Manufacturing as a whole in America has been suffering. Add to that the fact that video game consoles have entered millions of homes since the early 90s and you have a perfect storm that has resulted in the shuttered and faltering sales of major pinball manufacturers for decades. A great pinball machine requires a vast amount of craftsmanship, and one of largest producing places you’ll find that kind of work happening today is at Stern Pinball. Last month Popular Mechanics went inside of Stearn Pinball manufacturing facility to see how a 21st-century pinball machine comes together. It examines the process by dividing it into four main sections:
While there won’t be anything new in the article for enthusiasts, it is an excellent primer on pinball manufacturing in America. What pinball machines and manufacturers has sold the most over the years? The table below could give some insight.
The Highest Selling Pinball Machines Of All Time
A list of all pinball machines that have sold 10,000 or more units, Source: IPDB
| Year | Name (Click to display that game) | MFG | Prod. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Ballyhoo | Bally | 50,000* | 8.8 |
| 1990 | Funhouse | Williams | 10,750* | 8.1 |
| 1976 | Fireball | Bally | 10,000* | 6.3 |
| 1992 | The Addams Family | Midway | 20,270 | 8.2 |
| 1977 | Eight Ball | Bally | 20,230 | 7.1 |
| 1979 | Flash | Williams | 19,505 | 7.6 |
| 1978 | Playboy | Bally | 18,250 | 7.4 |
| 1980 | Firepower | Williams | 17,410 | 7.8 |
| 1986 | High Speed | Williams | 17,080 | 7.9 |
| 1979 | Kiss | Bally | 17,000 | 6.9 |
| 1979 | Star Trek | Bally | 16,842 | 7.1 |
| 1978 | Mata Hari | Bally | 16,260 | 7.8 |
| 1976 | Capt. Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy | Bally | 16,155 | 7.8 |
| 1993 | Twilight Zone | Midway | 15,235 | 8.4 |
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Williams | 15,202 | 8.0 |
| 1979 | Harlem Globetrotters On Tour | Bally | 14,550 | 7.5 |
| 1987 | F-14 Tomcat | Williams | 14,502 | 7.7 |
| 1979 | Gorgar | Williams | 14,000 | 7.5 |
| 1977 | Evel Knievel | Bally | 14,000 | 7.5 |
| 1978 | Power Play | Bally | 13,750 | 7.4 |
| 1992 | Fish Tales | Williams | 13,640 | 8.0 |
| 1992 | The Getaway: High Speed II | Williams | 13,259 | 8.0 |
| 1980 | Black Knight | Williams | 13,075 | 7.9 |
| 1978 | Strikes and Spares | Bally | 12,820 | 7.6 |
| 1993 | Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure | Williams | 12,716 | 8.3 |
| 1976 | Royal Flush | Gottlieb | 12,250 | 7.9 |
| 1986 | PIN·BOT | Williams | 12,001 | 7.9 |
| 1978 | Sinbad | Gottlieb | 12,000 | 7.6 |
| 1993 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Williams | 11,728 | 8.3 |
| 1976 | Space Mission | Williams | 11,652 | 7.8 |
| 1980 | Space Invaders | Bally | 11,400 | 7.7 |
| 1980 | Xenon | Bally | 11,000 | 7.8 |
| 1982 | Mrs. Pac-Man Pinball | Bally | 10,600 | 7.1 |
| 1976 | Grand Prix | Williams | 10,554 | 7.5 |
| 1992 | Star Wars | Data East | 10,400 | 8.0 |
| 1992 | Lethal Weapon 3 | Data East | 10,350 | 7.5 |
| 1980 | Silverball Mania | Bally | 10,350 | 7.4 |
| 1979 | Supersonic | Bally | 10,340 | 7.0 |
| 1978 | Lost World | Bally | 10,330 | 7.0 |
| 1978 | The Six Million Dollar Man | Bally | 10,320 | 7.2 |
| 1975 | Spirit of 76 | Gottlieb | 10,300 | 7.6 |
| 1976 | Aztec | Williams | 10,150 | 7.7 |
| 1976 | Surf Champ | Gottlieb | 10,070 | 7.7 |
| 1975 | Wizard! | Bally | 10,005 | 7.9 |
| 1981 | Flash Gordon | Bally | 10,000 | 7.9 |