MY START INTO THE WORLD OF THE SILVER BALL.

I grew up going to bowling alleys on Friday nights with my folks as they played in their bowling league. I was never into pinball at a young age and strickly stuck with vids. As a result the first machine I purchased when I started in the fringes of the hobby was an ABP arcade game. I played this game for hours at the bowling alley and when I found one at an auction it seemed like the only choice. Once in grade school and high school the local arcade had all the new and classic arcade games so I stuck with those and walked past the pins everytime I was in the place.

It wasn't until I went to one of my first auctions in 1997 that I started to check out and play pins. The second auction I went to I purchased a Riverboat Gambler (having never played it or heard of it before). It was in pretty good shape and for $600.00 I had spent about 2 1/2 weeks of my paycheck but I was hooked on the hobby. It took until 1999 for my next pinball purchase. I really started to pay attention to machines and play them when I found machines in the wild. As a result I was on the hunt for my next machine. I had moved home while I took a new job and was waiting to find an apartment. Most of my stuff was stored in my parents garage and in a storage unit across town when I purchased a GNR which at the time and today is still one of my favorite machines. I ended up clearing some space in the garage so the GNR could be set up and played whenever I had time.

Things slowed down as I toured and built my career over the next 4 years. A few machines came and went. In 2004 I cut loose. Finally I moved out of a series of apartments and into a new home and things slowballed from there. In May of 2010 I finished my basement gameroom which now holds 14 machines, air hockey table, shuffle bowler, and bubble hockey.

The search continues as I look to improve and expand the collection. I have fought the urge to get rid of the air hockey table so I can put 3 more pins in its place. I think that urge is becoming overwhelming. :) After that I'm sure I will start putting machines all over the basement. 14 today, 17 soon, 26 when the basement is packed to the gills with machines.