Q: Where are you located?
A: In City of Houston, State of Texas, Country of United States, Continent of North America, Planet Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy.

Q: What is your phone #?
A: (713) 686 - 6995.

Q: Can I come by and visit?
A: Yes. Just email us for directions and tell us when approx. to expect you. For our local customers asking for "opening hours and directions to our flashy showroom" - we do not have a showroom. We are a small business, we have a large shop where we refurbish our games, stock parts, perform board work and test games - we got that. We do not have a showroom where free cappucchino shipped from faraway exotic lands and donuts are flowing, holiday music is gently playing on the stereo, salesmen in flashy suits are busy quoting prices to our customers sitting in plush upholstered leather soffas sipping cappuchinos and munching on (complimentary, of course, cause we are so classy!) Belgian chocolate cookies. Then, they stroll down the aisle with happy, shiny, blinking lights machines all set up in rows and rows for them to inspect and gawk at. I guess Ferrari, Fendi, and Porsche dealerships have all that and then some, but alas, we regret that we do not.

Q: I found an X pinball place on the net that has the same game as you for 100$ less. Will you match that price?
A: It depends on the condition of the machine and the model of the machine. Also, do they offer a warranty? Will they stand behind the machine after the sale? How nice is it cosmetically? Too many variables, but 99% likely the answer is no, as ours are priced very competitively. Best of luck with buying your machine, either from us or someone else.

Q: I have a corporate party and would like to rent 4 pinball machines. What should I do?
A: Get in touch with a pot dealer and score some joints then buy a case of beer. That'll get the party going guaranteed! Just joking... We are no longer in business of renting pinball machines, that's a dumb and infrequent at best side of business, so we killed that. We do, however, put them on locations from time to time, such as corporate offices-gamerooms, pizza parlors, bars, etc...

Q: Our company has a break room and we'd like to have a machine there. Would you help?
A: Of course. Call, email or come by.

Q: I have this very old pinball made in 1967 that doesn't work, can you help me fix it?
A: Ummm... We'd love to help you, but, not as much as we wouldn't love to. We sell and fix only newer 1990s and up machines, can't help ya there, sorry.

Q: I bought a pinball on Ebay and it's dirty and doesn't work. What can I do?
A: No shit, not as advertised, huh? What can you do, on top of contacting the seller or trying to get your money back? We recieve a lot of those requests and Ebay has become a major ripoff place with scams galore. We'll help you find someone in your area who could assist you or point you in the right direction, but you are pretty much SOL, so that "deal" you snagged isn't so much a deal after all.

Buying a pinball sight-unseen on Ebay, especialy if you cannot inspect it in person, is risky, you may get burned or you may get a real gem, it all depends. If you are buying the game without seeing it in person, please go with someone reputable, it doesn't have to be us, but please don't get burned. Please do your homework and good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

Q: I want to sell my old pinball machine. Can you tell me what is its value?
A: It entirely depends on title, model, condition and current market price. Cannot give you a more precise answer, as there are too many variables here. Will gladly give you a "ballpark" figure.

Q: What kinds of payments do you accept?
A: Any payment known to humankind that is the easiest and most convenient for you. Any type of bank transfer, money order, personal check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards, Cashier's check, Cash, Gold bullions, Wire Transfer, Enron stock... whatever is easiest and most convenient for you.

Q: Do you take credit cards?
A: Yes we do. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards.

Q: Can I order parts from you?
A: Yeah, kind of, if we have them, why not, although we are not really in business of nickel and diming with small parts. There are places online that only sell parts, though, and they got more variety than we do, they have literally millions of parts. You are more than welcome to email us for a list of pinball parts businesses, we will provide them free of charge. We do have a few of unique, game-specific and hard to find parts and circuit boards available for sale, but that is it.

Q: I have a board in my Addams Family that doesn't work and has stuff missing. Will you fix it or trade me a good and working one? How about a display? Mine has some lines missing.
A: Yes for both, email us with your needs.

Q: I want to customize my pinball machine when I buy it from you. Any ideas?
A: Plenty of ideas here, that's what we specialize in. It entirely depends on what's the mod, what machine, and if parts are available. We can get very creative and we can make your very own, no 2 are alike custom pinball machine here. More detailed answer will need a more detailed question or you can visit our customizing pinball machines page.

Q: I have a highly technical question for a game I bought off Ebay. Could you help me, please?
A: Yes, within reason. We'll try to help pretty much anyone and we have been for years, even if you didn't buy a machine from TXPinball, again, within reason.

Q: I live in Ohio. Can you ship the machine to me?
A: You bet, and we ship them weekly all over good ole USA. For an accurate quote to a cent -you need to buy a machine from us. For a ballpark shipping figure within 30$-40$ of the actualy likely amount, we need a ZIP code.

Q: What's the best pinball machine?
A: Lethal Weapon 3 by Data East, closely followed by Williams Popeye and then Gottlieb Waterworld... Just joking! The one YOU have lots of fun and enjoy playing is the best. There is no "best machine", as there is no "best" car. What's "best ever" for me might be total snorefest for you. It's very subjective... We'll gladly suggest what we think you might like, if the question is a little more detailed.

Q: Do pinballs break often?
A: After they have been properly refurbished and are maintained regularly - no, they don't break often, but require some small maintenance from time to time.

Q: How much maintenance do they require?
A: Not a whole lot, but some, after they have been properly refurbished. They are much less likely to break in your house, where you play them infrequently, then when they were in an arcade or pizza parlor being turned on and played 24 hours a day.

Q: I heard about custom software chips for my game... Can you get it for me?
A: You need a ROM burning device for that. If the code is publicly available, we'll gladly do that for you for free. Or you can obtain it from some pinball collectors that do that full time, for a very small fee. One of the best ones is John at That Pinball Place.

Q: Would you sell me a broken or dirty game, so I can save money by fixing it myself (and then bugging the hell out of you for months asking questions how to fix this and that, what's the deal with this, can you send me that part, why this isn't working right, how do I... etc...)? People call them "unshopped" games, right?
A: Nope, we do not sell broken, unshopped, dirty or as-is machines. All machines we sell are properly refurbished and fully working.

Q: How often should I change batteries in my pinball machine?
A: Once every 2 years is the rule of thumb. Pinballs use 3 standard AA batteries. To keep all your settings, high scores etc, swap the batteries with the machine turned on, coin door open. If you do it while it's turned off, battery swap will still work, but it will default to factory settings. Change them once a year, if in doubt.

Q: My flipper rubbers are filthy and/or snapped in two. Can I order replacements from you?
A: if you bought a game for us, we'll send them for free. If you didn't buy your game from us, please note, we are not really in business of nickel and diming with small parts sales here and there. There are places online that only sell parts, though, and they got more variety than we do. You are more than welcome to email us for a list of pinball parts businesses. We do have a few of unique, game-specific and hard to find parts and circuit boards available for sale.

Q: I have a lot of burnt lightbulbs. Can I buy some from you?
A: See above answer. if you bought your game from us, we'll send you light bulb for free. If you didn't buy your game from us, please note, we are not really in business of nickel and diming with small parts sales here and there. There are places online that only sell parts, though, and they got more variety than we do. You are more than welcome to email us for a list of pinball parts businesses.

Q: How often should I clean my game?
A: That depends how often do you play it, and how long it's turned on. Pinball machines, like any electronic devices, attract static, dust, particles in the air etc... Just look at the back of your TV for proof.

Q: I have kids ages 9 to 13 and I want to buy a game suitable for them. What do you recommend?
A: Call, email or come by. There are many wonderful, entertaining and exciting family pinball games that are a lot of fun and suitable for kids and families or all ages.

Q: Can you sell me Miss Pacman® video game?
A: If we had one, sure, why not. We only sell pinball machines, not darts, foosball, video games, pool tables, neon signs, NASCAR memorabilia, jukeboxes, Elvis crap and posters, old Coke machine signs, umm... Sanford & Son "antiques", slot machines and so on, whatever people happent o be collecting, loosely related to "arcade stuff". We only sell pinball machines, the best ausement devices of them all.

Strictly pinball and only pinball, the best of all amusement devices.

Q: Can you help me with Galaga® video game? The monitor quit working and I am no tech.
A: Sorry, no, never even seen the inside of a video game. We do not know how to fix them, we do not sell them, we do not play them and we do nto really care about them. Please try to find a technician that knows how to work on them, we do not have a clue.

Q: I have heard that Gottlieb is more reliable than Bally. Is that true?
A: Gottlieb's are known as workhorses that don't require that much maintenance in a commercial environment, like arcades, pizza parlors etc... Calling it more reliable is somewhat of a stretch. They are just built ruggedly with a smaller number of moving parts and toys on their games, hence less maintance and breakage, but less fun too. All games properly refurbished and regularly serviced and maintained are very reliable without a doubt.

Q: Would you take my old Ford pickup sitting in my backyard, and trade it for a pinball? (This was actual email received by TXPinball)
A: Nope, but I bet a used car dealer might trade it for a car, maybe.

Q: Are you interested in a trade for 1 of your pinball machines? I really want an Addams Family (no shit, might as well reach for the stars, huh?)!!! I have a collection of beanie babies and a stack of comic books? How about a nice Seally® matress for a pinball? What about an old sofa? Come on, man, trade something! (These were actual emails received by TXPinball, we get them from time to time)
A: No trades for those items, but... We will gladly trade our pinball machine(s) for your cash, Cashier's check, money order, personal check, bak wire transfer or Paypal®.

Q: Do you do any trades at all?
A: Yes, we do, sort of. If it's a pinball machine, depending on your title and condition and what you might want of our stock. Best to call or email us and inquire and we'll try to work something out with you, if possible. We only buy, sell and trade 1990 and above pinball machines, and even then, just some very, very specific titles of those.

Q: What is your policy on returns?
A: If you are local, you can return the game to us within 7 days for a full refund minus 10% or for entirely different game. Outside customers enjoy the same policy, but they will have to bear the cost of shipping the game back to us.

Q: I bought a game from you 3 years ago. Could I trade it for something else?
A: Of course, yes. It also depends on its present condition, what other game would you like, and if we have what you want in stock or not. It might not be an even trade, but we will do our best to make it very fair.

Q: I have a bar in town and would like to have a pinball in there. Would you bring it over and install it?
A: Sure, why not. Email us or call us.

Q: I bought a game from you. Can I fit it in my home to accept quarters, just like a real arcade?
A: Yes, of course you can. We sell all our machines set up to Free Play, no coins required, since they are going to private homes and gamerooms. If you want it to accept quarters, you will have to get quarter acceptor mechs. They cost about 16 dollars, install inside the coin door, and are fitted to go inside the coin door in its allocated slots. Email us or call us and we'll gladly help you set it up. We do not sell games with coin mechs preinstalled. If you want them in your game, you will have to notify us in advance. All our machines when sold are strictly set on free play, no money required.

Any other questions you might have, not covered here? Please, email us and we'll gladly try to help.

Back to top