Lucky Star

Lucky Star, manufactured by the Lucky Star Manufacturing Company of Baltimore, Maryland in February 1932, is an early and rare example of a Pure Mechanical (non-electrical) pin table from the first years of the coin-operated pinball craze that began around 1931. It stands among the wave of early wooden pin games that helped launch the industry, predating the era of electrical scoring and lighted backglasses.

The game accommodates 10 balls per play, for either one cent or five cents, and features 14 trap holes across its roughly 30-by-17-inch playfield. Balls are steel, including one gold ball among the set, adding a distinctive visual touch to play. The manufacturer also produced a very different counter-top game under the same "Lucky Star" name, so collectors should take care to distinguish between the two.

Little is documented about the machine's designer, and production numbers are unknown, but its age and simplicity make it a notable artifact from the earliest days of coin-operated pinball, before flippers, electric lighting, or replay mechanisms became standard.