Back Tom Tom

Edit History

  1. By IPDB
    ipdb.corporate_entity_name
    P & S Machine Company
    ipdb_id
    5099
    ipdb.image_urls
    ["https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-1.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-2.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-3.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-4.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-5.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/5099/image-6.jpg"]
    ipdb.notable_features
    8 balls for 5 cents. This is not a pinball machine but is included here for clarification purposes. The cabinet front has a ball shooter, similar to a pinball machine, which propels the ball up an incline, sending it airborne to the target area. The back wall of the playfield has a hollow "Tom Tom" which rotates end-over-end during play. A carefully timed shot can put the ball into the Tom Tom to award 100,000 points and return that ball to the player. The balls are made of plastic. Operates on line current. This italicized information was passed to us, attributed to the December 1947 issue of The Coin Machine Journal (advertiser was presumably the manufacturer):TOM TOM FOR PIN GAME LOCATIONS FOR ARCADE LOCATIONS An entirely new idea. Built by experienced Coin Machine men. This is a hand made game. Tailored like a Cadillac. Not a production item. Your distributor has samples. If not -- WRITE TO US DIRECT..
    ipdb.notes
    No patent dates were apparent on the coin slide of the game pictured here. P & S Machine Company was known for making conversions of Genco pinball machines. "Tom Tom" appears to be an original effort by the company. Reportedly, a second original game by this company is P & S Machine Co.'s 1947 'Shooting Stars'. The manufacturer placed a small notice in Billboard Oct-11-1947 on page 119 stating the game began shipping to their distributors on October 7. The Coin Machine Journal ad from February 1948 (shown here) advertised a "completely revamped" version with a "new kicker". The accompanying picture is the same image used in the December ad. Probably, there were complaints that the kicker was not powerful enough to propel the ball to reach the Tom Tom.
    month
    10
    player_count
    1
    technology_generation
    electromechanical
    year
    1947