OK,for better,or worse,Im in for a c-note!!! Can't loose much with that,might even gain some!!!

Is there a character limit on the “listings”? I wanted to do a donation for my kids and we have a big last name. The 2 first names + spacing + last name would be 25 characters

I operate a fraction of the pins at the PHoF and truer words were never spoken.

We can't even keep the couple dozen machines in our collection working all the time. I wouldn't want to be the guy trying to keep a couple hundred machines that are getting played daily working 100%. I agree Tim could do certain things better but I am also 100% sure he is doing things better than 99% of us would if we were in his shoes. It is easy being a Monday morning quarterback but it isn't easy getting things right all the time when 100% of everything is on your shoulders. But what impresses me the most about PHOF is the money given to charity - who else in the hobby has done anything even close?

I get it. 80-hour weeks since I arrived in March, and still lots to do. We have 1/3 of what he does.

Tim is a maniac, but he understands the demands of reality.

I like the location and plan on signing up as a member. The picture of the pinball game is not a bad idea on the building, but it might be easier just put your name on the roof and some type of artwork? IDK just throwing it out there if you decided to do something like that. What would be cool is maybe construct a multi-level(s) building. Double your space. You can have the upper level(s) for VIP or special museum pieces or do whatever you think is best? You'll be able to gain more space on the same amount of land?

BTW - Congrats! I've always enjoyed going to your place on my visits to Vegas. It is my first stop aside from the hotel. I'd much rather drop $20-30 playing pinball than chasing my money in the casinos. I hope this turns into something really great! You absolutely deserve all the best!!

Having just been there this week... I doubt they will get much foot traffic... it's still pretty damn far south. But it is at least a lot more accessible and a cheaper car ride.

I just wish we had a commitment to the facility/idea beyond Tim's time.

five golden tickets and a good deed should take care of it.

Building upwards is surely more cost effective than what land costs in vegas, however I'm positive that the difference between building a single level building and a 2-story is dramatically different in cost because of the support structure you need to build to ensure that upper level can handle the weight of both people and the machines (plus you've potentially made your HVAC system more complicated and expensive because heat rises and you may need even more cooling on the 2nd floor).

Glad to hear the HOF will live on!

Hey everyone, I made a couple brackets that pit the top 64 Pinside ranked (plus or minus a few of my favorites) machines of the 80s, 90's and 00-present.

Check them out for some bracket fun.
https://brackify.com/bracket/20619/Pinball-Machines-of-the-80s
https://brackify.com/bracket/20629/Pinball-Machines-of-the-90s
https://brackify.com/bracket/20790/Top-Pinball-Machine-since-2000

I agree, but just wanted to put it out there as an after thought. I hope that the PHOF will continue to grow at its new location. It's my favorite stop in Vegas along with the Blueberry Hill Café / diner.

Ironically, the empty Albertsons grocery store the LVPCC tried to buy was in the shopping center that had a Blueberry Hill. It closed a few years ago as the shopping center owner jacked up the rent. That one was my favorite.

They closed the café? Its been a few years since I was there.

The one on Sunset & Eastern, yes. The other three on Flamingo and one on Decatur are all still there.

I’m excited to see this awesome progress, but tphf should consider some of the comments in this thread.

I was so excited when my wife took me there for my birthday, but we were both completely disappointed. Almost every classic machine I wanted to play and introduce my wife to was down or did not work properly. Several machines just took the money and that was the end of it. We ended up having to play the new sterns just to get rid of the quarters.

I know it’s a charity and the guy’s done well, but that doesn’t mean the place is beyond criticism. I’ve fixed a lot of machines, and when I was there, I thought, ‘give me a 40 hour week and I could have 90% of the broken machines running like tops.’ To me, they are not getting experienced techs volunteering. I witnessed a volunteer work on a machine and cringed. Tphof just needs to pay ONE lead tech and the problem will be fixed. The lead tech can train volunteers to perform preventative maintenance on the machines and services boards, flippers and other mechs. I’ve worked with volunteers in the past, and you just can’t get consistent performance out of a rotating inexperienced group. They would make MORE by having machines in good order, which means more donations.

I fear that tphf scares people away from pinball because broken machines just cause frustration. No one wants to just throw money away, and newbs don’t know that the game sucks because it’s broken.

I’ll give it another shot, but it was really bad when we went, far worse than I could have imagined. Can we set up a tech fund? I’ll donate to both.

I would like to open a new arcade in disneycity walk. Plop that thing right smack dab in front of millions. All it takes is money and the desire.

I often wondered why no one has done this already in OC California. It must be the money.

Everyone does these things differently.

I wish we had a hall of fame near me. It could be done.

... to lose it.

another blast from the southern california past.
westworld02 (resized).jpg

I spent many happy hours in that place. And Captain Video's down Westwood Blvd on Pico. I shed a tear when it finally closed, IIRC in the 90s.

As to opening an arcade in an area like that anymore, the rent would crush you. I used to rent a space right around the corner from Westworld. The rents would make your eyes water.

As TA of PHoF has said for decades now... 'own the building'. They didn't for the first 3-4 years at 3300 and it screwed things up, 1/2 of the coin box went to a douche bag owner. Rent and you will go under, you are working for someone else. TA has done it right, and others have modeled their success story (some very late in their charity careers), and others have simply not listened and failed and vanished (Silverman comes to mind). Do as TA has done, and you will have success. Don't do it, and you likely will fail. To criticize the guy for all that he has done, been through, and taught those that would listen is silly stupid and ignorant. Yet, no surprise, pinball is full of fucking ignoramuses.

We need someone with a windfall.

Disney will want to own it and Disney used to be good with pinball and then later they just let there games get beat down.

I remember they had a really cool arcade at one time. Wasn't it located outside the park at one of the hotels? I think?

I totally get that Tim is going to do what Tim is going to do and the money he has donated over the last number of years is incredible! Thank you Tim! I only wish he could make the new place something that deserves to be called a Pinball Hall of Fame. I've been to both of his last locations and while I enjoyed the time there, I agree with so many others who have mentioned the condition of the games. And now he's building a new location that will house half again as many games? Makes me wonder how that many more games will be kept up.

I've been to the current location and my first impression....it was a dump. Sorry, just being honest.

Please, Tim, please, doing something with the new place that makes me walk in a say, "holy shit! This is my kind of place!" Even if all the games don't work correctly, make the place look nice!

Yes it was at the contemporary resort. (The big Aframe looking building that the monorail goes through. That arcade was massive!! And it was cool as hell!!

Duly Noted....

I have two machines in my collection that I have not been able to find a fix for. If you have time and want to connect via phone/Skype and help me figure out how to get them working again, I will purchase one of the $500 memberships. Send me a pm if this is something you are interested in!

I remember playing the deluxe Space Invaders. On the old game there was a glitch and you could slide underneath the green guys when they were right on top of you and come back and blast them away. On the newer game no dice. When you shot them they divided in two. I think I remember thast because that was the first place I played the newer version of Space Invaders. It was a cool place to hang out as a young teenager.

No it was called Starcade and it was in Disneyland next to Space Mountain. It kicked ass.

This. And sell beer.

Don't forget the brief although fun run of Flynn's Arcade in California Adventure.

I used to like to go to the underground arcade at thedisneyland hotel. I think it is a wine bar now.

That was the arcade I remember.

But our best arcade in the immediate area I remember was Golfland Stanton. Way better than anything Disney had to offer.

That is a condo building now, that Golfland.

I'm not a fan of Pinball and Beer,sorry! To me,standing around with a beer in hand,half drunk,beer belly hanging outta that stained shirt,talking garbage,is not my idea of fun!Beer is a kinda Golden liquid that finds itself spilling on everything and vying for space between the arms and cigarettes of idiots that seem endless!!

uh...... , I think I resemble that remark(less the cigarettes and spilling!)

Is that Shakespeare? Sounds like Shakespeare.

There was also an arcade outside of Disney as well.

What about Camelot mini golf? Off the 91 As I remember they had a lot of machines

How about getting back to money for Tim & PHOF? If you want to talk about other arcades and Disney why not just start a post about those instead of a half of a page here?

Tim - If you happen to read this post how about an update with any new news?

Gee wizzz I'm sorry I didn't mean to get your panties in a twist.

One thing I have yet to be able to figure out about Pinside is why a few people need to take almost every topic off subject at some point. I know I post too often on some topics - I know not everyone will agree with me or anyone else for that matter. But how does a post trying to raise funds for one of the best pinball places in the world end up talking about a place that "once was" on the other side of the country?

Tim can use some help and I think it is important for all of us to do what we can to help him. I agree machines at PHOF are not always in the best of shape but I seriously doubt anyone else in the hobby has done as much for charity as Tim has. I am one of the guys hoping he spends some of the "profits" on a full time tech (or two) but I also realize Tim has the right to run his business as he sees best.

Anyway back to the "regular program" have fun kids!

It's funny that your post criticizing off-topic posts is itself off-topic

I guess because we're just human. Also, posting even off-topic does kind of help because at least it keeps things bumped.

On topic, I'm giving Tim money and I've told my non-Pinside friends who are also giving him money.

I do agree with everything you said just like the "price police" bashing someones asking price on a machine. Bumping most post is good regardless how they are bumped but getting way too far off topic can sometimes totally derail the original message.

None of us are "perfect" no forum is perfect. But with certain topics I feel it is important not to forget why the topic exist in the first place and that is my concern here. I know there is kind of a love / hate when it comes to people like Tim (PHOF), Clay (VFW), or Steve Young (Pinball Resource) but without some of these guys the hobby wouldn't be anywhere near what it is today. And as much as this is also very off topic I think we all should be very thankful for what guys like these three have done for this hobby.

Keep bumping this topic anyway necessary! Lets all try to help Tim with his move anyway possible. Now back to work for me!

Thread should be closed, it was an announcement, that now has turned into something much much different and wrong.

Didn’t most of the money go to the Salvation Army? That’s not a charity it’s a cult. I knew a girl who escaped it and she had some stories. Kinda like Scientology. And the top generals (yes it’s run like an army) lived high on the hog.

Whatever happened to that guy who ran a Vegas arcade and said he could do better than Tim?

Didn’t he close his location?

yes, it was near freemont st. nothing seems to stay open over there. i think he still operates the pins in NY, NY

There is a strip club open on Freemont St that Bugsy Siegel probably opened... ( - :

So why do people have a Love / Hate relationship with TA? Is that Off Topic? You brought it??