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1961 Gottlieb & Co "Foto Finish" Pinball Machine

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 800.00 USD
1961 Gottlieb & Co  Foto Finish  Pinball Machine
For your consideration is this 1961 pinball machine titled, "Foto Finish" designed by Wayne Neyens and manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company. David Gottlieb, a Chicago-born businessman and inventor, established D. Gottlieb & Co. in 1927. During the pinball machine and other arcade game heyday of the 1940s and 1950s, the company was one of the industry's top producers. Pinball machines made by D. Gottlieb & Co. were renowned for being innovative, high-quality, and frequently embellished with vibrant, intricate artwork and designs. D. Gottlieb & Co. produced pinball machines in addition to other arcade games like mechanical baseball, shooting, and fortune tellers. The business was a pioneer in the development of the electro-mechanical pinball machine, which combined mechanical and electronic elements to replace earlier, purely mechanical designs. Until the 1970s, when the popularity of video games and other forms of electronic entertainment started to surpass that of pinball and other arcade games, D. Gottlieb & Co. remained a significant player in the arcade gaming industry. The company was eventually sold to Columbia Pictures in 1977, and after that, the Premier Technology Group bought its assets. Until the late 1990s, this company produced pinball machines under the Gottlieb brand. The "Foto Finish" pinball machine's cabinet was cartoon-illustrated with cartoon depictions of photographers, cameras, and other photographic tools. The backglass artwork showed several photographers in the foreground taking pictures of the horses as they passed in front of a crowd of spectators at a horse race. The "Foto Finish" pinball machine's playfield was created to resemble a derby track with a race in progress. At the top of the playing field are four horse names that can be lit up individually to earn bonus points. The playfield included a number of lanes and bumpers as well, all of which were intended to keep the ball in play and the player interested.
The machine shows colors of green, beige, tan, brown, yellow, blue and red throughout. The machine shows fair condition as it is missing the playing field glass, the leg stands and more. The front and sides are taped to hold things together. The electrical and internal components show wear and tear from its vintage age and years of use showing cut and broken wires. The machine has not been tested for functionality. The machine measures 54 1/4" L x 26" W x 43 1/4" H.