Thanx for that. I had thought there were something like 800 different pins (?), but this list shows 537.
At the last event, there were a room of them -- possibly including some Zacarias they were having problems being able to service -- that were slated to be auctioned off. No idea what became of those, and whether this amounts to some that should now be crossed off your list ?

Actually, I think it is up to 3 "general public" events per year now: this one, "Pinball Madness" (because it is a Halloween themed event, also the newest addition to their annual calendar; the whatever-it's-called "Festival" that they started tacking on to the big INDISC tournament in January; and the Arcade Expo edition #__.0. From what I'd heard some time ago, the limited # of public events they hold was due to a particular deal with the electric utility, and some sort of zoning / licensing legal restriction affecting the # of entertainment machines you can have in operation in one place at one time (?) But I had thought that 501c organization &/or museum status could get you an exemption from the latter ?

Anyway, you stated a very good idea that has great value for any time we visit a place that has a rather sizable collection: taking notes. I'm old-school and lower-tech, so I lean towards one of those mini-notebooks that fit into a shirt pocket, rather than using my phone. This has at least three good and important applications: 1) I try to keep notes on unfamiliar or less familiar pins I've played, with specific details as to what I liked or disliked and why. (This can change over time.) It can have substantial bearing on what pin I might wish to acquire, down the line. 2) I like to keep track of high scores I've had on a large # of games. This could be relevant reference for some future tournament situation, when looking for inspiration or encouragement. 3) To be able to leave malfunction notes for the techs, when you discover something that is not working. This can benefit ALL the visitors. Specific, such as "ball is not being detected in the kickout hole". This is not something that can always be taken for granted, but good techs and good site admin (as you will find @ Banning, in my experience) will welcome this help. Your phone will not be of much use for this. Have that little notebook . . . although a stack of post-It Notes would work also for this last part. [I think this paragraph could be a Sticky candidate. File it under "Essential Travel Gear."]

I might not have gotten to play Aliens at all (just once, as it turned out) or Houdini, had I not done so early on the Friday. That Houdini was said to be fresh out of the box, but I found its flipper strength to be barely adequate. Both Joust tables were down for the count by Saturday. You could always put money on that, and not lose the bet. Too bad. I only -- finally -- got to play it at the last Arcade Expo, and narrowly so at that.

The EM section is extra great for those times when the last-several-years-Sterns are crowded with too much attention. If you're not EM-aware, you have scant idea what you are missing. Some of them could always turn up in the "Classics" section at tourneys like INDISC. Fundamental skills, folks ! There will be times where you can't just game your way out of it via complicated-ruleset knowledge. Little-known side-benefit: the facility's A/C was working back there, but NOT in the front half. Considerable throngs of people in the front, boosting the temperature, but with the EM area largely ignored, guess where it was a whole lot more comfortable ?!

Wall-to-wall exhausting FUN ! Also an unexpected success, in that I significantly improved my 'personal best' scores on at least 25 pins. And some very good conversations with the Red Shirts. Their great volunteer dedication keeps an event like this running smoothly !

C37 is one of those (Abra Ca Dabra another) that turn out to be harder than they look. Great artwork !
(which anticipates cloning, well before that term was ever coined -- maybe even earlier than seen in "Astounding", or other SF pulps of the day)

It has been said that Oritor-1 has more appeal after several beers.

Yes -- don't ever recall playing this prior to PM, though I knew of it.

Interesting how you start to recognize artists, their styles, and some of their recurrent motifs. In too much of a hurry to look it up right now, but judging by that guy @ left on the bg, I'm thinking this has to be the same artist who did "Viking" and several others. (Paul Freres ? Maybe also of "Paragon" fame -- one of the all time great back glasses, btw -- and its tag-along, very little brother, "Lost World." ?)

Short answer: because Jerry Brown and the %!*#@$! legislature use every opportunity to pick our pockets, while shifting ostensibly dedicated-use funds already in hand to other of their favored purposes-du-jour. That is why I mutter "Eff-U, Jerry !" to myself, several times a day, and just voted in favor of Prop 6 on the ballot, which would repeal the latest Grand Theft.