Pending.. Quite nice Centaur

[VeeMonroe]

We have a quite nice Centaur that is currently living upstairs. Interested in potentially trading it for something else.

It belonged to Craig's dad before us, and @newforestpinball had done work on it. Some plastics broke when it went upstairs, and I've replaced them and done some tweaking. Otherwise, it's been pretty solid. It looks good, plays nicely. Has a couple of Alltek boards.

I expect this to sit here a fair while as nothing's moving on PinballInfo. Trading seems more popular right now, but you can buy it outright if you make a sensible offer.

I can provide some gameplay videos but, you know, it's a Centaur. If you don't know what a Centaur is, then it's basically a multiball-heavy JJP if it had totally metal artwork and was pared down to the basic essentials without losing any of the fun!

I can't put in any money right now, as we're upgrading our transport. Later in the year, I might be able to if the Centaur is still sitting here. We're in London, if you want to play it, and it's been in at least one (smallish) tournament.

Feel free to approach me with anything I haven't explicitly mentioned, but I'm looking to swap for a quite nice Fathom. I'm also open to other decent classics with some cash in my direction, especially a Black Hole (US edition) or tournament staples, such as Quicksilver and HGT. Otherwise, I'm open to good cheapish Bally/Williams-era or System 11 pins, especially Jackbot or Whirlwind. If it's still for sale in 2025, I'm probably open to a part-exchange for a Twilight Zone, Lord of the Rings, or TWD.

 

[Ashbo]

I don't think Centar would sit here very long, no matter what the market condition. Looks brilliant

 

[Arv]

Agreed. You shouldn't have a problem shifting a centaur.. as long as it's priced to sell.

 

[JAG555]

What is the price to sell it? Or what are you valuing it on a trade?

 

[VeeMonroe]

What is the price to sell it? Or what are you valuing it on a trade?

I dunno, to be honest

If I was desperate to sell, I'd probably Dutch Auction.

Centaur was always intended as a 'rotator'. It's currently being played less than our other pins and we're short on space. I saw someone mention, despite the slow market, they'd received lots of trade offers for a "For Sale" pin, so I figured I'd put it out there and see what was floating around

Sorry that's as clear as mud

It's all a bit - tell me what you've got

 

[JAG555]

You should get some nice trade offers.

 

[cooldan]

i want a Reverse Centaur

(I preferred the ‘hijinks’ wording btw)

 

[VeeMonroe]

i want a Reverse Centaur
View attachment 263168

I’ll have you know, as this is a ‘quite nice’ Centaur, it disapproves of that sort of stuff

 

[steve brum]

Greatest pinball ever
Fathom is similar condition would be a fair swap

 

[cooldan]

Centaur is the highest-rated pin of its era - someone did a recent thread about the current all-time top 100 and I think it was in the top 50.

But you should probably put a price on it. I’ll start:
10K too high
1K too low
5K too high
Somewhere in between? A wise head will tell us.

 

[VeeMonroe]

Centaur is the highest-rated pin of its era - someone did a recent thread about the current all-time top 100 and I think it was in the top 50.

But you should probably put a price on it. I’ll start:
10K too high
1K too low
5K too high
Somewhere in between? A wise head will tell us.

A Fathom recently went for £3250 (https://www.pinballinfo.com/community/threads/bally-fathom-£3250.59299/). Looks like it was slightly less nice than my Centaur, but also slightly rarer.

Generally, people used to value a nice Centaur/Fathom at £4-5k, depending on the quality of the restoration, but I don't think that's where the market is right now.

I'd price at £3350 OBO for a straight sale.

It's absolutely 100% the best pin of its era. Great rules, satisfying gameplay, fun shots, gorgeous artwork. It's just very multiball heavy and, in a house with multiple modern pins, it's not doing the 'classicky' thing that I want from my classics (scissor flippers, kickout saucers, millisecond ball times, blah blah).

 

[Crewey]

This hasn't got Alan's LEDBars fitted on the inserts has it?
Loved FG and would love a Centaur but not with original lamp sockets, drove me crazy on FG the constant fettling.

 

[VeeMonroe]

This hasn't got Alan's LEDBars fitted on the inserts has it?
Loved FG and would love a Centaur but not with original lamp sockets, drove me crazy on FG the constant fettling.

No, but I haven't had problems with the lamp sockets. There was a bit of a fiddling needed after it moved upstairs, but it's not spawning problems.

There's a blue LED that's out on the left outlane, which we haven't replaced for some reason. I think it was fiddly to get to.

The impact of Keith having done thorough work is that it's been pretty solid, overall. I'd 100% recommend him for work, based on this pin.

 

[andy]

This hasn't got Alan's LEDBars fitted on the inserts has it?
Loved FG and would love a Centaur but not with original lamp sockets, drove me crazy on FG the constant fettling.

FG has metal #44 sockets which I can testify are a complete pita and I have replaced lots of them on mine as often impossible to get them reliably working - I think the insulator at the bottom shrinks with age.

Centaur has plastic #555 sockets which generally shouldn’t be a problem

 

[Jay Walker]

"a couple of Alltek boards" - the pictures show a final version 'Revision F' Stern solenoid driver board, with its extravagant screening. Even to the extent of what binary codes on the select lines operate each momentary solenoid transistor.

The playfield looks very good, presuming it's an original.

 

[VeeMonroe]

"a couple of Alltek boards" - the pictures show a final version 'Revision F' Stern solenoid driver board, with its extravagant screening. Even to the extent of what binary codes on the select lines operate each momentary solenoid transistor.

The playfield looks very good, presuming it's an original.

Playfield's an original. Or, at least, it looks like it. It's got that dull finish that the original playfields have whereas the replacements always have a shiny clearcoated finish.

I was told there were a couple of Alltek boards and hadn't really had an occasion to go into the backbox (unusual for us with a classic pin)

I got a trade set up with someone who's seen this specific pin before, so - cross fingers - all that goes well once we've moved our sofa and I'll donate

 

[new forest pinball]

Hi all,
FYI.
Yes we can confirm it is a completely original centaur (p/f, backglass, cabinet, plastics)pop bumper plastics and drop targets were replaced with planetary pinball parts. Very rare to find an original in this condition, great opportunity for someone.

As Vivienne said it’s “quite nice”

All the best Keef…….

 

[VeeMonroe]

Hi all,
FYI.
Yes we can confirm it is a completely original centaur (p/f, backglass, cabinet, plastics)pop bumper plastics and drop targets were replaced with planetary pinball parts. Very rare to find an original in this condition, great opportunity for someone.

As Vivienne said it’s “quite nice”

All the best Keef…….

All being well (cross fingers), it's going to a good home where it can be widely enjoyed

 

[Taxiturn]

All being well (cross fingers), it's going to a good home where it can be widely enjoyed

Oooh, does this mean you traded it for SWL’s Rocky?

 

[Arv]

So what game have you traded centaur for?

 

[VeeMonroe]

Oooh, does this mean you traded it for SWL’s Rocky?

I played that in the Dutch Pinball Museum. Not my favourite pin, I've got to say! Two sets of flippers with a massive hole, and a VERY loud bell.

My Pinside review begins, "this is apparently a rare pin and, frankly, that's a good thing"

Sorry to any Rocky fans present.