United Shuffle Alley

[bubba]

Is this a good deal? Not much info to go on, but the wood looks to be in rough shape. Are parts available for these?

http://cnj.craigslist.org/tag/906778771.html

[Larry]

That's probably from 1949 -1951.  It was before reels.  The surface is not formica so it is harder to get the puck down the alley.  The scoring wont be regulation scoring either, that started later in the mid fifties.  I believe a strike was thirty and a spare was twenty.

The pins would be harder to find.  They're not the standard size that most of your shuffles are.

My opinion is that any game is worth $100.00, but if you want a more standard shuffle that is more fun to play, I would reccomend the United early sixties machines.  The lane was formica, the parts are easier to come by, there are more games offered on each machine and at least one of them would be your standard regulation bowling.  The price would be anywhere from $200.00 to $600.00.

Eitherway you go, you will have to take them all apart to get them to work properly.  So you might as well get the one you want.  I restored four of these and eventually I waited for a 1962 United Emabssy.  That's my personal favorite shuffle.  Seven cool games.

[Larry]

One more thing.  I was just looking over your pictures and noticed that the puck doesn't use the rubber in the back to bounce the puck back to you.  So the slickness of the Formica doesn't matter.  This game is probably one of United's earliest games made.  I don't recognize the glass, but it uses a conveyor belt that brings the puck back to you in the slot on the bottom right.  These were made in 1949 and 1950.  Also, the baby pins is a definately give away from that era.  They were the second style used.  The first were baby stationary pins.  So if you want something unique, this is worth the huindred bucks, but they are not big on the market because most people prefer the modern games, scoring, and pins.

[bubba]

Thanks for the info Larry. I've never played any of these shuffle games... Any idea how big this is? Its hard to tell by the photos...

[Larry]

They are 9' long.  The alleys are 8' and the back box is 1'.

[tclaremont]

Great artwork. Great workmanship. Great piece of nostalgia.... not a lot of fun to play.


If your objective is nostalgia it is a good find. If you are the type that likes to have fun playing your games, look for a newer model. For the ultimate fun, find a ball bowler with the separate lane sections. I know a guy with a fourty foot ball bowler in his basment arcade. The balls are about a third of regulation size. You actually stand up to bowl, and throw the ball down the lane just like real bowling. Of course, the price tag is 30 times the cost of the one you are looking at.

[tclaremont]

It appears to be a 1949. Here is a flyer:



I have had a few of these games over the years, and the long term fun just isn't there. I picked up an 80s bowler and have had that one now for a number of years.

[bubba]

Thanks for the info... I don't have 9' of space to tie up with one of these games yet... I have a lead on another one that I saw once, but didn't pay a whole lot of attention to. It is much newer than that one, but its still a puck bowler.

I'd love to see that 40 foot machine.. thats gotta be incredible..

[collecture]

I know a guy with a forty foot ball bowler in his basement arcade.

I don't know many people with a 40' space - would be nice!

[tclaremont]

I dont think the 40 footer was originally made that way. The were produced with separate lane sections, so the original buyer could buy a 10 footer, or a 20 footer or whatever. This guy accumulated several machines over the years and eventually combined lane sections to make the ultimate ball bowler. I kinda shrugged it off at first, but after playing it, it is amazing how realistic the game play is. The lane sections sit about four inches off the floor, so you really need to go through realistic motions to play the game. Totally different than the puck bowling experience. I believe there is a video on You Tube if you search for ball bowler. Puck bowlers are fun, but make no mistake, a ball bowler is in a different league altogether.

Also, don't underestimate the space that even the nine footer will take up. You need room to open the back door for maintenance, and you need room in front of the game where you stand to play. By the time you are done, you really wind up dedicating an additional five feet for your bowler. SOME bowlers return the puck under the alley on a conveyor belt. With this arrangement it is inevitable that you will need access to the side of the machine in order to lift the hinged alley to retrieve the occasional stuck puck.

Although not a bowler, here is a similar game that I owned for a while. It used a puck, just like a shuffle bowler, but the business end of the game was more like skee ball. Lots of fun until the puck comes back and drops on your bare foot.

http://www.grandamregistry.com/cm/UnitedPlayboy.cfm