Little Joe

Little Joe, produced by Buckley Manufacturing Company in December 1932, is a small tabletop/counter pinball game with a playing-dice theme - its name borrowed from the craps term for rolling two 2's. As a pure mechanical (PM) machine converted for coin-op play, it reflects the compact, low-cost amusement devices common during the Depression era.

One cent bought the player seven balls, which may seem meager by today's standards but speaks to the era's thriftiness and emphasis on simplicity. The game itself measures 31 inches long by 16 inches wide, making it a compact yet engaging experience for players who navigate the playfield to accumulate scoring combinations tied to its dice-inspired theme.

Not much is known about the machine's designer or specific production numbers, but as a product of Buckley Manufacturing Company - active in Chicago from 1932 to 1936 - Little Joe stands as a reminder of the small counter-game format that was common before pinball evolved toward the larger, more elaborate cabinets and flipper-driven gameplay of later decades.