I am very close to the national pinball museum and I still have pins

We have a nice place near us that has about 6 well maintained pins. They rotate them out, so we even get a chance to try out all of the new Stern's as their released. However, nothing beats having the pins in your own home! If you want to have an impromptu tournament and the loser cleans the kitchen, no one wants to drive across town.

I am smack dab in the middle of a bunch of nice places (Marvin's, Pinball Pete's, Shark Club), but I still like having my collection at home.

One thing I do find location games affecting me is that I find myself leaning more towards getting games I can't play elsewhere for my home collection. For example, I love TSPP. But there are at least 4 different ones on location within 10 miles of my house. Really lessens the desire to pony up the $$ to have Homer and Bart at home.

Later,
EV

I make my own Pizza(yes I make the dough) but still buy from places so I would say yes using that analogy.

I like the early 80's pins and those are next to impossible to find in any location so I want to have those in my collection.

I just want a pony.

If there was somewhere around me to play, then I'd be less inclined to have them in my home. But now that I've had them in my home, with no kids running around screaming, no background noise so I can hear what I'm doing, and time to actually learn and appreciate the game... I think I'd probably still have the 1-2 that I do now on ones I really liked. But like EV said, if there was one around me that I liked and could play, I'd be less inclined to want it at my house. Now that I have none around me, I've got worse pinball fever because I've got to buy and ship in anything that I want to play.

Depends on if they are on quarter play or a lump sum fee like CP Pinball.
I would still have some but my choice of pins would probably be different.

There are several places within 40 miles of me that have pins, including Lost Ark in Greensboro that has 12-14 at most times. I still have pins and want to continue to grow the collection -- it's just awesome being able to invite people over to the house to play, and for me, working on them and upkeep is half (well, maybe a quarter) the fun.

There is 6 games where I work. I play them all the time and also have games at home. I am never more than a few steps away from pinball all day and all night.

I'm envious. My company is moving into a new HQ at the end of next year and I'm trying to convince them to get some pins for the break room, even offered to maintain them.

There's a big gym just down the road.....but I still workout at home.

There's a lot to be said for convenience.

At home I can watch football or listen to music while I play. I can interact with my family. I can grab a snack and drink, and use my own bathroom. I can play a game and then go do something else and then play another.

In fact yesterday I worked out and then played one game of HS2......setting my all time high score (beating my old high score by 2x!).

I have plenty of places near me that have pins to play. I buy my favorites and the ones that I can't find anywhere else to play. Currently have JD, RBION and STTNG. No one has them on route near me, so I just expanded the selection.

I'd still collect them for the art and the hobby aspect to repair and restoration. But I'd go to the arcade, if the pins were well maintained, it was a nice place to take my family, and that the pins still cost a quarter to play.

But the 1970's were so long ago.

You do realize rent, utilities, price of equipment, etc. etc., has gone up since then ?

LTG : )

The 80s were still a quarter too. But yes, I realize that. It's just that the average wage hasn't moved in 30 years, so dropping a dollar or two a game is ludicrous. Hence, home use.

1981 Black Knight 50¢.
1991 75¢ had the same buying power as 50¢.

You really making the same wage now in 2012, as you were in 1980 ?

LTG : )

I would still have a collection. Im not limited on space in any way. I would still play at a local spot often if they did exist. It would give me a chance to play more pins and Im all for that.

I've not been in the workforce that long, but will definitely say, at least around here, wages haven't kept up with inflation by any means. It's pretty grossly behind, I think.

Though definitely not anywhere near the same as 1980s, I do know that my mom's wage is within $12,000 of what she was making in 1997, and prices in these last 15 years have way more than equated to a $1,000 a year inflation stipend.

I understand that, that is why I asked.

Obviously if someone can't buy the same amount of food, gas, essentials. Entertainment money is the first cut.

LTG : )

The machines at our arcade in the 80s were a quarter. Don't remember the titles, but does it really matter? It was meant as a generality. And I said average wage, not mine. Though I can't afford to play a dollar or more a game. Maybe if I were really good, and could keep the ball on the field....

Yep, I am 25 minutes away from the Pacific Pinball Museum, and 5 minutes away from Playland not at the beach (A museum of sorts with about 30 pins, including MB, CV, LOTR and HH.) Plus dozens of bars inbetween with pins.

Although I dont have nearly the huge collection that some of you do, but thats mainly because i can't afford them.

To me it does. I like to hear your view point. Agree with it or not, I listen.

And a part of the market I may need to be after somehow.

LTG : )

Ah. Gotcha. Then you should also know I generally stay with 80s pins, like RWH up there, not much into the cluttered, over-toyed DMD stuff. Nothing against, just not my cup of tea.

I just looked down the Pinside Top 100 and I can honestly say that 96 of them are within a 20 minute drive for me. The remaining 4 are also within a 20 minute drive, but they are in the private collections of good friends.

That being said, I still have 3 or 4 machines come though the revolving front door at my house.

Since I haven't seen any of Black Knight 2000, Haunted House, or Swords of Fury on location in well over a decade, and don't expect to, I'd still have my machines even if there were pinball machines in good condition nearby.

Even if the PHOF was 10 minutes from where I live, I'd still collect pins.