Used Pinball Machines Never Die…

We've got the old pinball machines from major movie releases, specialty pinball machines for pop culture icons, used pinball machines in great working shape, antique pinball machine sets from long ago, and other home pinball machines to keep you rolling. The players would shoot 5 balls, just as in a regular pinball machines, and if the player was 'skillful' he would win free games which would register on the free play counter. Since skill was involved and no coins were paid out, it was not considered a gambling machine. However, in 1956 the courts declared these games to be gambling devices.

They Come to Muscatine, IA for Restoration

The passion we have for pinball is amazing! It started out as a hobby from the first time we stepped into an arcade at the ripe age of nine years old. Then we started fixing a game or two. As time passed, more and more projects started to find their way into our basement and garage.

The humble beginnings of “Land Of OZ” Arcade Restorations started in a 600 sq.ft. heated garage. The dream finally became real when we moved into a 1200 sq.ft. shop in the center of Muscatine, Iowa.

In 2019 we are moving into a new location, where the dream can become even bigger! We will have 3000 sq.ft. with over 20 pinball games set up, dozens of vintage video games built exclusively by us along with our custom dartboards, foosball, neons, megatouch, 70’s-80’s-90’s novelties, and more! This is one amazing store.

The one thing we are NOT is an arcade. If someone is going to pay serious coin for a new or a beautifully restored vintage coin operated game, they want it to be pristine and not abused. We do have an area set up with gaming consoles such as PS4, Nintendo Classic, Super Nintendo and Nintendo Switch. This will keep your child entertained for hours as we discuss your new machine.

Over the 15+ years we’ve been in business, we have met some amazing customers and contacts to help create the perfect machine. The word restoration has many different meanings. We have customers that some of the time want parts of the machine restored, or, a 100% restoration from paint down to a new playfield.

Old Gambling Pinball Machines For Sale

If you’ve ever attempted to fix up an old pinball machine, you know how difficult it is. Unless you’re an electrician, carpenter or art restorer, returning a pinball machine to its former glory isn’t a DIY project.

Luckily for your classic arcade game, Land Of Oz Arcade Restorations offers pinball machine restoration services in the Muscatine, IA area. We’ve restored machines that have been neglected for 40 years. If you have a used pinball machine in need of repair, call Land Of Oz Arcade Restorations today.

5 Steps to Pinball Machine Restoration

Land Of Oz Arcade Restorations is Iowa’s foremost pinball machine restoration company. After receiving the old or damaged machine, our experienced restorer will:

1. Strip it down.
2. Polish its bolts and screws.
3. Rebuild the circuit board.
4. Replace the lighting with LEDs.
5. Repair and repaint the cabinet after its original design.

The result is an immaculately refurbished pinball machine that will last for years to come. Restore your used pinball machine by calling our office in Muscatine, IA today.

Ideas for Your Pinball Restoration Project

Here are some ideas you can start with when looking into starting a restoration project. The first question should be, “What do I want in the end result?” To help with your decision, here is a list of services we can perform on your machine:

New Paint Job

Completely sand down the old cabinet and fill every defect until it’s baby smooth. We then spray minimum of 3 coats of primer to bond well with the wood. After that is when the magic takes place. We will completely re-stencil the machine and paint to bring this machine to life again. Once complete, the machine will look absolutely beautiful in any room.

Polish All “Metal” Parts

In this process, we strip the cabinet completely down, buff and polish every metal piece on the playfield and outside cabinet. The new metal will shine from every angle.

Playfield “Swap”

Old Gambling Pinball Machines Real Money

This is a very long and tedious process. We generally spend 30-50hrs on a swap to ensure it’s done properly without cutting any corners. Generally the swaps are populated CPR playfields. CPR does an exceptional job giving you a brand new playfield for your classic machine. We will completely tear down the old playfield, polish and clean all of the plastics along with polishing ramps, screws, nuts etc… When we finish a playfield swap, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Coin Door Re-Build

There are times when the old coin door looks beautiful after polishing the outside “skin.” Unfortunately this leaves the inside which generally is rusty or weathered from years of sitting in smoke filled arcades. When we perform a coin door restoration, every part on the door is stripped and polished. We update the wiring and ensure all coin mechs operate properly.

We hope this gives you some idea of the processes involved in a pinball restoration. The main thing is budget. We want to perform the tasks for you and create the perfect machine, however, some restoration projects will become very costly. We take a lot of pride in keeping our prices low and still remain competitive in the pinball restoration market.

Let us quote the pinball restoration as we would love to create the ultimate machine for you.

Pinball Machines for Sale

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What are Bingo Pinball Machines

We all know that Bingo is a legal game and have played it in our youth. So, it is no wonder that pinball manufacturers decided to use the bingo theme for machines, such as slot machines and payout pinballs.

With a Bingo pinball machine, just like playing bingo in your church, one or more players purchased a card and then played hoping to fill in a straight line of numbers on their card.

Each card, displayed on the backglass of the pinball had 25 numbers form 1 to 25 in a random sequence. (The numbers on a regular bingo card go up to 80.) The 25 numbers were arrayed on a playing field and when a ball fell into a hole the corresponding number would light up on each playing card. Players could increase their winnings by inserting multiple coins and, while they were advertised as amusement machines, operators would usually pay off in cash.

The players would shoot 5 balls, just as in a regular pinball machines, and if the player was 'skillful' he would win free games which would register on the free play counter. Since skill was involved and no coins were paid out, it was not considered a gambling machine. However, in 1956 the courts declared these games to be gambling devices.

Old Gambling Pinball Machines Game

Most Bingo pinballs were manufactured by the Bally Manufacturing Company and had names such as Lite a Line, Lotta Fun, Three-Four-Five, and such beach names as Hawaii, Key West, and Rio.