Cool Finds: Vintage Pinball Machine

Arcade and pinball machines are highly sought after by a niche group of collectors, but sometimes, you encounter something even the most avid hunters never will. That happened to us with this vintage pinball machine. This particular specimen was custom-created by Bally for Belden Inc. to be used in their break rooms in the mid-late 1900s.

Belden specializes in cables, connectors, and the like for networking and security applications. Unreel is a unique packaging/dispensing system developed by Belden to save time, cut costs and labor, and eliminate the need for dereeling equipment. This product served as the inspiration for Bally’s theme for this custom pinball machine.

This pinball machine resided in the break room of Belden’s Richmond, Indiana location for years before finally being decommissioned and sent home with one of the employees. While he and his children received many additional hours of entertainment from this machine, it eventually was subjected to a solitary life in the garage, resulting in damage to the electronics, and time always wins against bumpers and rubber.

Its final state upon its arrival was able to turn on but not function, so hopefully its new owner can restore it to its original glory and bring another piece from the past back to life. So, while I unfortunately was never granted the opportunity to play it, I’m still pretty pleased to have seen something most of the public never has.