Paddles

Paddles, manufactured by Western Equipment & Supply Company in September 1937, is an early electro-mechanical (EM), single-player pinball machine notable for being a payout machine — meaning it was designed to dispense winnings directly to players based on game outcomes, a common feature of pre-war coin-operated amusements before payout machines became widely regulated or restricted.

As a 1937 EM machine, Paddles predates the invention of player-controlled flippers by a decade, so its gameplay would have relied on plunging, mechanical bumpers, and electric scoring components rather than flipper skill.

Despite the absence of a clearly documented theme or notable design features, Paddles' status as an early electro-mechanical payout machine makes it a significant artifact for collectors and historians studying the pre-flipper, pre-regulation era of coin-operated pinball.