1993 when I was 12 years old is when I first remember playing all the greats. TZ, fish tales, CFTBL, TAF, WH2O and more. My dad would take us out for dinner every single night of the week and Johannesburg was full of pinball. Hard Rock Cafe had tommy, wherever we went I could find a game to play. Then we moved to Israel in 1996 and I had forgotten all about pinball, it wasn't as common, but always promised myself that one day I'd get a TZ - the first game that really captured me.
in 2006 I was back in South Africa and the first thing I did was find one for $1200. A year later I purchased a brand new monopoly from the stern factory, because I had wanted that NIB experience just once, not expecting pinball to be produced much longer. They had another run that year and I went for it. A new one was just over $3000 but all the way to South Africa Brought it to like $6000. Needless to say I could have purchased 4-5 A- title Bally Williams titles for that same amount, and did I mention that in South Africa games are generally kept and maintained to a very high standard?? Sigh
To make a long story short, in 2013 I added a white water. All was good until in 2018 I rediscovered pinside, found out about CGC doing exceptional remakes and monster bash was coming.... and it's been downhill (hahaha) ever since. On 11 now. Sold my first game ever (so far) in 2021. Most of the games I own are purchased without ever playing them beforehand, unless they're from 1991 - 1993 and then I've most probably played back in the day.
