Hop-Scotch

Hop-Scotch, manufactured by Buckley Manufacturing Company in August 1935, is an early electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine offering a glimpse into pinball design during its formative years. As with many games of this period, its rules are straightforward, with illuminated backglass scoring keeping track of players' progress as they shoot the ball around the playfield.

The cabinet's compact size, measuring 39 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 49 inches high on its legs, is typical of games from this era and ran on standard AC wall current. The cabinet itself was built by the Churchill Cabinet Company of Chicago, a firm that, remarkably, is still producing cabinets and playfields for Stern Pinball today.

Notably, the machine's theme is centered on children's games, an early example of pinball drawing on everyday, lighthearted subject matter. Little information is available about the designer or any notable events surrounding Hop-Scotch, leaving enthusiasts to appreciate it mainly as a rare and early example of pinball's development.