Top Hat

The Stoner Manufacturing Company's 1936 "Top Hat" pinball machine is an early, flipperless electro-mechanical (EM) game from the pre-flipper era of pinball, when the game was still evolving from simple bagatelle-style tables. Stoner Manufacturing, based in Aurora, Illinois, operated for only eight years (1933-1941), reflecting the competitive and short-lived nature of many early pinball manufacturers.

Top Hat's gameplay is notable for its simplicity: players get 10 balls for five cents. The game measures 44 inches long, 22 inches wide, and 46 inches high. As a flipperless machine, its play centers on skillful plunging and shot placement rather than the flipper-based skill shots that would come to define pinball after 1947.

As an early example from Stoner Manufacturing, "Top Hat" offers a glimpse into pinball's formative years. Its compact size and low price point likely made it accessible to a wide audience. Little further information is documented about this specific machine beyond its basic specifications, leaving some of its history a mystery.