Heh, I misread Tony’s post. What are the odds of having two rare games.
Yeah, BBB got remade. It was about $4,500 and Gene Cunningham wanted half up front. Then he asked for the other half a good couple years before they came out. Story was he lost a ton of money on them.
For years leading up to it, there were tons of ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- stories. Gene bought all the surplus capcom pinball parts but just couldn’t figure out a way to make tube dancers, so it was all off. Then he had tube dancers but couldn’t get the ramps. Then he didn’t have enough boards. The boards story was probably true.
I very heavily considered buying one, got copies of the preorder paperwork, etc but then I moved to St. Louis and met a couple of jokers he had hired to drive to Illinois occasionally and assemble them. They wore their official polos to the Super Auctions and wanted people to kiss their asses. Anyway, their relationship to it didn’t last.
I’ve played it a couple of times. One guy used to bring it to the Chicago Expo and it was $1/game. It’s…. Okay. There’s one in south Texas still in the box, but the owner decided his newly found hateful politics were more important than friends he’s had for 20 years so no idea if he ever opened it.
Only business I did with Genes company was buying a World Cup Soccer 94 ball. Had to call and beg and then mail them a check. I was so unimpressed with it I kept my original inside the bottom of the cabinet. Comparing them now, which I did earlier this week, and they look about the same condition.
I give him a hell of a lot of credit for getting BBB remade, though. It would be much easier now in the era of boutique pinball. He passed away a few years ago. His home listing was interesting - I kinda liked the disco ball over the indoor pool.
The craziest post I ever saw on rec.games.pinball was from the 90s where a guy posted he had found a Big Bang Bar and Gottlieb Brooks and Dunn on test location. Less than 20 produced back then between those two games…
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.pinball/c/NSZXzqiYhZQ/m/owuJcus3ULgJ