My friends know it’s my hobby, and most think it’s really cool. Everyone inevitably asks how much they cost. Most the time I think it’s just genuine curiosity – most people don’t have commercial arcade equipment in their homes, remember. I give them a range, I say they can go for anywhere between 500-10,000 for most games, and they do well to retain their value.

My in-laws, on the other hand, are a little more sanctimonious with their inquiries and comments. Those same people leave their kids behind to go to Cancun 2x a year, go out to eat constantly, or are just flat out bad with money. I was in a career that paid bonuses that allowed me to both plan for my future as well as splurge on machines. We don’t broadcast what we made. It’s just not who we are, but also I don’t want to be a point of contact for those dullards when they need a bailout. Well because of that, and their misunderstanding of my career, I’m quite certain they’re convinced that I’m a deadbeat husband that selfishly spends all of my wife’s earnings on pinball machines and other stupid toys. It bugs me some days, but I like to remember that it’s an ironclad strategy to insulate my finances from such people.