I was 12 years old when I bought my first game Capt. Fantastic in 1986 with my own money($250) i saved from my paper route and cutting lawns and it still resides in my living room to this day.I found it a few miles away from home in the Trading Times classifieds and my dad took me to get it.I used to kick my dad's butt at it and he would get on me for cheating because I new how to nudge lol.whats your story?
Was 14 in 1984. Stern dracula 275.00. Just reacquired the same game after 30 years in storage and will restore it.
I was 32 years old and was waiting for my tax return in 1996. I went down to a place in Coast Mesa that had some pins. I saw a Data East Batman for $1,100.00, I played it and I thought that was the game for me. Told the guy when I get the money I'll be back for it. So two weeks later I get the money and get there and there's no Batman. At first I was a bit sad, until I see they have a Data East Star Wars for $1,000.00. Played it, bought it, still have it. Today it's at my Mom and Dads house. My Mom is 80 years old and loves to play pinball. She plays Star Wars & Sopranos pin all the time. As she plays you'll hear her laugh and curse both. Makes me love pinball even more.
32 - Picked up a POTO. Rented a truck and the owner and I had a hard time getting it in (we didn't take the legs off lol). He ended up backing the truck onto his yard so it was against his raised porch and that worked.
Drove it home with the legs on, parked and wondered how I was going to get it off. Sat there probably 15 minutes before I knocked on the neighbor's door for help. Good memories!
Needs poll with age ranges.
33
Pinball has nothing to do with nostalgia for me. My hobby was video games and a few years ago I started playing Pinball FX2 and Pinball Arcade on a whim. I got hooked and decided to get a real pin. 3 years and 18 pins later I'm still hooked! I rarely play video games now.
27 when I bought my F14 Tomcat used in 1990 $1000
Roommate and I bought a pin for our college dorm room (19). Ended up eventually squeezing 3 pins in the living room of our apt later on. Learned repairs when stuff broke, brought a Galaxy back from the dead, and had a blast playing with friends.
Collecting turned out to be one of my best choices, because I met my wife showing her how to play our pins in that same little apartment. 
16. local operator was selling his EMs, single players were $100, two players were $120
bought a Gottlieb Sure Shot
My first was at 27 and it was a nib LOTR bought for me as a surprise Christmas present by my wife. Yea, she's a keeper 
29. Bought an Eight Ball for $300. Had a 500 sf apartment at the time. Didn't leave room for much else. Never dawned on me that the folks in the apartment below me might not appreciate it when I was playing at 3 a.m. Turned out it was an 80-year-old lady that was deaf, and the only time it was a big deal was when her kids were there visiting.
Wow -- people purchased a lot younger than I would have thought -- esp you guys at 13, 11?!? Wow!
27 I believe for myself -- non working firepower for 300 I fixed up and half restored (to the best of my knowledge / ability / patience at the time). 31 now, think I've gone thru /sold 8 pins, 4 in the game room now with one more on order.. it escalated quick, which was certainly not my intention when I started. Oops!
15, I bought a Williams Argosy (EM) with money I saved from working on my uncles' well drilling rig in the school holidays. The next year I bought a Black Knight. A few years later I sold them when I discovered girls and parties. Didn't buy my next one until 3 years ago at 45.
29, bought a Dr Dude, then sold it for a Stern Star Trek Pro. Trying to convince my wife we have room for one more...
36, Bought a Demo Man. Was on the hunt for a arcade game, but discovered a Demo man for sale on Craigslist. It never occurred to me you could own a pinball machine as I hadn't seen or played a machine in 15 years......They were basically out of sight, out of mind. After seeing that Demo man for sale on for only $1800, I realized how very possible it was to own a machine. A ton of memories flooded my head from my college years and ever when I was a kid, great memories I hadn't thought about in 15 years. I had the cash so I went and pulled the trigger. The game was in super condition and while speaking with the owner he informed me he owned 50 games........I WAS SHOCKED.....of course being a stranger, he would not let me see them. I was surprised how friendly the owner was, he was actually excited that I had discovered pinball again.......certainly more excited than my father who was there helping me, standing in disbelief. The seller explained as much as he could to me given I was clueless. Once I discovered Pinside, I met my buddy Rascal and the rest was history. I had fallen in love with this amazing hobby and great community.
Great stories!
I think I was about 35 when I bought my 1st pin, Hang Glider, which I still have today. I was bitten pretty hard at the time and quickly added Top Score, plus 2 projects. I stayed there for a couple years and then sold 3 machines to pursue other interests. Two years ago, I decided to build a game room and have since jumped in with both feet and bought 8 more machines, with more to come.
I find it funny that when you tell people you collect pinball machines, their reactions are usually peculiar. But when they visit and play them, they start asking where they can get one.
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