(Topic ID: 215486)

How does one make pinball a living?

By SilverballSleuth

5 years ago


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  • 91 posts
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  • Latest reply 5 years ago by xsvtoys
  • Topic is favorited by 5 Pinsiders

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#18 5 years ago

If you have a good salaried job, that's your ticket to differentiating your career. As others have said, save as much as you can and that brings options. You could research threads here for arcade owners past and present, Sarah at Pinball Wizard (closed down now) might be one to give you advice if she is willing. She is no longer an arcade owner but has a pin maintenance business still. Dave & Busters seems to be doing really well, I do not know their business set-up regarding contractors for the machine maintenance but managing a Dave & Busters and introducing pins seems interesting. Just an idea, work there part-time maybe at first. That place is so loud though you might go deaf. The current winning business model seems to be barcades subsidising the machines with alcohol and food sales. At 19, not sure how that would work. Regarding high end pinball restoration, I would message guys directly, you can find them here.

#25 5 years ago
Quoted from kevmad:

Are you interested in the design aspect of pinball? I would think the most rewarding job in pinball would be working for a company like Stern. Maybe in marketing, public relations, mechanical or electrical, as a designer, etc. if so, you would be wise to go to school first to get a business degree, electrical engineering degree, art degree, etc.
I would think bring an operator is hard work with low margins. Owning a arcade could be tough too.

+1

I'll just offer a description of my life's course maybe there's some useful insight here. I am a software engineer, formerly a mechanical engineer. I work for the 3D CAD company whose products, most of the pinball manufacturers use. Stern brought machines to our annual user conference and ICE brought their Super Chexx bubble hockey game, also designed with our software. This got me interested in having a home gameroom of products designed with our software. So it was directly related to what I ALREADY did for a living. I have had the brief opportunity to interface with some of the more well known pinball designers, because of my present job, regarding their workflow. The functionality logistics of pinball machine design are interesting to me and having an indirect affect on the pinball community is cool. Our software, is used in a lot of industries so in that way, any hobby you can have is represented in this way. I get paid well and this gives me the opportunity to feed my pinball/gameroom hobby, provide an interest to my young children as well. I hope this helps.

#42 5 years ago

Not sure of any pinball modders make a career of it in a niche industry but you could consider that angle as well. Some great ideas have been hatched here.

#72 5 years ago
Quoted from dmarston:

The edits above show what stood out to me. You should investigate being a staff sales rep for a coin-op manufacturer, or at least a distributor. In this field, there are distribs for the B2B (e.g., Betson) and B2C (e.g., Cointaker) channels. Based on your current degree of success, do you feel more confident selling to operators and arcades, or to people who have home game rooms? In either channel, you would have to sell games in general, not just pinball, but it would be a step in the right direction. Since you are based in Sturbridge, you can use the Pintastic New England show as a place to explore the potential. Consider visiting the IAAPA show (http://www.iaapa.org/expos/iaapa-attractions-expo/home) to see more about the B2B side. At IAAPA, you can meet many veteran sales people who always seem to stay employed, though factory reps have to change companies as public tastes change. You can explore this casually over time if your current sales role is for a non-conflicting product.
Summary: you can capitalize on your current experience, and you don't need to start your own business to do it.
.................David Marston

Good info. Betson sells to individuals as well. Pursued a Valley pool table with them, new and used, the new price was better than the alternative companies, even with state tax paid. They have an office in Canton MA. There was a guy there named Benson that I interfaced with. No relation to Betson and that was 2 years ago.

2 weeks later
#88 5 years ago
Quoted from SilverballSleuth:

After a couple weeks consideration, I'm doing something I never thought I'd do - I'm enrolling in college. Starting at community college first, and will then transfer to get a four year degree. Most likely in business or finance, but may throw everyone for a curve, including myself and go for IT.
The college is actually next to the town I grew up in, it's nice to see familiar faces, and do familiar things. The region is so small, the director of admissions actually remembered me from two years ago, when I almost went there after leaving high school.
I plan on leaving my sales job at the end of the summer, or going part time if possible. I feel like I'm too young and wasting my youth working and driving as much as I do. I've done 11K miles since 2/27/18. One day I had recently; 9am in Nashua NH, 12pm in Worcester MA, 4pm in Warwick, RI, 7pm in Griswold, CT.
I'll be seeking to find a sales position closer to 9 to 5, preferably in an office, even if it means a little less money. It gets lonely on the road, especially when leads suck, and no money is getting made.
Pinball can't feasibly be my living, at this time anyways. Will I give up on that dream? Not yet.
Thanks to everyone who has replied in the thread, it truly was a small contributing factor to my decision, and I really appreciate everyone on this forum.
Cheers,
Eric

Wise choice in the college plan, except this advice I wish someone gave me when I was college aged. Pick a community college that is properly accredited to transfer your credits to the school you will be going to get your degree next. Meaning it is a lot cheaper option to transfer the credits in and discount your 4 year degree at the more expensive college, by only having to go there 2 or 3 years, the first 1 or 2 paid for at community college prices. And you get your degree from the college you want to at the end of it. Takes some planning but a cheaper option for college with the same end result.

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