Quoted from Otaku:Hi there, I'm the owner of this business. I would like to respectfully ask that before people continue on the flame war (which they will), to recognize that I didn't post this here and my link was shared out of some sort of anger or jest. If you're going to chalk me up for anything, at least don't chalk me up for asking for donations here on Pinside in form of a thread, because that is not something I did (which the OP clearly took the initiative to do).
I'm not asking for donations on KLOV or Pinside and it's a local fundraiser which you clearly took the initiative to find and dig up considering you live across the country. It's going great thanks. As it is a local fundraiser and you're clearly not interested in donating, I would appreciate if you kept it off of here to begin with, it's not "ala Rusty Quarters" where I am here begging the arcade community for money but rather for local folks who are interested in helping out with some of our rudimentary expenses. Asking for donations for an arcade on KLOV and Pinside is not something I'm interested in doing (especially after my last fiasco for something I didn't deserve in any right), and I'm not sure why I'm getting flamed for it and compared to Rusty Quarters/Tech Noir as I didn't come here asking for help at all.
This is a small fundraiser to help what we're already putting into it, I am not like others where I wake up one day with big dreams, fundraise the next day and start out with no money other than that, and then blow all of my money on games because I don't have a collection and have no money left for my business (but walk away happy with games, ala Rusty Quarters).
A) This has been in the works for years and I have been very patient to ensure success.
B) I already have the collection for the museum owned and paid off (which would be a huge expense otherwise and is why other fundraisers fail very early on)
C) We're investing a lot of money and time for ourselves, and is going just fine. This fundraiser is to help take some of the edge off through the help of our local community hence the low goal amount, and lots have been very generous with support so far.
Thanks for your interest, and thanks for the free exposure - but I'm not interested in discussing further.
We're getting a lot of great input from our town and many different local news platforms if anybody is interested in reading more:
http://www.ephratareview.com/news/ne...from-the-past/
https://www.flyafter5.com/arts-and-l...4bfeaf443.html
P.S.: The whole "spent donations on a game" thing is a pure lie, and the donations went towards fixing up the basement that previously held my games. I went to Pinfest the following month and bought two machines for a family member with their money, and somebody there decided to turn it into a giant conspiracy when they saw me wheeling it to my car. Get over it. I have no regrets about it at all and it was a great asset to both me and my games. Welcome to the 21st century, buckle and and get comfy. GoFundMe is a hit and does a lot of great things for a lot of people and there's absolutely no shame in that.
My IBS is something that is quite a nuisance in normal life but when managed allows me to live a relatively normal life. It's hard, because it is one of those "invisible diseases" that can't be seen and can only be felt. I see how it's hard to understand when people see me around toting 300 pound games with no problem, but the problems come more in the form of lack of good planning and management rather than being a 24/7 physical burden. I live a relatively normal life (aside from constantly planning around my stomach), in which I can do decently well besides some fatigue and nausea, but it's when I slip up or don't get the necessary things I need to cater to my disease that all hell breaks loose. I'm grateful after many years I have managed it to the point that it is like this and that allows me to run a business as I feel fit.
A lot of you claim to be experts in this thread and talk about how you see me trucking around games just fine at shows "so I must be okay" but you don't see me taking breaks and naps in my car at the show to avoid my body melting down on me, and don't see me suffering in pain that night because I got a little too excited in my love of pinball and forgot to eat soon enough. You clearly are very misinformed.
Starting my business to help manage my IBS was actually a big part of it. If I don't eat quite often I end up digesting stomach bile as a result of an emergency surgery a few years back. If I eat? I'm fine. If I don't eat? I curl up in a ball in pain while my stomach digests itself. It's a night and day difference, but as long as I manage it well, I'm okay.
Being able to have my own business will benefit me as we'll have a nice Steven-stocked refrigerator full of my specialty foods I can eat, most of which need to remain refrigerated throughout the day.
It's difficult for me to hold a normal job as A) I wouldn't be able to take enough breaks to eat, and B) because I wouldn't be offered the necessary storage and break requirements needed for my food and drinks.
I qualify for disability and if I was that full of my self as people here like to say, I would be using it. But no, I want to work (which is a big gripe the older folk have with my generation - but not me!), and I want to support my family in the truest way possible, and can't wait for my business to begin. It's happening whether people here like it or not and will have a big grin on my face during our grand opening, as again, this is only an "auxiliary fundraiser" and we will be opening regardless.
I'll see you guys at the upcoming pinball shows at my booth for Gameseum, come say hello to me!
Richmond, VA
