Board of Trade
About This Machine
The Board of Trade, manufactured by O.D. Jennings and Company in November 1935, is an electro-mechanical payout pinball machine with a business/commodities theme unusual among machines of its era. The playfield depicts a busy Chicago street scene -- the intersection of South LaSalle and West Quincy Streets -- leading up to a depiction of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, complete with its clock and the 31-foot statue of Ceres atop it.
Gameplay centers on 16 trap holes labeled with commodities such as oats, rye, barley, corn, and wheat, plus a "Profit Sharing" hole. Landing combinations such as 2 Oats/Rye, 3 Barley, 3 Corn, or 3 Wheat earns the player "Skill Points" -- but only if a ball has also landed in the Profit Sharing hole. Two outhole troughs, each labeled "Financial Crash," complete the game's Depression-era commodities-market motif. The machine takes 10 balls for 5 cents and also accepts Free Play Tokens.
No designer is credited for the game, and little else is documented about its origins, but its distinctive theme and mechanics make it a notable example of 1930s payout pinball.
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Commodities Market - Automobiles - City Scene - Travel
- Notable Features:
- 10 balls for 5 cents. Also accepts Free Play Tokens. Trap holes (16). The holes are labeled with commodities such as Oats, Rye, Barley, Corn, and Wheat. One hole is marked "Profit Sharing". The two outhole troughs on this business-themed game are each labeled "Financial Crash". The player is awarded "Skill Points" for achieving the following combinations but only if a ball has also landed in the Profit Sharing hole in upper playfield: 2 Oats or 2 Rye -- 15 skill points 3 Barley -- 30 skill points 3 Corn -- 45 skill points 3 Wheat -- 60 skill points When a scoring combination is made, player is instructed to push down handle slowly at right hand side of cabinet.