Pace whizball

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Pace whizball

Postby jake1708 » Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:51 am

Hi, I have a pace whizball machine and wondered why it has a different marquee to all the other ones in pictures which seem to be cast. How rare is this and how much would it be worth?
Thanks
image.jpg
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Re: Pace whizball

Postby Anglobritish » Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:28 am

Hi,
Are you sure this is a Pace machine, they made the Whiz Ball in 1930, it as a different bottom front casting, I will post a copy of the original add later, several manufacturers including Gottlieb and Keeney made the same machine.

Freddy
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Re: Pace whizball

Postby Midcoast Vintage » Thu Dec 18, 2014 12:18 pm

These may have been made by one company for several distributors / larger companies.
The same basic machine, but with slight variations can be found.
This may have been made for Pace, as the tin lithographed marquee is very similar to the tin litho marquee that is sometimes found on the Pace Bantam slot machines.
Just a hunch.
They are also found with than name PEO.
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Re: Pace whizball

Postby SLOT DYNASTY » Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:10 am

The entire series of all the different Whirl-Ball, and Flip-Ball machines, have been very confusing
for a very long time, as they were made by several manufacturers, not always tagged with their
own logo or decal, and also passed on to other distributors, that placed their decal on the case.
The two main mfrs. of these, were Pace & Peo. Pace models usually had a steel case, with wood
top & bottom, and a cast aluminum front & marquee. Peo models, mostly had a steel case, with
steel top & bottom, and a flat steel front, and either a cast or flat steel with decal marquee.
But I have seen many mis-matched models, that could be factory, or operator changeovers. One
for-instance, is a Pace "Wild Duce", with a cast front, having baseball symbols in the corners,
which to me, is a mis-match. The factory could have done this, but we don't know for sure, unless
some original ads or fliers turn up. Other manufacturers could have hijacked these models, and
made slight changes of their own, which was commonplace at the time. I have seen a few models
with Keeney decals on the case, but don't have any records of them making these games.

One stumper, was a Mills "Little Perfection", that showed up in 2008, with Rex Novelty decals,
and award card. Most all of these were produced by Canda & Mills. This was the later flat-top
model of 1926, but appeared to have been a robbed model. Rex Novelty did make machines of
their own, but I have no records of them making these. I have seen other "Little Perfection"
models, with slight case design changes, and no idea who did them, as there were no labels or
decals stating who it might be. There is also 4 different slight casting changes in some of the
Caille "Good Luck" marquee castings. Here is another indication of 'model robbery', but I have
no idea who did them. So, for now I classify them all as Caille. The list goes on-and-on! #-o
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Re: Pace whizball

Postby Anglobritish » Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:15 pm

Hi Guy's,
Regarding the mystery surrounding who manufactured the original Whiz Ball-Whirl Wind machine. here are my findings put together from original trade announcements from 1931.

1. Howard Peo who was the inventor filed for patent in 1929, his patent was granted (Patent No. 1,788.323) on January 6th,
1931. In December 1931 he had placed an add in the trade paper warning the trade that his company Peo Manufacturing
Corp, would enforce the patent against any other manufacturer, jobber or operator who infringed his patent.
2. In the January issue of Automatic Age the Peo Manufacturing Corp, issued another warning, this time reffering to
their patent No. 1,788.323, in the February issue of Automatic Age, The Pace Mfg Co, placed a full page add claiming
that they had been granted the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell their Whiz Ball-Baseball from Peo
Manufacturing Corp. In that same issue another full page add from D.Gottlieb & Co, were claiming that they had also
been licensed by the Peo Manufacturing Corp to use their patent No. 1,788.323 to manufacture and export a
Miniature Baseball game.
3. In the February issue of Automatic Age Peo Manufacturing Corp announced that they had granted licenses for other
manufactures to produce a machine similar to their Whirl Wind machine, and that once their own stocks of the Whirl
Wind models were depleted they would cease production of that game. In that statement they named the following
companies that they had granted licenses to: Pace Manufacturing Co, D.Gottlieb & Co, Royal Manufacturing Co and
Genco Incorporated.
4. By the March issue of Automatic Age several other companies were claiming that they had a license to manufacture
similar machines granted by the Peo Manufacturing Corp, these included Buckeye Sales Corp, The Tecumseh Sales
Company, who was granted a license to Manufacture from Peo, and also a further license fro D.Gottlieb and Co to
produce their baseball feature on the machine,
5. More licenses followed, The Field Mfg, Co, produced their "Ball Roll-Et", Keeney & Co sold the D.Gottlieb version of
"Baseball", they later produced their own version of Baseball with a slightly different case and electricity. The Whirl-O-
Ball Co, of New York produced a 5c version of Whirl Wind. C.D.Fairchild Inc. produced a similar version using the
cabinet from the Royal Mfg Co, and called it "Bat-A-Ball", at the same time, John Goodbody had the same machine
with the same cabinet and called his machine "Whoopee", the last three named companies all came from the Same
area in up state New York.
6. In April 1931 the Midwest Novelty Co, of Chicago was making another similar machine called "Zip-O".

These machines were definitely the most popular machines of 1931.

Finally the machine that you have, that you think is a Pace machine, is actually in the cabinet that was produced by the Royal Mfg, Co.

Any member wanting further confirmation by way of copies of adds or statements, contact me at my e-mail address.

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Re: Pace whizball

Postby Midcoast Vintage » Sun Dec 21, 2014 4:34 pm

Exellent job!!
APPLAUSE!
Thank you for that great history on these machines.
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