French Art Deco ‘Babyfoot’ Table Football Game by Finale

Art Deco 'Babyfoot' by Finale

An exceptional and highly original French Art Deco babyfoot table football game by Finale, produced in Montbéliard in northern France. This is a rare and desirable surviving example, beautifully preserved and retaining all of its original metal players, each still wearing their original painted colours and brimming with character.

Babyfoot tables were a central part of French social life throughout the 20th century, found in virtually every café and bar across the country. To find an original example of this quality and completeness is increasingly uncommon, making this a particularly evocative and collectible piece.

The cabinet is constructed from solid beech, robustly engineered and strengthened with long through-bolts, giving the table excellent rigidity and durability. The pitch was replaced on an earlier restoration, All rubber bushes were also replaced, and the entire game has been carefully overhauled so that it plays smoothly and correctly.

The coin mechanism has been cleaned, with the coin component removed, allowing the game to operate via the original push lever — preserving the authentic look without the inconvenience of coins. The boxwood handles have been cleaned and polished, showing honest signs of wear consistent with age and use, and adding to the overall charm of the piece.

Supplied with five balls, this table plays very well, with all mechanisms functioning as they should. It is both a wonderfully nostalgic object and a fully usable game, ideal for a games room, bar, studio, or statement interior.

Key Details

• Maker: Finale
• Origin: Montbéliard, northern France
• Period: Art Deco
• Construction: Solid beech cabinet with through-bolt reinforcement
• Players:  Painted metal figures
• Handles: Boxwood, cleaned and polished
• Mechanism: Coin mechanism cleaned; coin operation removed for lever play
• Restoration: Rubber bushes replaced; base floor replaced (pitch original)
• Condition: Excellent, fully overhauled and playing correctly
• Accessories: Supplied with five balls

Dimensions

Height: 90 cm
Width: 146 cm (76 cm excluding handles)
Depth: 98 cm