Hey guys

I am posting this because I have a chance to get my grail machine back, it is a Gottlieb Rocky I restored about 8 years ago, only problem, I do not have the money, and I am trying everything I can think of to get there. I started a Go Fund Me page, now I honestly am embarrassed to be doing this, but this machine means the world to me, the full story is on the page, years ago to help my family, I sold off my entire collection of Rocky Items, as hard as I tried, I finally had to let go of the Rocky machine, I still remember loading it into the car when it was picked up, horrible memory for me.. I am lucky that I sold it to one of my best friends, and he has offered to let me buy it back, so I am selling everything and anything I can to raise the money, I even have some parts listed in the market place asking that payment be sent to the go fund me page.

As most of you know, I cannot work at this time, due to my quadruple bypass, diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, and the damage it caused to my legs and feet, I have been trying for a year to get disability, I have a lawyer, but now it is going to court next year.

Some of you will notice I sold off a bunch of pinball machines in the past month, well long story short, I had a deal with my wife's aunt, where she bought the machines, I did all the work, and we both paid for parts, but the idea was they stay here, she decided on me that she had too much money into them, and wanted her money back, so the games sold every penny went to her, And when I was very close to getting all her money back, she decided to take 5 of the machines instead of me selling them, so she has 8K into them, and has Stern Batman, T3, Star Wars Trilogy, Lethal Weapon 3, and Flintstones.. Needless to say, I ended up on the losing side of this big time, when it started I was working, I had about 8800 bucks in bulbs, parts, boards, glass, etc into those machines, so I actually after the sales of the games have more money into them than she does.. Lesson learned! Not to mention she took 5 powered subwoofers, one for each game. I only mention this in case anyone was wondering why I just sold the games and now am trying this.

I know there are more important and better causes out there, and I can understand if someone reads this and says "No way in hell would I donate to this" I just ask that you please not bash me for trying.

I do have a bunch of boards for sale at lower prices than I could find online, I have a bunch of Ebay auctions going as well, under SCasce3477, if your interested in anything on EBay, send me a PM, and I just ask that the payment go to the go fund me page to keep it active. I also have a beautiful Sony XBR-65HX929 LED tv with full array lighting, smart tv, still in mint condition and I am including a Sony 3D blu ray player as well, all you need is the glasses for 3D, it is a 1080P set, and has a beautiful picture, I bought it brand new, and there is not a scratch on it, works 100% it would have to be picked up, but I am letting it go for 650 bucks, and I am less than an hour from Pintastic. I have talked to a few members in the basement forum, and they suggested I just post it in the regular forums, and see what happens, and after talking with them both, they promised not to attack this post, as they understand the full story, and what this game means to me, it is VERY sentimental, and it would bring a lot of joy into my life to have it back.

Please do not bash me too hard on this, it is just one of those things, where I feel if I don't try everything and anything I can think of, It might happen. To my friends who suggested I post it in the regular forum, thank you for your understanding and support. If this is something you do not agree with, I understand, but again, I just ask that you please not bash me for trying, I am selling whatever I can to try to make this happen. Please check out my marketplace ad with boards and a few parts listed there.

https://www.gofundme.com/bringthechamphome

Thank you
Steve
Balboarules
CARGPB#37

He is holding it, and I am trying to sell everything I can to raise the money, please note the items I have listed for sale in the market place, on EBay, etc. This is just a case where it means that much to me, I am trying everything possible, maybe this raises nothing, but if I don't try, I don't know, this is more sentimental to me than I can express in words, please read the story I posted on the fund me page, maybe it will help you guys understand.

Thank you for the support Boob, I appreciate it.

Thank you for the donation Boob, really really appreciate it. I also listed a Sony TV and Blu Ray player, I am less than an hour from Pintastic, it would have to be picked up, but selling it for 650 bucks for both pieces. Research XBR-65HX929 sony, the reviews are stellar, and the tv is in mint condition, I bought it brand new.

Thank you HighVoltage, yes it is one I previously owned and restored, and had to sell for my family. TAF and other machines I sold are not mine, I did all the work and put money and labor and driving all over the place to get, but the money all goes back to my wife's aunt, I do not see a dime of any of that. I so wish I did! Boob knows the whole story on that mess.

I do not have any credit cards, And once I raise a decent amount towards it though sales, and possibly some donations, I am going to ask him if we can do that.

Lloyd, thank you so much, and Boob, and O-Din, I am going to try to take those donations and see if I can make my own donation showing your names..

For those who truly understand, thank you so much for the kind words and support, It is more than a machine to me, if you read my story on the go fund me page, you will understand more..

O-din and I have exchanged a few emails, and he is a fantastic guy, same with Boob, and LLoyd.

I am very touched by the support, I knew there were going to be some posts attacking me, and I get why they are happening, but if you knew the full story, I think you might understand better.

Thank you everyone, God Bless you all!

I have watched this scene over a thousand times for motivation every day. I even have a small poster with this quote on the wall.

O-Din, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I appreciate it more than I can put into words!

I am not ashamed to say that the day it comes back, I am going to cry. O-din nailed it, this is not just another pinball acquisition, this game coming back to me will bring so much joy back into my life, to get something back I thought was gone forever, I put so much love into this game because of what the theme meant to me, it goes back to when I was 9 years old.

Oh, and if you cannot use the go fund me for any reason, I was able to transfer O-din's generous donation over to the site, so paypal can work as well. And please check out my stuff for sale, Good boards and stuff, and if you like Blu ray movies, I have over 200 listed on EBay under SCasce3477, and still have that Sony TV and blu ray player, and live less than an hour from Pintastic!

That makes 2 of us Lloyd. Boy will that be a special post!

Oh, did not know that one... well too late now, that is a shame, I thought it would be great for those interested to see the progress.

Thank you for the info.

Thanks Boob.

Thank you D Macy for the generous donation! Guys, I sincerely appreciate all the donations, and the support. I know there will be people against this, it was expected, but there is so much more good that bad here, and I thank you all so much!

Another board has sold, it won't show up on go fund me, this will be cash at Pintastic.

What does it have to do with you? Why don't you just ignore my post, and leave it alone? If it bothers you so much, block me and flush the thread. What I do not understand is why no one is reading the part about all the stuff I am selling to try to make this happen, a TV, Circuit boards, Ebay auctions, I only mentioned the Go Fund me if friends, or others wanted to help a little bit. Personally, I have donated to many causes on this site, I never bashed anyone for trying. If something like this really "pisses you off", then like I said, drain it, and block me.. End of problem, some great guys have chipped in to help, by their own choice, and I am beyond thankful, and yes I have medical bills coming out of both ends, and I pay a small amount each month, and pay my electric bill, and pay food bills... I expected some bashing, but why are you all assuming all of these other things, if you do not want to help, or don't think it is worth wile, I get that, but why can't you just leave it alone. This is a very sentimental item to me, it means that much to me that I stuck my neck out, knowing people like D Smith would jump in and rip me apart, but I have to try. And one more point, if I sell the TV and all of the other stuff I have out there and reach it on my own, I will refund every single donation, or ask where you would like me to donate it to.
By the way D Smith, if THIS is the most ridiculous thing you have EVER heard of, well you don't get out much or read much is all I can say to you. Did any of you think I have to use what money I do have to keep current on my bills, and just cannot spend any bill money for something like this, did I say I was behind on my medical bills? Truth is I have 6000 of medical bills I am paying from everything that happened last year, and they get 20 bucks a month each. No one trashing this mentions all the items I have for sale to try to raise the money.

Those with the support, I love you guys, and thank you for fully understanding the situation, and your help and defense.

Thank you waddle Jr, I appreciate your support and understanding, this is just very special to me, it is not just a "machine", it is a sentimental item that I had to let go of, and it still hurts that I had to, I have a chance to get it back, and I am trying my best to do it alone, and if I happen to raise enough on my own, I will refund every donation, or donate it to whatever cause the donor would like.

The people with the issues, please just block my account and drain the thread, there are so many issues in this world today, and if this is the worst thing you have ever heard of, you don't read much or go outside.

I have sent a few PM's asking certain individuals to please just block my account from their view, and drain the thread.

There is a lot of positive in here, and that is fantastic, and you guys are the BEST!

Please read though my original post, and my go fund me story before you bash me, at least know the facts, at least know I am selling everything and anything I can to do this alone. I do not think I will make it alone, but you never know.

Thank you for the well wishes, I do see a counselor by the way, my primary, cardio specialist and eye doctor all recommended I do, so I have, and I never miss an appointment. Again, the financial situation is different from trying to get something back that really has a special place in my heart, and would bring some Joy after the hardest 2 years medically speaking I have ever had to do with. I pay all my bills, but to make this happen, I have to take other steps, not touch bill money and get behind. Please look at all I have for sale, hopefully I can sell most of it and who knows maybe that will be enough to make it.

I honestly appreciate the good luck wishes.

This is what the ignore button is for.

I understand some people are offended by this, I expected that, Boob, Levi and I had a basement chat about this, I just ask that instead of the attacks and the rest, just drain the thread and if really bothered just block my account from your view. I always try to be helpful when I can, I have driven out to houses near me to inspect games for buyers, given tech help, shared things I discover that I think would benefit others, and I try to stay out of all the fights. I respect the post that stated he would not donate, but wished me the best of luck, I don't fully understand the extreme anger by D Smith though, I do not know him, never dealt with him, but I have never had a post make me so angry I call it the worth thing I have ever seen.. I just got a PM with someone who is making another donation, There really is more support than negative, if you saw some of the PM's, you might see even more positive stuff, and there has been a lot of positive stuff on this thread.

I just want to say a BIG THANKS to those who did donate, a big thanks to those who supported me in this, and I guess an apology for those offended, but I say just drain the thread, block my account, and move on.

Slim, I would ship it, but I do not have the original box, and I am so afraid that it will get destroyed in shipping.. Anyone going to Pintastic, I am less than an hour away and the TV could be picked up, it is funny your the second person in IL who wants it.

Cosmo! Thank you so much buddy, Nice to see you!!

I also just got another paypal donation from another generous Pinsider who chose not to give his name, but he sent 50 dollars over to my paypal. In a little bit, I am going to transfer the funds over to the go fund me account that have come into paypal.

Cosmo, THANK YOU so very much, your a great guy, and I really appreciate your support...

One other big piece of news on this, I have done repair work for years for a gentleman who is very well off, he just called me and is adding 500 to the fund!! I was floored, I was almost crying when I was talking to him, I had to hold it back.

Guys, all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you!! I cannot express it enough.

I do not own the machines in my collection, I am not allowed to sell them, I did not pay for them. If that were an option, it would have been the very first step I would have taken, believe me. I have NEVER gone down this road before for anything. NPO, Boob and a few others can verify this, as they know the full extent of the story, not to mention Aldo, Ed Cianci could also verify that I cannot sell what is not mine.

Please do not forget, for those who do not want to donate, or are totally against it, but might want to help.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/various-boards-and-other-pinball-items

ebay.com link: merchant

These are what I am hoping will get me there, if your interested in any of the items, I can bring them to pintastic on Fri, or can ship if your not going.

Mcluvin, I tried that approach back about 5 months ago, when things were at their worst, it did not bring in a dollar.

But I have good prices on the stuff for sale, will listen to offers, live less than an hour from Pintastic if you want the TV and Blu Ray player.. It is a beautiful tv with very high review marks, perfect condition, and not a scratch on it. Great Sony Blu ray player too, TV is 65" full array backlighting, Gorilla Glass, 3D, 1080P, Built in tuner for HD off air, smart tv applications, good side viewing angles. You can see the full details on the EBay listing. 2 Boards have sold and went right into the fund.

You are welcome to drain the thread and block my account name, then you will not see it.

Best wishes to your friend, I hope it turns out ok for him, seriously.

Your opinion Spencer, and your entitled to it. Thanks for the bump at least.

Hi

I want to address some of the posts:

Spencer: I do not know why you and others only see what you want to see, I have listing several items for sale and asked that the money go into the fund, nobody seems to mention this, there are several boards, and a lot of items on EBay as well, I also added that if anyone would like to help, it would be appreciated and they could made donations if there was nothing I had listed for sale that they were interested in, but nobody seems to bring that up in their attacks on me. I wish people like you who have nothing positive to ad would just stay out, and move on to something else.

Ladyslingshot. I have no idea if your Kaneda or not, seems that a lot of people think you are, but I have no idea. On my conditions, let me just say that genetics can be a good thing or a horrible thing depending on how you do in the gene pool, unfortunately both my fathers parents had diabetes, My Mother, My Father and his brother all had Diabetes and heart issues, my doctors all made the same statement to me, you were born with a genetic disposition to these illnesses, I spent the past 20 years working in retail management with crazy long hours, and a lot of stress, you eat when you can and usually it is whatever is close by and fast, my weight is 190lbs, when people see me they always say, you look like your in pretty good shape, and are surprised to hear about the conditions I have. I will say, if that offer for the end is legit, I would take that deal, as I plan on starting an in home pinball shop, where I will be offering shop jobs, and minor repairs to games, once I move some of these items off EBay as that has been taking up a lot of my time, I have already begun changing my diet completely 2 years ago when I was diagnosed, My A1C started at 8.1, the normal number is 6 and under, I have it checked every 3-4 months, and the numbers have been 5.6,5.8,7.4, and my last one was 6.0, however years of having the disease had done it's damage. 6.0 and lower is normal, and with the exception of one test, I have worked hard to get those numbers. The 7.4 was a disappointment, but the 6 was a welcome turnaround.

The Black knight, I have mentioned several times, I do not own the machines listed in my collection, I cannot sell them, as I do not own them, some of you may remember my pictures of my game room with 10 machines, well that was paid for by my wife's aunt with the stipulation she could come over and play them whenever she wanted, and that I could not sell them. I put all the work into them, I put money into them, and I did a ton of driving around to get them, out of the blue she decided she had too much money in the room, and I was forced to sell them off and get her money back, she had 19500, after today she has 8K invested, but she took 5 of the machines for her house, Stern Batman, SWT, T3, Flintstones and LW3. Addams is going today, I am driving to PA to help the buyer reduce the driving, I am nervous about this trip as it is a 4.5 hour drive for me, and with my eyes it is risky, and the other half of the money I am picking up goes directly to her, I do not see a penny, so I am out a lot of money (I was working at the time) time, effort, just about every one of those games was a project and I did full shop jobs on each one of them, well over 200 hours of time invested, and if we got a game she did not like, I had to get rid of it, even if I loved it, and there was those 4 that were sold off as well. The 3 machines here, I do not own, I cannot do anything with them, and only hope she does not decide to take those as well, or force me to sell them too..
Vicjw66, thank you for noting that, I kept asking myself why do people keep saying that, when I stated it a few times.

This machine means a lot to me, it broke my heart when I had to sell it, my friend knows this, and that is the only reason he made the offer to let me get it back. My intention was to sell off everything I can to raise the money, a large part of the go fund me is money I transferred over from sales of 2 boards, and blu ray movie sales off EBay, but it would probably be half that amount without the 20-50 dollar generous donations made.

One point that no one seems to make, is that the donations inspire me to continue to try to hit that number, I don't care if they are one dollar, it makes me believe I am going to get there, and have some joy in the situation I am dealing with, to have something back I thought was lost forever, and means so much to me, that I do not have the words to express it, and those who have supported it, either by wishing me well, making a small donation, or just sending me positive vibes, give me encouragement that I can make this happen, and not affect my family.

The positive support just makes me feel that I will make this happen, do I expect a free machine, NO!!! I never said that, all I stated in my long post that many just seem to skim over and read what they want to read, basically looking for negatives and go on the attack, is that if anyone wanted to help me get there it would be beyond appreciated. I keep reminding everyone I have boards for sale at good prices, I have parts for sale, I have blu ray's for sale, I have a TV for sale, but the negative people never mention any of this, that make discouraging comments towards me. I would not do this to anyone trying to make something difficult happen, if I did not agree, I would just move on, but it is a forum, and people get to say whatever they like from behind a screen.

It might take me a year to pull this off, maybe 2, who knows? In the end I am not going to have a free machine, I am going to have a machine that has more sentimental value to me than just a machine or toy or whatever people choose to call it. When it is done, I am going to say I will be paying for 80% of it at least myself, through sales, maybe some shop jobs I can do, but the donations are not going to pay for it, and I would not use any money that would effect my family in any way. I have personally transferred more than half of the money to the go fund me myself, on items that were sold, and 2 donations were sales of boards.

I believe I have been more positive then negative on this site, I know I have helped a lot of people out on this site, I try to stay out of the fights, the negative stuff, and if I can offer some help with a repair, I chime in and offer what I know might help. Am I perfect, NO, do I slip up sometimes here, YES.

I am NOT and again I repeat NOT asking for a free pinball machine, I never expected it, and it is NOT realistic, I know this, but you know what, the donations that were made, inspire me, every time I see that number go up even by a dollar, it makes me believe it is going to happen, and I have to keep working as hard as I can to raise whatever I can, and the donations make me feel supported and appreciated, and give me additional motivation that someday this WILL happen. Please stop with the Free Machine posts, PLEASE.. It is not going to happen that way, I know this, and you know this.

Thank you again to all the supporters, and those that choose to be negative, well I cannot stop you, but I just ask you READ everything before you judge, and for the final time, I am not expecting a free pinball machine!

Cosmo, exactly!

Honestly Nullquark, I am not expecting much on the donation side, I never did, it has actually been more than I expected, and inspires me to continue to find ways to make this happen without doing anything that will effect my family. I have some baseball cards, the next step is to send them out to be graded and then sell those off. In my research, the grading seems to take the value of a 200 card and boost it by an average of 3X if the grade is 9 or higher, I do not follow the card hobby much, but I did look some of them up under completed auctions, and a few have done quite well. I think the small investment in having them graded is going to bring some very good returns.

Thank you Methos, I am doing that, trust me, I should take a picture of my bathroom sink, and show the pill bottles I am taking every day, I never eat anything bad, and I move around as my as my body lets me.

I know that, but I wanted everyone to see the progress, I will pull it out when it hits 3K or so. Maybe I will just post updates that do not go into go fund me. I know 500 more is coming on Wed, so that will put me at 25%. And about 80% of that is sales, I will not add that 500 to the go fund me.

Not mine Bjohn26, I was in the AV field for 10 years, and my father in law asked me to help him get a TV and receiver, so I researched and found him a great deal on both, Denon receiver for 110 bucks, Samsung tv 1200 bucks... At my father in law's..

Eggbert you just want to keep going and going without reading any part of what I talk about, if this gives you pleasure, good for you!

D Smith, I PM'ed you directly, of course no response. You just refuse to read what I post, and see what you want to see, well there is nothing I can do about that.

Troy, thank you so much for the donation. To the supporters, I honestly thank you.

Please just look at my market place ad, I have several boards up for sale, and I would be happier if they all sold, along with a bunch of other things I am selling.

As far as those questioning my feelings on my family, my wife supports this cause 100% because she knows what it means to me, and she knows I am selling off everything I can to raise the money. Bills are being paid, for those concerned.

Guys

*****edited, thanks for the encouragement guys*****

Honestly, this thread is really working my anxiety levels too high, in the interest of peace, just please take a look at the items I have for sale as posted, as I will just sell everything I can, I have now had my character, family values, motives, helping out a family member all questioned throughout this thread, with my medical issues, I seriously cannot have this going on any longer... So those who donated, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I have a foundation to build on, please see my market place ad's, if you would like to buy some of the boards or parts I have listed, and feel the prices are too high, please PM me and we can talk about them..
I am keeping the go fund me page alive, because I want the money to stay in there for now, until I raise the rest, it might take years, and that is fine, to everyone attacking me and my character, but I am still going to try to get this back, and yes I will be selling more and more stuff to get there. As of this point, I am so paranoid about coming on the site, and I do not want to be. It is almost 5 in the morning, and I am sick to my stomach right now reading through all this, There is a lot of positive, but there are many negatives, and I am just not dealing well with the negatives, I don't want them, I always tried to be a helpful member of this site, I have always kept my word, and I have always been honest in my posts, but someone suggesting I get hit by a bus? Calling me a fraud for helping out my father in law, and having to defend it, watching my posts get down votes, I am not used to any of this, and it is really affecting me personally, and emotionally. I was considering closing my account on this site, but after reading the responses to this today I am not.

Steve

Meaning that as long as I pay 5-10 dollars a month, they have to accept the terms once they take the first payment, so I have some for a few hundred, several for a few thousand, I pay each one every month, it will be a long term expense for sure, but it keeps them off my back.

Take away the down vote and I will stay, deal?

Because she is part of my family now, the machines are moved, She has her side of things, I have mine. It is now in the past, not dwelling on it, it is what it is.

Rocky lost to Clubber Lang, and was going to pack it in, Apollo stepped in and talked him back in and he pulled it off (yes, fiction I know), but you guys with the positive statements and support are my Apollo... I am staying, and not closing the thread.

I do know that Levi I mentioned (yes, fiction I know)...

But thanks for the support.

Iceman, I tried that about 5-6 months ago, no body ever sent a dollar, maybe I should have scanned the medical bills I have and posted those.

I have applied for disability, I was denied, 3 times actually, one letter basically said although you cannot work, someday you can.. I have a lawyer for that, we are going to court, in fact my lawyers office got a letter to send my medical information to another review board before the case gets to trial, fingers crossed on that one.

My vision and diabetic nerve damage to my feet and legs.

I had a friend come do the heavy lifting on the games, because I had it for so long, both of my feet are completely numb, and my legs will buckle out from under me without warning, and I get shooting pain in both legs.

My eyes, I have decent vision for aprox 2-3 weeks, I cannot get injections until 6 weeks after they were done, so basically when the medication wears off, it is like looking at a glass window with Vaseline smeared all over it, so it is almost impossible to see a computer screen, I just had an injection towards the end of last month, so right now they are so so, the left one was not done this time, but is starting to go, going to have to bump up the appointment for the left one now.

Also, the huge scar from the bypass is not healing as quickly as it should, so seatbelts hurt, turning, moving, lifting is painful.

And I need surgery on both arms, but my cardiologist will not sign off on that, he says I am not ready still for another operation at this time, when I lift something a certain way, it literally feels like razor blades are slicing my skin, even shaking someone's hand now is painful. A neurologist did the test where then zap your nerves with electricity then inject you with needles that pick up the sound, she spotted it instantly and send me to a hand surgeon who knows exactly the surgery I need to fix this, but will not perform it without the consent of the cardiologist, who still says I cannot do that, and who also would not sign anything related to me returning to work, as the diabetes is really slowing down the healing form the quadruple bypass.

The ride to PA had to be timed with the injection. And I had someone else load it in the car, I was able to assist the buyer a little getting It out, but we slid it down out of the Scion I borrowed, gently spun it, leaned it into his truck, then slid it in, he did much more of the lifting than I did, I was more of the balance side of getting it loaded. I am paying for that trip today, I am actually going back to sleep now.

NPO, it was a fantastic Honor to meet you face to face, I am glad I fought off the powers that be, and you ended up with that game, I knew after our first conversation you deserved it, and would appreciate it, and I am glad my body allowed me to make part of the trip so you could get your game, and we could meet face to face, and I am proud to call you a friend.

Goingincirlez, Yeah, I screwed up that board pretty good, however it was not a System 11 board, it was a WPC CPU board, That iron has been retired and replaced with the right equipment, I have done some minor board works since, and it all went MUCH better with the right tools.. Wow, I screwed that board up so bad....

XtheblackknightX First and foremost, thank you for your service and sacrifice NPO will tell you first hand, I have strong respect and admiration for anyone currently in or formally in the military, you are the real hero's in this world, and do not get nearly the attention you deserve for your actions! I give to this community as much as I can, that trip yesterday for NPO was an example, It is not my money for the game, I will not see a dime for it, but I enjoyed our conversations, and really felt he had a horrible experience, and I was able to save him from being out 6000 on a pile of trash, Did I want to make that drive yesterday, NO, was there money in it for me, NO, Did I make someone very happy who was a stranger to me before that title was listed for sale, YES. Do I feel good about that VERY!, Have I sent out parts for free and paid the shipping, YES, Have I done repair work for free, YES, although limited, have I jumped in on several threads and offered repair advice where I could, YES, Have I made a few discoveries that could save people money and shared them here, YES. Do I wish I could offer more, YES. I would proudly hand you a pinball machine for your service to this country, I have all the respect in the world for you and NPO, and my Father in Law who served and protected our way of life, by risking their own.

I kept my family fed, and a roof over their head, and clothes on their backs while I sold off everything that had special meaning to me, all my machines, My entire collection of Rocky items, electronic equipment, all while working 50-60 hours a week in a job that paid me 36,000 a year. My wife and child love me very much and I them, I have done whatever it took to carry us though the rough times, they were never cold, or hungry. And they won't be. Having lost my entire family before meeting my wife, and ending a long term relationship, I spent the holidays completely alone, and I tell you it was the darkest time I have ever gone through, forcing myself to get up and go to work, coming home to an empty house, Thanksgiving with no family left, Christmas the same way... I remember that darkness all too well, which is why I cherish my wife, son and her family, for letting me in and being a part of one again, my son is my world, and if you ever met him, you would see how happy he is, how polite he is, and how much he loves his family, whenever my wife and I are in the same room, he loves to run up to us and say "Three Family" and we do a 3 family hug, at least once a day.

The rocky machine was the toughest loss of everything I let go, when talking to my friend who loves the game said "Listen, when the day comes you can have it back for what I paid you for it", it put some hope back in my heart, the one thing I sold that I regretted the most and was the hardest to do, but did it for my family, and now I have a chance to get that back. I have to try, but I also cannot allow it to affect my family, or their needs. So I have the fire sale, and I continue to hunt for more to add to the sale, and with some luck, and good Karma on my side, it will come back.

I am proud that some of you thought enough of my cause to defend me, to make the donations you did, Boob, you have been the biggest supporter since day one, and we have not even met.

I have used the ignore user button a lot over the past few days, so I am not seeing the negative anymore, just the positive, and that helped a lot.

Thanks all!

PS. I am not deleting my account, I am staying, and keeping this thread up!

Ice, they have in many other ways, believe me!!

fxdwg, GIC, Thank you both for your help, seriously appreciated!!

I owe them because of the deductibles in my coverage, first was an amount around 2-3K before they kicked in, then they covered like 80%, well Eye injections cost 2800 a shot, the Open heart surgery, you don't wanna know, the cardiologist visits, the therapist visits. Let's just say it added up to a LOT. I have so many, I honestly could not give you a figure, but a guess right now, 8 to 10K..

I am going to guess 8 years or so, I was terrified to go to a doctor and get that news. I started showing some signs about 3 years ago, but brushed them off, It was the eye getting blurred that made me check, It killed my father, and the images of those days just lingered, I just hoped and prayed it was not the case, and I admit I was terrified. 100% my fault for not getting it checked sooner, but I am all over it now, last A1C came in at 6.0, originally was 8.1, 6 and under is the normal range, but the damage was done, and it just does not seem to want to reverse. But I am fighting it hard, and being good about everything I eat, and keeping weight down, and keeping all appointments, and following instructions to the t.

Thank you RTR, I appreciate the post.

Hi

It is more sentimental than I can explain in words, if you go to the go fund me page, you can read my story about it. As a game it is fun and different and enjoyable, would it rank in the top 100 for most people, no. There is a lot of emotional reasons why this is so important to me, I know people see it as a machine, but there is a lot more to it than that in my case.

Thank you for the well wishes, every single one, and post of support is special to me.

One other note: If anyone is interested in the Williams WPC boards I have listed, Display, Driver and CPU all working, I can do 400 shipped, or even better I can bring them to Pintastic. I think this is a great deal, and would put a nice dent into my goal of getting this game back, also check out the Stern Batman plastic set, protectors and parts I have bundled together.. way below Marco's price and all brand new!

Thanks

Oh wow, thank you for that, that would be amazing to have! Thank you so much, I would cherish that!,

DaddyXXX, thank you so very much for the contribution, It really means a lot to me that A, your support and that you can see how important this is to me, and B your donation helps me get one step closer to getting something back I thought was gone forever!

I honestly appreciate your help and support,

Thank you!

Steve

I never knew pinball circuit boards, game parts, and blu ray movies were knickknacks.

O-din, that would be the right opponent in this case, that is for sure!

Robert

I have the one board for you already, if you want that deal it's yours, that would take the shipping out of the equation for me, more fear of damage than anything.

Just let me know.

Thanks
Steve

Amen Lloyd!

Lloyd

I got your letter today, thank you so much for the contribution!! I really appreciate your doing this for me, as always your the best!

Thanks'
Steve

You go get that Grill!

Boob and NPO know the full story, Lloyd really nailed it when he stated this will feel like a turn around has begun, My family is my number one priority, I do not want my son to lose his father the way I lost mine, I don't want my son to get married and not have a single family member there are the wedding, or for him not to have his parents there when he has his first child.

My connection with Rocky is just very deep, my father and I saw every movie together while he was alive, the first one I was too young for, but 2-5, it was tradition, it was something we both loved, When Balboa came out, I had a full blown panic attack after that movie, and was lucky to have a close friend to call who would be the only person who would understand what I was going though seeing that without him, as he was very close to my father also.

Rocky was my first machine, I knew nothing about pinball, I was not even a player, but I got it because it was Rocky, to be the centerpiece of a lifetime collection I had built, as the needs of my family became harder and harder to meet, I sold it all off, except that machine, that a good friend and I rebuilt, I tried to hold onto it as long as I could, but eventually it too had to go, then we lost our house. We were lucky my father in law loaned us the money to get into this house we have now, and we still have to pay him back, but he is understanding and patient, and knows that we needed my wife to finish her nursing program, I was able to work though most of that, but then the illness started taking over, first the vision, then the falling down, then the eye injections, then the quadruple bypass, then the thyroid condition, and on top the arm condition in both arms that still needs to be addressed...

Would the return of something that meant so much to me being returned keep my spirits going, YES, will it help in my attempts to get to the point where I can work again, YES, will it show me anything is possible if you put your mind and heart into it, YES.

My connection with this runs very deep, and if and when I do get this back, it will be one of the sweetest comebacks of my life. I am sorry there are those who can not understand all this, but I guess your the lucky ones, as you probably have not dealt with all the loss I have dealt with in life. Be happy you cannot relate I would say.

To the supporters, God bless you all, and thank you so much, my wife thanks you too!

I cannot see any of the negatives any longer, as the block user was the best option for me to take, to not get too much anxiety from, it is working.

Thank you all
Steve
Balboarules (and the name will have more meaning again, I believe that!)

I do not know how exactly to respond to this, by no means is the a "final" goal in life, It is more of a victory, Getting my A1C down to 6 was a Victory, Surviving my Quardruple bypass was a Victory, Getting some strength back was a Victory.. Besides family, there are 2 material things in this life that I have lost that I would give just about anything to get back (no, not family, health, friends etc) 1. My house was broken into aprox 4 years ago, several items were taken, I could not name any of those right now except one, it was the ring my father wore everyday, that he got from his father, and passed it on to me, well so lowlife SOB stole it when the house was robbed, probably pawned it for 40 bucks for crack or whatever thief's do, I drove around the entire state, going pawn shop to pawn shop, looking for that ring, but it was gone, and I can never get it back and pass it on to my son, which eats at me every day, as my son never met my father, as he passed in 1992 at the way too young age of 56. The second item is this Rocky machine, because it was my very first machine ever, the first machine I ever did a playfield swap on, and I miss just being able to look at it, I have the flyer right next to my computer, framed and on the wall, I was so proud of that game, it just meant the world to me, because it was Rocky, because of what I was able to accomplish on restoring it, because my father and I went to every Rocky movie from 2-5 on opening day because we both loved those movies so much, and the machine just helps me remember good times, before all the loss, before all the illness, before the loss of my father and how much we enjoyed going to see those movies..

Whether or now this helps you understand, I do not know, I am not the best at explaining how I feel about things, all I know is that this would be one of the sweetest Victory's to me, not the best of them all, but a pretty high ranking one.

Oh, and the part about what if I fail... I WON'T, that will NOT HAPPEN, I will continue to fight to make this happen, losing this one again so to speak is not an option, and once I get there, it never goes.

I hope that clears it up a little, if not, I am sorry, there is not much more than I can say.

Supporters, THANK YOU ALL! You guys are the best, and if you ever need me, I am there!

I have been in the dark place before, I escaped it, and I am never going back.

Your right, every step is a victory, getting past the hate in this thread was a victory, getting support from people I have never met, yet consider friends and hopefully they consider me that as well is a victory.

Knowing the internet can be a nasty hateful place, but continuing to focus on the positive is a huge victory, especially for me.

When this is over, and I have the champ home, that too will be a victory, and more proof to me that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to, and that there ARE good and giving people out there that want you to succeed, and to not be distracted by those who want you to fail, or fail to see the true message you are sending out.

Sorry, but it just fits here "It doesn't matter how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward, that's how winning is done"

Words that have inspired me though a lot.

Thanks
Steve

That was a very generous donation you made, to what sounds like a wonderful cause. That is kind, amazing and fantastic!

I would just like to say, I just got a very nice PM from Eggbert52 and it means a lot to see someone who was so strongly against this, send me a message wishing me well, and success.

It was very nice to get a positive message from someone who was very much upset by this in the beginning, and I wanted to let everyone know, that he did that.

Thanks guys!

PS.. Some money is going to be coming in by Sun through some sales, it will not show on the go fund me site, as someone was kind enough to point out, they take a pretty large percentage, but I will update the totals here. So those who have been supportive either by donations or positive feedback, will know how it is going. I know I am going to make this happen.

That is a very good idea I had not though of Boob, I will do that right after the weekend, as I want to make sure the sales and the other part go through,

Egg, It is nice to know you better, I am glad you opened up and allowed me a chance to explain in more detail what I have been through, and why this is so important to me, I did give you a thumbs up, because I think allowing yourself to dig in and get the full details, AND really listening, changed your opinion, and it changed my opinion of you as well!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know more about the situation, for listing (reading) my long PM to you, and for being open minded and changing the way you felt about this.

God bless all the supporters and especially the ones who have become supporters instead of against.

I thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart! The champ will come home!

Steve
Balboarules (and will again soon!)

Boob, I went in and changed the goal, great idea, if all goes as planned I will change it again on Sun to 2400, I will almost be at 50%!!!

Sorry to see another downvote on the first page though, it was even at 0, someone decided to tip the scale back to -1. : (

PS, I will be at pintastic on Fri! If anyone wants any of my market place items, or my ebay items I can bring them to the show! Just look under seller scasce3477, and I can play a little with some of the prices, also my marketplace ad has some boards, and LAH parts, and a full set of NOS Stern batman plastics, protectors, a new crane spring and ball, and a new opto board from the crane, all from Marco, and the set is priced well below Marco and all brand new. I lost the game, so do not need back up's!

Levy, on everything I hold sacred that was supposed to be an upvote, I must have been really tired, that was NOT intentional at all, so sorry for the mistake, I corrected it! I have never down voted you once!

How will I know what screen name he is under? It changes daily it seems!

ebay.com link: itm

For you guys who like movies, I am selling off Blu Ray's 5 for 20 bucks shipped, buy 3 lots get 18 shipped, just added about 200 more titles, RTR has a bunch coming his way!

Also, Keep your fingers crossed for me, I just went through all my old sport cards, and spent about 5 hours today on PSA to send out 65 cards to be graded, if some of these baby's hit 10 for a score, Rocky is in the bag, there is one in particular that if it gets a 10, could be a game changer, at least towards Rocky anyway! I have about 10-15 that could be very decent if they rate high, and a few that would be VERY good if they rate high.. so hoping for some 10's, but my research tells me these guys are very tough, which is why a 10 is worth so much, a Griffy Jr rookie from Upper Deck gets about 30-50 bucks, with a 10 it gets 500-600!

The real question about Kenyada was the girlfriend, could she be a cousin, a sister, a pro, or his real girlfriend?? That I would really like to know!

Guys, thanks so much for buying the Blu-Ray's, I can barely keep up, but every order is packed and ready to go! I really appreciate the support, and to the one guy who is harassing me on EBay, I know your a member here, would you please leave me alone on EBay, I am trying to keep up on orders and get them packed and ready for the morning!

Thank you all so much!

Steve

Sony XBR-65HX929, less than an hour from Pintastic, with a Sony Blu ray player, take them both for 650 bucks!

DSC02273_(resized).JPGDSC02280_(resized).JPGDSC02284_(resized).JPGDSC02275_(resized).JPG

Added over 8 years ago: SOLD

Well, just got back from Pintastic, great show! Got to meet LLoyd finally, missed boob...: ( Got to spend some time with Butch2099, and made a new friend Number41, his name is Joel, and what a kind, generous person he is, he had a very similar situation to mine with a Tommy, and his mother, and he gave me a very generous donation to the Rocky fund, I am going to update where it all stands tomorrow, as I have one more person to visit and do some work for, but I think I am almost at 50% to the goal, maybe higher, will know more when I tally things up tomorrow. I changed the Gofundme back to 4K, as 3400 was not accurate, I just took the 600 that was in there, and subtracted it out, but I was not thinking correctly when I did that... Also, I sent 65 Baseball cards out to be graded, there are a few in there, should they happen to come back as 10's would probably make up the rest of what I need!! So, praying for good grades (high school again)...

But tomorrow I should have a better idea exactly where everything stands, but getting closer and closer, thanks again to those who bought blu ray's, still a ton to choose from there, and those who sent donations, and all the positive support I have been receiving, that is going to make one hell of a post when it gets back!

Thanks all!
Steve

Looks like the TV has sold today, should be picked up this week!

Waiting for numbers to get from Paypal to bank, but potentially 1500 brought in from sales and work towards the rocky, 550 in Go fund me, so I should be officially half way there!!!! Will update when I have the final numbers, just waiting on paypal transfers.

Number 41, you and anyone else who would like to come play it are always going to be welcome!

How will I know what his screen name is though??

Few more days and I will have updated totals, still waiting on some payments from Paypal to transfer over from the Ebay sales, Might be short of half way, but still not totally sure.

65 baseball cards arrived at PSA today though, so here is hoping for some 10's, especially on the Pedro Martinez autographed card number 15/27, Griffey Jr Upper deck rookie, 1960 Yaz rookie (hoping for better than 5), the entire 1992 Donruss elite set with the Cal Ripken numbered autographed card, The Fisk, Evens and Rice Rookie (probably not much there), The Ripken rookie and traded rookie, and some others, the Pedro and Elite set are key, if those cards ever all came back at 10, Rocky is in the bag.. We shall see...

He is holding it for me until I can afford it, which is why I am going through the house to sell off whatever I can. And you are correct, it was not a very nice move on her part at all, I am still shocked by it, but we are not talking anymore, so doubt I will ever see those again.

Hoby1, you just did not read everything, it is not a "toy", this is a very sentimental item to me personally, and if you read some of my posts, maybe you would understand better, if not, then it is what it is.

Troll, not rattling anything, my posts have been filled with updates to those who have supported me with encouragement, who asked for updates, and yes a few have donated, donations have totaled about 300, it is a small amount of the goal, but what you will probably just not understand, every one was special to me, it showed me people want to help me get there, I am not going to lie, it is not the best game every made, Is Shadow a lot more exciting to play, you better believe it, but this is more about a relationship I lost over 20 years ago, with someone who I would give up everything I own just to spend another 5 min with, I have had some great conversations with people I have never met, people who made donations that I have never met, in my situation, it started like I was looking up a mountain, thinking I will never get there, now I am almost half way there, or possibly over that number, I have not dug into the math today. One thing though, if this is the stupidest shit you have ever read, then you do not read much, and you especially do not read pinside. A lot of people WANT my updates, so my advice to you and others who do not, drain the thread, put me on your ignore list, and move on.

I just want to say again to all those who have helped out, again thank you, you guys really motivated me to push myself and look for avenues I would not have thought of, like sending off the cards to PSA, selling off the Blu Ray's, working on others games, and trying to move past two years of driving, shopping out games till 5am around when I was working, just to have the nice surprise of having most of them taken away, not knowing when the rest will be taken away.

Don't worry guys, I have had enough positive support through PM's, posts on this site, and especially at Pintastic, Number 41 our meeting was probably one I will NEVER forget, and meeting Lloyd after 15 years, and Butch2099 for buying most of my boards knowing he does not need them today, but will.. Great people in here, the good outweigh the bad, and Chris, although you had mentioned you had a few refreshments, your words meant a lot, and your right, focus on the positive and ignore the negatives. RTR made a nice purchase of blu rays's from me, that was also a big help, and O-din did a 180 on this and made a generous donation, and what can I say about Boob, I just feel he has been in my corner since day one, and although we have never met, he has been a fantastic supporter all the way though not to mention his donation, one of the first. Daddyxxx, FXDWG, D Macy, Lloyd, Brad Nelson, Daniel McClure, David Sharrar, eraser head.... All of you again, thank you so much for seeing what I am trying to do, and what you did to help me get there.. I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart!

I am NOT cup rattling, I am updating on what I am doing to get there, Yeah I could come on and make a rant post about what my wife's aunt did, I know I have mentioned it, but not started an entire thread about it, or focused on it, I just use it as motivation to get something special back.

Thanks for the support again guys, keep your fingers crossed for some good grades!

Steve
Thank you everyone for the support,

Hoby1, It is wonderful what you did for that person, and it is a very sad story, it was very generous of you to do what you did, and I think your a great person for doing that!

I would just ask that you read a little more and not skim though, maybe you will see in my words what this means to me, after the 2 years of one medical issue after another piling up, having the same disease that took my father, and the rest, not to mention having 2 long years of driving, work, money just taken away... This one positive just is something I never thought could or would happen, and the timing is perfect (well, not in a financial way) but just after 2 years of negative, negative, negative... I needed this positive. My wife and child always keep me motivated to get better, I do not want my unbelievable son to lose his father, and carry that pain, it is awful to carry, and they are by far worth more to me than anything!

It is way beyond a toy, it is positive therapy for me, and a major positive that is motivating me to push myself harder and harder to hit.

Well Hoby, sorry if you cannot understand, there are 2 material items in this world that have a special place in my heart, My fathers ring some SOB stole out of my house, and this machine, I have a chance to get one back, and I am going to do whatever I have to so I can have it back. I respect your opinion, I just see it differently, because of the emotional side of things.

I do not remember ever saying after I achieve this goal, I was done. And I don't plan on being done, my plan is to get stronger and stronger, and be able to do more and more of the things I used to be able to do. I am not exactly sure where you got your idea from, but it is an inaccurate assumption on your part.

And I have something that means more to me than you can understand.

One point that critics do not bring up, I am selling other items to pull this off, Pinball parts, baseball cards, blu ray movies, electronics, etc. Things I would not be doing if it did not mean so much to me to have this back. I just wish I knew who broke into my house and took that ring!!!!!!! That still kills me!

Awesome!

Staying nothing but D... staying nothing but! Thanks for the support!!!!

I appreciate it.

It does.

Sorry if it feels that way, being called a fraud, a scammer, people digging around about me to find some hidden agenda, members harassing my on EBay while I am trying to keep that going, it has been a rocky road (see what I did there)

Family is my top priority, do not question that. I never discussed after plans, as they are not relevant to this topic. Daily I push my body a little further, walking more, moving around, house work, taking care of my son while he is home from school. I have a pending case with disability, I am on stand by until that goes to court, My scar from the quadruple bypass is not healing as fast as it should, I get numbness on both sides of my chest, my feet completely dry out to the point where my heals split wide open, and every step hurts, I get shooting pains in both legs at random, shaking hands HURTS a lot because of the damage in both arms, My vision changes daily due to the medicine injections wearing out, I can barley drive at night due to vision, I have a thyroid condition that I am on medication for, I am on anti depressants because I feel like a useless person not working, I take around 12-15 pills in the morning and another 8 at night, I cannot sleep without them, all these pills take away my energy. I cannot plan anything for the next day any longer, as I do not know how I will feel day to day.

I am not looking for sympathy, I was born with poor genetics, my father was 56 when he passed, my mother was 61, both had heart issues, diabetes, and my mother also had cancer and more illness than I can remember, I was at the hospital visiting her more than I can remember as a child, and watched her decay to the point she could not see, stop her hands from shaking, basically listening to a radio in a sun room with her dog, as there was nothing else she could do.

My plan is to fight this off, If I win my case the money will be all set, if I lose I am not exactly sure what I can do, but I have been spending a large amount of time looking into that situation, and working on some ideas.

I place a strong importance on 2 heirlooms, one is lost forever, the other I can get back, if I work hard enough, get past the negatives being tossed around in here, and feeding on the overwhelming support by others, I cannot describe the feeling of joy it was to meet member Number 41, and I am pretty sure he knew what I was feeling at that moment, and although we met one time, I am proud to call him a friend, and several other members from this site who have been fighting along with me.

I am not you, you are not me. I see things one way, you see them another, and that is ok, it does not make either of us right or wrong, it makes us the individuals we are, for me, this helps me remember the past, the family gone, the losses I have had over the years, and a turning point that I can get one loss back, lose all I have and you might just have a better understanding.

Regardless, I am going to continue my fight to make this happen. I am still not 100% sure, waiting for some stuff to clear, to get the current total, without factoring those in, it looks like I am at 1750, and hoping when it all finalizes I am at 2000, the half way point.

I just want to once again, reach out to the positive members here who have been supportive, and wished me the best of luck on this goal, you guys have truly inspired me to keep this thread alive, to continue to work hard at this, and that it will happen. After this, I set another goal, and work towards that, it will not be a pinball machine, that I can tell you 100% for sure.

Thanks
Steve

Thanks Travish, I will get it back!

Appreciate it.

4k, same price I sold it to him for. I am waiting for final transfers but I believe I am close to half way, I know for sure 1750 I have raised though sales and some donations.

Thank you Greg.

Not going to close the thread, have a lot more positive than negatives, and I want those that did help and support to know where it stands. I cannot keep repeating the same statements over and over, without another donation, 8% of the 4000 will come from donations, the rest I am raising, I have not mentioned the donation page itself since page one, with the exception of saying thank you to those who did, and keeping updates as to how it is going. There are 7 pages covering what I am doing to get there, what I am selling and what I am working on to get there, if you want to focus on one line in the first page, well there is nothing else I can say that I have not covered already. Rdoyle, you are correct, you can choose not to donate, you can drain the thread, you can put me on your block list.

But I owe it to a lot of people to post updates on how it is going, and regardless of any naysayers at this point, I am going to continue to post updates, and when I get there, there will be another thread showing the game at my house, so best to just block me now.

Rdoyle, I really appreciate the support, but I will not be closing the thread until I get there, I owe that much to the kind people who have helped, trust me, I have been using the ignore button a lot myself.

Thank you RTR, Did you get your movies yet?

Thanks
Steve

I cannot see it anyway, blocked user, don't know, don't care.

Ok, so here we go again on the digging around.

1. My mother in law gave me the 100 bucks for the donation for 2 reasons, she thought is was a great charity, and 2 on the off chance I did win she said I could sell the machine and get Rocky back.

2. The tv was an upgrade, that was paid for by selling my Oppo BDP103D player and the Sony tv to pay for, even exchange, your research did not show that one. TV was 1200, Oppo got 500 TV got 650, paid for replacement, I cannot work right now, so I watch a lot of movies, since my pinball collection was taken away from me, I watch the tv more, and wanted a 4K, spent 50 bucks to upgrade. Nothing to hide, gladly admit it, not to mention all the blu ray's I have sold. By the way, I originally paid 2500 for that Sony TV since we are pointing out things.

3. I do NOT own this house, my father in law OWNS this house, and you can dig around for information on that all you like, We pay him RENT to live here... RENT, NOT OWN!

4, You were never going to donate anything anyway, your just trying to start a Sh**storm, you know it and I know it. Donation's are about 350 bucks, the rest of the money I have RAISED BY SALES!!!!!!

5. You did not dig as much as another guy did, I also bought a Denon Receiver for 110 dollars for my Father in Law's house and set it up, but you should have tossed that in.

You know dam well you were not going to donate, and if you were really serious about a reasonable explanation you would have sent me a PM and not posted this here. Would you like to know anything else.

Wow, some of you are just amazing what lengths you will go to, so you can make an honest person look bad. I love the guy on EBay still harassing me that my wife's aunt never took the machines away, and yes there are 3 here that I cannot sell, or I WOULD. I know various other members who can back all of this up about my wife's aunt!

Does this clarify enough for you? You would think I took in thousands of dollars in donations, you guys who try this stuff never mention how much stuff I sold!!!!!!!!!!

You can state your against it, that is fine, others have too...

But posting false information about me, and basically trying to make me look like a scammer and thief?? You crossed a line there!

I was NEVER expecting 4K in donations, NEVER, but the small amount that was raised gave me hope that I could sell off/work off enough to make it happen. it has built to 1800 bucks, almost half way there! About 300 or so was donated, but it was a good starting point, now I am close to half way there, the donations you see that say anonymous were from me transferring money from Paypal sales and one donation to the go fund me page, except for the 10.00 anonymous, that was a legit donation by anonymous.

I am banking on the baseball cards I am having graded to pull in the rest, and I 100% am serious when I say this, if they do and beat what I need, I will refund EVERY SINGLE DONATION, or DONATE THE MONEY they sent to whatever they desire.. Did you research show I donated to John Wart when he had his accident, did your research show I donated to get Lloyd to Pintastic, did your research show you I donated to get a wheelchair for someone I don't even know... WHY NOT BRING THAT STUFF UP????? One post you wish me luck, next post your playing Dick Tracy, make up your mind, if you wanna say go F yourself to me, than just do it, and stop hiding behind BS words. I have no secrets to hide, Why did you not post about all the people I sent free parts to when I had them and they needed them, and I paid the shipping, or the free decals I mailed out to Shadow owners who could not get them, or the years of tech support I have done both here and RGP, Read the story on RGP where I mailed out a J Dredd motor assembly, did not charge the guy a cent, because I did not know if it worked, and told him to pay me what I think is fair! Or the guy in the Netherlands I mailed 1 LAH plastic to, I paid the shipping, he emailed after he got it, and thanked me but then needed the other one because they did not match, and insisted I take money, I refused and sent him the SECOND one for free again, and paid the postage!

Why in all your digging around on me did you not find any of this positive stuff?? Just the stuff to try to make me into something I am not. You were never going to give a cent, but you do give a shit for some reason that is beyond me... Don't you have anything better to do than trying to prove your right about something you have NOTHING TO DO WITH!!!

Oh, if only that last line were true!!!

bsnelson, First off thank you again for your support, I really appreciate it, and thank you for believing the truth, I appreciate that even more.

I have a lot of supporters and not just the ones who gave money, but when people start tossing around things about me they find through "research", that sets me off, why not just PM me and ask, because he wanted to continue to try to get a shit storm going without any of the facts.

Oh, and more like 10K in medical bills, that I make small payments on every month, which I am LEGALLY allowed to do! Not 5K. And why did I have to respond to your post, are you now my master?? Must I do all you say, especially for someone with nothing better to do than research on me and a dream I have to get something back that means the world to me, why are you not bringing up the fact I am close to 2000 with only 300 in donations.. guess we do not want to talk about the 1700 bucks I have raised by selling off items, and some side work.

Lloyd, Meeting you, hanging with Butch 2099 and meeting number 41 were the best part of that show for me, so glad I got to shake your hand and say thank you for years of helping me.

Keep them

And exactly how would you know my situation?

Just added about another 100 movies to the EBay list.. last lot I am adding.

Thanks guys!

ebay.com link: itm

I rent the house we live it, it was not 350,000 at first, cannot help the fact that the market drove it up that high, hell if it were mine I would just take out an equity line and be over and done with this, and yes, I pay electric, water, internet, cell phone bills, food bills, Taxes, lease payments on my car, etc... Made it this far living off tax refund from March, but getting down very low, BUT wife just got a job, and in 3 weeks will see her first pay check, so AMEN for that.

As far as the medical bills go, sorry but I do not have 5K for one of them, 6K for another, and I send a monthly payment, which is legal and acceptable, otherwise I would be getting phone calls from debt collectors..

Now the baseball cards, boy you guys read what you want to read, I do not have a graded card collection, back in the early 90's I used to collect some cards, they have been either on display or in a box, after reading what graded cards sell for, YES I SENT SOME IN TO BE GRADED, WHY? TO SELL THEM, that's why. The Sony TV I wanted to sell while it still had some value, Hell I thought it would still get 1500 bucks, I was way off, I got 650 bucks and had to throw in a blu ray player to get that, plus 2 years ago I bought a very good Blu Ray player from Oppo, and sold that as well, so I got 1150 bucks, I spent 1200 on an OPEN BOX LAST YEARS MODEL 4K tv, so it was an even swap! Sorry if you have a problem with that, but that is exactly what I did.

Look, just do not donate, I have raised almost ALL of the money by selling stuff, and I am continuing to sell stuff, ask Butch 2099 about the boards he got from me at Pintastic, or the power supply board I just sold, I have dug around my HOUSE, yes house that I LIVE IN, incase that was up for debate too, DO I own it, NO, check the town records, and you will see it is in my father in law's name! I LEASE MY CAR, We sold my wife's car to pay the rent till Nov and she was working, and now we have 1 car, my leased car. Of the 550 dollars on the go fund me page, I personally put 175 or so into that, so we are talking 375 bucks, plus another 70 I got in cash, that is the end of the donations, and if these cards come back and sell for good amounts, I am going to offer anyone back their donations that want them, it was an idea I had not thought of till I was digging around, and checked EBay what graded cards go for.. not all 65 are worth money, 10 of them are Topps Rocky cards that I would like to display, but there are some that could put me there, or over, and they will be listed on EBay for everyone to see.. and if I get the 2200 or so I need, and there are more, I will personally contact every single donator and ask them if they want their donation back, or if they want me to donate it to something else..

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Picasso collection I have in every room of the house, and we drink Dom for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I keep the lost arc in the east wing of my house, and the Elephant man bones in the west wing, not mentioned yet!

Do not donate, I am asking all NOT to donate, I will do it myself... Does that work, or do the smart asses have a problem there too..

I never asked for nor expected a free pinball machine, why do you guys just read what you want to read, this is a hobby forum, your supposed to come here for enjoyment, not to bring out the pitchforks and torches!

To the Kind supporters, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it so much, and the donators, what can I say, each of you is the best, and have big hearts, and see though the BS posted here.

Now I have to run to Switzerland and get my watch fixed, so if I don't post for a while, I am not getting good Wi-Fi on my private jet, I just hope the Lambo does not get a scratch on the way to the airport!

ebay.com link: Pick any 5 Blu Ray HD dvd dvd titles for 20 bucks shipped HD dvd dvd cheaper

Updated link for the movies on EBay, the last auction only had a count of 6 available, and they sold out quickly, so the original ended, I have corrected that and updated.

Thanks
Steve

NO, not at all, because she is using mine, and in a few months we are going to lease her a brand new car, which is exactly what she wants!

My bad Ted, I should have left the block on, I was just curious, and I need to remember the blocks are there for a reason, they are back on.

Thank you for being one of the great guys on here, I really appreciate your support!

Steve

I have a 15 Corolla, I pay 125 a month for the lease, put down 1800.