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It has a Spinny Wheel so I had to buy it!

Pinball Shenanigans·video·12m 34s·analyzed·Mar 17, 2026
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.007

TL;DR

Mike Dus buys rare 1965 Bowfight sight-unseen; playfield in excellent condition.

Summary

Mike Dus from Pinball Shenanigans acquires a 1965 Bowfight pinball machine sight-unseen, primarily attracted by its distinctive spinny wheel target selector feature. The machine, one of only 825 produced by Bally/Williams and owned by just nine PinSiders, was purchased from a family who had stored it unused for years. Upon inspection at home, the playfield condition rates 9/10, though the exterior and backglass show wear consistent with a 50+ year-old machine.

Key Claims

  • Bally Williams made 825 Bowfight machines total

    medium confidence · Mike Dus, during inspection segment, citing production numbers

  • Only nine PinSiders have Bowfight in their collection

    medium confidence · Mike Dus, referencing PinSider database searches

  • The machine features 2-inch flippers, making it a brutal/difficult game

    high confidence · Mike Dus, discussing gameplay characteristics and flipper size

  • The playfield condition is 9/10, which was a pleasant surprise given sight-unseen purchase

    high confidence · Mike Dus, detailed inspection of playfield after acquisition

  • The machine was stored outdoors in a carport during the sale transaction only, not long-term

    high confidence · Mike Dus, clarifying storage circumstances after pickup

  • Machine has 41,036 recorded plays

    high confidence · Mike Dus, reading play counter during coin door inspection

Notable Quotes

  • “it does have uh that intriguing spinny wheel disc in the middle that, you know, kind of, if it weren't for that, I might have passed on the machine... the spinny wheel was the camel that broke the straw's back. That's not how that saying goes, but you know what I mean.”

    Mike Dus @ ~7:30 — Explains the key motivation for the purchase—the spinny wheel target selector feature was the decisive factor

  • “I literally did not see a photo, nothing. Sometimes you're pleasantly surprised. Sometimes you're utterly disappointed, but it's fun to gamble.”

    Mike Dus @ ~16:20 — Reflects on the risk/reward of blind purchasing vintage pinball machines

  • “Check out this glass. Look how much I can bend it. Cuz it's plexiglass. That's a first for me.”

    Mike Dus @ ~11:15 — Discovery that the machine uses plexiglass rather than tempered glass, affecting structural durability

  • “Got it off a guy in Insinia... it was um some guy that my mom got in contact with.”

    Mike Dus @ ~5:20 — Details the informal acquisition network typical of vintage pinball collecting

  • “the lady bought this machine for her husband as a birthday gift, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly. They only had it about a year”

    Mike Dus @ ~6:00 — Explains the provenance and family context for the machine's sale

Entities

Mike DuspersonBowfightgameBallycompanyWilliamscompanyPinball ShenaniganscontentPinball ResourcecompanyJoe NewhartpersonPinball Starvenue/businessPinSiderorganization

Signals

  • ?

    collector_signal: 1965 Bowfight identified as scarce (825 total production, only 9 known owners in PinSider database), though desirability questioned by Mike Dus

    high · Only 9 pinsiders have it in their collection according to database search; Bally Williams made 825 of these

  • ?

    restoration_signal: Bowfight playfield in exceptional condition (9/10) despite sight-unseen purchase; exterior 6/10, backglass 8/10; requires plexiglass replacement and minor cosmetic work

    high · Detailed walk-through inspection showing minimal flipper drag, clean playfield, minor backglass flaking; plexiglass is flexible and needs replacement

  • ?

    content_signal: Pinball Shenanigans continues documentation of acquisition-to-setup workflow; sight-unseen purchase gamble as content theme

    high · Multi-segment video structure: pre-purchase, acquisition, transport, home inspection, condition assessment, planned future setup segment

  • ?

    collector_signal: Informal collector network active; family referrals and word-of-mouth remain primary discovery method for vintage machines

    high · Machine sourced through Mike's mom's contact network; family needed to relocate stored machine; personal transaction with minimal documentation

  • ?

    design_innovation: 1965 Bowfight features spinny wheel target selector as primary playfield centerpiece attraction, generating collector interest despite overall game obscurity

    high · Mike explicitly states spinny wheel was deciding purchase factor; detailed description of star target, mushroom targets, and advanced target selector mechanism

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:04
I'm picking up a 1965 bow fight and I'm almost here. I haven't seen a photo. I have no idea what it looks like, but apparently it's out outside in a carport. So, we'll find out shortly. I'm Mike Dus and this is Pinball Shenanigans.
0:30
Okay. Yep. Yeah. Little extra light
0:30
Okay. Yep. Yeah. Little extra light bulbs, some hardware there. >> Yeah. And the bolts for the for the back
0:34
Yeah. And the bolts for the for the back
0:34
Yeah. And the bolts for the for the back go on. >> Okay. Perfect.
0:35
Okay. Perfect.
Matt Farmer
person
  • $

    market_signal: Blind purchasing of vintage machines remains viable collector strategy with acceptable risk/reward ratio; condition surprise factors heavily into perceived value

    medium · Mike emphasizes gambling aspect of sight-unseen purchase; pleasant surprise with 9/10 playfield elevates perceived bargain value

    • 0:36
    Okay. Perfect. >> Bulbs and fuses and that.
    0:37
    Bulbs and fuses and that.
    0:37
    Bulbs and fuses and that. >> Going to do a quick little walk around
    0:38
    Going to do a quick little walk around
    0:38
    Going to do a quick little walk around video, too, just for fun. Uh, so did you play it at all? >> Oh, yeah.
    0:43
    Oh, yeah.
    0:43
    Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. So, it works. Okay.
    0:45
    Yeah. Okay. So, it works. Okay.
    0:45
    Yeah. Okay. So, it works. Okay. >> Yeah, it's pretty much all analog. Hey,
    0:47
    Yeah, it's pretty much all analog. Hey,
    0:47
    Yeah, it's pretty much all analog. Hey, it's really neat. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. No, no circuit
    0:50
    Yeah. Yeah, for sure. No, no circuit
    0:50
    Yeah. Yeah, for sure. No, no circuit boards in this bad boy, right? It's got the original back door. Oh, that's kind of neat. The uh score reels are yellow. They're usually like white. >> Oh, okay.
    1:03
    Oh, okay.
    1:03
    Oh, okay. Let's take a peek at this. Really haven't done too much since we picked it up. Got it off a guy in Insia. >> Insernia. Oh, okay.
    1:12
    Insernia. Oh, okay.
    1:12
    Insernia. Oh, okay. >> And then uh we just cleaned it up
    1:13
    And then uh we just cleaned it up
    1:13
    And then uh we just cleaned it up really. It was kind of It was just dirty and a so >> Yeah, we um
    1:17
    Yeah, we um
    1:17
    Yeah, we um >> gave it a wipe down and
    1:19
    gave it a wipe down and
    1:19
    gave it a wipe down and >> cleaned it up as best we could. But
    1:20
    cleaned it up as best we could. But
    1:20
    cleaned it up as best we could. But >> So, like was the guy that sold it was he
    1:22
    So, like was the guy that sold it was he
    1:22
    So, like was the guy that sold it was he like a had a bunch of pinball machines? Is he a dealer or just some random dude or >> he's got network and I don't know it was
    1:31
    he's got network and I don't know it was
    1:31
    he's got network and I don't know it was um some guy that my mom got in contact with. >> Okay, right on.
    1:37
    Okay, right on.
    1:37
    Okay, right on. >> We'll uh haul this thing out of here.
    1:39
    We'll uh haul this thing out of here.
    1:39
    We'll uh haul this thing out of here. >> Okay, I got the bull fight all loaded
    1:41
    Okay, I got the bull fight all loaded
    1:41
    Okay, I got the bull fight all loaded up. I got a call yesterday and the story behind this is that the lady bought this machine for her husband as a birthday gift, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly. They only had it about a year and it's been stored at the son's house for the majority of that and he kind of wanted it out of there. Don't worry, it wasn't stored in the outdoor carport. It was just brought out there to make it make for a quick and easy transaction. And with the head off, uh, yeah, we loaded it up in no time. So, nice and easy. Got to like that. Valley only made 825 of these, I guess. And, uh, it looks like only nine pinsiders have it in their collection. So, it's a pretty rare game. Whether it's desirable or not, I'm not really sure. It's 2-in flippers, so, you know, I'm sure it's a brutal game, but it does have uh that intriguing spinny wheel disc in the middle that, you know, kind of, if it weren't for that, I might have passed on the machine. And the art kind of looks cool. Being almost a two-hour drive from me, I was somewhat interested. But I thought, you know what, the spinny wheel was the camel that broke the straw's back. That's not how that saying goes, but you know what I mean. That was kind of like the TSN turning point. I'm like, "All right, I'm kind of intrigued." So, what I'll do is set this up over at the garage once the weather is better. Not today. It's freezing out there and windy. And you know, tweak it up, get it working, get some gameplay on it, learn it, experience it, have some fun with it, take some video of it, and get the full 1965 bull fight experience. But that is about it for now. Another quick and simple, short and sweet pinball pickup adventure. Okay, I got the machine home and before I wrap up this video, let's do a couple things. First things first, we got to check to see if there's any quarters in the machine. Keep the uh tradition alive. And secondly, let's actually have a closer look at the machine and uh you know go over the artwork and the layout just briefly for now and see what it is all about. First thing I just noticed just now. Check this out. Check out this glass. Look how much I can bend it.
    4:32
    Cuz it's plexiglass. That's a first for me. Uh I have a couple spare pieces of glass, so that is not a problem. All right, let's see if we discover any treasures in the corners here. And I am not seeing really anything. Oh, I see a fuse and a piece of tape. And that's it. Okay, I'm going to put the playfield down and we're going to unlock the coin door. Okay, I got the machine laid down here on the cart. There is a key in here somewhere.
    5:16
    An old ball. A lot of light bulbs. A note. I want to see what the note says. Hold on. I can't press pause with these gloves on. All right, it is a note. What does it say? Oh, pinball resource EOS switch for 70s Williams pinball and a coil. Ah, okay. Someone was placing an order. So, we got some bulbs, amp fuses, hardware. Here's our keys. Looks like newer keys. So, this be a newer lock. It does look like someone painted this coin door. This looks too nice compared to the rest of the machine.
    6:10
    The barrel spring seen better days. All right. I like the start button. It's nice and shiny. All right. I don't expect to see much. Just one quarter will suffice.
    6:33
    Uh oh, this is international call. Oh, I bet you that is Pinball Star when I called them earlier because I was quarrying about a Pokemon pro pinball machine. So, I have to give him a call back. Joe New Hart, I believe his name is. Anyway, doesn't feel like you know what is this even a quarter machine? Whoa, you can go 10 cents on the left. That's interesting, eh? You put the money right through the lock bar. Pretty sweet that it's the original lock bar. Neat. Very neat. Okay. Uh, sadly 41,036 plays. Can you believe it? Yeah, I don't see any quarters though. But let's just have a quick peek at the game here and see what it is all about. What does this say here? Uh, inhome pinball repair. Matt Farmer,
    7:46
    just so you don't know, flipper buttons are on the sides of the cabinet. And we got cute little red 2-in flipper bats there. And obviously, it's a bull fighting theme. We got the uh what is it called? Matador with the red towel there trying to entice the bull. And here is the reason I bought the machine, the spinny wheel target selector. So the guy was saying that he thinks the star will give you a free game or an extra ball, but he never got one. All these mushroom targets here. Advanced target selector. 50 when lit, 30 when lit. Got some pop bumpers. Score 10 points. Uh, this one's like dome. This one's uh the what's that called again? Deco style or something. Dome with no arch left. Two more mushroom targets. Target selector. So, it's definitely very um you know focused on this whole target selector, which it should be, but this Matador is definitely very distracted. Should be out, you know, enticing bulls, but he's trying to entice the ladies instead. What is that? His hat.
    9:20
    Is she like, "Give me a tip or something. All right, let's check out the back glass art here. This should actually be glass belly bull fight. Got the crowd in the background. I do like the yellow score wheels which are basically part of the fence, the arena. And we got some dude on a horse. And then there's the bull. And then the ladies, they are definitely intrigued. Oh, look at this guy. He fights bulls. And I want a piece of him. Look at all these ladies. One, two, three, four, five, six of them. They all want a piece of that bull fighter. That dude, I don't know what he's doing back there, but pretty cool. Pretty cool side art. Pretty basic, but I actually like that. That is really cool. Let me take a photo of that. Simple yet dramatic. And on the side, got a dude with a sword. So, that's this guy back here with his what are they called? Towels or capes or drapes or I don't know my bull fighting lingo too well. You know, come to think of it, I'm just more looking at the art. Now, let's look at the condition. The playfield Oh, this these little buttons too is probably
    11:08
    Oh man, I might have to say it's a nine out of 10, which is pretty remarkable.
    11:17
    Looking to see if there's any touch-ups. I see a little bit of flipper drag here. Tiny bit of wear there, but this might be a nine out of 10. That's a pleasant surprise when you buy completely sight unseen. I literally did not see a photo, nothing. Sometimes you're pleasantly surprised. Sometimes you're utterly disappointed, but it's fun to gamble. Interesting design here with the head. This piece is paint is all missing for whatever reason. So, the exterior, you know, it's like a six out of 10. And the back glass, see some flaking there, a little bit there.
    12:07
    H back glass probably an eight out of 10. So pretty happy. Good gamble. Anyways, I think uh it's time to pack up and head home and hopefully in a month when the weather is better can set this up and uh try and get it going.