Quoted from jar155:Collecting pinball machines and having no desire to improve is like buying tons of fishing equipment and still only throwing worms on a hook into a community pond full of stocked fish. You're seriously limiting yourself from how many more aspects the hobby has to offer you.
Sadly I've kinda done this maybe not the community pond but the more/better fishing gear does not make a better fisherman. I agree that exposure alone will make most players better at pinball.