The Best Pinball & Jukebox Shipping Company: What to Look For (and Why Collectors Call Us)

What makes the best pinball and jukebox shipping company

Plenty of companies will put a machine on a truck. Far fewer understand what is inside the cabinet, where the weight sits and which parts break first. Before you book anyone, look for these seven things. They are the standard we hold ourselves to on every job, and they are a fair test for any company you are considering.

• Specialists in coin-op machines, not general freight. A company that moves pinball machines and jukeboxes all the time knows how they are built, what is fragile and how to secure them.
• One carrier from pickup to delivery, so the machine isn't passed between companies. Every handoff is another chance for a machine to be tipped, dropped or left waiting.
• Documented condition. Photos and an inventory at pickup record the machine's condition, along with every key and loose part, before it moves.
• Real protection. Pad wrapping, stretch wrap and corner boards go on every machine, not just the ones that look fragile.
• Door-to-door service, with liftgate available, so nobody has to wrestle a heavy cabinet to or from a loading dock.
• Clear, all-inclusive quotes with no surprises. You should know what you are paying before the machine leaves.
• People you can call. Live agents answer at 866.216.7742 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

How we ship a pinball machine

A pinball machine packs a lot into one cabinet: a glass playfield cover, a backbox with a backglass or display, the legs, and a playfield full of ramps, toys and wiring. Each of those needs its own attention, and the order of the steps matters. Here is how we handle a pinball machine from the moment we arrive to the moment it is in place at its new home.

If you want the full step-by-step version, including what to do before pickup, or you want to understand what affects the price of a pinball move, the two guides linked below cover both in detail.

• We normally leave the balls inside the machine, so there is nothing to bag up or lose along the way.
• The playfield glass, backbox and legs are each protected, because those are the parts most likely to be damaged in a careless move.
• The machine is pad wrapped, stretch wrapped and corner boarded, then secured upright so it cannot shift.
• We photograph the machine and inventory its keys and loose parts before it is loaded.
• It is delivered door to door, with liftgate available at the delivery address.

• How to ship a pinball machine
• What affects the cost to ship a pinball machine

How we ship a jukebox

Jukeboxes are tall, heavy and top-heavy, and much of what makes them special is also what makes them fragile: curved glass, chrome trim, lighting, and a delicate record or CD mechanism inside. A jukebox that tips even once can crack glass or knock the mechanism out of adjustment, so every step of the move is about keeping it upright and still.

• Jukeboxes ship upright, never on their backs or sides.
• They are padded on every side and corner boarded to protect the glass, chrome and edges.
• They are strapped in place so they cannot shift during the trip.
• We photograph the cabinet and inventory its keys and loose parts before it moves.

• Jukebox shipping

A tip for jukebox owners

Before pickup, secure the tone arm and record magazine, or the CD mechanism, following the manufacturer's instructions for your model. Then tape the keys inside the cabinet so they travel with the machine. Those two small steps protect the most delicate part of the jukebox and make sure nothing goes missing between your door and the next one.

Trusted by buyers, sellers and auctions

Collectors are not the only people who need a coin-op specialist. Dealers selling to out-of-state buyers, estate liquidators clearing a game room, and auction winners picking up a machine hundreds of miles away all need someone who knows how these machines are built and how to move them safely.

We delivered games from the National Pinball Museum collection to the winning bidders after its auctions. Auction pickups come with their own deadlines and dock rules, so we coordinate the pickup with the auction house and deliver the machine to the buyer's door.

• Arcade auction shipping
• Arcade and pinball auctions

Questions to ask any shipping company before you book

Whoever you call, these six questions will tell you quickly whether you are talking to a coin-op specialist or a general freight company that happens to have a truck. Write the answers down and compare them side by side before you decide.

Pay attention to how each answer is given, not just what it says. A specialist answers these questions without hesitation because they come up on every job. Vague answers, or a quote that changes once the machine is already on the way, are a sign to keep looking. When you call us, ask all six. We would rather you book knowing exactly how your machine will be handled.

• Do you specialize in coin-op machines?
• Will the same carrier handle it start to finish?
• Do you photograph and inventory at pickup?
• How is the machine wrapped and secured?
• Is the quote all-inclusive?
• Is liftgate or inside delivery available?