Blackstone

The Stoner Manufacturing Company's 1933 Blackstone is an appealing find for any enthusiast of early mechanical games. Manufactured in July 1933 in Aurora, Illinois - and, notably, produced by Stoner as a private-label game for Chicago Coin - it dates from the pioneering first years of the coin-operated pinball industry.

The gameplay is classic countertop-era pinball: 10 balls for 5 cents, with 14 trap holes and three progressive scoring lanes that add an element of challenge and strategy. Players must think carefully about each plunge and aim, since this Pure Mechanical machine relies entirely on gravity and springs rather than electricity - no flippers, no bumpers, no lights.

The machine's cabinet was advertised as black ebony, measuring 36 inches long by 18 inches wide, giving it a striking appearance that would have drawn attention in any establishment of the time. As a Pure Mechanical game from pinball's earliest commercial era, Blackstone is an intriguing specimen for collectors and historians tracing the development of pinball from its beginnings.