Restore or not to Restore Backglass

[John Moeger]

I have the EM game Cross Town which plays great. I have replaced some parts, namely new rubbers and coils for flippers and pops. Have also replaced all lights with LEDs with the correct color temperature. Everything else has been left untouched. The game has seen its days in smokey bars and arcades but still plays like a charm. My question to all you pinsters is: Should I have a professional restore the back glass? It has de-laminated and flaked in places.
Will doing so reduce the value of the game? I ask this based on my experience in the muscle car hobby. There are two camps: One prefers to do a total frame off/on restoration. The other insists on keeping the car completely original with no owner hack jobs. The latter group has proven the value of the car far exceeds the value of a restoration job. Does the same hold true for pinball machines?
Love to hear your thoughts/comments.

[Roseland Pete]

I have the EM game Cross Town which plays great. I have replaced some parts, namely new rubbers and coils for flippers and pops. Have also replaced all lights with LEDs with the correct color temperature. Everything else has been left untouched. The game has seen its days in smokey bars and arcades but still plays like a charm. My question to all you pinsters is: Should I have a professional restore the back glass? It has de-laminated and flaked in places.
Will doing so reduce the value of the game? I ask this based on my experience in the muscle car hobby. There are two camps: One prefers to do a total frame off/on restoration. The other insists on keeping the car completely original with no owner hack jobs. The latter group has proven the value of the car far exceeds the value of a restoration job. Does the same hold true for pinball machines?
Love to hear your thoughts/comments.

I am also into old muscle cars so I think I have a pretty good idea of where you're coming from. I collect unrestored cars because I'm a big fan of originality but this attitude never carried over to pins. Personally, I'd rather have a pin that looks nice and plays well. I think the BG artwork plays a big part on a pin's appeal so I wouldn't care if the BG were restored or replaced.

[Dan Beck]

I have the EM game Cross Town which plays great. I have replaced some parts, namely new rubbers and coils for flippers and pops. Have also replaced all lights with LEDs with the correct color temperature. Everything else has been left untouched. The game has seen its days in smokey bars and arcades but still plays like a charm. My question to all you pinsters is: Should I have a professional restore the back glass? It has de-laminated and flaked in places.
Will doing so reduce the value of the game? I ask this based on my experience in the muscle car hobby. There are two camps: One prefers to do a total frame off/on restoration. The other insists on keeping the car completely original with no owner hack jobs. The latter group has proven the value of the car far exceeds the value of a restoration job. Does the same hold true for pinball machines?
Love to hear your thoughts/comments.

As a rule pinball machines’ monetary values are orders of magnitude less than a classic automobile. I would argue Cross Town, while a cool game, follows that rule. You could choose to buy a nice reproduction from Shay Arcade for $295, or you could pay someone to ‘restore’ your backglass. In the end, the originality is lost on both cases. The question only you can answer is, what is most pleasing to your eye? I have purchased from Shay and was very happy with the product. Did it increase the monetary value of my game? Don’t know, don’t care. I am not sure how well a restorer can duplicate the translucency of a backglass; I would ask to see examples of her/his previous work before taking the plunge.

[Lee]

I agree with the previous two posters. There are a handful of enthusiasts that prefer to keep their pinball game original rather than install repro parts, but I would estimate that percentage of total owners is significantly less than 5%.

Two things that will definitely degrade the value of a machine to a prospective buyer are a playfield with wear spots down to bare wood and a shabby, flaking backglass. I would go with a repro glass.

Lee

[John Moeger]

I agree with the previous two posters. There are a handful of enthusiasts that prefer to keep their pinball game original rather than install repro parts, but I would estimate that percentage of total owners is significantly less than 5%.
Two things that will definitely degrade the value of a machine to a prospective buyer are a playfield with wear spots down to bare wood and a shabby, flaking backglass. I would go with a repro glass.
Lee

A sincere thanks for your comments and suggestions! As you probably guessed, I'm new to the pinball world and am very handy with repair maintenance of anything mechanical/electrical. I love working on this pin but know my limits. I bought this pin when I was on a nostalgia kick a few years ago. I used to play it for HOURS at the local pool hall in the mid 60's. Still love it. I think I'll go with replacement (thanks for the tip djbg). That way I can keep the original if a future buyer is one of those "purists".