I used to set these kind of rules when the kids would come over. Now they know better. They even know to wash their hands after eating...before touching the games.

1.no kids
2.no food
3.no drinks
4.naked pinball @ 11:00

Do you want your game room to be a game room or a museum? If the latter, there is nothing wrong with that, however don't invite kids in. Let it be for adults. You're expecting too much of kids to enter this colorful flashing room full of awesome things that look like toys, then expect them to follow an adult-outlined decorum for the enjoyment of pinball games.

Why don't you hermetically seal your game room or, better yet, your entire house and not allow another single human being into your precious space.

There, solved that for ya. No 10 point rules and associated enforcement necessary.

You're welcome.

Got to know kids first. I've adopted 4 and fostered upwards of a dozen.

1. First, there is time when the kids get to play and then there's adult time with the pins when the kids are not even allowed in the gameroom. This goes back to the same rules for the poker room or the billiard room. Kids will see and hear things they shouldn't.

2. I have to police the drinks/food in the gameroom with the adults as well as the kids

3. We adults play more than one game simultaneously. Not a big deal there.

4. F-14 Tomcat is sitting there with the launch sound going and a ball in the shooter lane while player has left to "empty" a drink and make another. That gets me a little annoyed. I let it go for a little while before I press on the group to continue play.

5. I don't police my guests jewelry, I'd probably be called some bad names.

6. As annoying as it might be, if my games can't take beating on the flippers from the kids - it probably won't handle adults either. It's part of quality control. You obviously were never in an arcade back in the 80s.

7. I respect your right to run a museum. If that's what you want then put up velvet ropes, unplug the machines and charge admission.

If you don't want kids in there, don't have kids in there. Your choice.

If you want kids in there, then have them in there and drop your own personal Game "communist" at the door and let your inner kid out. So what if you have to vaccum and wipe down your controls afterwards? You just made a lasting memory for some kids. That's priceless.
If you allow kids and make an oppressive rule list and run around like a british nanny the whole time, be prepared to enjoy your gameroom alone after the first game night.

I have kids, so I make a point not to own anything I'll cry too hard if it gets a little scratch. It's gonna happen sooner or later.

Tapping out a rhythm on controls? Really? I do that all the time while waiting for a ball.

Now if a kid is outright abusive, then absolutely give them a warning. I don't tolerate abusiveness such as punching glass, slamming controls, etc.

In my personal experience, I have to encourage kids and adults to play. Most are scared they will break it.

I guess there's just different mind sets in this hobby. Some folks like to play in solitude. Some like to sometimes just sit and watch others enjoy this fine hobby. I'm in the latter group. Encouraging other folks to enjoy my hard work on these games is what makes it all worth it. I don't really want them for just myself. How boring!

Couch? You obviously don't have enough pinball machines.

The machines are not fully restored 57 Chevy's, they are pinball machines. They were built to take people playing, nudging, keeping the beat with.
I agree the hands should be fairly clean, but the greasy pizza was self inflicted.
My machines get constant play from our family and all of our friends, I clean them and maintian them, its part of the fun. Things are going to break and wear out under normal play or with a 5 year old hammering the flippers. Take the time to show them the way to play and it will pass with a dozen games of play.

I have only one rule that I will enforce with both kids and adults. NO FOOD OR DRINKS ON THE MACHINES. Other than that, everything else is pretty much fair game...... within reason.

QSS

My much simpler rules:

Adult rules:
* No food
* Drinks allowed--be careful
* Pre-credit up only as much as you are playing (Press right coin reject to 'insert coin')

Kid rules:
* Wash hands before going downstairs
* No food
* No drink
* Pre-credit up only as much as you are playing (Press right coin reject to 'insert coin')
* No banging on the monitor (videogame) or playfield glass.

In the end, what happens?
Adults:
Coin rejects pushed in way too far, undoing glue or popping springs off the left one that shouldn't be pushed
One drink enevitably gets spilled every couple parties on the blacklight carpet
Tons of extra credits loaded on the games all over, freezing the video games on a single screen for those that don't continue attract.

Kids:
Same issue on coin rejects
No drink issues
Food still makes it down, chip cumbs or stuff on the floor randomly
TONS of extra credits
Pin left with a ball or two left to play occassionally.

In otherwords, doesn't matter how simple your rules are, they still will be violated regardless of age.

Whats wrong with extra credits?

It's good exercise for your patience. The machines can take the abuse. But can you?

I had to remove the keys from all my games so my little boy would stay out of the cabinet and "fix things like daddy"

So I will add my experience since it's relevant.

I bought a totally restored TZ, absolutely beautiful. I put it in my entertainment area in my vacation home. As I started to rent the home I found myself worrying about the machine. To the point that it was less fun when I would go there myself. I would be looking over the machine for marks etc. It was at that point I decided to sell. I bought a players TAF and removed the TZ and placed it for sale.

The best part from that experience was a review that I received from a guest that said the best part of their vacation was standing around playin the TAF with their family.

Many kids in my gameroom as it doubles as a TV room for the kids. Only a couple of rules:
1) no food on the machines
2) only coin up a game if your going to play it
3) No throwing anything (backglass is expensive)
4) AGAIN, NO THROWING ANYTHING!

The last 4 words sum it up. You have to let go.

When my nieces and nephews visit (Ages 11, 9 and 7) I want them to ENJOY pinball - they will not even SEE it anyplace except in my home.

I have really only ONE rule - no DRINKS near the pinball machines.

Beyond that, I have to TAKE OFF my "Pinball player" hat and I put on my HOST hat - I want them to play, enjoy, and experience the games. My games are in great condition BUT there is little these kids could do to harm them. Remember, our games often lived in bars, pizza places etc and were subjected to treatment far harder than any home environment would have.

Sure - I might find a half-finished game from time to time but it is all a part of it.

I don't want the kids thinking I am prissy and pristine with lots of unyielding rules for them to follow.

Recommend you let go and go with the flow to let the kids ENJOY.

Regards, PennSkier

I used to care, especially the first couple years of collecting. Now I don't care, as long as someone is not blatantly beating or destroying the machine. Nudge, etc. mi have tilt set to my comfort level. You get a warning, after that you tilt. I take my "freebie" during my game for sure. Just realize what these games took on route before you bought it. They can take a lot. I agree it doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of them, but it does mean they can take a lot. If buy a 67 camaro, I wouldn't chrome the frame, because I want to drive it. Take good care of it....but drive it! Don't be one of those guys that builds an incredible super high lifted truck that doesn't have 4 wheel drive!

House rule-
When we run out of Jack, no more pinball until someone goes and gets more!

as others have pointed out...

these are "industrial strength machines" that are built to be played and used... and they get WAY more abuse on location than a bit of pizza grease...

consider this... there are boatloads of em machines out there that work perfectly... very few of those machines lived a pampered life prior to ending up in someones game room...

pinball is supposed to be fun, not worshipped... if there's a few spare games left unused, or "attract mode" isn't going on all games that aren't being played, the people that you have invited into your room to play won't care one whit...

really, if one of your big concerns about your room is that games aren't in attract mode when not being actively played, you probably shouldn't let anyone in, and then you can enjoy the nice flashing lights all by yourself... nothing wrong with that... but always keep in mind that rhe people you've invited into your room to play likely care very little about that, they are there "playing games", not "looking at games"...

I am so glad my kids are respectful of my and others property.

I have one rule;

HAVE FUN!

On a lot of vids it winds up leaving the game on the start screen instead of entering attract mode, which if left for prolonged periods can eventually lead to burn-in damage on the monitor.

The solution for getting around this on *most* games is to set it to free play.

On video games, it often stops the attract mode sequence, freezing the screen and burning in the text onto the CRT phosphors. At least the attract modes only burn in the score at the top of the screen, the rest continues to display and change. I often replace really burned in tubes with scavenged tubes from 1980's Television sets, and they're getting harder to find, so I hate when a game is locked on a "21 Credits" screen without demoing what the game does to those that are waking by.

At least when I power off a video game, it clears the credits. On the pin, they come back, and what happens is people start multiplayer games when they only intend to start one, then walk away once they get annoyed their 'good ball' went against another players score.

Wow, never knew a hobby could be so frustrating.

I have the party house.

Most of my friends have kids so when they get an overnight sitter & come over for a bash it seems like they go overboard to make up for lost time... I am always there to enable

Usually shots flow, boobies come out, puke happens in the sink/yard, darts miss the board, foosballs end up in the strangest places, pizzas are on the ping pong table & the next day a half dozen cars litter the driveway & people are sleeping in various rooms asking "whuuuut haaaap'n last night".

Kids are the least of my game room worries lol.

Now that I have 3 modified & autographed HUO QC games that represent my grails I do worry but after a few shots those concerns fade.

FYI put your games on auto launch (no more balls in the lane yo) & easy settings with max ball saver, EB's & etc when non pinheads come over for your shindigs.

LMAO. HELPFUL SUGGESTION: Invite Pinmister over and show him how it is done.

No double flipping in my house! That's a huge pet peeve of mine when my girlfriend has her friends over and they just constantly double flip over and over through an entire game.

Awesome.... that is exactly how I play the Springfield Mystery Spot mode....LOL

Wayout gets it.

If I have to take a rag and wipe down the cabs/glass and clean up some pizza plates/toys, it just lets me know everyone had fun. As a host, it's your job to keep their drinks full and keep things fun. Even if that means listening to music you don't particularly care for, or running a breakdancing "competition" in a different part of the room/house just to keep it contained.

Double flipping the entire time a ball is in play is quite irritating.. My mother-in-law does it.... double irritating.

No rules......have fun.

If kids break something I'll shut it down and fix it later.

Gives me a little crazy when they incessantly flip, flip, flip both flippers non-stop but I think these pins survived much worse in the arcades.

1 rule: if you spill beer from the funnel, you wipe it up.

Adults or kids alike: No rings on fingers, no belt buckles, no long fingernails, no eating food or drinks. If you don't like my rules, buy your own machines.

wish i was closer...

My one rule: No overhand skeeball.

Sounds more like going through airport security!

Sadly, manners and respect for other peoples stuff just isn't valued much nowadays and, therefore, passed down to kids. And, if you do and expect others to respect your wishes you're labeled an intolerant nazi.

No food in the arcade and no climbing on the machines. That's about it at my place.

I was way more hysterical when I first started collecting. It took a year or so before I realized the games were built for abuse and won't be harmed even with hard play. Now if a kid is really being abusive, like kicking the coin door, I'll point it out to their parent and not invite them back. If an adult is being abusive I'll just ridicule them for acting more juvenile than the kids.

Dear god!

geez, you are no fun....

Only one. Don't piss me off.

I can put up with a lot. But never ever wave a red cape in front of a bull.

LTG : )

It really happened. Almost took out the display which is about 5 feet above ground.

What a bunch of constipated curmudgeons.

Wow, it makes me wonder what they assumed the alley part of the game was for.

It also brings to mind this idiotic pawn stars clip:

Only thing the bugs me is machine gunning flippers. Constantly flipping not stop even if ball is not at flippers.