Collectibles-General (Antiques)/suspense pinball

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Expert: - 7/29/2011


Question
I have a williams suspense, 1946 model #1 pinball in outstanding condition, but in need of a good cleaning. It is stamped on the cabinet and woodrails "111", is this significant? What is the current value? Should I refinish the wood trim or leave patina?

Answer
Williams "SUSPENSE" Pinball
Williams "SUSPENSE" Pi
Hi Richard,

Very Nice game you have there! Here is a link for you which will lead you to tons of information on it. the link is:

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2470

I can't give you a quote on it's value and here is why, these wood rail type of games really don't command very high values on the average, you see them selling in a range of 200.00 to 600.00 and you do not see them selling often at all as they just don't show up for sale in great numbers. Yours is a little different as you say, pinball collectors look for this uniqueness when collecting machine and this make some machines a one and only value to be yet negotiated between the buyer and seller and has to do with one machine and only because this one machine may be unique for some reason. Value here is always quoted as what the buyer is willing to pay for it and what the seller is willing to sell it for, as said with most antiques. I don't know if yours is unique or not, you say model # 1 here, Machine one?, well that would be something indeed. Also I have no idea what the "111" has reference to, but I do find this interesting. My bag is antique slot machine and I know them well, then comes the pinball machine but I don't collect them so I don't have the data base or the expertise to comment on a specific unit like yours to know if this is a unique machine or not. There are top experts out there in the pinball land that would have more knowledge on and item like yours. You just have to route them out by asking or writing pinball people to see how is top dog on knowing about old wood rail machines like this. Russ Jensen comes to mind to me here, as someone who would know. A good source to follow up on this would be to e-mail: pinlist@mrPinball.com I wish I could advise you more but I don't want to risk you harm by giving you the wrong information if you do have something unique. I would rather be honest with you than try to act like I know everything and end up giving you bad or wrong information about it. For now, until you know for sure, I would not refinish anything! Once done it can not be undone, it takes a life time for a game to look it's real age and this can not be duplicated. Refinishing is easy, anyone can do it, to make it look old again is something that Can Not be done. Not refinishing your machine will not affect your machines value, refinishing it may, could be good for an everyday machine, or could be VERY BAD!

Thank You, and if you would, please leave feedback for me here, as that's my buck. Cheep at half that price don't you think?

Please, if you find out you have something very unique, please come back and let me know what you found out. If I find something more out on it, I'll update this answer and you will be notified.

Thank You
Rodger Knutson
Http://www.coinslots.com
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 7Clarity of Response = 7Politeness = 10
    CommentRodger- A very honest answer based on your background with this particular type of machine. I would have liked to learn more, but appreciate that you did not go beyond your confidence level. -Rick


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Rodger Knutson

Expertise

I am an expert on old coin operated machines, slot machines, trade stimulator's, jukeboxes, old arcade machines, etc. I have been identifying these for people who respond to my web site listed below, for a few years now. In almost all cases I am able to tell them about their old coin operated machines, the year, the value, and other general information about their machines. I do not know much about soda vending machines, coin banks, or scales, but I will try to help you with these if I can. Please email photo's to: jackpot7@ix.netcom.com My web site is at: http://www.coinslots.com

Experience

I bought my first slot machine, a .50 Cent Mills Black Cherry in 1969 and have been hooked from that time, I still have that Slot machine! Before that I found a open barrel full of old scraped jukebox wall boxes behind a restaurant, I wanted them all but never took a one of them. Anything that took a coin drove me nuts!

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