My Journey to the dark side....Pinball !

Hi All. A quick intro into my downward spiral into pinball.

I played my first pin a Cross Town in 1968 at a local swimming venue. I was 5 and was hooked. I played every chance i got but as a 5 year old that's not a lot. If we went on holiday anywhere I would always be on the lookout for a pinball, even with no money I could stand and watch for hours. Many days when i was supposed to be at school my mate and I would wag school and go to the local Pinball Arcade and spend the day playing and watching others play when the money ran out. Joker poker, Jacks Open, Card Whiz, Solar City, Volley, Countdown, and the Bally Bingo's were a hit also Malibu Beach being my favourite. I worked at a local bus depot washing buses to fund my "habbit" This continued for many years.

Bought my first pin Jacks Open in 1987. $100. Liked it so much went back the next day and bought 3 more Volley, Mustang, Top Score and sold them same day for $300 each......hmmmm I like the idea of this. Goes back the next day and buy another 3, Surfer another Jacks Open and can't remember the third and still manage to sell them off the back of the truck.

Fast forward the time machine Sherman to 2006. (I miss the DMD era as wife and kids take time) The kids have grown up and I still have the original Jacks Open and decide it's time to sell and get out of the hobby (yeah right) in researching price on eBay I find it's worth $2500 in its very nice condition. So I sell but see I've missed the heady days of the nineties getting married and having kids so there are all these pins I've never seen or played........so I buy one Apollo 13........and I'm bitten all over again 1 becomes 6 very quick and I learn fixes so clunkers that become good for sales and the profit falls over into the next and well you get the idea.

So I wander through the wasteland buying some nice games and experiencing the B/W era even if I'm 2 decades late.

Stern LE gee I like the look of that and so the collection thins to pony up a bit more......more than I ever thought I would pay for a pinball but geez they look nice in the gamesroom....oh yes I can have one of those now cause the kids moved out(still love you but don't be in a hurry to move back in just yet :stop:)

And all along the way get to meet some very nice fellows that have a similar mental deficiency. Yes we have the same love for a wooden cabinet with a steel ball that flies around and of course let's not forget the pretty blinking lights. Don't mention mods as I'm likely to go into raptures

The heard has thinned and I like to think in not as obsessed as I once was (Mrs JP will disagree here) but I don't think there will ever be a day now that I don't have at least one pinball. Even if I don't feel like playing it's somewhat calming sitting with a drink at the end of the week and just admiring this thing that is pinball.