Blow Me Down

Blow Me Down is a rare and historic pure mechanical (PM) pinball machine from April 1933, manufactured by the Coast Coin Machine Company of Sea Girt, New Jersey. Dating from the earliest years of the coin-operated pin game industry, it is a fascinating artifact for enthusiasts and historians alike.

The gameplay features that set Blow Me Down apart are its air-powered launch mechanism and its lack of traditional playfield components — no pins, no springs, and no plunger. Instead, a pivoting rubber squeeze bulb on the front of the cabinet is aimed by the player, and a blast of air shoots the ball into play. The machine offered 1 cent or 5 cent play, standard pricing for a countertop game of its era.

Blow Me Down was advertised with a mahogany cabinet measuring 30 inches in length and 15 1/2 inches in width, with heights of 6 1/2 inches in front and 8 1/2 inches in back. Little further information survives regarding its design, art, or theme. This scarcity only adds to the machine's allure for pinball historians and collectors, who appreciate the opportunity to study a piece of the game's early development.