A couple years ago a gentleman by the name of Scott brought a beautiful AFM to Midwest Gaming Classic. After some small talk, I asked why he would bring such a nice looking machine for others to bang on all weekend. His answer was simple.
He said (not verbatim) “I’ve had the privilege to enjoy the machine why not give others the same opportunity”.
Since then, I’ve made it a point to bring machines to my local shows. In the end it’s about the people. I would not have met so many great folks and gathered so many great memories. Well, expect for one MGC After Party…..got pretty foggy at the end. :>
The pinball community is small. I’m afraid if collectors would not sacrifice their time / effort and haul the machines from the basement, pinball would further decline. It truly is the work of good hearted people and great vendors that keep this hobby alive.
Jeff