Shame to hear. I became obsessed with pinball during the pandemic and watched tons of old PAPA videos. I was looking forward to going. Here's hoping a phoenix rises from the ashes.

Rise, Rise!!!
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This is really too bad. I never entered the tournament, but I had started to make it an annual personal event to drive there and back on Saturday just to play the great assortment of machines. Thanks to all those responsible for making it such a great event.

This is truly a dark day for Pinball.

Hats off to all the folks at PAPA and Replay. My heart goes out to you.

These guys have worked like dogs for years, organizing events and promoting Pinball at the highest level.

I went to my first Pinburgh in 2019. I managed to finish in Division C (well above my skill set). It was *such* a blast and the sense of Pinhead Promised Land was Epic. You see all the famous guys floating around. I played an entire round with Steve Bowden in my group. Jack Danger, as you can imagine, was everywhere...but mainly *competing*. I always saw Bowen Kerins streaming around - papers or some kind of electronic device in his hand - solving this or that administrative problem. The pinball techs were unbelievable, wheeling "pinball gurneys" with downed machines and getting them up and running like some kind of pinball M*A*S*H* unit.

A group of us attended Jack Danger's "party" the first night at a local bar. We got in a little late, so we got a booth near the back of the bar...about 15 feet away from Keith Elwin - who was busy doing his own stuff.

It was a fantastic experience, and I'm happy I got to go. Apparently, never again...

The organization was top notch. It can't be easy to organize 1,000 players for multiple rounds and 10 hours of play over two days (and then: playoffs on the third)...but these guys were nothing but a class act from top to bottom...and they NAILED IT!

This one's gonna hurt...bad...

Agreed. I had fun at the events growing up, and am honored to have made it to the top 4 at PAPA for a few years. Very professional and organized events. Shame this is happened, wishing everybody nothing but the best...

The key is to buy low and sell high. If you have a ton of machines that have gone through the roof in price and you won't be able to use them for a few years, best sell them. Who knows what the world is going to look like 2022 and what prices you can get in 2022, can't blame them.

Much love! Thanks for the good times!

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Loved going to PAPA and loved Replaxfx Pinburghs.

Love Never Dies

Thanks for all the good times and hopefully one day we can do it again. Oh and thanks for the perfect round medal.
Busted out the dogfish 120 for this sad news.

Love you guys and thanks again.

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I’ve had some good times at pinburgh/replay, hope they return

Always liked their youtube videos, the machines looked crisp.
Wouldn't surprise me to see a lot of beloved Institutions fall by the wayside with these lock downs.

So im behind the times hugly it seems....that awsome warehouse in carnegie, PA that had the flood, is one in the same as reply FX correct. Is both that warehouse and its games in addition to replay FX going way or just replay FX.

They haven’t had that warehouse for several years. They have just been holding ReplayFX/Pinburgh at the convention center for several years. Quite a shame to see this event dissolve. Many of my favorite pinball experiences were trips to Pinburgh. I wish a pinhead would just buy them out and take over.

If you've been to the new location you would know that no self respecting Halloween store would move in there.

NO DRINKS ON THE GAMES!

Too bad there wasn't a way to save Papa.

I wonder what sorta loot pinside could come up with using a GoFundme page?

Members chipping in like $50 each. You get 5000 members to do so, you've raised $250,000.00.

Papa closing is a REAL true hit to pinball. Something should be done.

Really Pinburgh was a far more fun and impressive event than PAPA. But I get your point.

their online resources are invaluable, at least those will stay...
but still

The 120 and you don't text me? I see how it is.

You should see his Skateball/workbench combo .

Hope Replay isn't done. The Mrs and I loved going.

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I'm bummed, as I never went. I figured I'd go someday, but it looks like someday will never come. Here's a reminder for everyone: Do what you want while you still can. Nothing lasts forever, and you don't know how much time you'll have to do that thing you're putting off.

Those “Bloody Barry”s were the best!

They were.

The only comparable collection I’m aware of is the Museum of pinball, near LA, where INDISC is held. They have a great collection. The only problem is, their tournament is not great. Maybe they could change to the Pinburgh format. I would definitely attend if they did, and I bet we’d have a lot of people from Colorado in attendance. Who else would go if they switched their format?

I doubt they have the massive staff needed to make a pinburgh style match play tournament. Getting the games ready,
Keeping them running, and running a tournament like that needs a lot of people.

Indisc had maybe 30 different games in competition last year. Totally different animal than the hundreds of games you need for something like pinburgh.

They have a ton of games that weren’t used for the tournament. Are there any other huge collections out there with that kind of potential?

Who’s going to buy all the games?

The PAPA after parties were always some of my favorite times and I wish I could go back in time and take it all in one last time. I live a few miles away from the current warehouse of machines and wish I had the funds because I would by them in a heartbeat and keep it going. Nobody is ever going to be able to replicate the experience of the old facility and while ReplayFX was very nice it just didn't have the same feeling as PAPA. I enjoyed being able to hangout, tailgate, drink, and come and go as I wanted. PAPA was not perfect and before they switched bathrooms it was rough sometimes however those little quirks is what made it special.

Maybe JJP?

Maybe PPS?

Those games aren’t tournament ready.

They would need a massive staff - like papa had - to get them tournament ready, and to run the tournament.

It’s about so much more than just having a shitload of games. My advice would be to enjoy Indisc for what it is even if you think “the tournament isn’t that good.”

Papa going tits up should be wake up call. Enjoy what we have, and support what we have. And if you think you can do better, get something going!

PAPA/ReplayFX will be missed. I have been going to PAPA since 2005. Never missed a year since I started going. Competed and score kept over the years. I also sold PAPA about a dozen or so games over the years. (King Kool, Frontier, Seawitch, Split Second, Freefall, Hokus Pokus, Hang Glider, Royal Flush Deluxe, Flicker, Gator, Spot Pool, ad Knockout) I will be buying a few back. I guess I could run a tournament. But it would be limited to about 15 people LOL. The people that ran PAPA/ReplayFX. The PAPA tailgates and after parties were legendary. From what I remember

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You got that right Levi. Running a major pinball show or tournament isn’t easy and we should all be very thankful for those that dedicate their time to make it happen for the entire community. Running a format like Pinburgh with 1000 competitors and 400 competition machines is a massive effort. Can it ever be replicated maybe but it will take a major dedicated effort from a massive team and a very passionate collector community to get it done. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many great people and Pinburgh started it all for me, thank you PAPA and now Replay for all of the years of dedication my hope is that you laid the foundation for many of us hopefully we can keep this thing going and keep the dream alive!!!

This is shitty news. I've never been, but looks like they were a true resource.

BoJo you hit the nail on the head!
Great times at the Carnegie building! It would be great if they could hold on to enough games to get the old set up back like at the Whse in Carnegie. As everyone stated above I would donate to help keep it going! One other quirk was the parking!

Ran into one bottle totally on accident yesterday getting rolls for dinner. The universe knew i needed it, i guess lol

As fun as Pinburgh was part of me wonders if they just kept PAPA and the building in Carnegie if they would still be liquidating. PAPA required a lot less games in the competition compared to Pinburgh and likely a smaller workforce since you are only using a handful of games in the tournament.

I'm sure rent was expensive on that building which is why they relocated but I would have donated to keep it going as I'm sure many others would have as well. Pinball shows like the Expo and TPF are fun but PAPA was really different and I consider myself lucky to have been able to attend over the years it existed.

Sadly there is no going back or hoping this will happen again because I can tell by the list of the games for sale many have already been sold and once you open that can of worms there is no going back.

Agreed. Tragic. Unlikely to ever see a collection of this scope and size available for public tournaments ever again.

I loved that papa frontier. played so good

I don't think this would have been enough to make a difference either way, though a nice gesture.
Their money lost this year was staggering - had to be, with no end in sight.

Had 6 trips to the orig PAPA facility - met allot of great people and had some good fun, inside and outside the venue.
Replay FX will be missed.

Yes, it is very difficult to host any sort of event. As you know, I run my own event. I was clearly not just being critical of INDISC, quite the opposite. I was simply pointing out that the Pinburgh format is amazing, and wondering aloud if there was anywhere else that could pull it off.

Everything was too small there. Even after moving to the convention center they couldn't meet demand, selling 1000 entries pretty much instantly.

“Their tournament isn’t that great” is the opposite of criticism?

Clearly!

I was not talking about Pinburgh and was referring to PAPA. Of course you need lots of room when 800 people are playing at the same time which is why they moved to the convention center but with PAPA and the game banks they had plenty of space at the old place and it was much more enjoyable.

Not sure what your problem is.

I am critical of that tournament, but this was not my main point.

But that's the point. Carnegie was smaller than even just the tournament area at Pinburgh... how would you fit today's competition into that building?

Unless you go back in time when demand was much lower, or schedule three consecutive PAPAs, or tell over half the people who want to compete they're out of luck, I don't see how Carnegie would work.

Makes 2 of us.

Pacific pinball museum.
Over 2,000 games set up and playable, at least that many not set up
Unfortunately closed to the public due to an over restrictive fire department, but that could change. Not 100% sure but I believe it's the largest pinball collection in the world.

So what tournament now will be the one to decide the WORLD Champion???

Still have two left that I fight for every year:

http://www.indisc.com/the-open-ifpa-world-championship/

https://www.ifpapinball.com/ifpa17/