Topic: Browntop TS

[wildcard]

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tag/1090061707.html


Somebody quick talk me out of this before I go see it and make an offer, lol.

Actually, I'll probably go see it just to see if I can still do any shots on it, then tell them that unless its a coinop it isn't worth even $100 and offer them $50 and then they'll get pissed off...

Hey, are parts still available for this? Men, screws and bolts, etc?

[maddmartigan]

WHAT!!!!!! Talk ya out of it. No, more like talk ya into it. Heck bud if I had more room IT would be sitting here. And the oldest one is talking about movin out . So maybe I should do some checking on the  money, and depending on whats left after this weekend. Yea and I would be nice and let it sit at your house til he desides lol. Still no word from Dave! LMAO, talk to ya soon or see ya Friday

Tom

[Tyler Foos]

Wildcard,

Hey man, it's been a while! How are things?

As for the TS brown top, yes you can still get parts. Go to www.ThompsonSportingGoods.com and check out the selection. Mark Thompson is usually there and can get you pretty much anything you may need. He was very helpful when I was putting my collection together, along with a few other people. In terms of original equipment, the hardest thing to find is the old TS stamped ball. They came with a red and a blue color stamp on the hard plastic white ball, and they would alternate colors between batches. I searched for 3 years until I came across someone selling a table on ebay and he had 6 of each, nearly mint condition, and I was glad to get them as I haven't come across any since.

One interesting detail about the brownie was that not only did the men change to the harder plastic 'men with hats' but the large, jumbo handles appeared. The funny thing was that the big increase in size was an accident, and that somehow the communications from here to the production company overseas didn't get translated correctly. Fortunately, instead of holding up production and incurring an extra expense, TS went with the 'incorrect' handles which became widely accepted as a better handle anyway! Those old TS tables were amazing in terms of the ball control they achieved on a surface that looked to be much slicker than it actually played. Those back pin banks from the 2 rod - deja vu all over again! Oh, if you do try the table and it looks to be in good shape, you can add lots of weight to those home models by screwing 3/4 pywood to the underside and pretty much make it as heavy as you want. Just a thought...

Take care, Rick.......................................Tyler

[Old Meister]

If a brown top was brought to a local tournament as a novelty I'm sure the old schoolers would be all over it.

[Tyler Foos]

OM,

Absolutely correct! It really is amazing all that can be done on a TS table, especially the brownies.

Tyler

[wildcard]

Hey Tyler, good to hear from you! Thanks for the link, it strengthens my case for getting it if I have access to official parts, since I was pretty hard, rough player on that table, I broke men alot, lol.

Hey Tom, was that the same table you were telling me about earlier that got pulled from the listings?

I want it soooo bad, if even just to relive some memories...

[bbtuna]

as long it isn't replacing a current table, what a great piece of history...my son keeps my Brown and I would love to get a green and blue

[Tyler Foos]

Rick,

Yeah, man, it's been a while! And from what Tuna offered on the men direction thread you have multiple sources to get parts. We'll catch you on another thread soon, I'm sure!

Take care..................................Tyler

[maddmartigan]

no Rick it is not the same one, the one I called ya about was a blue top that someone had put brownie men on.  ya go and look at it yet?? it would a blast to play on lol,
talk to ya soon

[wildcard]

No I haven't looked yet, with MO state coming up I wouldn't be able to act on it right now anyway. If it was a coinop instead of home model I would maybe try to get it done. I just got the Bravada inspected and it needs brakes and rotors all the way around and lower ball joints. They quoted me about $1350 to do the work, LOL! If I can find a knowledgeable friend to help I could probably do the brakes and rotors in my garage for around $150-200 in parts, but the lower ball joints may be past my limited abilities, and I just don't have the bucks right now to have them professionally done.

However, I am interested in "storing" this table for you until the bird leaves the nest, lol. Maybe we could even work out a price split and timeshare arrangement, 

Let me know, and we can go see it together, it's in St Peters not too far from my house. I think it would fit in the back of my 97 Bravada (like a blazer) if we took the legs off.

[wildcard]

Wow, another brownie has hit the market for $150 and it looks to be in good shape

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tag/1098287565.html

Is it just me, or does the playing surface seem a lot darker brown than I remember? It looks a lot darker than the previous table that is listed for sale.

[Tyler Foos]

Wildcard,

That's not a brownie, but a black top from their current assortment. TS tables have been distributed recently by a couple of companies. If you check out the Thompson link and probably this site as well they can be purchased new, I believe one style has a 1 man goalie and 3 or 4 have 3 men goalie rods.

Tyler

[wildcard]

Wildcard,

That's not a brownie, but a black top from their current assortment. TS tables have been distributed recently by a couple of companies. If you check out the Thompson link and probably this site as well they can be purchased new, I believe one style has a 1 man goalie and 3 or 4 have 3 men goalie rods.

Tyler

Thanks Tyler, I knew something looked different about the surface, although the men and logo look the same. As long as I've got you watching the topic, what do you think about the new crop of blacktops compared to the old brownies? Do they play the same? Better? Worse? Also, on the site they list light oak, but the one in my link above looks to be more of a maple-looking 1-inch strip, sort of like a bowling lane. How old do you think that is, and is it a good value for the price listed compared to the old brownie listed for the same price?

Thanks

[Tyler Foos]

Wildcard,

I have absolutely no experience with the new versions - how they play, how they are made, how they last, etc. The men are the same as the old brownies, can't really tell about the handles, the rods are still solid so they would have that heavier TS feel. I think the biggest part of the new company's interest was around the recognizable logo as opposed to trying to keep alive the old cabinet design authenticity. It really would have no collectibility value compared with the originals, and I don't know if they would be close enough to give you that vintage feel you would like to experience again! I don't know if you could track down anybody in your area that owns one to try out the playability.

Actually, now that you've got me thinking about it, the company that owned/sold those tables until very recently was called Mazzco and I have one of their catalogs somewhere. If you want, PM me your email and when I dig it out (won't take long) I'll send you some scans. I think they were sold to a new company within the last couple of years but I doubt they did any major re-designing.

Of course, I'd really rather you find a good original brownie, but I'll help you research the new ones as much as you'd like!

Tyler

PS - If you're ever in the North Florida area, I have one each of the 4 original configurations, and they all have their own unique feel to them.

[wildcard]

Cool, thanks Tyler. Don't worry about finding that old catalog, if I'm feeling nostalgic enough to get a TS based table, I'll find a vintage table for the real deal. The only reason I haven't jumped on the first one is that its a home model, and I really want a coin-op because I'm sure they are sturdier than the home models. just like Tornado.