# Valuable Resource

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2002-06-17  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/pcr.html

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## Analysis

A 2002 Pinball News review of the Pinball Collectors Resource books (Millennium editions) by Robert Hawkins and Donald Mueting—comprehensive reference works cataloging 6,130 pinball games across 778 manufacturers. The review examines the books' structure, utility, strengths (detailed manufacturer chronology, conversion listings), and limitations (text-only design, incomplete modern game ownership data), concluding they offer strong value for serious collectors and buyers at $29.95.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Pinball Collectors Resource books catalog 6,130 games across 778 manufacturers — _Direct statement in review body, though author notes this may be slightly optimistic due to duplicate listings_
- [HIGH] Bally's game list stretches across eight pages in the chronological section, while most of 778 manufacturers only made one game — _Explicit statement comparing manufacturer production volumes_
- [HIGH] Ownership information is incomplete for modern machines like The Addams Family and Twilight Zone — _Reviewer notes data gaps in modern game ownership listings_
- [HIGH] The Millennium editions consist of a 280-page ring-bound main volume and a 222-page spine-bound pocket version — _Explicit product description in opening section_

### Notable Quotes

> "They are reference works, and as such are not really designed for browsing or bedtime reading. There are no pictures, anecdotes or opinions between the covers."
> — **Pinball News Reviewer**, N/A
> _Sets explicit expectations about the books' purpose and design philosophy_

> "It is an eye-opener to see all the different models manufactured and you start to appreciate the workload involved in cataloguing all of them."
> — **Pinball News Reviewer**, N/A
> _Reflects on the scale and scope of the cataloging effort_

> "For the very occasional buyer or non-owner its benefits are less tangible and perhaps the information on the web would suffice."
> — **Pinball News Reviewer**, N/A
> _Identifies target audience limitations; acknowledges web alternatives_

> "For those people the $29.95 price tag is well worth it."
> — **Pinball News Reviewer**, N/A
> _Final value judgment positioned toward serious collectors_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Pinball Collectors Resource | product | Reference book series cataloging pinball games, authored by Robert Hawkins and Donald Mueting, Millennium editions |
| Robert Hawkins | person | Co-author of Pinball Collectors Resource books |
| Donald Mueting | person | Co-author of Pinball Collectors Resource books |
| Bally | company | Historical pinball manufacturer with extensive production history (eight-page listing in chronological section) |
| Williams | company | Pinball manufacturer, merged with Bally; reviewer notes desire for combined Williams/Bally game listings |
| The Addams Family | game | Modern pinball game with incomplete ownership data in books |
| Twilight Zone | game | Modern pinball game with incomplete ownership data in books |
| Add-A-Ball | game | Older pinball game receiving detailed explanation (page and a half) in abbreviations section |
| RoadShow | game | Game listed under multiple names (also as 'Red & Ted's RoadShow') in the catalog |
| Pinball News | organization | Publishing outlet conducting the review, copyright 2002 |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pinball reference materials and cataloging, Pinball history and manufacturer chronology, Collector resources and community databases
- **Secondary:** Data completeness and modern game documentation gaps, Book design and usability for reference materials, Pinball game identification and acquisition

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.72) — Reviewer is appreciative of the resource's comprehensive scope and utility for serious collectors, though notes design limitations (text-only, single-letter headers) and data gaps for modern machines. Conclusion is favorable for target audience (serious collectors) at stated price point.

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## Transcript

Story
dated 17th June 2002

In our continuing series
of pinball products we turn our attention to the Pinball Collectors
Resource books from authors Robert Hawkins and Donald Mueting.

Opening the brown cardboard
box reveals not one but two books - the first is the 280 page main
volume while the second is a condensed 222 page pocket-sized version
of the first. These are the Millennium editions - the most recent
- where the larger book is ring bound as good reference books should
be, and the smaller is spine bound to make it easier to carry.

It is important to be clear
what these books are, and equally what they are not.

They are reference works, and as such are not really designed for
browsing or bedtime reading. There are no pictures, anecdotes or opinions
between the covers. They provide a wealth of information organised
in such a way as to be readily accessible to anyone looking for details
of a particular game or series.

The best place to
start is the "How to use this book" section of the
larger of the two volumes. It walks the reader through the other
sections and the layout and abbreviations used.

Unless you use the
books very frequently you'll be referring back to this section
a lot.

Fortunately it's
right at the front and thus easy to find, but it does reveal
one limitation of the design of the books. They are all text.

Now text is fine
but the column headings are often just single letters and they
need some explaining in the opening chapter. If small icons
were used instead it would be more obvious and memorable.

The best place to start
is the "How to use this book" section of the larger of the
two volumes. It walks the reader through the other sections and the
layout and abbreviations used. Unless you use the books very frequently
you'll be referring back to this section a lot. Fortunately it's right
at the front and thus easy to find, but it does reveal one limitation
of the design of the books. They are all text.

Now text is fine but the
column headings are often just single letters and they need some explaining
in the opening chapter. If small icons were used instead it would
be more obvious and memorable.

So what is all this information?

First is the pinball manufacturers
list that lives up to its name detailing the 778 manufacturers, their
years of operation and number of models made. It also includes the
abbreviations used later in the book for the manufacturers' names
and picture sources.

Next comes the main pinball
resource list.

It is here that you can
find details for every game the authors know about. Games are listed
alphabetically by title followed by twelve columns of other entries
for that game -

Notes: Abbreviations describing
some of the significant features of the game,

Manufacturer: Abbreviations listed previously,

Date: Approximate date of first manufacture or availability,

Number of Players,

Manufacture Count: Number of games made,

Ownership: Is there a known owner of the game,

Playfield/Plastics: Are these parts available?

Flyer: Is a flyer or layout known to exist?

Backglass: Is a backglass available?

Schematic: Is a manual or diagram known to exist?

References: Do other references beyond those shown exist?

Pictures: References to pictures in books or magazines.

Obviously there is a very
limited amount of space to include many references to additional information
about a game. For that reason, when you purchase these books you are
encouraged to exchange information with the authors. You can request
all known information about a game and equally you can send in information
for future inclusion. There are forms at the back of the main book
for this.

Some of the data contained
in incomplete due to lack of entries in the authors' databases and
unverified information. Ironically, it is the more modern machines
where this is more obvious with no known ownership listings for The
Addams Family or Twilight Zone as examples. The conclusion must be
that owners have to be ready to submit their entries to the authors
while they could be more pro-active through the Internet owners lists
in approaching owners.

The book lists 6130 games,
although that may be slightly optimistic as some games are listed
more than once under different names (e.g. "RoadShow" is
also listed as "Red & Ted's RoadShow"). Even so, it's
a real eye-opener to see all the different models manufactured and
you start to appreciate the workload involved in cataloguing all of
them.

After the main body of
the book is a list of abbreviations used in the Notes section described
above. This section is especially well written and instructional.
There is almost a page and a half on Add-A-Ball alone. Anyone looking
for background information on older games and their features would
do well to read this 30 page chapter.

After that is the Chronological
List By Manufacturer which takes each manufacturer in alphabetical
order and lists all the games they are known to have made together
with the year or month they were first made or sold. It is surprising
how many of those 778 companies only ever made one game while Bally's
list stretches across eight pages! One list I would like to see here
is the combined William's/Bally games - the ones made after the merger.
Many newer collectors will know that a game was a WMS game but perhaps
not know if it was branded William's or Bally.

The final section is called
Appendix "A" - Conversions. Logically enough, it lists those
games which were conversions of other games, the date they were made,
the converting company and the source machine. Most of these were
1930s or `40s games but there are some interestingly recent ones too.

So that's what you get
in the big book.

The companion volume
is a distilled version of the main section of the larger book,
listing game name, notes, manufacturer, date, players and manufacture
count.

This book is really
to take with you to sales or auctions if you aren't sure what
games will be there, or you're looking to pick up a rare or
interesting model.

Reviewing the Pinball Collector's
Resource books has been a curious and interesting process because
clearly these books aren't produced for the likes of me. Yes I have
a collection of games but I know that doesn't make me a collector
in the sense that I buy games without knowing exactly what I'm buying
and even then only about one game each year. For me, the larger book
holds some interesting information but that would only be scratching
the surface of its usefulness. For the very occasional buyer or non-owner
its benefits are less tangible and perhaps the information on the
web would suffice. There are, however, a number of true collectors
and buyers who would derive considerable benefit from both books and
can contribute to the databases held by the authors. For those people
the $29.95 price tag is well worth it.

Back
to the news index

Back
to the front page

©
Pinball News 2002

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 39ab3472-b5a2-468e-b6d5-3e67e5e5e6b3*