Skill Ball (Combination Pin and Pool Table)

The Skill Ball (Combination Pin and Pool Table), manufactured by A.L. Randall Company's Standard Games Dept. in March 1932, is a rare and fascinating piece of pinball history. As an early combination pin-game-and-pool-table product, it predates the flipper era entirely — like other pure mechanical games of its time, it relied on gravity, ramps, pins, and skillful plunging rather than any flipper mechanism, which would not be invented for roughly another decade and a half.

The gameplay features of the Skill Ball are as intriguing as they are unusual for the period. The advertised playfield measured 40 3/4 inches long and 23 inches wide, and the cabinet was designed to convert between a pin-game playing surface and a pool-table configuration "in a few minutes," reportedly coming complete with cues, balls, and other accessories. The advertised price for the machine was $89.50.

Unfortunately, little is known about the machine's design, art, or theme beyond its name and functionality, and exactly how the flat billiard surface reconciled with the inclined, pin-studded pinball playfield in the same cabinet remains unclear from surviving records. Nonetheless, its rarity and early production date make it a valuable piece of pinball history, offering a glimpse into experimentation with multi-purpose amusement furniture during the industry's formative years.