Basically routine is as follows, get who ever can go with me to pick up the game. Next I get it unloaded and set up. If it is really dirty I will clean it first but generally I will play for the night then get to shopping the next day. Seems to work great for me.

For new games.

Pick up or delivered.

Bring in, uncrate. Set up. Remove playfield glass and translite glass. Go through game and look for anything that came loose, broke, or missing.

Clean and wax easy to get to areas of playfield. Clean balls and install. Set game where it's going to be and level it and set tilt.

Power up, if all good so far make any adjustments I want.

Play a ball. If everything is working, turn off. Throw a game on it and let customer enjoy the first game on a new machine.

Coffee is next.

LTG : )

Hey,

Only real tradition is that whoever helped me move it into the house gets the first game.

Luke

I seem to be only buying new pins these days. I do all the standard checking. Look for loose assemblies or connectors. Do my own QC check. Install any Cliffy's or other protection prior to the first play. Then, let the kids go crazy on it.

Since I typically buy through Craigslist speed is essential to get the deals. I run and tell my wife (who just smiles and shakes her head) and then I rip the seats out of the van as fast I can and throw in the blue excersize mat for padding and a couple of blankets. I grab an assortment of tools while trying to text the (Weightlifting) neighbor to borrow his muscle for an hour promising him dinner if he helps me out. I then take off typically forgetting something critical like the address to which I have to call my wife and ask her to read it off to me. BUT the BEST part about picking up a new machine is the people I meet. The last pick-up I spent an hour and a half talking with they guy about pinball and the machine. He was retiring and moving to FL and the machines had been his babies for the last 10 years so he wanted to tell me the repair and upgrade history which I was happy to learn. Once I get them home and in the basement then I take the next couple of weeks going through and shopping them and fixing the small repairs and dialing them in. Of course as soon as I do I am thinking about what the next deal will be. Half the fun of the hobby is the hunt!

Always go to pick-up with the same buddy, also a pinhead.
Speculating what we going to find on the trip, lots of jokes.

At the place of the pin, after the sale, we always ask... anything else you wanna part off ?
Sometimes we load the truck full, with exhaust-pipes, lawnmowers, central-heating radiators .... anything. It's amazing how many people have their garages stacked up, but would gladly part from it

Trip back is always in some sort of victory mode with the pin loaded in the back, with lots of other stuff.

Love those trips!

Well, since I've only bought one. My rituals, and routines are, check craigslist, or a friend sends me a text of a pin, then I stew over the decision to pull the trigger and buy it for hours. During this process I try to convince myself why I can afford the pin, then followed by... Well, that's a lot of money. So, it typically becomes an enduring event. Which in turn is usually sold anyway by the time I do decide I want the damn thing. If I buy it, I have to find someone who owns a truck, or maybe rent one... I had a friend take me to get one, so as of right now, that's my routine as far as transportation.

Upon arrival, I look over the machine not knowing what the hell I really need to be looking for in the first place, then I overpay, then me and my friend do all the work loading it up and getting it home.

The end.

Always take my pinhead buddy Dave with me, nice to have a second set of eyes to check for issues. Also to help lift of course

There's only one companion I've found that is always up for going to look at a pin no matter where -

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I always take my father with me, since I don't drive, but I least I have the cash.

First I call my dad to see if he feels up to going with me (has dementia) and if he can we speed the entire time reliving history as that's all he can remember. If my dad can't make it then it's my son who when ever I call ask "so ya need help moving a pin right?" smart boy huh. We always take are time and catch up and I buy him lunch. Pin does help are family get together.

For nib:
I open the box and start flailing like a 5 year old boy on Xmas morning, leaving cut up pieces of boxes, cardboard, styrofoam, & paper all around the house! and in the center of the living room, through all the madness of rubble, stands the machine; which has a self omitting light hue glowing from its stature. I inspect and wipe down the game as my hands tremble with emotion and anticipation. I take one whiff inside the cabinet, install the balls, plug er in, and camp out with a pillow and blanket playing excessively night and day using only the empty shipping box as my bed. Coffee pot after coffee pot, mug after mug, playing the game in a complete and utter pinball frenzy until the inevitable end....where, in all its glory, I finally pass out; only to be awaken by a woman with an estranged look, holding a baby, and jingling my car keys, "time to go to work."

I buy mostly early SS games. When they first come home they go in the garage bay where my car belongs, I hate having my car in the driveway so that assures me I'll get around to having the game done ASAP.

First order of business is cleaning, I get the head off and empty the cabinet, then use a bunch of Mean Green to get all the yellow crud off. The legs go into the sink and get scrubbed with steel wool and waxed with Noxon or replaced if they're too disgusting. I almost always replace the feet.

The machine goes from the garage to my basement in pieces, that way I can do the work myself. I remove everything protruding from the playfield, all metal parts go into my tumbler, plastic parts go into the ultrasonic cleaner. If the coin door really disgusts me it gets disassembled and cleaned. I take a million or so pictures while I tear down so I can remember what screw goes in which hole.

I clean initially with a damp cloth, then Novus 2, then wax with Mother's Carnauba wax. Reassemble the playfield, replace all rubber with a new ring set, sometimes replace the acorns. I like to replace all of the coil sleeves and clean under-playfield parts at this time. Also give all the under-playfield stuff a good inspection for previous hacks, etc.

When it's time to hit power I normally grab a beer, I find that part nerve racking.

I've found that I'm much more efficient at assembling pinball machines than the manufacturers, I often have extra parts when I'm done. I place "extra" parts in a zip-lock bag in the cabinet and wait for the day I remember where they go.

Almost every pin I have bought over the years has been at least an hour away, usually 3-5 hours away.

Pin hauler prep: Get the Escape ready and bring blankets, cradboard, plastic wrap and socket set.

Pin helper prep: My 8 year old son has gone on almost every trip with me. We pack 2 of the following - water bottles, fruit snacks, fruit cups, cheese/cracker packages. Always stop for 1 meal at a rest stop and look for pins.

Pin at home help: I get out the hydraulic lift (with him riding on it of course) and unload/set it up. We call 'mom' down. He gets first game, wife and 2 1/2 year old daughter feign interest and then leave. I get second game. Playfield is then stripped bare, everything gets cleaned, rerubbered and put back together.

1st night they get played. 2nd night full strip down and rebuild/wax/rubber.

NIB Metallica night #2. Had to get those black rubbers out ASAP and wax.

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