Background Story

My childhood was during the mid-1970s through mid-1980s and like a lot of kids from this era, was spent a lot of time either in bowling alleys or arcades (e.g. Alladin's Castle, anyone?).  After a long career in the Navy, I settled down seven years ago and started my collection with a Gottlieb Fast Draw.  Two of my favorite pinball machines are Williams' Flash and Bally's Fathom; Flash came into my man cave second and Fathom 11th.  Two pins didn't make "kept" status, Bally's Playboy and Data East's Simpsons, but my room+ has nine pinball machines in it right now; Xenon is for sale as of this background story, but frankly I want to keep it and continue collecting more.  Like most people, I have a patient spouse and she'd prefer I keep about six machines - but wouldn't we all continue finding, restoring and keeping the good pinball machines we played so long ago?  I'm not much for playing anything with (for example) stackable modes or billions-points scoreboards.  Give me a late Gottlieb EM or a number of early SS pinball machines any day.