Quoted from RyanStl:

My theory is this split up a large collection nobody had a chance at any game prior because creating a museum is a good way to cover for hoarding (he had NIB games unpackaged for cyring out load) might be a good thing because of prices. Several buyers will get tired of their new games that need work and will try to resale in a year, maybe a few years. These will sit until the seller realizes they will never get their money back, and maybe prices self correct.

Quoted from howichrgelazer:

I can't speak to pricing, but I will say this auction has finally got me into the hobby. It's been something I wanted to do for a long time, but I'm finally in a place where I can actually dive into it.

Quoted from EStroh:

The NIB box games were ordered prior to the decision to liquidate, and were intended to be set up in the new location in Palm Springs and open to the public... a deal which all fell through a couple months ago.
Referring to John as a "hoarder" instead of a collector or enthusiast is fairly disrespectful.

Quoted from EStroh:

Referring to John as a "hoarder" instead of a collector or enthusiast is fairly disrespectful.

Quoted from Rarehero:

A person can be both. I def have friends who are enthusiastic collectors, but also definitely hoarders.

Quoted from HighVoltage:

I was also wondering about this, there's been rumors about auctioning off the project games too. At one point, these curious lots in the 2000's were show in the catalog, and I was wondering if they portended this.
2000 Armored Car
2001 Defender Gun
2002 Dunkshot Basketball Table
2003 Frogger Cocktail Table
2005 Old Time Basketball Pop A Shot
2007 QUIX
2008 Slither (cocktail)
2009 Cyber Storm Upright
2010 Minefield by Stern Classic
2011 DONKEY KONG DOOR ENTRANCE GREETER STATUE
2012 SEGA OUTRUN CUSTOM MADE GO-CART DRIVER
2013 TUNI COCKTAIL TABLE

Quoted from EStroh:

Well I have 16 and you have 23. To many people I guess we'd be in the latter group as well.

Quoted from Rarehero:

I think “hoarder” indicates the items taking over your home & life. 16 & 23 is nothing compared to the thousands of John’s games…or my friends with hundreds that take up homes & storage. The term isn’t necessarily an insult - just a word to describe a situation.

Quoted from Rarehero:

I think “hoarder” indicates the items taking over your home & life. 16 & 23 is nothing compared to the thousands of John’s games…or my friends with hundreds that take up homes & storage. The term isn’t necessarily an insult - just a word to describe a situation.

Quoted from EStroh:

Agree to disagree I guess. John's quality of life was's being adversely affected by his collection. I would't refer to Jay Leno a car hoarder either for the same reason.

Quoted from Heretic_9:

Maybe the best illustration of this situation is the documentary "Special When Lit", which should still be findable. It showed many collectors in perhaps not the most favorable light, such that they were almost being depicted as kooks. Their living spaces had been completely taken over by the hobby: stairways landings nearly blocked by pins, pins sticking out of closets. In a way, this profoundly influenced me. I determined that my residence would never be turned into an arcade. (Not to absolutely say one couldn't live in one, and perhaps some people do, but I'm not among them.) That of course gives way to a host of other problems. Offsite storage, and the associated expenses. I have heard tales of one well-heeled collector in L.A. who had a 2nd. house, entirely given over to this, and another case like that elsewhere within an hour or so drive. That collector was said to have a fine collection of woodrails. Hey, if you can pull that off, more power to you !

Quoted from Heretic_9:

And there must be more than on this list. .

Quoted from EStroh:

Agree to disagree I guess. John's quality of life was's being adversely affected by his collection. I would't refer to Jay Leno a car hoarder either for the same reason.

Quoted from Aurich:

Well, all said and told, the funniest part of the whole thing for me is that I managed to sell my Alien for more than the one at the overinflated Banning auction fetched.
I think there's really four lessons here:
1) Some things just get value by being what they are. Yes, you can buy mirrored balls and make a wall of them for a lot less money. But it won't be the display from the museum, and to someone that history meant something. I'm not judging.

Quoted from Heretic_9:

And there is a good documentary about Jay Leno's car collection. But he has two airplane hangars in Burbank devoted to this, along with full-time mechanics on staff. And he can afford it.

Quoted from Coindork:

I kind of want one of the benches.
When we had repair events we would push 4 of them together to make a bed to sleep on at night.
Did that a few times and then bought a folding cot.

Quoted from vonclod:

Does anybody know where all the proceeds of this auction are going?

Quoted from vonclod:

Does anybody know where all the proceeds of this auction are going?

Quoted from bobmathuse:

There's still all the stuff in the other buildings. He doesn't have to sell those yet. Tim's seen it, but I haven't been in them, don't know how many are working games and how many are projects, nor the total count. Anyone know what the plans are for those?

Quoted from vicjw66:

Maybe one of you volunteers could answer this question. Why no woodrails? I spent most my time there playing the em’s. It would have been nice to play a few woodrails. In a collection that large, it seems at least a handful of woodrails should have been represented.

Quoted from HighVoltage:

I think everyone knows, ha: to John Weeks, the owner of the games, and Captain's Auction Warehouse gets the premium fees, and the state is getting its share in taxes too.

Quoted from HighVoltage:

and the state is getting its share in taxes too.

Quoted from Heretic_9:

WHERE do you find any woodrails on display ? I could be wrong, and it's been a few years (prior location, near the 'Crown & Anchor' pub), but I can't recall any being at the PHOF ?

Quoted from vonclod:

It was a non profit museum. Can an individual just sell everything and keep the proceeds?

Quoted from vicjw66:

I think it was mentioned earlier that most of the proceeds will be placed in Johns charity. So the government probably won’t be getting its share.

Quoted from vicjw66:

Maybe one of you volunteers could answer this question. Why no woodrails? I spent most my time there playing the em’s. It would have been nice to play a few woodrails. In a collection that large, it seems at least a handful of woodrails should have been represented.

Quoted from Ferd:

There were a few woodrails and bingo machines that would show up, but John primarily focused on 1965's and up. As others have eluded to, there are hundreds of pins and arcade machines in his collection that have not gone up for sale. i believe the pacific pinball museum, is the place to go to see woodrails.

Quoted from Heretic_9:

WHERE do you find any woodrails on display ?

Quoted from LTG:

Museum in France. Quite the collection too. All in pristine shape.

Quoted from D-Gottlieb:

Pardon me, but TSPP went for 14K? How does that happen?

Quoted from D-Gottlieb:

Pardon me, but TSPP went for 14K? How does that happen?

Quoted from Heretic_9:

WHERE do you find any woodrails on display ? I could be wrong, and it's been a few years (prior location, near the 'Crown & Anchor' pub), but I can't recall any being at the PHOF ?

Quoted from vicjw66:

PHOF has a handful of woodrails. And a pinball museum seems like a good place to have them.

Quoted from LTG:

Museum in France. Quite the collection too. All in pristine shape.
LTG : )

Quoted from LTG:

Nobody bid 15K.
LTG : )

Quoted from vonclod:

So all the machines donated over the years were donated to John and not the museum? Also, all the machines purchased over the years were personal purchases by John and did not use the museum money and/or tax breaks? Somehow I don't think that's accurate.

Quoted from Knxwledge:

Worst buy? That wall of ballzzzzzzzzzzzzz for $20k
Best buy? That Road Riot proto for $150
Also

You spend $25k and you still have to remove the fucking thing from the wall yourself

Quoted from vicjw66:

I could just see it now. Dude who wasted over $20k on a cheesy $100 BOM high school art project goes to pick it up. He comes with a flat bed trailer semi-truck and class A driver he hired for the day for around $2000 and tries to pull it off the wall and realizes it’s been gorilla glued to the wall. He then hires local laborers from a nearby Home Depot to tear it off the wall in small pieces. Not realizing that those “pinballs” from Michaels are just shiny thin fragile balls of cheap plastic coated in mirrored paint, they all crack and break apart as they are extricated from the wall. $30,000+ all in, he is left with a broken mess of garbage. But hey, the sentimental value to him cannot be measured in monetary terms. The important thing to remember is that Aurich does not judge him.
Sorry, I know this is rather mean of me, but I’ve had a few beers, it’s my birthday in one hour, and I just can’t help myself after losing out on that Freedom middle pop.

Quoted from Quartermaster:

Just a little lighthearted story for anyone who's not totally exhausted.
In 1975 my partners and I built and opened Noah's Arkade in the La Mirada Mall, in La Mirada California.
During our 14 year run some of our patrons included many of today's collectors and aficionados, among them were the honorable Mr. John Weeks himself, also a young Chuck Casey, and Kevin Glass, to mention just a few. If you were there also you'll have to shout out.
Anyway I was inspired by EricPinballFan's purchase of the Allied Leisure "Monte Carlo" (congrats Eric) The arcade was 3650 sq ft with roughly 90 to 100 games and Monte Carlo was one. Billed as a (cheap) affordable game, (maybe $695.00 I'll look through old invoices later) it was a great purchase. It consistently outearned many of it's more expensive counterparts. It's biggest competitor for cheap but productive game was Atari's "Touch Me" (think coin operated cabinet style version of Simon) If I remember correctly, price tag was $350.00 But it made A LOT of money and drove workers batty.
Beepbeep, boop boop boop beep boop beep, all day long.
Opening day was a bit harrowing as the frontage of the arcade was 60ft across with accordian security gates which were at least 20 deep with anxious kids all the way across, literally counting down the seconds, 5,4,3,2,1 they poured in like a deluge and then the strangest thing happened. For a few minutes it was eerily quiet as they were all just taking it in, unsure what to play first. Then all of a sudden, chaos as the sound of Road Runner, Panzer Attack, Flying Tigers, Midway Gangbusters, Twin Rifle, Dune Buggy, Atari Jaws, Space Race (green fiberglass cabinet), Pong, and a color pong called Wimbledon, Fire Truck, Air Hockey, and numerous pinballs sprang to life. Most of all was full attendance on Atari's Indy 800 Purchased at the astonishing 1975 price of $10,000.00 It made it's money back over time.
So when I saw that Eric had scored the Monte Carlo it took me back to an incredible time that I was very fortunate to be part of. It also reminded me of another incredible time that I was fortunate to be part of. The Museum of Pinball was for me a walk down memory lane, and also a chance for me to meet and work with a most incredible bunch of dedicated lovers of the MAGIC of Pinball and Video, and Mechanical Arcade games. We are a lucky lot and many people will never know that "MAGIC" I enjoyed all of my time working with the volunteer techs and the Weeks family, collaborating with the crew on everything from EM and solid state pins to video games dance machines and even the aforementioned Monte Carlo.
Yes I would drive the 109 miles from my home and volunteer my time again in a heartbeat just for the satisfaction of bringing "that game" any game back to life so that someone could experience the things I had.
So, from me I give a huge THANK YOU! Mr. John Weeks for gathering all these machines and helping to keep this amazing invention alive for those who didn't get to enjoy it in it's heyday.
I'd just like to say that 10 or 15 years ago, Pinball was a fading force, video games were losing out to Xbox, Playstation, CounterStrike, and many other PC Games and diversions. My original arcade, Family Fun Arcade in Granada Hills Ca, was nearing the end of it's almost 40 year run, being held together on the strength of Street Fighter competition and Dance and music games. Arcade games in general had fallen flat and there was barely a beginning of a nostalgia driven collector community or movement. Fast forward to today and it's now a bona fide force to be reckoned with.
I credit John Weeks and ALL those who contributed to the Museum of Pinball with filling that gap between the last gasp of arcades and the new emergence of this community. Many of the games sold here would have been lost forever years ago had they not been at the Museum during that period of lack of interest. John, you made that happen. Thank You for letting me play at your house. I will be eternally grateful.
So go out and support those people who are doing this in other places Tim Arnold PHOF, Steve Young Pinball Resource, Michael Schiess Pacific Pinball Museum, Nico Volta Roanoke Pinball Museum, Calif Extreme, Golden State Pinball Fest, TPF, etc. etc. you know, you fill in the blanks, or maybe, HEY WHAT THE HELL, GET BUSY, GO OUT AND BUILD YOUR OWN DAMN MUSEUM. I'll even volunteer to help.

Quoted from gonzo73:

Noah's arcade was a mile from my home, I saw countless movies at the Pacific 6, and every film meant going to Noah's afterwards.
Thanks for the greatest memories of my youth.
You are a mad genius Ralph.
Cheers.

Quoted from girloveswaffles:

Seems like Noah's was about where the Albertsons is now.

Quoted from Quartermaster:

Just a little lighthearted story for anyone who's not totally exhausted.
In 1975 my partners and I built and opened Noah's Arkade in the La Mirada Mall, in La Mirada California.
During our 14 year run some of our patrons included many of today's collectors and aficionados, among them were the honorable Mr. John Weeks himself, also a young Chuck Casey, and Kevin Glass, to mention just a few. If you were there also you'll have to shout out.
Anyway I was inspired by EricPinballFan's purchase of the Allied Leisure "Monte Carlo" (congrats Eric) The arcade was 3650 sq ft with roughly 90 to 100 games and Monte Carlo was one. Billed as a (cheap) affordable game, (maybe $695.00 I'll look through old invoices later) it was a great purchase. It consistently outearned many of it's more expensive counterparts. It's biggest competitor for cheap but productive game was Atari's "Touch Me" (think coin operated cabinet style version of Simon) If I remember correctly, price tag was $350.00 But it made A LOT of money and drove workers batty.
Beepbeep, boop boop boop beep boop beep, all day long.
Opening day was a bit harrowing as the frontage of the arcade was 60ft across with accordian security gates which were at least 20 deep with anxious kids all the way across, literally counting down the seconds, 5,4,3,2,1 they poured in like a deluge and then the strangest thing happened. For a few minutes it was eerily quiet as they were all just taking it in, unsure what to play first. Then all of a sudden, chaos as the sound of Road Runner, Panzer Attack, Flying Tigers, Midway Gangbusters, Twin Rifle, Dune Buggy, Atari Jaws, Space Race (green fiberglass cabinet), Pong, and a color pong called Wimbledon, Fire Truck, Air Hockey, and numerous pinballs sprang to life. Most of all was full attendance on Atari's Indy 800 Purchased at the astonishing 1975 price of $10,000.00 It made it's money back over time.
So when I saw that Eric had scored the Monte Carlo it took me back to an incredible time that I was very fortunate to be part of. It also reminded me of another incredible time that I was fortunate to be part of. The Museum of Pinball was for me a walk down memory lane, and also a chance for me to meet and work with a most incredible bunch of dedicated lovers of the MAGIC of Pinball and Video, and Mechanical Arcade games. We are a lucky lot and many people will never know that "MAGIC" I enjoyed all of my time working with the volunteer techs and the Weeks family, collaborating with the crew on everything from EM and solid state pins to video games dance machines and even the aforementioned Monte Carlo.
Yes I would drive the 109 miles from my home and volunteer my time again in a heartbeat just for the satisfaction of bringing "that game" any game back to life so that someone could experience the things I had.
So, from me I give a huge THANK YOU! Mr. John Weeks for gathering all these machines and helping to keep this amazing invention alive for those who didn't get to enjoy it in it's heyday.
I'd just like to say that 10 or 15 years ago, Pinball was a fading force, video games were losing out to Xbox, Playstation, CounterStrike, and many other PC Games and diversions. My original arcade, Family Fun Arcade in Granada Hills Ca, was nearing the end of it's almost 40 year run, being held together on the strength of Street Fighter competition and Dance and music games. Arcade games in general had fallen flat and there was barely a beginning of a nostalgia driven collector community or movement. Fast forward to today and it's now a bona fide force to be reckoned with.
I credit John Weeks and ALL those who contributed to the Museum of Pinball with filling that gap between the last gasp of arcades and the new emergence of this community. Many of the games sold here would have been lost forever years ago had they not been at the Museum during that period of lack of interest. John, you made that happen. Thank You for letting me play at your house. I will be eternally grateful.
So go out and support those people who are doing this in other places Tim Arnold PHOF, Steve Young Pinball Resource, Michael Schiess Pacific Pinball Museum, Nico Volta Roanoke Pinball Museum, Calif Extreme, Golden State Pinball Fest, TPF, etc. etc. you know, you fill in the blanks, or maybe, HEY WHAT THE HELL, GET BUSY, GO OUT AND BUILD YOUR OWN DAMN MUSEUM. I'll even volunteer to help.