinball, but the gas & oil b.s. needs to be
> stopped now. just try to heat your home this winter "reasonably". too
> bad kerry wasnt elected heh? the extreme profit money is going into
> someones pockets---- hmmmmmm? i wonder who? how about the guy who
> suposedly sold his oil "biz".

I can't agree more. Like a bunch of sheep we just take this. Instead of
billions into a ridiculous war, this is where the billions should be
spent.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050814/ap_on_hi_te/hybrid_tinkerers


But oh no, we couldn't do that to the oil companies or the Saudi's.
They're watching out for our best interest. When are we going to wake
up and force this issue.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I've got a nice, original Big Shot (1973) that is set up 3 plays for a
quarter and 1 play for a dime. It even has a nickel slot... which I
think is really cool... so you could use 2 nickels instead of a dime.

So there was at least one machine in the early/mid 70's that could
still be played for a dime.

 

[hooked]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Next question, when did they go up to $75 per game. My local arcade had
Elvis that high. Here come the bill collectors on the coin doors.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

As a kid in the 70's there were always 2 pins in rotation at the local
5 & dime. The cost was 2 games for 10 cents..... of course on those
old EM's 10 balls took about 10 minutes to all drain! Consider this;
even though a pin play now costs 50 cents and you only get 3 balls, the
average player can quite easily play more than 10 minutes on a modern
Stern (with any luck). Ok, the math is funny and involves tons of
variables, but I still find it interesting.
Terry.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

The op I talk to went to 1p for a Q in the mid to late 70's

Yep, that's true - I had to hold it after that until we hit 1980. God,
I was never so happy to usher in a new decade. Now I can have 1p an
hour, depending how much I drink.

- Q

 

[Scott]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Seems like I remember playing Bally EIGHT BALL in 1978 for 2 games (5
balls each) for 25 cents.

Next game 2 games (3 balls each) for 25 cents.

Next the jump went to 1 game (5 balls) for 25 cents.

Finally, in 1980, with the release of Williams BLACK KNIGHT, I saw 1
game (3 balls) for 25 cents.

So in 2 years, there was quite a reduction in the number of balls for
25 cents (10 balls downto 3).

I can't remember with what game and when prices jumped to 50 cents per
game (3 balls or 5 balls).

Later

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

My Flash game (1979) was right on the edge of 2/quarter and 1/quarter
play.

Its factory default setting was to give 1 game/1 quarter and 3 games/2
quarters.

On location, I never did see this, though. It was always 1 game/1
quarter, no discount. (Probably because Flash was such a breakthrough
game at the time!)

5 balls/game, of course.

I didn't see 3-ball pinball settings until just after the videogame
crash, when Williams rebooted the pinball industry with some daring new
designs. Space Shuttle and High Speed. Those "new" games set the
standard for 3-ball, ever since.

Later on, we see Williams trying to push 50 cents/game with Elvira and
then BK2K. BK2K was partially successful because it was a throwback to
5 balls/game, reason being to gently introduce a new price increase,
and make it more palatable to players.

In my experience, 50 cents/game didn't truly become the standard until
T2. That game was another huge breakthrough game (first good pinball
machine with DMD, etc.). From that point on, pinball was almost always
50 cents/game, and some operators even changed the settings on older
games to make them 50 cents/game also!

Now, at least in the San Francisco area, 75 cents/game is becoming
standard. With all the driving that route operators do, to collect and
fix games, the high gas prices are trickling down even to pinball.
LOTR was the first machine to really see 75 cents/game, because it's
such a good game that people want to play it a lot. It's hard to find
a 50-cent LOTR around here.

In high-profile arcades in San Francisco, the cost is $1/play, and
something amazing: the machines get played at this price... a lot! I
often see players playing machines at the Lowe's Theatres arcade on the
third floor of the Metreon (not to be confused with Sony's own Metreon
arcade on the second floor, which has no pins). I think part of the
reason the games are played a lot at $1/play is because operator tries
to keep them in very good condition

Josh

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

They haven't here. LTG

"Hooked" <robertcampbell2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1124807664.865158.145040@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Next question, when did they go up to $75 per game. My local arcade had
> Elvis that high. Here come the bill collectors on the coin doors.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Black Knight when I uncrated it was my first 50¢ pin set that way from the
factory. LTG

"Krellan" <krellan@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1124830706.765146.86530@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> My Flash game (1979) was right on the edge of 2/quarter and 1/quarter
> play.
>
> Its factory default setting was to give 1 game/1 quarter and 3 games/2
> quarters.
>
> On location, I never did see this, though. It was always 1 game/1
> quarter, no discount. (Probably because Flash was such a breakthrough
> game at the time!)
>
> 5 balls/game, of course.
>
> I didn't see 3-ball pinball settings until just after the videogame
> crash, when Williams rebooted the pinball industry with some daring new
> designs. Space Shuttle and High Speed. Those "new" games set the
> standard for 3-ball, ever since.
>
> Later on, we see Williams trying to push 50 cents/game with Elvira and
> then BK2K. BK2K was partially successful because it was a throwback to
> 5 balls/game, reason being to gently introduce a new price increase,
> and make it more palatable to players.
>
> In my experience, 50 cents/game didn't truly become the standard until
> T2. That game was another huge breakthrough game (first good pinball
> machine with DMD, etc.). From that point on, pinball was almost always
> 50 cents/game, and some operators even changed the settings on older
> games to make them 50 cents/game also!
>
> Now, at least in the San Francisco area, 75 cents/game is becoming
> standard. With all the driving that route operators do, to collect and
> fix games, the high gas prices are trickling down even to pinball.
> LOTR was the first machine to really see 75 cents/game, because it's
> such a good game that people want to play it a lot. It's hard to find
> a 50-cent LOTR around here.
>
> In high-profile arcades in San Francisco, the cost is $1/play, and
> something amazing: the machines get played at this price... a lot! I
> often see players playing machines at the Lowe's Theatres arcade on the
> third floor of the Metreon (not to be confused with Sony's own Metreon
> arcade on the second floor, which has no pins). I think part of the
> reason the games are played a lot at $1/play is because operator tries
> to keep them in very good condition
>
> Josh
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I agree with your last paragraph in it's entirety. However, you want to
look at this solution as "Bullshit"? Should we just be complacent and
continue down the road we are on? Should we just continue shaking our
head everytime we go to the pump?

This is not a left or right or "tree hugger" issue. Maybe the answer
is not there now with electricity, but look at what the hybrids are
doing for Toyota and look at what a few engineers on their own have
accomplished. It is a supplement. This is at least something in the
right direction for right now. I say let's put our American engineers
into this with billions in R&D and I believe you would be suprised what
they will come up with. It will be their ingenuity that will eventually
find the answer. These are people who need the funding.

I'll agree with your solar power or fuel cells or hydrogen, but this is
something we could do right now to get better mileage.

The R&D being done now is a joke. A total facade.

 

[BillB]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

as much as i hate price gouging, it's good that the games are played a
dollar a throw.

especially if that makes for good maintenance.

--
billb