Midget Hi-Ball

The Midget Hi-Ball is a rare piece of pinball history manufactured by Peo Manufacturing Corporation in June 1932. A pure mechanical (PM) tabletop/counter game, it represents an early and low-cost form of the sport, at a time when pinball was still taking shape as an industry.

The machine offered seven balls for just one cent, with an option for 5-cent play, and featured 21 trap holes on its playfield. A standout mechanic saw a ball landing in the 1000-point hole double the score of the entire board, adding an extra layer of risk and reward to each game. The cabinet with legs was advertised at about 20 inches square and 36 inches high, weighing roughly 35 pounds total, though one owner has measured the machine without legs at 19 by 19 by 5.5 inches.

Little is known about the machine's designer or intended theme, but as an early example of Peo Manufacturing's counter-game output, the Midget Hi-Ball remains a notable find for collectors and historians of pinball's formative years.