I was watching the "Bro, Do You Even Pinball?" stream the other day and was listening to Ed Robertson list off his machines and he mentioned that he's got a few that a friend of his is "babysitting". Then I did a forum search here and found that there are a decent number of you that either are babysitting someone's pin or have a few that are being babysat at other people's houses. I had heard of doing a temporary trade for pins, but I have to admit, this babysitting thing is new to me. Granted, it makes perfect sense, who better to take care of your pin than another pinhead? Also, I'm sure it's preferable to putting them into just about kind of storage facility. Plus, they get to enjoy playing it while they're watching it for you.

I'm curious as to how much of this goes on, too. If it's fairly common, should we start some sort of club for it? All in fun of course. But it might be a good way to let people know when and if you need a pin babysat or if you had room to babysit a pin or two. I'm also curious because I may need babysitting services for my 2 pins pretty soon. I'm going to be moving very soon(like in the next month or so) and would love to leave my pins with a fellow Pinsider/pinhead in the area. That way, I know they'd be safe and I wouldn't even have to think about them until my new house's game room is ready for them.

So, whaddaya think? Should we start up a club for this? Or make just this a thread for asking for or offering babysitting services? Or should this be another "I hate Stern"/"I hate JJP"/"I hate every new pin that just came out" thread?

Very true. I'm not suggesting giving your games to someone you don't know or trust, obviously. I've met a few local pinsiders from my town and within a few minutes of meeting them, I knew they were standup guys. I would feel completely safe lending them my games. Also due to the fact that they have games that are way nicer than and worth WAY more than my games. Furthermore, Pinside and the local pinball communities that have existed well before it and outside of it, are small enough to be tight knit where everyone knows most everyone else, yet big enough to be able to reach pretty far. Staying within these kinds of communities, and making it known who has what of yours within those communities, increases accountability and narrows the chances for anything crazy to occur.

First and foremost though, like you're suggesting, these people need to be your friends. You need to know they're good folks and that others know them and respect them in the pinball community.

This year I took my games to PAGG. My TAF got 702 plays, by probably 450+ people over the course of the weekend. I don't think I'll have a problem with up to three or four people in a single family playing my games that much over a month or so. Like you say Aurich, these are commercial quality games meant to be played. If I can let my 7 nieces and nephews, ages 3 to 16, play them without worrying, a fellow collector would be just fine in my book.

For those of you that do have pins at other people's places, who takes care of the upkeep/repairs?

I'd imagine it matters whether or not the babysitter is competent in their repair ability and your confidence of that ability therein, or conversely, if you even want anybody touching the "innards" of your pin besides yourself...