In the mid-late 70's when I was about 5 or 6, I remember my Dad taking me to the local bowling alley where they had a dozen EM pins, several EM shooting gallery games, and an EM bowler. With all of the bells and buzzers and moving parts, I was instantly hooked.
My first videogame console (but certainly not last) was an Atari 2600 which I saved my allowance for over a year. Again, I was hooked! Throughout my childhood I had computers and played at the arcade both video games and pinball. I remember that there were machines everywhere from the small coin laundromat, to 7-11's and supermarkets. Castle Park in Redondo Beach, CA, the local miniature golf, was our regular Friday night hangout while I was in high school in the 80's.
It wasn't until after I finally bought my first house was I able to live my life-long dream of owning a machine. With prices on classic arcade games being so low, it would have been very easy to fill my living room with at least 1 or 2. However, by this time, not just any machine woul do. Video games just didn't have the appeal like they used to, but a full-sized pinball machine! Now, there's something to put in that extra space in the corner! While in escrow, the appraisal on the property came in quite a bit lower than asking price. The sellers agreed to reduce their price and I was left with an extra bit of expendable income!
Most of the credit, however, should go to my then fiancee' for allowing me to buy my first pinball, a NIB Tron Legacy Pro! A few years later we were married and her wedding gift to me (besides being my wife) was to allow me to purchase a second pin! Fast forward to 4 years later and in our 2nd house, I'm up to 6 pins! Talk about a childhood dream!
There is something very natural and organic about pinball. The fact that every time when you press the start button, the game can be completely different than the last... I will forever be hooked on the silverball.
