Some people get the most joy from playing their pins, some from repairing their pins. Me? I get the most joy out of finding and exploring some horrible condition warehouse lot that has sat for decades. I tend to buy games, fix them up and sell them. Nothing is bolted to the floor. Since this is how I "collect" - at one point I even had a 700 sq foot warehouse rented for storage.

My area is an island with very little in pin availability and not a huge collector scene. I've put a lot of hours into tracking down decent finds that were still left here. Almost anything of value was picked over and shipped off in the early 2000's. So that means minimal DMDS and lots of Gottlieb System 1's.

I think the most pins I ever had setup at once was maybe five - Funhouse, Demo Man, Last Action Hero, Buck Rogers and Big Hit. Actually, another time I think I had a Joker Poker, Count Down, Close Encounters, Volley, Hollywood Heat and Bounty Hunter - so maybe six. I'm not even sure how many games I have right now. Between Pinball and Arcade games I may have creeped back over forty. Again. Ugh.

Enter a new partner into my life. Unexpectedly, she loves pinball. Even more surprising, she enjoys picking at them and wants to learn how to do it all. She's been tearing down a spare populated Bone Buster playfield FOR FUN. Just to learn how everything fits together.

She's a keeper. She's also encouraged me to finally build a dream game room.

So, it begins. I have a family room with room for roughly fifteen machines or so. Currently it serves a combination office, workshop, kids gaming room and storage. It's a mess. The room itself needs a bit of work. I have games stored everywhere that need to be restored. But it's a start.

I work a 21/21 work rotation, so I expect this to be a slow build.

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Part of this process is getting rid tons of crap I've hoarded over the years. I cleaned a storage trailer recently, and found a fair sized stash of coin doors. Sold one lot already, but she dug out and cleaned another set for me tonight. Going to list these on eBay shortly. This has been part of my problem. Having too much stuff doesn't allow me to enjoy my stuff. Seems like a common issue.

I just had an eight arcade machine lot offered to me for pennies. All junkers. All gutted. But I wanted them. For once, I talked myself out of it. At least until I have more room.

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First issue last time I was home was the actual entryway into my house. See the third picture and you'll see where a wall USED to be. I can back my truck up to my front deck and not deal with steps, but coming into my house you run smack dab into a stupid half wall.

Normally Ill load a pin through the front door, walk around the house to my back door, wiggle the pin sideways, close the font door and then move it into the family room. It sucks. Aside from the arcade and pinball problem, it makes the room look small.

Nothing a hammer and some family activities cant solve. Some trim to finish, but definitely working better and more functional.

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I have a usable lineup!

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El Dorado City of Gold is working flawlessly. New drop targets, leds, rebuilt flippers, etc.
Joker Poker is working flawlessly. Leds, rebuilt flippers, new alternate art plastics, etc.

Bounty Hunter working well but scheduled for an overhaul.
Strange World working but needs serious overhaul.

Base Hit still a basket case.

Still have a couple arcade machines in the room I need to either fix or move out.

Gone for three weeks, but plan on moving Totem into the house when I get home.