The Toboggan

The Toboggan is a rare and enigmatic Pure Mechanical pinball machine attributed to John Goodbody, a distributor based in Rochester, New York, likely dating to the early 1930s. It may be the only pin table Goodbody ever produced, and the only surviving image of the game is a single flyer.

Its standout feature is the 'toboggan' element itself: a long, exit-free path that carries the ball directly from the top of the playfield to the bottom, giving the game its name. Play was offered at 10 balls for 5 cents, and the cabinet was advertised at 36 inches long, 20 inches wide, 36 inches high, and weighing 80 lbs.

Beyond these details, little else is documented about The Toboggan's specific design, art, or theme. As a Pure Mechanical machine from the earliest days of coin-operated pinball, and possibly a one-off product from a distributor rather than a dedicated manufacturer, it remains an intriguing curiosity for collectors and historians of the era.