I started playing pinball when I was a young boy about 6 years old.  My family would always go to Panama City, Florida on vacation in the 70's-80's.  My first pinball table I played was Travel Time and Dealer's Choice.  These machines were located near the hotel and were inside of a laundromat.  At the time, the tables were .10 cents. 

We used to cheat one of the games with static electricity.  The tables were sitting on carpet.  My brothers and I would rub our feet on the carpet and touch the coin slot with a key.  This would provide a credit on the tables.  This worked about 2/3 of the time. 

I played all types of tables growing up in the mid 70's - mid 80's.  I remember specifically how different the Space Invaders Tables was and also Atarians.  They seemed futurustic.  Even in 1979 these tables were costing .50 cents to play.  A high price in those days.

Haunted House and Black Knight made an impression on me too.  Many a weekend I'd be dropped off at the local mall with 15-20 quarters and have a blast for an hour or so.  Playboy was a fun table just for the fact it seemed dangerous to play as a young teenager.  Kind of forbidden, but of course it was not.

As I got older I dropped out of the pinball scene especially the late 80's onward.  I did play Taxi, and Getaway during there heyday and others. 
My favorite pinball period is the period I grew up playing the tables, mid 70's - mid 80's. 

I find I really enjoy the pinball art of the late 60's, early 70's tables such as Beat Time, Palisades to name a few.

My take on the later tables is positive, but just not the same.  I've played many of the later Stern tables and mid 90's tables.  I really like Who Dunnit, CFTBL, Monster Bash and Scared Stiff.  Although I enjoy each of these tables, and they are very modern with plastics, music and video displays, I still prefer a good game of 1984's Space Shuttle or an Orbit table.

I think we are definitely seeing the last generation of pinball tables to be produced the way Stern produces them currently.  The explosion of video games at home and advancements in virtual reality will continue to dominate, leaving pinball "your parent's thing".

I don't own any pinball machines presently but hope to start a collection of 2-3 in the next 18 months.  My sons who are 11 and 6 enjoy playing vpinmame and visual pinball.  Of course, being a pinhead, I have over 1200 tables ready to play at any time.

Being in the Atlanta area, there are some pinball warehouses that shop and sell pinball tables from $500-$$$$.  I'm working with the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) to start an Atlanta area pinball league.  Of course the hardest aspect of this is getting the word out ti find local interest.  I'm working with a local pinball warehouse to hold the events.

That's my story.