Murrieta, CA
I have always loved arcades and especially pinball. in my early years, arcades were the best! i would usually go in with only $5 in quarters, so i had to be conservative. i always played street fighter, cabal, defender, after burner, and blood brothers if available. when i wanted to splurge, i would play pinball. pinball was always more expensive to play, so i could rarely afford more than one game, unfortunately! i was lucky enough to have a friend who owned Gilligans Island Pinball. his uncle is John Youssi, acclaimed pinball artist, who gave him one of his Pins as a gift. so i got to play that one for free, which furthered my love for pinball. pinball was always appealing because it is so interactive and the action is non stop. when arcades began to disappear, and the existing arcades carried fewer and fewer pinballs, because of operating and maintenance costs, my love for pinball was on hold.
once i grew up and finally got a real job, i began to explore how to get back into pinball. i discovered Arcade Expo in Banning CA and fell back in love instantly. after going to two arcade expos (2016 and 2017), i decided i must buy a pinball for my garage. i first bought Asteroids and Cabal Stand up arcades for really cheap. i figured i didnt have enough money for a nice or even acceptable pinball. then i looked at my motorcycle collection woefully. i barely had time to ride anymore, and figured i should sell some bikes to raise money for a pinball. I sold three dirtbikes and had the money! my first pin purchase was a Cue Ball Wizard from a friend in Riverside. i bought my Lethal Weapon 3 the next day! my collection had begun!
months later, i discovered i was losing interest in arcade games and gravitating towards the pinballs. so, i sold my standup arcades and saved for more pins. i was lucky to find a Viper in good shape and a johnny mnemonic from @cosmokramer for sale. finally, i also got lucky meeting @magicsmoke, who sold me a Road Show. Now i am fully addicted, helpless to fight the urges to keep collecting and play incessantly. my motocross days seems to be dwindling, and my pinball nights are ever increasing.
I am grateful to have discovered the best hobby a man with two kids can enjoy! i can play at home whenever i want, and i have been able to learn alot about maintenance and repair from fellow pinsiders and technicians at the museum of pinball. I am even more grateful to have the opportunity to volunteer as a technician at the museum, which has expanded my network of people with the same passion. i have more fun these days than i can remember. Its marvelous.
so, thanks to all the pinball people out there who share this passion. i am happy to see a revival of our shared passion, and an industry being created around us. i am happy to see new pinballs all the time and have the privilege to play at the museum of pinball. what a time to be alive!
