Pinballs break. They break a lot. Usually they break in simple and easy to fix ways. Frequently they break in ways that require specialty or hard to obtain parts. Rarely, but often enough that you should take note, they break in a way that requires a pinball technician to repair.

You are stuck in the 'specialty or hard-to-obtain' part of pinball repair.

This is very much a pinball specific part, and it was a GREAT DAY when Marco Specialties contracted and started having these made again. Stern was making their variations all along, but for a brief time this kind of hardware for older pinballs was in danger of not being available.

The main problem you'll find is that there are a lot of variations. Taller, shorter, threads on top, threads on bottom, long top, short top, etc. To get an assortment with a couple dozen of each type is probably a $500+ investment.

It looks like you need this:

https://www.pinballlife.com/machine-poststud-530-5012-02.html

While I'm a big supporter of Marco, for bulk purchases Pinball Life usually has a compelling price advantage. Shipping definitely can make a big difference when choosing suppliers, with the general advice that Marco's flat rate is better for smaller orders and Pinball Life's actual freight is better for larger bulk orders.

If you are looking to buy in serious bulk (a case of 10,000 parts, or a couple hundred of several different styles...) I would personally call the suppliers and see if they can do a better price for such a large order. It's worth a call.

(nods)

I'm in the same boat.

When I need one, I order 20, and through the years I end up with the most common ones in stock.

People talk about pinball prices. The cost of pinball machines. Pinflation.

From my point of view, pinflation is a great thing.

A couple dozen years ago, you could go reliably to an auction, and buy a Getaway for $600 bucks. For years, there would be a couple at every auction, and with small variations for condition, you could pick up a Getaway pinball for $600 bucks.

Now a Getaway pinball is what, $4000 and up depending on condition?

But here is the thing.

If a Getaway pinball were still $600, and the display failed today, it would cost $500 for a plasma display to repair it. And a lot of people would consider just taking the machine to the dump... and we'd lose a machine. Gone forever, because the cost of the repair isn't justified by the value of the machine.

We don't have that problem, because of pinflation.

You can spend money to buy parts... even at these prices.

Because pinflation has made the value of the machine worth the cost of the parts.

When I refurbish a machine it hurts me to pay $60 bucks for a flipper rebuild kit. (Roadshow, 4 flippers). But the value of the machine justifies the cost of the parts. By a large margin.

It's a whole new world.

(stoops down, starts talking in a high wavering voice) "In my day, we bought drop targets five fer a doller... 'an we liked it!"

Drop targets aren't five for a dollar anymore, but the pinballs I'm working on aren't $300 machines either.

Even fixing pinballs isn't a hobby for the faint of heart or for the person who doesn't have deep pockets anymore.

I can't sift threwm this noval above but I've never seen TopHats available any place other than pinball part dealers.
I feel like if they were available cheaper I would have seen them

Pinball Life or Pinball Resource would probably be the cheapest place then Marco last. Yeah this isn't a part that's probably used anywhere outside of pinball, so you're kinda stuck, unfortunately. I've had some games I've worked on (System 11) where they must have welded or used red loctite on those posts in the t-nuts because they all broke trying to remove them.

I haven't seen them anywhere other than with pinball suppliers either.

When you suspect loctite, heat up the t-nut with a soldering iron cranked up to the highest setting. I have to do this on gottlieb system 3 games all the time. You still may break off a couple posts, but most will come out intact.

'Clear loctite' = superglue.

Hehe.

Been there a couple of times lately. Darned Police Force!

I get all my pinball posts relatively cheap. They only cost the time to dig out what I need if I extract one from an old destroyed playfield. At one time I think I had 30 populated playfields that were worth more in parts than they would ever be as a whole. I would buy them at auctions and pinball shows for like $20.

I am down to about 16 now but, there's still plenty of posts. I've worked with them for over a decade and I can tell you one fact for CERTAIN. The old playfield parts from the 70's and 80's were made a LOT better than any parts that are made today!

Any metal posts you buy today are made from materials that are far less superior. And they are made by places with less quality. Quite frankly, it's come to be what people expect when they buy stuff in today's world.

Today, products cost more than ever and they last a couple years until it fails or completely falls apart. Pinball parts are no exception to this new standard that we have all had to accept. It's too expensive to make a profit off anything unless you cut so many conrners that the product only holds up for a fraction of the time that it did 30 years ago.

These things suck! Is that what they call ‘em? Tophats?
When I was restoring Sorcerer and Shaq, these things were such a bastard to secure! The existing ones were all bent up and useless, and even at PBR they were pricy! Couldn’t believe it, but they are absolutely pinball specialty parts and can’t be obtained anywhere else, really.

Reusing old Tophats is fine unless it's a new PF swap. I've had 2 or 3 break off during re-pop and it's a little disheartening to have to get the un-screwems out on a brand new purchase

I just wirewheel and polish them for that. Takes about 15 seconds.

A source for post studs? I thought pinside was the most prolific source of post studs.

I'll walk myself out.

I've found that doesn't stop them from snapping in half

Vintage ones? Snap in half? They are indestructible.

In pinch u can use a machine screw up thru the pf with a small diameter nut on top of the post. Easy to cut to length, super cheap, and invisible if covered by plastics.