Fortune & Glory.

I never really thought twice about pinball growing up. Like most kids my age, I naturally gravitated toward any arcade cabinet with a gun and exploding aliens. On the off-chance of finding myself at a putt-putt birthday party or the local run-down Celebration Station - I would maybe, maybe throw a couple of tokens in one to give it a go. Flip. Flip. Ring. Ring. Sink. Oh well, what a waste. Time to challenge the birthday kid to a couple of laps of Hydro Thunder.

To be honest. I couldn't tell you the names of any of the machines I played growing up. I didn't play many.

Fast forward a decade. I'm twenty-three. I've received my Bachelors in Film Studies & Production, and am making narrative short films and national commercials for a living. Before accepting a job back here in North Carolina, I lived in Los Angeles for around six months...

...where this happened: » YouTube video

I know, I know - who's ever eaten a $1.89 jar of bean dip? Anyway, I walked away with some seriously unexpected funds.

Alright, fast forward again if you would to January 14th, 2012. I'm in Charlotte, NC visiting my girlfriend. We jump onto Charlotteonthecheap.com and narrow our night down to visiting the, super-sketch I might add, Purple Planet Mini Golf (We do things like that. Truly Children at heart). Anyway, so we go, play some mini-golf, run through the haunted-mill...yeah yeah...and eventually find ourselves in the game room.

Area-51, Ms. Pacman, a M.A.M.E. cabinet, a claw game or two, and...what is that...a pinball machine...really? Those things still exist?

We throw a few quarters into the 51, BLAM! BLAM! POW! Exploding aliens. Guns. Ok, that was fun. What else we got here?

Ms. Pacman, Waka Waka Whatever. It gets old people. Admit it.

Street Fighter III on the M.A.M.E. cab - very cool. Oh, it's not Third Strike? Errr. Crap, the heavy kick button doesn't work. My strategy ruined. Lame.

With a good $3.00 worth of quarters left between us we set our sights on the pin. It's a really roughed up T2.

Game one: Ok, that was interesting. Gf plays. Likes it.
Game two: A little better. I wonder if I could hit it up that ramp.
Game three: Did I just play a video mode on a pinball machine?
Game four: What's hap...happening? It feels...so...good.
...
...
...
Game ten: Sweaty palms, nervous twitching, a disturbed girlfriend, and an unanswered question:

"I wonder if there is an Indiana Jones pinball machine?"

Now you have to understand that I am THE BIGGEST Indiana Jones fan. I won't get into it, but lets just say for *that* last decade I've only been one thing for Halloween.

So I flipped out my phone.
Beep. Click. Beep.
Google Search.
Edge Network (Damn!)
Searching...
...
and what in front of my eyes appear but...
"eBay 1993 Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure for sale"

You've got to be kidding me. That is awesome! "I bet it's at least $700 dollars."

Yeah. The inescapable pin price wake-up call. Not to mention the one I'm dreaming of is a Top Pin. Why couldn't I just be Lethal Weapon fan? *facepalm*

So needless to say my search began...and...brought me here. I can honestly say, if this site wasn't so gosh darn pretty, user friendly, and innovative - I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But I did. Good thing.

First thing was first. I had to play one. I made an account, made that oh-so-beautiful "Pin Map" search and discovered that an arcade, not twenty minutes from apartment, had one on the route. That made me happy.

Two days later, I played it. Again, and again, and again...you get the picture.

After two painstaking months of E-mails, calls, Pinsidemail messages, Posts on the Pinball bash and eBay inquiries - I got a message back from this "Shanetastic" to the extent of: "I have an IJ. It's beautiful. Heard you were looking for one."

@#$%^&! My time had come! This was it. I could feel it...and after trip to his basement arcade to see the 350 Ib. beauty - it was a done deal.

Shanetastic had shopped this thing down to smallest detail. It was immaculate. I'm paid for my attention to detail, and could honestly find nothing remotely wrong with it. To me...it had crossed that line and was truly...a piece of art.

From what I know, it had belonged to a Doctor Who lived somewhere near D.C. and made it's way through a couple of pinside members before landing in Shanetastic's basement...and eventually...

...to my living room

A HUGE thank you to all the generous and kind Pinsiders (especially in the central NC area) who have followed, messaged, and guided this pinball newbie to "fortune and glory" and to the six of my friends who helped me carry it up two flights of narrow apartment stairs.

Next up...something a little faster - and a little cheaper! HA!