There’s no shortage of merchandise based on hit movies, and because it’s so common, much of it is pretty cheap and unmemorable. However, a rare exception is “The Addams Family” pinball machine. The machine was released in 1992 by Bally Games and, according to Wired, has become one of the most sought-after and highest-selling pinball machines ever made, with more than 20,000 units sold. That number may not sound too high compared to records sold, but in the pinball world, a hit game usually sells around 8,000 to 14,000 units.
Luck certainly had a lot to do with the success of the game. Clay Harrell, the owner of the Ann Arbor Pinball Museum in Michigan, told Wired that “The Addams Family” pinball machine “checked all the boxes.” “The timing of the release and movie, the theme capturing people that remembered the original TV series and the success of the new movie, and the pinball market at the time, which was doing very well,” Harrell said. However, the game also included many entertaining features that were not typical of pinball machines made up to that point, giving it an edge over contemporary units and contributing to its legendary status.