Growing up in MI, my dad owned a small town burger joint, and an operator (Reggie) brought in a juke box and a pin. I started playing when I’d have to stand on an upside down milk crate to see the game. If I wasn’t playing, I loved watching the bigger kids play...loved the art, the colors, the sounds. If I put my fingers up on the side rails to watch, I’d get chewed out by whoever was playing...”get off the game, kid!” If I was there on Tuesdays when Reggie came to take the money out of the machines, I’d watch him take care of the games and he’d toss a few free games onto the pinball machine. Needless to say, I kind of forgot about pinball after my dad closed the store and life shuffled me around through college and the Navy.
3 years ago, I was chatting on the phone with my dad, and he told me Reggie had died. I started reminiscing about how good of a guy he was, and how good he was to me. I decided I was going to buy a machine in Reggie’s memory. I went to Chicago to play as many different games I could to find the best game...because why would I need more than 1 machine? I found Wizard of Oz...and I loved the clips from the show, the different playfields, the spinning house, multiple flippers...plus the show had a special nostalgia for me. I called a distributer, ordered it, and he laughed when he found out it was my first game, “Well, the one thing I can promise you is that it won’t be your last.” I insisted I only needed one in my house.
3 years later, I’ve got #8 and 9 to be delivered in the next 2 weeks, and I just found my first 2 Bally’s that I’ll be adding to my collection. What a fantastic trip down the addiction path...I just wish Reggie was still around to see what he’s done for me