Zipper

The 1932 Zipper is a rare and enigmatic artifact from the earliest days of pinball. Little is documented about its manufacturer or designer, but as a pure mechanical (PM) tabletop/counter game, it represents the pre-electromechanical era of the sport, when manufacturers relied entirely on gravity, pins, and simple mechanisms rather than any electrical components.

Given its 1932 date, Zipper predates the invention of flippers by roughly fifteen years, so gameplay would have relied on skillfully tilting or guiding the machine to direct the ball toward scoring holes, as was typical of countertop pinball games of the period. Specific rules and scoring details for this machine are not documented.

Zipper's scarcity and the lack of surviving information about its manufacturer make it a mystery among pinball historians. Its rarity adds to its appeal as a collector's curiosity from the earliest years of the game's development.