(Topic ID: 304599)

Pinball gatekeeping

By seenev

2 years ago


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  • Latest reply 2 years ago by seenev
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    #1 2 years ago

    I used to feel mostly excluded from this hobby because I didn't have the funds to participate. Now I have more funds but I feel constantly excluded by inventory shortages and artificial supply limits on games. What new ways will come about to keep me out of the hobby in the future?

    45
    #2 2 years ago

    Thinking of getting married by chance?

    #3 2 years ago

    There are over 1,000 games for sale on Pinside alone right now.
    There are plenty of games available. If you are willing to go pre-DMD, there are some great deals to be had.
    There are no artificial supply limits, this isn't Nintendo. These are relatively small companies that would love to sell as many games as they can.
    The only thing keeping you out of the hobby is yourself.

    -10
    #4 2 years ago
    Quoted from Shredso:

    There are over 1,000 games for sale on Pinside alone right now.
    There are plenty of games available. If you are willing to go pre-DMD, there are some great deals to be had.
    There are no artificial supply limits, this isn't Nintendo. These are relatively small companies that would love to sell as many games as they can.
    The only thing keeping you out of the hobby is yourself.

    you sir are a idiot

    14
    #5 2 years ago

    News Flash: Owning a game is not a requirement of the hobby

    Playing on location, playing in a league and competing in tournaments are all generally cheap ways to enjoy the hobby. If you live in a pinball desert, move.

    #6 2 years ago

    If your entire focus is on acquiring an entire lineup of new modern games, then you're focused on all the wrong things.

    There's thousands upon thousands of games out there, from all different eras, in various condition, and a wide range of price points for you to enjoy.....and arguably even more enjoyable than the latest & greatest releases.

    There's a pinball machine out there for everyone. You just have to search for it. Start small. Happy flipping!

    #7 2 years ago

    28,594 games at the link below...

    https://pinballmap.com/

    #8 2 years ago
    Quoted from HoakyPoaky:

    If your entire focus is on acquiring an entire lineup of new modern games, then you're focused on all the wrong things.
    There's thousands upon thousands of games out there, from all different eras, in various condition, and a wide range of price points for you to enjoy.....and arguably even more enjoyable than the latest & greatest releases.
    There's a pinball machine out there for everyone. You just have to search for it. Start small. Happy flipping!

    I buy and keep games that make @pinballgoddes smile and laugh.

    It doesnt matter if old or new.

    I sell off all the others, she is a better player than me lol.

    Now, someone please sell me a Stargate!

    #9 2 years ago

    I was at pintastic this weekend plenty of games for sale all price ranges . Try a local show you will find something .

    24
    #10 2 years ago

    Don’t let it worry you. The culture around pinball can be very exclusionary. It’s a series of constantly escalating standards that are impossible to meet.

    You like pinball but don’t OWN one?
    Oh, you have a pin? But it’s not in CQ condition.
    You got a nice game but it’s not a popular title.
    You got a popular game but it’s not a NIB game.
    You got a new game but it’s not an LE.
    Now your LE is three titles old and your collection is out of date.

    Someone will always have more games, newer games or nicer games. I do my best not to participate, to just do pinball my way and collect the games I want.

    #11 2 years ago

    I mean I have money to buy in production games at MSRP and I just can't do it unless I wait like a year or accept a game with fewer features because so many of the features are reserved for LEs that sold out immediately. I guess I could go buy games I'm not really interested in... But why?

    11
    #12 2 years ago

    Because pinball doesn't need to be loaded with "features" for it to be fun.

    #13 2 years ago

    Do yourself a favor. Pray VFW happens next year and go. Force yourself to play games you’ve never played before for an entire weekend. I bet you’ll be surprised what you become interested in. Bring a friend.

    #14 2 years ago
    Quoted from ReadyPO:

    Thinking of getting married by chance?

    Been married for years...

    #15 2 years ago

    Buy something older and cheaper, work your way up. Tons of games don't need to be prem/LE to be great, and some Pros are better than the more expensive versions.

    Get an EM with drops and play for dollars with friends, play on location, etc.

    #16 2 years ago

    Stop buying machines everyone says you “must have”. Buy something, anything at a price you like. Play 100-200 games on it. If you like it, keep it. If you don’t, sell it at break even for you if the market will bear, or at a loss if needed because you put too much into fixing it up. Wash, rinse, repeat. If you lose $100 you broke even on 100 games at $1/game on location.
    I find location play frustrating. Background noise. Other game noise. Poorly kept pins. Volume too low on the pin I’m playing etc.

    #17 2 years ago

    Sounds like you're only "gatekeeping" yourself tbh

    #18 2 years ago

    Time is the great gatekeeper. There is never enough of it to play no matter how many games you have. This is why I have been working to mummify my pins so that I can play them in the afterlife. I just hope they work after I scramble their brains and pull them out through the coin slot.

    #20 2 years ago

    Pick up a mint Stern Spiderman, Iron Man or a Metallica Pro or Premium.
    These are great games that are a blast to play.

    I own a few games and these three hold their own against anything else I have. And Spiderman is as bullet proof as a pinball machine can get.

    #21 2 years ago
    Quoted from woody76:

    you sir are a idiot

    That's some helpful criticism. "A idiot?" There is nothing better than when someone makes an attempt at insulting another person's intelligence with bad grammar.

    #22 2 years ago

    Some people already know I run private get togethers out of my home. We sometimes float to each others houses that have between 5-7 machines. There are a few folks in the group that own 0 pinballs and they continue to be welcome. Simply because they fit in and enjoy the game, enjoy the conversation about new games, watching live streams, and most importantly, they are kind people. When we are all together you can't tell who owns the big collections, small collections, old collections, new collections.

    Nobody should feel excluded based on their low/0 collection count. Nobody should feel guilty based on their higher collection count.

    #23 2 years ago

    If you are holding out only for titles Stern has put out in the past few years, you are only limiting yourself. There's way more 'funner' games out there.

    #24 2 years ago

    So, you didnt get your CCrLE:

    #25 2 years ago

    There are pins out there that are still deals:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/124916

    You can also search for games to fix up:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/post-project-pins-for-sale-here-cl-ebay-pinside-and-others

    As other have mentioned...meet locals, play at arcades, go to shows. I know the massive rise in demand are prices are daunting, but there are still options.

    #26 2 years ago

    What do you want from said future pin?

    1. Talk about it on pinside
    2. Challenges you to put up a high score
    3. Be a wow factor when friends come over
    4. Be a functional work of art to look at

    The reason I ask is it’s hard to find the solution without knowing the goal. I have a small collection with a few less popular titles but they fulfill my goals. My wife gets my young kids out of the house and I can run down to the basement and pretend I am a 90’s kid in an arcade again. Flip a few games, get pissed at a few drains, and have a few brews. Buddies come over and say “wow, this is fun.”

    Personally, that’s what I’m looking for with my paltry lineup.

    #27 2 years ago

    If having the newest NIB over-priced game is your prime concern, you're in this hobby for the wrong reason.

    #28 2 years ago

    I have not, until now with a CCrSE, ever bought a new pin. Have owned four pins for 20 years. Don't get caught up in the hype of the new games. Frankly, many of them are very similar, repetitive, unoriginal and suck. I actually - no snide comments (ahem) own a Baywatch. Fantastic game, and can be purchased relatively cheaply. (You do have to look at Hasslehoff on the backglass) It is not an exclusive hobby, unless you allow yourself to get drawn into the rather bizarre competition for the Supremo Limited Edition, Classic Superpin, signed by some B-level movie star. There are hundreds of great games, reasonably priced.

    Quoted from schudel5:

    If you are holding out only for titles Stern has put out in the past few years, you are only limiting yourself. There's way more 'funner' games out there.

    AGreed. See my comment above.

    #29 2 years ago

    Shit……
    I can play league night for around $20 a week (and that includes a couple beers).
    A homeless person can come up with that kind of pinball budget.

    #30 2 years ago

    A lot of people seem to assume there's a vibrant secondary market in my area. Once in a while there's something I'm interested in, but I would say it's pretty sparse overall, and there's not a lot of opportunities for location play, especially since our county is still acting like covid is going to kill everyone.

    I'm moving next month though so maybe I'll find more luck in my new home town.

    #31 2 years ago
    Quoted from seenev:

    A lot of people seem to assume there's a vibrant secondary market in my area. Once in a while there's something I'm interested in, but I would say it's pretty sparse overall, and there's not a lot of opportunities for location play, especially since our county is still acting like covid is going to kill everyone.
    I'm moving next month though so maybe I'll find more luck in my new home town.

    Sounds like your problems are more the byproduct of geographical location.

    #32 2 years ago
    Quoted from Mike_J:

    Pick up a mint Stern Spiderman, Iron Man or a Metallica Pro or Premium.
    These are great games that are a blast to play.
    I own a few games and these three hold their own against anything else I have. And Spiderman is as bullet proof as a pinball machine can get.

    I get where OP is coming from and have similar feelings. Your suggestion is great except right now they aren't that much different than recent Stern Pros. It is what it is though.

    Wouldn't cal it gatekeeping though, just inflation.

    #33 2 years ago

    Without knowing a few more specifics, it’s basically impossible to make useful suggestions. If you can share a general sense of where you are and what you’re trying to get, people can provide targeted suggestions that might actually help rather than broad suggestions that you feel aren’t applicable in your case. Unless you’re trying to hold out for a price range that’s disappeared, Pinside loves to connect games with potential new owners.

    The only other broad suggestion I can make is that if you don’t have anything near you, do a little “Pinball Tourism”. Take some of the $$ that you mention having on hand to buy MSRP, and go to one of the festivals or large locations and spend a solid chunk of time playing a wide range of games. Speaking from experience, if you aren’t getting a lot of playing time now, your tastes will evolve quickly once you start getting to play more. That’s probably the biggest risk you face buying “cold”.

    #34 2 years ago

    Where's the "next town" located? I'm sure you can find locals that can either sell you a game or suggest a place to play

    11
    #35 2 years ago

    other than an LCD screen, there is nothing in a new game that cannot be found in an 20yo title

    #36 2 years ago
    Quoted from PopBumperPete:

    other than an LCD screen, there is nothing in a new game that cannot be found in an 20yo title

    PREACH

    #37 2 years ago

    There's always oil painting to fall back on when the pinball lifestyle lets you down.

    #38 2 years ago
    Quoted from seenev:

    A lot of people seem to assume there's a vibrant secondary market in my area.

    I'm interested to know where this pinball desert is located. To be honest, I don't think any of the games I have came from where I live. Most between 2 to 14 hours away. Part of the hobby is traveling to parts unknown and meeting different collectors. Maybe your second game will come from them or a friend of theirs.

    #39 2 years ago
    Quoted from schudel5:

    I'm interested to know where this pinball desert is located. To be honest, I don't think any of the games I have came from where I live. Most between 2 to 14 hours away. Part of the hobby is traveling to parts unknown and meeting different collectors. Maybe your second game will come from them or a friend of theirs.

    Could be CA. or TX. by his for sale ads. https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/seenev/market/all-archived But looks like he likes disney land/world alot.

    #40 2 years ago

    My home wifi connection is "I am the key master"..I hope this helps

    #41 2 years ago
    Quoted from seenev:

    I mean I have money to buy in production games at MSRP and I just can't do it unless I wait like a year or accept a game with fewer features because so many of the features are reserved for LEs that sold out immediately. I guess I could go buy games I'm not really interested in... But why?

    That's your problem right there, nothing is "gatekeeping" you except your own foolish restrictions. If you have enough for a new game at msrp, you have enough to buy most pinball machines. LEs didn't pop up until maybe 10 years ago, so there are decades of games with all the 'features' (whatever that means).

    Here's some real gatekeeping for you: if you are only interested in new LE machines, are you actually interested in pinball? That's gatekeeping.

    #42 2 years ago
    You_Shall_Not_Pass!_0-1_screenshot (resized).jpgYou_Shall_Not_Pass!_0-1_screenshot (resized).jpg
    #43 2 years ago

    I bought a game for $240 about 3 weeks ago. Yep, you read that correctly.

    I'm so tired of this whole victimhood culture we're in currently. Using terms like "gatekeeping" and that you're "constantly excluded" is a way of gaslighting people into believing there's some boogeyman out there keeping people from enjoying themselves. Woe is me! You're actively looking for reasons not to have fun with what you have available. Just because you "don't have" does not mean you "won't have" or "can't have". It means you're looking in the wrong places.

    Quoted from seenev:

    artificial supply limits

    Artificial supply limits? On what, limited editions? There are more pinball machines being pumped out now than there have been since the 90s. Let's not forget about 65+ years of existing supply.

    #44 2 years ago
    Quoted from Shredso:

    There are no artificial supply limits

    Elvira SLE would like a word.

    #45 2 years ago
    Quoted from seenev:

    What new ways will come about to keep me out of the hobby in the future?

    "Sorry sir you need your 17th booster shot to enter this establishment"

    #46 2 years ago
    Quoted from Anony:

    "Sorry sir you need your 17th booster shot to enter this establishment"

    They require proof of vaccination status to enter a lot of establishments that would have location games here, so that's not far off.

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