Bobs

Bobs, manufactured by Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) of Chicago in January 1938, is a flipperless electro-mechanical pinball machine with a bobsledding/snow theme -- a departure from the more common early pinball themes of the era. It was a nickel game offering five balls for five cents.

Key gameplay features include 16 spring bumpers and five trap holes scattered across the playfield. A notable mechanism is the top rollover switch: when a ball passes through it, all balls collected in the bottom outhole are returned to the player to shoot again, extending the game session.

Unfortunately, little else is documented about the specific design or artistic direction behind this game, leaving some details to speculation among enthusiasts. Despite this, Bobs remains an intriguing piece of pinball history from ESCO's long manufacturing run (1932-1957), offering insight into the flipperless era of pre-war pinball design.