My life ended today - my complete pinball collection burnt down | All Pinball

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#1 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

The worst thing in my life happened today. Tonight our whole Pinball hall burnt completly down. ALL about 100 machines destroyed by fire and water. NOTHING to rescue, all gone, last 14 years gone ...

I do not even get the chance, to go into the house; an excavator has started to demolish the whole house because of collapse danger. I was not allowed, to rescue at least parts from the excavator shovel, backglasses, cabinets, just crushed ...

Floor ceilings broke through the house and destroyed everything. I friend of mine informed me this night, the hall is about 15 km away from my home.

NO insurence for the pinball machines ... I am completly down ... Why did that happen to me?

Tons of PCBs, plastics, Playfields, Hardware ... ALL AWAY forever ... My complete Gottlieb SYS1 collection including my loved AAAAA destroyed and gone forever.

You cannot imagine, how I feel today ... Only my little 9 year old son Ingo junior gives me strength and keeps me upright ... I could cry the whole night long ...

Nothing will remain of the house, my work from the last 14 years, all ended ...

Video from the fire Department:

https://www.facebook.com/BlaulichtREPORTHagen/videos/318094555503351/

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51

#2 5 years ago

JPD

Dayhuff

Pinside member

Battle Creek, MI

12y 126K 6,435 79 11

So sorry for your loss........but I'm glad you and your son are all right.

John

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2

#3 5 years ago

RUM

Rum-Z

Pinside member

Adrian, MI

13y 150K 4,020 29

Ughhhh... I'm so sorry. I'm absolutely gutted for you. Like John above said though, I'm glad you and your family are okay.

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6

#4 5 years ago

ROB

RCA1

Pinside+ Addict

St Joseph, MI

12y 133K 8,973 29 11

Important thing is that you and your son are fine.
Everything else is secondary.
Very sorry to see this though.

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#5 5 years ago

AAA

pintechev

Inactive member

11y 91,300 4,437

I am so sorry to hear this. Awful - thank goodness you and your family is safe.

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16

#6 5 years ago

WFC

Billc479

Pinside+ Addict

Pleasant Plains, IL

9y 79,800 3,327 15 1

The pinball machines were just material things - feel blessed that your family is OK. When you feel down, think about how much they mean to you and to what you mean to them.

I suspect that over time, you will rebuild your material things -pinball machines, cars, pictures, etc. For now, feel blessed that everyone is fine. You have survived and will survive.

Sorry for your material loss.

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#7 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

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1

#8 5 years ago

RON

Rondogg

Pinside member

Oh no! Awful!

#9 5 years ago

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

Thank you all for your concern ...

As said, my family and me are physically OK ... we live in another town ... the pinball hall was a fromer factory building we especially bought for our pinball machines ...

However, our nerves are blan like never before ...

If I catch the bastard who did this to me, he will not be happy anymore ...

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1

#10 5 years ago

TIM

Tuna_Delight

Pinside+ Frequent

14y 182K 7,700 1

That's awful - sorry to hear!

Why no insurance on the games though? Was the building not insured or just no contents insured? What about your own home insurance?

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#11 5 years ago

ROK

Rock914

Rock Custom Pinball

Wayland, MI

11y 90,900 2,148 7

Unbelievable, so sorry this happened. I am happy you and your family are ok.

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#12 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

Quoted from Tuna_Delight:
That's awful - sorry to hear!
Why no insurance on the games though? Was the building not insured or just no contents insured? What about your own home insurance?

Building was insured, but not the contents

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13

#13 5 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 58,399 24 7

I don't have words that will comfort you. I am sorry you suffered such a terrible loss.

LTG

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#14 5 years ago

STU

Pinballer73

Pinside+ Frequent

Moe

12y 83,050 2,506

Terrible news any collectors worst nightmare. Hopefully you can find joy in the hobby again.

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1

#15 5 years ago

EVN

EvanDickson

Pinside member

Charlottetown, PE

10y 91,550 2,692 5 49

Oh man, sorry to hear that Ingo!

Someone intentionally burned the building on you???

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1

#16 5 years ago

CHP

ChipScott

Pinside+ Frequent

Jackson, TN

7y 97,550 1,238 2 77 1

OMG!!! That is terrible!
How do they think the fire started?
I'm glad that you and your family are okay and that this place was away from your physical home.
This is just awful, I can't imagine how you must feel. Gutted I think you said is probably close...ugh...
My heart goes out to you man...
Keep us posted on what the fire department finds out

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1

#17 5 years ago

KER

Kerry_Richard

Pinside+ Frequent

Danville, CA

12y 88,900 3,044

Wow!!! Pinball Brother... so sorry to hear about your loss.

So happy to hear no one was hurt. Pins can be replaced, not family.

Our thoughts are with you and your family, during this stressful time.

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#18 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

Quoted from EvanDickson:
... Someone intentionally burned the building on you???

I do not know, but I think so. I have not been there for 1 year (little time), my friend sometimes looked for the hall. Complete electricity was always switched off, only on, when we were there. I exclude an electrical error 100%.

Luckily I have most of my electronic equipment for my pinball projects at home, also the Gerber-Files for my boards and all parts are here ... only the machines and many many WPC-95 boards ... nearly complete Gottlieb SYS 80 collection and my most loved Gottlieb SYS 1 machines ...

I am completly down ...

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#19 5 years ago

OZZ

PoMC

Pinside+ Member

11y 125K 9,173 3

Sorry to read and see this. Awful no matter what the contents of the home were.

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#20 5 years ago

???

Strummy

High End Mods

Prague

11y 128K 2,993 4

That is horrible. So sorry to hear

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14

#21 5 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

HEP

Matthews, NC

12y 147K 12,818

Sorry to see this Ingo.
I understand you put a lot into accumulating and caring for these games.
Truthfully this is a loss to the entire hobby when a bulk of games like this is lost.
I hope the upcoming New Year will provide you with a better outlook and fresh start.

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#22 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

Quoted from ChipScott:
...
How do they think the fire started?
...

Firemen think, that it was a car (!!!) that stood near the house and the car burnt ... BUT I do not believe that ... I ask myself, why the roof burnt first, though i was not there, I was informed 5 hours later, but I saw the video firemen posted on fachbook ... and I did not allow anybody, to park a car in this private ground ...

Police was there too ... I know, I will have the damage ... I do not want any money from insurance, I only want exactly my machines back ...

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#23 5 years ago

KO

Backyardace

Pinside member

8y 44,150 343 2

Very sorry to hear of your loss. I hope you get some answers.

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#24 5 years ago

MJO

arcademojo

Pinside member

11y 131K 5,517 30

Truly a devastating loss. So sorry to here this. As others have said just be glad no one was harmed.

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#25 5 years ago

MPT

plowpusher

Pinside member

Yutan, NE

13y 134K 1,719 21 58

I feel your pain , brite side is this was not your house and collection together like most of us have

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1

#26 5 years ago

MLH

DylanFan71

Pinside member

Saginaw, MI

12y 105K 1,639 19 6 1

So sad. Such a loss. I’m sorry.

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1

#27 5 years ago

SPK

Scotty_K

ScottyMods

Saddle Brook, NJ

11y 82,050 977 5 7

Oh my goodness...words cannot describe this loss, for you personally and for the hobby overall.

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2

#28 5 years ago

RNS

ElectroMagnetic

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 111K 5,252 16

Hope you start over.

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3

#29 5 years ago

DC

Darcy

Pinside member

Leduc, AB

11y 124K 6,387 17

That is the saddest thing I have seen for some time. Sorry for your loss.

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2

#30 5 years ago

DOG

Whysnow

Pinside member

12y 192K 35,384 31

So sorry my pinball brother!

I am happy your family is safe and no lives were lost.

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#31 5 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 249K 2,933 35 106 1

So sorry to hear about your situation -- Even though it is a physical loss of stuff it definitely strains the emotions.

Is is normal in Europe for firefighters to post a fire scene on facebook? Back in my firefighting days I don't think we ever would have considered posting people's tragedies online for others to see.

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#32 5 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Newland, NC

12y 79,800 2,877 19 7

I am so sorry. I can’t imagine how awful you must feel.

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#33 5 years ago

???

gjm

Pinside+ Addict

10y 78,050 1,349

Quoted from TractorDoc:
So sorry to hear about your situation -- Even though it is a physical loss of stuff it definitely strains the emotions.
Is is normal in Europe for firefighters to post a fire scene on facebook? Back in my firefighting days I don't think we ever would have considered posting people's tragedies online for others to see.

Must be be normal, in one picture the firefighter seems to be smiling for the picture.
Sorry for the loss of your collection.

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1

#34 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

Quoted from TractorDoc:
So sorry to hear about your situation -- Even though it is a physical loss of stuff it definitely strains the emotions.
Is is normal in Europe for firefighters to post a fire scene on facebook? Back in my firefighting days I don't think we ever would have considered posting people's tragedies online for others to see.

Not normal in Europe, but this was a report site of the police for information purposes only, not meant bad by them ...

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1

#35 5 years ago

LER

Lermods

Lermods Pinball Co.

11y 201K 11,026 58 1

So sorry to hear this, a terrible loss. I'm glad you and your family are ok. I cannot even begin to imagine how you feel, I get its more than the machines, but also all the work you must have put into them...you become so attached to them. Hang in there.

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3

#36 5 years ago

OP

IKR

german-pinball

11y 73,400 911 31

I forgot to say, that some rooms in the front of the house were leased, luckily these persons were all rescued. I just found a first report in the newspaper online here ... the pinball hall was more in the back of the building complex ...

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wp.de%2Fstaedte%2Fhagen%2Fmutter-und-fuenf-kinder-aus-mehrfamilienhaus-gerettet-id216088041.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1oxJXAJ9rMP7LrE2m45V-orV27kySrSHTXGYfgn3TEywH_IuGxZbnaKYg

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4

#37 5 years ago

JPJ

Frippertron

Pinside member

Sparta, NJ

7y 60,800 2,322

No one got hurt is the silver lining. Building is insured, fantastic. You will take a loss on the pins but luckily you can afford it. Things could be much worse my friend. Sit down for a nice meal with your family and talk about how good you guys have it. Material stuff gets in the way, I'm glad nobody was hurt.

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3

#38 5 years ago

JAY

Phat_Jay

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 112K 2,409 1

Omg, I’m so sorry...weird thing is I literally have an application sitting on my desk for collectibles insurance. I think I may fill it out tonight now.

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#39 5 years ago

BB

Blackbeard

Pinside member

13y 106K 12,224 6 20

I’m
So sorry.

Wow.

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1

#40 5 years ago

ORJ

Jenk540i

Pinside+ Frequent

Arden, NC

10y 73,800 1,241 12 12

Ingo:

I am so sorry for you. You are one of the true gentlemen of this hobby and a brilliant creator.

This makes me very sad.

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2

#41 5 years ago

DAD

Azmodeus

Pinside member

Fullerton, CA

12y 98,300 5,332 1

I am sorry to hear of your loss, very happy that no one was hurt.

When I was sixteen my home burned to the ground And I moved in with my grandparents for awhile.

I lost everything material at that age. Except my family.

I'm glad you also did not lose anyone.

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#42 5 years ago

YOS

Yoski

Pinside member

Sebring, FL

9y 88,150 456 17 133

My sincere condolences. I am always worried about that happening to me. It's very difficult to insure anything collectible. The insurance companies usually overcharge on the premium and underpay if anything bad happens.
Seeing that ruined my whole evening, what a horrendous loss. There's really nothing anybody can say to make you feel better. So sorry.

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#43 5 years ago

DIE

underlord

Pinside+ Addict

15y 143K 9,142 53

I’m so sorry. I truly wish this never happened. You can always rebuild you’re collection.

1

12

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#44 5 years ago

---

ForceFlow

Pinside Moderator

10y 241K 32,479 282 14

Oh my

That's awful--very sorry to hear about your loss

-----

For anyone who does not have their collection and other valuables insured--do it today. Don't wait, don't say you'll get to it next week, do it now. It's not that expensive and it only takes a few minutes. Two insurance companies that seem to be able to cover collectibles are state farm and collectinsure.com. Make sure to ask about both fire and flood coverage. If you have off-site storage or storage units, those can be covered as well.

Often times, collectibles and other valuables are not included under the standard home/renter/building insurance, or they are only covered by a low cap of around $1000-$2000.

Be sure to note serial numbers and take photos of everything and put those in a safe place off-site, such as a safe deposit box. Get a USB flash drive to store the data, and update it every quarter. The insurance company won't need that info until you actually file a claim.