i think the pinball hobby is exploding and growing in leaps and bounds, i predict machine values to hold well and possibly continue to go up. i went to papa this weekend, and i was pleased to see so many people of so many different backgrounds playing. there were kids, grown men and women, seniors; and everyone was playing pinball and having a blast doing it. i was really pleased to see the kids playing, if kids will get off their stupid ipads, TV's, and computers and play pinball like they are; we might just see a future for pinball, not just a future but a bright future. some of those 10+ kids were playing some really good pinball, i saw some that had quite a bit of skill; like it wasnt the first time they had played. my son will be in that group as he grows up, he is only three right now. i was also pleased to see that women are now playing quite a bit as well. i think pinball was almost exclusively a male dominated game, i think that's changing and that women are starting to play as much as men. we need anyone who is interested to get involved. as i type this my wife is playing bride of pinbot, and i think that's A-OK.

i also saw a recent newspaper article about the local pinball scene. that's right, its starting to make major media outlets. getting into the media is a great thing and will make it grow even more. people will read the newspaper article and it will get them thinking about something they havent thought about in a long time. games like pinball arcade help, but not everyone plays video games. allot of people that dont play video games read the newspaper.

i think the pinball community is healthier then ever and its expanding. when i went to papa there literally was NO place to park, the place was also packed. i had a great time and it was worth driving 300 miles and spending the night in a hotel to check out some games i have never seen. i would like to participate in the tournament sometime but its difficult to get 4 days off from work.

#2 9 years ago

COS

cosmokramer

Pinside member

11y 120K 8,462

amen brotha

#3 9 years ago

ABC

Chambahz

Pinside member

Toronto, ON

11y 87,050 3,756 1 11 1

I hope you're right but for many, it might be just a trend.
Only time will tell.
The cool part is that pinball doesn't need to evolve to continue being fun. I can't see it ever becoming obsolete.

#4 9 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,797

If prices continue to go up like you say, then that may eliminate a great portion of those that want to play pinball from actually living the dream and owning their own machines. I hope for the growth of this hobby that the cost of owning a quality pinball machine is within every mans reach.

#5 9 years ago

???

Force951

Inactive member

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

13y 19,900 139 2

I agree, friday i rented an appliance dolly to get my new machine upstairs. When i was returning it i had a long conversation with the guy checking out a table saw, and the clerk working the counter about pinball. Turned them onto the PHOF and the pinball map app.

#6 9 years ago

ALX

achtungboyy

Pinside member

El Paso, TX

11y 75,150 252 98 131

I miss the golden age of pin which to me is the 90's. I remember going to the arcade and almost always seeing a new pin from T2- MM. I hope it is coming back. There is a barcade opening in town (the first one here) with six pins. Hopefully it will be a hit. I hope the hobby continues to grow but not the prices.

#7 9 years ago

XOX

Inactive member

Austin, TX

10y 6,150 10

You think newspapers are still "major media outlets," that's cute!

No but seriously, here in Austin, weekend nights at Pinballz are always packed, even weeknights can draw a surprising crowd, and at Buffalo Billiards this weekend they had everything on free play and when I showed up this evening every working pin was in use.

Looks like several local high score villains made various finals at PAPA too. Don't know about anywhere else but pinball seems alive and well here to me.

#8 9 years ago

JSB

Joshmx19

Pinside member

Dornsife, PA

11y 66,400 1,259 20

I went to PAPA on Friday and really enjoyed seeing all of the people as well. When I got back home that night my brother and two of his friends had every machine in my game room turned on, beer was flowing, the styx pandora station was blasting and they were having a blast! They are in their mid 20's and normally do the video games and admitted pinball wasn't something they thought of playing very often but they felt like they are hooked now. It was nice to come home and see my games being used, lately I have been restoring full time and the games haven't been on much. I dunno, yay pinball! Word salad over.

#9 9 years ago

AJD

ad356

Inactive member

North Java, NY

10y 22,150 188 5

pinball was also featured on the today show about a month ago, so yes it is making major media outlets. games i saw at papa that i wouldnt mind owning are apollo 13, black hole, pinbot, independence day, high speed II getaway (i own a 1986 high speed already), data east star trek was fun as well. these pins i mentioned are the pins that are under $3k to buy. of course i liked attack from mars and catacus canyon, but i dont like the prices on those machines so i wouldnt buy a $9k attack from mars. will i play them, yes but im not buying at those prices,

really my hope with pinball values is for the machines to hold value where they are. i dont want anyone to loose money on their pins but on the other hand i guess i dont want to see the values out of reach for most people

#10 9 years ago

ARS

asay

Pinside member

9y 46,050 991

Price is definitely the biggest barrier to entry. Not that pinball machines were ever cheap, but arcades and location games have dwindled down to almost zero in most parts of the country. And the arcades that do exist are pretty much all redemption games.

Young people just can't afford to pay used car money for a pinball machine. And even for the games that are <$1k, think about the video games they are up against. $800 will buy you a brand new console and every game you'd want on it. That being said, I don't think pinball is going to die anytime soon..it's just going to remain somewhat of a niche hobby.

#11 9 years ago

ENO

pinaholic

In Memoriam

New York, NY

12y 68,550 2,118 49

It is documented with a sharp rise in pinball tournament show and tournament players, a sharp rise in pinball sales and an increase in manufacturers, both boutique and large. Sounds like it to me.
Don Pinaholic (NYC Pinball Mafia)

#12 9 years ago

???

snaroff

Pinside member

Jupiter, FL

11y 93,800 5,834 15

Quoted from achtungboyy:
I miss the golden age of pin which to me is the 90's. I remember going to the arcade and almost always seeing a new pin from T2- MM. I hope it is coming back. There is a barcade opening in town (the first one here) with six pins. Hopefully it will be a hit. I hope the hobby continues to grow but not the prices.

Me too. Club 82 is a wildly successful barcade in the Arts District of Los Angeles (http://eightytwo.la/games/). Great titles in exceptional condition. Even if pinball prices come down, many people don't have the space or motivation to actually own one. That's why pool halls still exist...lot of folks like to play casually without dedicated space/cash.

#13 9 years ago

AJD

ad356

Inactive member

North Java, NY

10y 22,150 188 5

there is a local place, a pool hall. its called pocketeer billards and in the last couple of years they have added pins. now there is 13 machines there, lol. i keep joking they are going to pull some of the pool tables out to make more room for pins. its actually a great place to go and they have some games that are probably out of my price range, and one game that is within my price range that i like allot. its probably one that i might buy if the right machine comes up with the right price. its a 1984 space shuttle, what a cool game. i if i eventually bought a black hole it would go well with black hole and firepower... maybe a space station as well. i love space themed pins, including star trek pins, star wars, and apollo 13.

#14 9 years ago

???

snaroff

Pinside member

Jupiter, FL

11y 93,800 5,834 15

OP
Quoted from ad356:
there is a local place, a pool hall. its called pocketeer billards and in the last couple of years they have added pins. now there is 13 machines there, lol. i keep joking they are going to pull some of the pool tables out to make more room for pins. its actually a great place to go and they have some games that are probably out of my price range, and one game that is within my price range that i like allot. its probably one that i might buy if the right machine comes up with the right price. its a 1984 Space Shuttle, what a cool game. i if i eventually bought a black hole it would go well with black hole and firepower... maybe a Space Station as well. i love space themed pins, including Star Trek pins, Star Wars, and Apollo 13.

Space Shuttle is a very sweet game that doesn't break the bank.

#15 9 years ago

MFC

Nitromikee

Inactive member

Unknown

12y 14,650 7 9

Here in Omaha we have a great place called Beercade and it is both pinball machines and vintage arcades...and it is a hit to the point that they have expanded. There is also a pool hall that bought virtually every A title B/W game from the early 90's brand new so 20 years later you can get your fix for T2 or TZ or anything in between. We have seen a huge upswing in sales at our place to the point that we have leased a bigger building to accommodate all of the machines we get in. The one interesting thing about the resurgence in pinball is it isn't tied to any one media or Hollywood created buzz...people are just re-discovering what the fun is all about, and it is pinball.

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