SERIAL # SEARCH

Gottlieb kept the production numbers of their games a closely guarded secret but after they closed their doors in 1996, a speculative caller somehow persuaded a clerk to give him all the data, that is now widely published. How accurate were these production figures though? Maybe the ranges of serial numbers can tell us?

All System 80 games have a serial number (see below on where to find it) and the long-term goal of collecting them is to try to confirm the accuracy of the production numbers. The most apparent and immediate result of the databases though is to give us an idea of which pins of the System 80 series are most popular amongst collectors.

The table below shows the status of the System 80 game databases. To date, the serial numbers recorded in these databases account for just over 2% of the official production total. Although this may seem insignificant, there are clear patterns that can be accurately interpreted.

Firstly, it seems that Gottlieb probably started with 01001 for sample games (denoted by a serial # with an S prefix or suffix). It seems that several hundred sample games of each title were produced and sent to different markets for testing and for use as "demonstrators" by distributors.

The serial numbers of production games always have a higher starting point; usually it appears at x-thousand or x-thousand-and-one. Wayne Neyens stated that the serial number on the first of a run was an arbitrary number picked out by Gottlieb's sales department to confuse what he referred to as "the enemy": meaning the competitors, Williams and Bally. Given the incestuous nature of the industry though, it's hard to believe that this numbers trick would've fooled anyone!

Wayne Neyens also stated that once a game went into production the serial number sequence was never interrupted. This is borne out in most but not all of the databases. The clearest exception is the Amazing Spider-man, which was the first System 80 game. Here there are 2 distinct ranges of production game serial numbers. Also it seems that Black Hole production games probably started with the serial number 04000 but there are also sample games in the 04000-range, in addition to those in the usual 1000-range!

For a third of the games, the range of serial numbers for production games exceeds the official prouduction run (marked in red in the table). Many pinball authorities believe that all numbers were used without gaps, however some of the data we have to date puts this theory into question. So, what was Gottlieb's system exactly? Is it possible that Gottlieb's records were less than accurate? Did they even perhaps record lower production runs than their actual output? You can help to solve this puzzle by sending in serial numbers!

The serial # is stamped into the inside of the cabinet wall, on the right-hand side close to the shooter tip, as shown above left. On System 1 games and early Spider-man and Circus games, it is also stamped on the cabinet front, around the door.

The serial # is also stencilled onto the bulkhead spanning the cabinet floor, just in front of the bottom power board as one looks through the door. In the photo shown above right, it is concealed under the warning label. In the pictured game, the first zero of the serial # is omitted.

The serial # is also stencilled on top of the backbox. Wipe all the dust away and you'll see! Having a cabinet and backbox with different serial #s is not unknown! A mix-up in an operator's warehouse for example, or a collector taking the best parts of 2 games.

Labels with a serial # were stuck on PCBs and displays. These serial #s however may not be the same as that of the game, as when these failed they were often replaced with parts taken from other games or stock replacements.

Stock replacements only have a serial # on the label. A serial # with a letter suffix (as on the pictured display: # 04710 A) means that the part was originally in a System 1 game - e.g. A= Cleopatra, B= Sinbad, etc.

A game number (e.g. 654 = Circus) on the label means that the part came from a System 80 game and these serial numbers can be submitted to the databases, where they are listed as parts - the original game having most likely been parted out.

You may find other labels and scrawlings in strange places on your pin which throw up other information. Maybe a sticker on a board from a repair company, a gaming machine permit, a date on the edge of the playfield, or just the plain old "Inspected by # 44" stamped on the ball-roll tilt board. Whatever you find is part of the pin's history, and you can find some pretty strange things inside an old pinball machine!