Skip to main content

Don’t flip these coffee tables made from old pinball machines

Pinball is dying; there’s a whole documentary about it. Or maybe it’s not. Either way, we’re feeling a little guilty about coveting these coffee tables made out of old machines from Budapest company Altar Furniture. Then again, Seattle’s pinball bar, Shorty’s, has done something similar with the tables in their booths, so it can’t be that bad, right?

Actually, the pinball machines are salvaged from closed bars and arcades and no longer functional. (“The company’s pinball lovers would never allow a working unit to be sacrificed,” owner András Lacfi tells How to Spend It.) Craftsman Ernő Balogh, who used to make church organs, takes them apart, converts the lights to LEDs, and makes touch-ups and repairs as necessary. To truly transform the tables, he builds upon the games’ themes and adds outer décor to match the style and materials of the original machine.

Recommended Videos

Starting with an Amazing Spider-Man game from Gottlieb, for example, Altar turned it into what it calls “Peter’s Apple.” Hand-carved buildings surround the body of the game, topped with a tiny Spider-Man, poised for action. Its creation took 250 hours. Not only that; it’s explosion-proof. OK, not really, but it did survive when the Belgrade arcade housing it was bombed.

There are all kinds of other tables, too. For “The Droid,” a Star Wars pinball machine was painted to look like R2-D2. The “Incredible Hulk” machine looks like a piece of lab equipment. In homage to Marge Simpson’s gambling problem (“And now, a special award for those students who obviously had no help at all from their parents …”), a Lucky Seven machine has yellow legs and is named “Mrs. Simpson.”

Naturally, these tables do not come cheap. They start at over $9,000, plus shipping. Hey, as long as you don’t need to actually pay for food to put on the table …

Jenny McGrath
Former Senior Writer, Home
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
If you have pets, but hate vacuuming, this Shark robot vacuum is 49% off
The Shark AV2501S vacuum bot.

Nobody really likes vacuuming. Even with manually washing dishes you get to hear the pleasant sounds of water running, but vacuuming is overall just loud and time consuming. That's why we love robot vacuums so much. What we don't like about robot vacuums, however, is the price, which is why scouring through robot vacuum deals is so critical. Take this one, an early Prime Day deal, that saves you $270 on the Shark AV2501S, dropping its price to $280 from $550. Putting this all into perspective, when we covered the Shark AV2501S's 2024 Prime Day deal, it was still $412—things are looking a lot better for you this time around. To lock in this great price, simply tap the button below and make your purchase. Otherwise, keep reading to see why we like this vacuum, and what made it special enough for us to recommend it in the past.

Buy Now

Read more
xTool’s F2 Ultra: A smarter take on creative production
xtool f2 ultra on display on a table

This July, xTool isn’t just opening a new office in Mountain View, California, it’s setting up shop with purpose. Their U.S. Brand Launch Experience, timed with the debut of xTool’s first American headquarters, is more than a launch party. It’s a look at how the company is thinking long-term about tools, creators, and community.

At the center of the event is the F2 Ultra, xTool’s new flagship dual-laser system designed for small businesses and serious makers. Why does this machine matter? It helps to zoom out first. xTool’s U.S. expansion is borne of the necessity to show up for the people who use their products every day.
A Local Anchor for a Growing Brand
Mountain View now hosts xTool’s first U.S. demo center and office. That means faster customer support, more hands-on service, and a clearer bridge to the U.S. creative scene. One standout piece of the rollout is the xTool Squad, a national support team offering real human help with setup, training, and troubleshooting.

Read more
Samsung’s AI-powered refrigerator is down $1,870 for July 4th sale
Here, you can see the screen of the Samsung Bespoke 4-Flex with AI Family Hub refrigerator.

It's that time of the year where we see the most strain on our refrigeration and freezing elements, and when waiting extra minutes for a fresh batch of ice just doesn't seem worth it anymore. Luckily, a great Samsung deal has emerged as part of the company's ongoing July 4th sale. Their Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerators (the smart refrigerators with AI vision into the fridge's interior and an AI family board on the front) are down to $3,299. That's a savings of $1,870 for the counter depth version (originally $5,099) and a savings of $1,200 for the full depth version (originally $4,999). Tap the button below to see the refrigerators for yourself or keep on reading to see why these are the best smart home pickups for the summer.

BUY NOW

Read more