(Topic ID: 232410)

How to convince family to get a machine?

By gottliebgameroom

5 years ago


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  • Latest reply 5 years ago by poppapin
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    There are 75 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
    #1 5 years ago

    So, yeah. Pretty much what the title says. My family is skeptical about buying a machine and I need help convincing them that it is a good idea.

    50
    #2 5 years ago

    Better to ask forgiveness than permission....

    #4 5 years ago

    Find a location, play all the games, have them give you a top five. Compare the lists, compare the prices, choose the best bang for the buck that everyone likes.

    Some people like Pros and Cons lists. Know your audience. “What do I need to do to get you into a pinball machine today?” (Wait, maybe that is a new car? I forget the exact sales pitch.)

    Is this about space, price, the economy? What would the family rather have instead? I think some folks buy themselves a machine and get everyone else what they want. Consumerism win/win.

    #5 5 years ago

    Assuming you’re not the Mom or the Dad since you needed to create this post?

    I guess just ask your parents, perhaps offer to contribute or do chores around the house.

    #6 5 years ago

    Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll do what I can

    #7 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    So, yeah. Pretty much what the title says. My family is skeptical about buying a machine and I need help convincing them that it is a good idea.

    Sneak it in the back door when their not looking. Act as surprised as everyone else when they all wonder where it came ftom.

    #8 5 years ago
    Quoted from tp:

    Sneak it in the back door when their not looking. Act as surprised as everyone else when they all wonder where it came ftom.

    #9 5 years ago

    Who is all on the "family"?

    #10 5 years ago

    Is it family or spouse? In my case, created mini game room in half of our two car garage, insulated, heated, etc. as long as games stay there, wife fully supports hobby. It may be that yours is afraid of noise / space problems in house. Also understand that this isn’t really something you want for the family. It’s for you. So do it for you, and if family gets involved great. If not, you have a great hobby of your own.

    #11 5 years ago

    Tell em santa brought it

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    #12 5 years ago

    Find a fun theme that everybody likes.

    #13 5 years ago

    Take them somewhere where there are a lot of pins to play. Try and get them involved and show them some basics on playing.

    LTG : )

    #14 5 years ago

    By the way, recognize that with kids, it may just take a long exposure to your new machine. My then 20 year old daughter while first playing my first machine, played two balls. Then looked at me and said "so dad, this is supposed to be fun?". While far from a regular player, almost 3 years later, will play an entire game once in a while and admits it is "kinda" fun.

    #15 5 years ago

    One is a lonely number. Two can be as bad as one, it’s the loneliest number since number one.

    You’ll soon find out you need six or more to get a good fix.

    #16 5 years ago
    Quoted from Electrocute:

    One is a lonely number. Two can be as bad as one, it’s the loneliest number since number one.
    You’ll soon find out you need six or more to get a good fix.

    Bought my one and only in February 2016, by June had 5. They breed while you aren't looking.

    #17 5 years ago

    Take them to a buddy's house that has a few games and let them experience a clean, well maintained game in a home environment. One that they can hear, and that can be explained, along with some playing tips. Hell, it's pinball, they almost sell themselves. And reassure the wife that it won't lose value, just don't overpay when you buy.

    And we will be here next year when you need suggestions on building an addition for a game room

    #18 5 years ago

    If it's your money and your house then just buy what you want and enjoy it. Life is short

    #19 5 years ago
    Quoted from imagamejunky:

    If it's your money and your house then just buy what you want and enjoy it. Life is short

    Life is short, until your wife is pissed that you spent a couple grand on a pinball machine....

    #20 5 years ago

    Wheel it in and enjoy it. She’ll be pissed for awhile but will eventually get over it. Worked twice for me.

    #21 5 years ago

    Ha! Careful, it is never just ONE pin. I had one for 10 years. Kids got older and love playing. It became more of a hobby for me and now we have 3. Wife didn't want #2 or 3, but loves playing them now!

    Go for it!

    #22 5 years ago

    They retain value for now. Get a hot title that you could sell in a heartbeat. That logic worked for me.

    #23 5 years ago

    I'm on my fifth pinball machine and my fourth wife.

    #24 5 years ago

    Just ask your parents for permission and tell them you will take it with you when you move out.

    #25 5 years ago

    What he said!

    Quoted from imagamejunky:If it's your money and your house then just buy what you want and enjoy it. Life is short
    And if it isn't your house and you have the cash, ask if you can put one somewhere. They are a little noisy.

    #26 5 years ago

    I say go to a show, too.

    I really like iron maiden as my next pin but Veronika likes tron, so tron it is.

    When the time comes.

    #27 5 years ago

    The original post gives little explanation of the family dynamic here.
    Are you an adult trying to convince a spouse to get a pin for the house?
    Or is this a situation where your trying to convince your parents to get one?
    Depending on the situation I think there would be very different answers.

    #28 5 years ago

    if one pinball is Good ...

    and two pinballs is Gooder ...

    then three pinballs is Goodest !!!

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    #29 5 years ago

    Trying to convince parents.

    #30 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    If you are at all interested in engineering as a way of life there is a lot to be said about getting an older one in "less than perfect condition" and fixing one up... Getting "a beater" and working through one with a multi-meter, ordering correct parts, and soldering items in would be a learning experience you would likely ultimately lose money on. You'd also be dragging family along to buy and sell a machine... and move something that likely weighs as much as your parents combined.

    All and all, pinball is a capital intensive hobby. A pinball machine can cost as much as a starter car or that first semester at a community college. Were I you, I'd try and work extra jobs to be able to get a starter pin to learn off of and play on. You could sell that pin before leaving the house, but I wouldn't tie up all my college funds in pinball machines or anything like that. A pinball machine is likely the most expensive thing an most of the posters on this sites house. I believe most of the people on this forum are putting pins in their basement to try and recapture a youth that they spent at arcades. Your best bet is likely that... the arcade.

    #31 5 years ago

    Oh god, that changes the entire thread around! Best of luck.

    #32 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    Tell them it will keep you around the house and out of trouble.

    #33 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    So, yeah. Pretty much what the title says. My family is skeptical about buying a machine and I need help convincing them that it is a good idea.

    What specifically are they skeptical about? -- Cost? How much you will use it? What if it breaks? Re-sale value? Stretching the family budget?

    The more specific you can be, the better we can help you overcome your parent's objections.

    #34 5 years ago
    Quoted from AFM95:

    What specifically are they skeptical about? -- Cost? How much you will use it? What if it breaks? Re-sale value? Stretching the family budget?
    The more specific you can be, the better we can help you overcome your parent's objections.

    gottliebgameroom put one of your parents on the phone, I’ll wait....

    .... Can you really put a price on family fun time? One pin of the kid’s choosing or he walks. I’ve heard kids can adopt other parents. Look, this does not need to be a high stakes gamble. One (LOTR, SM, IM,WOZ, Hobbit, Dialed-In or JJPOTC) game in your house, and you’ll be patting yourself on the back for being so smart. Creating moments and building traditions in the gottliebgameroom homestead. Plus you finally get to be the cool parents. Put the kid back on, I’ll wait....

    @gottliebgameroom, tried to persuade your rents. Tell us how this investment is being perceived and list their sticking points. good luck

    #35 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    I bought my first game when I was 12 I had no problem convincing my parents since I paid for it.my basement quickly became the hangout for me and my friends making my mom very happy she could monitor my activities.we didn't play every day at my house but enough that my parents met all my friends and most of the neighborhood acquaintances and got a good sense of who I was running around with.

    #36 5 years ago

    Easy.

    1. Tell them it will keep you out of the bars, off video games and save you from the endless mindless hours spent on your smart phone.
    2. You can charge your friends to play and easily make back the money spent on the machine.
    3. Pinball machines are stone reliable, so you'll never have to pay to fix anything.
    4. Pinball machines only appreciate in value, so once you tire of it you can sell it for big bucks--way better than investing in the stock market or a college fund.
    5. Since pinball is a dead-bang money maker, you'll want to dedicate a whole wing of the house to pinball.

    I could go on, but that should do it.

    #37 5 years ago

    Tell them "Mom, Dad. I'm sorry. I lost my job, my girlfriend is pregnant and I owe a shady bookie in town 10 grand by the end of the week or he will break my legs." Right after they begin sobbing, exclaim "KIDDING! I bought a pinball machine."

    They will love it... relatively speaking. You will be able to put it in the living room!

    #38 5 years ago

    Tell them it's an investment. $10k by next Christmas. With the stock market blowing up it's a no brainer.

    #39 5 years ago

    For me I always sell it like a lease... You can always sell it and get most of your cash back. It’s my “fun” money ... it’s just tied up in a couple of machines. All in all, pinball albeit pricey doesn’t have to be a money pit... until you start modding stuff and getting over your head in “projects”.

    Get a fairly new machine ... something you can enjoy... and won’t require a ton of babysitting. I’ve found if I’m “investing” in projects... that’s a more difficult sell. 1. Because it requires your time, 2. Nobody else (especially your target audience) can enjoy it. 3. You can’t turn it around easily if you need to get that money back.

    #40 5 years ago

    I was thinking along a diff line. If you are asking your folks to fund the game - that could be difficult. However if you are interested find an inexpensive working project. Something you can enjoy but learn all the skills on to keep it running. Buying a non working project for a first pin can be frustrating and i think most would recommend not doing that, unless of course its the only way of getting one then why not??.

    But asking your folks to fork out 5k for something that will ultimately need some repairs at some point might not work. It gets pretty expensive to hire a tech if you arent inclined to learn how to fix it yourself. To me it would be like asking for a dog but then not picking up its crap or taking it for a walk...

    #41 5 years ago

    I noticed that this is being asked in an EM sub-forum. Was it the intention to get an electromechanical game? That would help your case regarding (A) low cost to acquire and (B) educational opportunities.
    .................David Marston

    #42 5 years ago

    Not enough info provided to enable the family circumstances to be understood in order to give proper advice. But heavens if you are an adult why is this any different to any purchase. Just make your decision and bring the family with you.

    #43 5 years ago
    Quoted from wayner:But heavens if you are an adult why is this any different to any purchase.

    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    #44 5 years ago

    Can you work to buy it yourself?

    #45 5 years ago

    I suppose the answer is going to be different depending on how your parents are and you know them better than anyone here.

    I know if I asked this of my dad when I was a kid he would have told me to get a job and save up my money.
    If I was under legal working age he told me things like "well I bet the neighbors would pay you $10 to mow their law, and we got an entire block full of neighbors".
    Occasionally when I was younger something would come up that was a bit out of my reach (even if I saved up).
    For instance I once bought a project 56 chevy that ran but needed work and my dad chipped in for part of it and it became a family project.
    Maybe you could get a project pin and make getting it working or restoring it a family project.
    Plenty of people here would walk you though how to fix stuff.
    If not see ForceFlow's comment on post #3.
    Have them take you to a few shows and see how enthused you are and maybe it will catch on with them.

    #46 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    Tell em its for a school project or physics engineering research thingy

    #47 5 years ago

    Tell them it’s a great way to learn about electronics and electrical circuits.

    #48 5 years ago

    Remind them that if you don’t get a game they’ll have to spend more time with you.

    #49 5 years ago
    Quoted from gottliebgameroom:

    Trying to convince parents.

    It does not need a litter box?
    When I was 14 Mom had a come apart when I came home with a motorcycle. So Dad comes in my room after work and Says Mom said you got a motorcycle. Yes Sir I saved my money all summer from working on farms. Dad goes upstairs and tells Mom I worked and saved for it and I could keep it.
    Save up some bucks, maybe when your folks see you working for you can get them to kick in.

    #50 5 years ago
    Quoted from davijc02:

    Wheel it in and enjoy it. She’ll be pissed for awhile but will eventually get over it. Worked twice for me.

    Hahaha right on, besides, do they ask for your permission before they shell out a couple of grand on new shoes/handbags/dresses? LOL, no!

    There are 75 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

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