(Topic ID: 273728)

How will I know when I have enough pins?

By Blakester

3 years ago


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    There are 129 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 3.
    #1 3 years ago

    These pinball machines sure are fun to collect--but sometimes you reach a point where you can't give them all the time they deserve. Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    18
    #2 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    Never!

    26
    #3 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    These pinball machines sure are fun to collect--but sometimes you reach a point where you can't give them all the time they deserve. Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    Are you married? A good sign that you have one too many is when she leaves you.

    20
    #4 3 years ago

    Too many games is not the problem. Too little time, money, and space is the problem!

    #5 3 years ago

    About five years post your funeral is an acceptable time to slow down on new acquisitions.

    16
    #6 3 years ago

    For me, I can’t keep up maintenance on more than 5 or 6, maybe 7 occasionally. When I have more than 1 down at a time, I start thinking it’s too much. It becomes not fun, just stressful when they’re not working.

    17
    #8 3 years ago

    When your pin room is full, and you have one in the garage and one in the shop, you know you're at the halfway point

    24
    #9 3 years ago

    I don't understand the question.

    13
    #10 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    When I first started to collect over 20+ years ago it was how many pins I could fit across the basement wall (7). Then once that became full the new limit was how many pins can the basement hold once I remove the tables and couch (23). Then that got filled up. Later I discovered that I could put pins at friends and family houses, projects in the garage, more extra inventory in sheds, etc. I quickly had over 150+ pins but games where cheap in the late 1990's and early 2000's. So to answer your question, there are no limits. Only creative ways to place pins and hide them from the wife (but my wife did not really care anyways). I had some weird collecting trends, like have all the Bally/Williams WPC/WPC95 games, all the multi-level pins from the 1980's, all Williams system11 games, a row of Capcom games, etc. Now I just collect and keep the games I like to play. It was really stressful to just keep track of 150+ pins and where they were all at. I had to keep a spreadsheet inventory of all of them.

    #11 3 years ago
    Quoted from Hayfarmer:

    When your pin room is full, and you have one in the garage and one in the shop, you know you're at the halfway point

    ROLMAO!!!

    #12 3 years ago

    When you finally put one in the Kitchen....
    Its time to reevaluate.

    #13 3 years ago
    Quoted from Hayfarmer:

    When your pin room is full, and you have one in the garage and one in the shop, you know you're at the halfway point

    You missed the one at work!

    #14 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    These pinball machines sure are fun to collect--but sometimes you reach a point where you can't give them all the time they deserve. Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    16 is my Max. 4 EM 6 early/late SS 6 DMD/LCD

    #15 3 years ago

    I do not think its possible to have enough. If they keep coming out with more and more and more, especially with newest tech, themes etc, we are all basically in big time trouble.

    #16 3 years ago

    When YOU decide.

    For some that is 1
    For some that is 1000

    Some like to just go after the next new thing
    Some like to restore
    Some like to find oddballs
    Some like a mix
    Some like to just play on route

    For most, I think the right amount fluctuates over time in the hobby and we all seem to settle on our number.

    I personally went from 1 to 12 in 12 months. I then paused for a bit and then it grew to 40 before the next pause. I then sold a few that I no longer cared for before realizing what games I really gravitate towards.

    I then grew to somewhere over the # that really gets counted.

    Now I am building a new place to get them all on legs (collect them from friends homes and odd places).
    I figure I will likely parse back once that new place gets games actually in it and I see how it feels.

    I only have a handful of games I hunt for anymore and find more lately that I want to get rid of.

    All that really matters is what YOU are comfortable with (and it does not hurt your life/ relationships along the way).

    #17 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    These pinball machines sure are fun to collect--but sometimes you reach a point where you can't give them all the time they deserve. Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    When you put one in the shitter. I recommend you modify the legs so you can play while you sit on the throne.

    #18 3 years ago
    Quoted from Friengineer:

    When you put one in the shitter. I recommend you modify the legs so you can play while you sit on the throne.

    Oh god. You know this has been done somewhere.

    #20 3 years ago

    When you run out of one of the following:
    Space
    Money
    Time
    Fun

    #21 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    As soon as you get there... start hosting a league. It provides a massive excuse to have too many games! Personally, I host a Classics League. Some of my classics don't get played for months. But... "I can't sell that, because I need it for league". It's like a get out of jail free card.

    #22 3 years ago

    Your dog will tell you . Right after your dog says no to more steak scrapes since its watching its diet !

    Shane

    #23 3 years ago

    When you have a house for a family of 5 and pins take up most of the spare bedrooms, office, entire basement, and you are asking a contractor what it would cost to tunnel under the garage....

    Nahhhh....still not enough.

    #24 3 years ago

    When you're maxed out, and have the pins YOU like

    #25 3 years ago

    I've always thought it will be if i ever regain my sanity but i doubt that will ever happen so bring em on!

    #26 3 years ago

    Rotate them in and out. And don't worry about the number. I've gone through 45. Have 4 now. Had 6 max. And only have 1 that's a keeper.

    Friends games fill the itch to play something different.

    #27 3 years ago

    When 3 of your mates have one each at their home because you have run out of room

    #28 3 years ago
    Quoted from erak:

    Rotate them in and out.

    Erak has the eventual answer. Find your comfortable allotted space you both agree on. If you go over your limit a quick drop off at your friend's and you have time to sell one of yours. RDoyle wins with my favorite answer: When the wife leaves you.

    #29 3 years ago

    No such thing as enough.

    You might need some creativity. For money, space, selling the wife and kids. Robbing banks. Adding buildings.

    You can do it !

    LTG : )

    #30 3 years ago
    Quoted from Friengineer:

    When you put one in the shitter. I recommend you modify the legs so you can play while you sit on the throne.

    I wanted to do that with an Orbitor 1 - I would have had to taken the sink out. The back of the game would have bridged the bowl

    I wanted to have an isolation booth type feel for the game. It was also too long by about 8".

    #31 3 years ago

    Before getting married I had pins on all three levels of the house. It was awesome! New wife insisted they migrate to the lower level “as long as we can still have parties down there” (i.e., people could circulate around without climbing over machines). That area filled up so I’ve filled up a side suite in my counseling office. I actually have IMDN (from MI Pinball Refinery) in my main counseling office. Interestingly VERY VERY few clients have even commented on it. I guess they’ve got bigger fish to fry!

    #32 3 years ago
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    #33 3 years ago

    You'll have enough pins when this is your theme song.

    LTG : )

    #34 3 years ago

    My personal thoughts:
    When you find yourself leaving games broken because you're tired of working on them. I left one broken for almost 3 years. I told myself no more until I got that fixed.
    When your bank account says no.
    When you run out of space and can't really convince yourself to sell/trade one because you know you'll regret it.
    When you find yourself trying to decide if you wanna play or watch TV and you choose TV.

    #35 3 years ago

    When you buy a church for them you're pretty much an idiot.

    #36 3 years ago

    I think when you have more sitting vertically than horizontal. Then it’s tuff bc can’t plays as many as you would like

    #37 3 years ago
    Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

    When you finally put one in the Kitchen....
    Its time to reevaluate.

    Actually, it’s the perfect place since we spend so much time in the kitchen!
    Thanks for the idea!

    #38 3 years ago
    Quoted from PinballSTAR:

    When you buy a church for them you're pretty much an idiot.

    I resemble that comment.

    #39 3 years ago
    Quoted from ToucanF16:

    Actually, it’s the perfect place since we spend so much time in the kitchen!
    Thanks for the idea!

    I have one next to my kitchen and it's the one I play the most, a ball in between checking nothing is burning.

    I do cool a lot of burnt food though, my kids hate me.

    #40 3 years ago

    when they close the lid on you............

    #41 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    These pinball machines sure are fun to collect--but sometimes you reach a point where you can't give them all the time they deserve. Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    Based on your collection, when you run out of play money?

    #42 3 years ago

    You’ll know when....

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    #43 3 years ago

    My girlfriend loves a new pin as much as I do.

    I was up to 7 pins and making space for more.

    But I seen how it was going, most games we would play between 800 and 1600 times, and we were just kind of tired of it and wanted something different.

    I finally sold all but 2. Those 2 just have so many features I like I knew they would keep my interest for a long time.

    With the sudden new found space I picked up a ping pong table. It has been great as far as getting some exercise and having some fun.

    (in the meantime we pretty much have not played anything except the 2020 Golden Tee I picked up in April, and ping pong).

    There is a pretty decent frisbee golf course 3 miles away we finally made it to. She loved that and as soon as the summer heat and humidity is gone she is ready for that again.

    But really, I just downsized because the older I get the more aches and pains I am having, so I am just trying to become more frugal so I do not have to work so much.

    It is nice to have emergency funds built back up at the moment.

    (but yeah, if I see a pin come out I think we will love for a while I will pick one up, pay 7500 or whatever, play it 800-1600 times and sell it here for around 6500).

    For us, a pin can just look so awesome, and be so much fun, but after a while something about it just gets old, no hurry to play it again, so time for something new.

    #44 3 years ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    You'll have enough pins when this is your theme song.
    LTG : )

    Haha Lloyd I hadn’t heard that song in ages. As far as the question I found my sweet spot when I started rotating games. I rotate them out every 18 months or so so I found 8 games is perfect for my play the shit out of them/sell them and get something new cycle.

    #45 3 years ago

    When your wife kicks in the nuts....cassie cage style!

    #46 3 years ago
    Quoted from Gunnut40:

    When your wife kicks you in the nuts....cassie cage style!

    #47 3 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    For me, I can’t keep up maintenance on more than 5 or 6, maybe 7 occasionally. When I have more than 1 down at a time, I start thinking it’s too much. It becomes not fun, just stressful when they’re not working.

    6 was too much. I found it stressful keeping them running and sold them all. I only play on route now. I had hoped to change that with R&M but flipped my spot as I needed the cash.

    #48 3 years ago
    Quoted from Blakester:

    Thoughts about when "enough is enough"?

    Following.

    I'd like to know the answer to this question too.

    #49 3 years ago

    Once you hit 50 games you have to start questioning your sanity.
    I sold them all and bought this and restored all the mechanical.
    Now I am buying a few more pins.
    Pic taken @ Rotary Point, Lake Arrowhead.

    Grand Canyon 2 001 (resized).jpgGrand Canyon 2 001 (resized).jpg
    #50 3 years ago

    This was a trick question, right?

    There are 129 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 3.

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