so I bought a pinball machine: Niche Mechanisms 002: catchers

One of the earliest coin-op game mechs, I've seen Catcher-style game examples ranging from 1900 to 2010!

You can't mess with perfection like that.

1927 Bajazzo SG & LM by Jentzsch and Meerz, Leipzig (Germany)

Let's get catching!

CAR catcher! Get it into the top of his hat...

Katgit wall machine

inside a Katgit wall machine

Charlie Chaplin Catcher

circa 1920 in the style of Bajazzo - JENTZ and MEERZ, Germany

The Clown

The Clown - by Pickwick

1929 The Clown by Arcade Supply

1930 Jugging Clown by International Mutoscope

clown catcher

clown, 1918-1919 - from a pachinko history exhibit in Japan

1955 O-Bajazzo by Bruno Höhne, Heidelberg (Germany)

Shield catcher, very early - note the shield-shape on the catcher.

A commonly seen version is the "American-style" kicker catcher games.

the classic JF Frantz Kicker Catcher from the 1950s
these are available from esnarf.com

Pot 'o' Gold (the only difference is the backglass) on a pedestal

1967 Kick-O-MAT Champion by Günther Bohr, Automatenbau (Germany)

same parts, faux-wood chasis. This one made by Baker Novelties

1950s version with press-board and minimal excess material

this is a page from Game Machine (ゲームマシン) magazine 1977-12-01 shows that classic Kicker Catcher machines were still being advertised around the world!

probably the last machine to use these parts, Kick 'N Catch came out around early 1980s

Next we get into catchers where you moved the angle of forks to catch the balls

1934 Payramid by Bryans

Rivoli

Payramid

Bryans Retreeva

another Payramid!

The Trickler machines give you multiple stages to try and catch on:

Bryan's The Trickler

Bryans Trickler

The Trickler advertisement

These next two are super old and rare, and show off an early style of pin execution, with the 4 horizontal bars.

from New Zealand, Arcade Flip Ball Domino Machine C. 1920-30

WW1 British Bulldog Allied Flags machine. The flags windows actually open as you progress!

Now we're into some super old TALL ones

The Cresset - by Cresset Auto Machine Co
picture taken from a Japanese pachinko museum display

you catch the balls, but here the catching mechanism only helps you somewhat guide the balls into the slots you want. this variant seems even less skill-based.

The Improved Pickwick

Handan-Ni Four Ball Machine

You will not be surprised to know that catcher mechs were merged with allwin-style playfields.

German catcher wall machine 'Sportautomat Favorit Pot of Gold'

you have to love the machines that show you the coins ready to be won and delivered via mechanical cog

"The Airship Profit Sharer"

1946 Windmill Jr by Standard Games Co.
Similar to so many other American coin drop trade stimulators, except you can move the bottom catcher to catch the coin.

1932 Heureka by HW Auth (Kassel)
catch it on the rebound!

1949 Cat and Mouse by Marabu, Braunschweig

1949 Fuba II by Nowesta, Hamburg

Brenco Swinger from 1967

this looks to be a DIY / homemade catcher

Munves Base Ball from the 1950s. Catching the ball meant you could drop it into whichever slot you wanted.

Pitch Em kicker catcher
case looks directly inspired by the JF Frantz design

and of course I told you Slick would be back! This machine has a drop shelf mech, catcher mech, and a rotation mech!

Slick

As we move into the 1970s, the latest EM arcade tech and black-light experiences were strapped to a Catcher mechanism and that gave us Kasco's Space Ball

Space Ball by Kasco, 1970

it looks rather different with normal lighting on it

looking down the playfield at the catcher

Other North American variants were made, and as you can imagine it was the perfect kind of concept to be made into basic redemption machines.

not much different on the gameplay, but you have to hand it to them for using Flight Of The Bumblebee

Elite Catcher

and that brings us to the Japanese catcher machines!

Sega's Black Hole (1978)

Astro-boy themed 10¥ catchers!

World Soccer from 1977

Dog & Ball play

Added 2021-0212:

Zeppelin - Schleuder - Automat (1907)

280 Meilen Racing Flip (1970s)

Added 2021-04-04:

Pop Fly by Fun Industries

Perhaps this is the most recent machine made that salves some of the old JF Frantz catcher parts?
Seems more recent than the Kick 'N Catch above, which I previously thought was the most recent.

Also added an excellent Trickler video, but that's now up with the Trickler sectiom above.

Added 2021-06-04:

a better Allied Flags photo sent to us

Added 2021-07-29:

An extremely rare machine on display at エレメカ研究所 (electromechanical laboratory)

This machine has 2 catchers, controlled by the same knob on the left. You can win by getting it into the normal pachinko pockets, or by catching.

Goofy Hoops by Romstar

Added 2021-09-03:

1928: A Nakayama style confection vendor / Syowa 3rd
shows how the early Japanese machines borrowed from European machines, before developing their own unique Japanese mechanisms which because pachinko.
Photo of a printed photo from a 2002 pachinko + pachislo exhibition.
picture taken by nazox2016

Added 2022-01-11:

Sputnik catcher game (German)

this was redone as a modern machine:

Sputnik Video Poker by Golden Games

and they've used this model for more gambling-focused variants:

Sputnik Multigame Jackpot by Golden Games

1927 Das Henkeltöpfchen by Wilhelm Fürst, Berlin

1929 Mondrakete by Vermos

1936 Glocke by Johannes Möbius, Leipzig 1

1974 Hattrick Keeper-Match by Melchers

Monkey Basketball - has the random element of a drop-case machine, but if you catch the ball it's directed into the lower pockets that score much higher.