Tom Tom
About This Machine
The Tom Tom, manufactured by P & S Machine Company of Chicago, Illinois, began shipping to distributors on October 7, 1947. Although P & S Machine Company — known primarily for converting Genco pinball machines — operated from 1943 to 1946, Tom Tom itself was an original 1947 release for the company. Despite resembling a pinball machine, it is not actually classified as one; it is included in pinball references only for clarification purposes.
The game offered eight balls for five cents, using plastic balls. The cabinet front has a ball shooter, similar to a pinball machine, that propels the ball up an incline and sends it airborne toward the target area. On the back wall of the playfield sits a hollow "Tom Tom" that rotates end-over-end during play; a well-timed shot into it awards 100,000 points and returns the ball to the player.
Advertising described the Tom Tom as hand-built, "tailored like a Cadillac," and not a mass-production item. A revised version with a strengthened kicker was advertised by February 1948, suggesting the original kicker may not have reliably propelled the ball to the Tom Tom. A second original design from the company, Shooting Stars, reportedly followed.
Images (6)
Technical Details
- Notable Features:
- 8 balls for 5 cents. This is not a pinball machine but is included here for clarification purposes. The cabinet front has a ball shooter, similar to a pinball machine, which propels the ball up an incline, sending it airborne to the target area. The back wall of the playfield has a hollow "Tom Tom" which rotates end-over-end during play. A carefully timed shot can put the ball into the Tom Tom to award 100,000 points and return that ball to the player. The balls are made of plastic. Operates on line current. This italicized information was passed to us, attributed to the December 1947 issue of The Coin Machine Journal (advertiser was presumably the manufacturer): TOM TOM FOR PIN GAME LOCATIONS FOR ARCADE LOCATIONS An entirely new idea. Built by experienced Coin Machine men. This is a hand made game. Tailored like a Cadillac. Not a production item. Your distributor has samples. If not -- WRITE TO US DIRECT..