Baby Leland

Baby Leland is one of the earliest pinball machines associated with the Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company. A Pure Mechanical (PM) counter game from December 1933, it predates many other notable pinball machines from the era, making it an interesting piece in the history of the game. Its apron proudly states "The LELAND of the Aristocrat Line". Players could enjoy seven balls for just one cent or ten balls for five cents - flexible pricing typical of the Depression era.

The playfield features two horseshoe diverters, and the machine's compact tabletop size - advertised as 21 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 6 inches high - made it well suited to counters in bars and shops. Games like this demonstrate the formative period of pinball design, when manufacturers were experimenting with new features and gameplay elements.

Interestingly, Baby Leland was not actually built in-house: Stoner Mfg made this game for Chicago Coin under contract, because Chicago Coin - which had only just evolved from the Chicago Coin Machine Exchange - had no room at its address to manufacture its own games. By January 1934, Chicago Coin had moved to a larger facility and no longer needed Stoner's services. Little is known about the game's designer, but its age and history make it a noteworthy find for collectors and historians alike.