while reading through this thread, I keep reading "have your part number" I've never given him a part number in 20 years. He's never asked me for one. He just asks what I need and I tell him the game. Maybe because I only deal in EM?

Yeah, I've never spoke to him, always order by e-mail.
Always put what game its for at the top.
At least 30 orders and very few problems.
I am glad this is a Resource for parts.

It's true, the parts number stuff is much more important for him on newer stuff, the EM parts, especially gottliebs, he knows by heart.

I always use email, but then one time the response back was not "confirmed", but "call me". With some trepidation I did, I was ordering parts to fix a stepper motor, and Steve just wanted to confirm what motor it was to be sure I was ordering the right parts. I was ordering the right stuff, but certainly appreciated that Steve wanted to be sure. I'm sure he knows which parts are the most likely to be ordered incorrectly and is saving everyone the hassle of getting it wrong. Suspect most vendors would just ship the part, no questions asked.

Steve wants nothing more than for you to get your game working again, he just has an old school, no nonsense approach to how he does business.

I actually enjoy ordering from Steve.

Straightforward, no nonsense. I call, say "Hi Steve! This is xxx, account number xxx, just wanted to order some parts for xxx game" and go down my list with part number, followed by description. IF there is a wrong number, he politely corrects me (which I in turn write down next to the old one in the game's manual). I tell him to enjoy the rest of his day, he says the same, and we hang up. The parts show up in a day or two with the invoice, and I mail him a check. Easy-peasy. Couldn't be simpler.

I live about an hour from his shop, and would love to stop by and check the place out sometime, but I'm not sure I'd want to press my luck after all these years, haha.

I do the same entry with him, the last time I ordered stuff and after all the part numbers and confirmations were concluded he actually ask me what other machines I have! We talked about Jet Spin for 10 minutes! I thought to myself, you've come a long way man.
Great guy.

The best part about PBR and their uncanny encyclopedic knowledge of games, is they’ll never ship a part that’s not proper for your game.

Having my order “proofread” by someone is great:

“We don’t have xxx, but xxx is a suitable substitute for the game. The rest of your order looks OK. Please advise.”

I’ll confirm the order with the suggested changes, and my parts arrive faster than my Amazon packages ordered the same day. You can’t beat it.

I have only dealt with Jimmy and he's done this for me too. He is the best!

When I first started ordering parts from PBR, nobody even had email yet...

i do the exact same thing - account number in hand, part numbers/description. The only extra work is having to write a check and put the envelope in the mailbox. Yes, an extra step, but a website won't correct you if you order the wrong thing ( he's saved me a couple times too).

Doesn’t hurt to ask him. I know a few people who have but I wouldn’t want to say you’d have the same results.

I always email because I figured that makes it easier on them, as long as I have everything in proper format on my email.

Never had any issues and usually have a package at my house within 2-3 days. Some people don’t like writing checks but I bet there’s more people out there that like not having to pay till later.

I say some of the younger crowd don't even have a check book

We'd all be up schitt's creek without Steve and PBR.
I might stop by there soon. I'm always fascinated talking with Steve. He's got something for me that I have to pick up anyway.

I’m not a part of that crowd but me and checks don’t mix so Steve gets money orders…

I have called Steve many times in the past, but now mostly to time limitations I make my list with parts numbers and email it. Never ever have I had a problem, orders are confirmed and shipped promptly. Steve Young and the folks at PBR are a national pinball treasure and the community at large should (as most of us do) support them every chance we get. IF PBR, ever closes it's doors this hobby will be hurting! Most people have no idea of the number of parts Steve actually makes or has made, parts that otherwise would be unobtainable.

One of those nice Wade playfields I saw over there the other day?

I always call- you never know what he will say-
last time I called and ordered twelve leg levelers- all with 3” shafts. He told me ordering all 3” was “stupid” and told me to order half of the levelers with 2” shafts so I will save on shipping and just put the shorter ones on the front legs.
He was right- nobody else sells parts while trying to save you 20 cents in shipping. Plus getting called “stupid” from Steve is fun for some reason!
Steve is a legend.

I remember when I was shopping my Egghead and I wanted all new bumper caps.

Steve: THOSE ARE TWELVE DOLLARS EACH THATS OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS JUST FOR THE CAPS….

I’m like yes Steve I know haha.

You know I needed an "El Dorado" playfield! I missed the first run.

Have been ordering parts from PBR since the mid 90's, fantastic quality & service every time. Back then most orders, especially the larger heavy orders would come via surface/sea mail and take anywhere up to 3 months to arrive. Payment was always Western Union International Money Orders from the Post Office made out to PBR and then sent airmail. Smaller orders I would choose airmail and those would usually arrive in 2 weeks. Never had a checking account or check book (spelt cheque here in Australia).

Only met Steve the once, back in '97 I think it was. Both he and Gloria attend the Chicago Pinball Expo that year, they had a large stand with loads of parts for sale. We got a kick out of meeting each other in person and had a chat about all things pinball. Actually it was Gloria that encouraged me to approach Steve and say hello. Such a lovely woman and sadly missed.

Had a similar moment and it was very amusing. I forget what it was. Probably some random DE part or special post. Steve was like “those don’t even touch the ball, they’re just spacers! They don’t go bad, are you sure you want to spend $80 on spacers that the ball NEVER TOUCHES?”

He kept insisting so I said, just cut the order in half, I need some of them, but you’re right, most of them are fine. Still not sure if that was the right answer. They were needed but Steve also hates my DE games! Damn Stern!

I’ve called once or twice without Part Numbers and Steve has usually been good to me about it. Again, the only things he really hated was DE parts and parts for 6803 games.

On topic about Marco, I’m fairly certain a LARGE NUMBER of parts Marco (and others) sell are solely supplied by PBR.
If PBR closed today, most of the parts suppliers would shut down tomorrow!

^This. Jimmy always gets back to me super quick, same day if I send it in the morning. My orders are always to me within a week barring any USPS craziness.
I usually have the part number on hand from the diagrams, Pinside or the PBR website. I really appreciate PBR.

Has anyone ordered all 15 Bank-A-Ball pool balls?

Next person that calls him should tell him about this thread and report back his response. haha. I bet he is a big fan of Pinside!

Several years ago, I asked Steve if he ever looked at Pinside - he told me he didn't have time for that!

I heard Jeff Bezos did.

I have never bought anything from PBR before, but this thread got my attention and I see that he carries several items of interest and prices are very fair.
How are international orders handled if he doesn´t accept credit cards?
Prepayment via wire transfer to his bank account?

Send an email and Jimmy will help you out.

I remember my first call. It was my first EM and actually only my 2nd game. I had no clue what I was doing or even what some of the parts were called. He was nice enough to help me figure out what I needed and got my order all written down.

At the end of the conversation he said "Sounds good, we'll get it sent out", to which I replied "Don't you want my credit card number". He said "What the hell am I going to do with that?".

Steve's invoices are the ones you pay the day you receive them. My wife always knows who to write the check out to when I say, "I need this to go out in the mail tomorrow morning".

So true. Spyderturbo007 knows I'm not a big baller when it comes to pins, but that check always goes out as soon as the package arrives.

One time, I forgot to sign the check. I got a call from Steve on Saturday and I thought to myself, this isn't good. He says to me in an unusually nice Steve voice: 'you forgot to sign the check'. I apologized profusely and said I would get another check in the mail that afternoon. Steve's response: 'you ok if I just scribble something in there? The bank could care less as long as something is there.' We had a good laugh and I apologized again for holding up his millions in revenue (we both laughed again).

I have that game sitting as a project it might happen. Probably best to set the phone on the other side of the room for his response. Or maybe I’ll e mail Jimmy for that one.

(For those who don’t know bank a ball has a plastic billiard ball for each ball in the backglass and they are $30 each I think)

I remember the One time I accidentally made the check out to Steve , it was returned and with a note . I could hear him yelling and correcting me...

online payments are your friend

I always order via email, and list each game I need parts for with the parts (part# and description) listed underneath each game. And then I finally include a "Miscellaneous" section for generic things (like bulbs). This is where I can usually sneak things in that Steve doesn't want to sell me.

I sent a picture once of the part I needed and realized later that that is frowned upon unless specifically asked for. Glad I didn't get put into email purgatory.

I was making a check out this morning for an order I got yesterday, almost made it out to "The Pinball Resourse"... I've been seeing this damn title too often...

That’s Funny and reminded me of the pain in the azz spelling out Poughkeepsie on the envelope is when I mail them my payment

My first time with Steve on the phone was the ..."we will send out 50 dollars in parts...you pay for those items and then next week I will let you order the other 250 dollars in parts." Even though I knew this already, I thanked Steve. When ever I call, and Steve questions a part number or if I actually need something...I ask him "What would you suggest for this game instead?" "what is your idea?" and "Is there anything else that you might suggest for this game". Steve has been nothing but exceptional with his personality to me. It also helps that I have been in the customer service business for 30 something years and I am used to all different personality types over a phone. I have actually had Steve talk my ear off on the phone a couple of times. (rare but it is nice when it happens) I think even one time I asked him "Are you okay still being on the phone this long with me?" I think he just liked talking to me because our personalities clicked and I did order very large orders constantly in the ballpark of 500 to 2000 dollars (one time) I think the way I ordered on the phone was I told Steve the item, and he would say "part number?" if he needed it because like some of you have mentioned...he has all this stuff memorized. Look at it this way...It is not the end of the world if a 70 year old man corrects you, is short with you, or is having a bad day. Just either deal with Jimmy in email ( I have never had to email) In the end you are getting otherwise unobtainable parts for 40-70 year old games. I cringe the day he hangs up his hat. n Like others have said...I get excited when the invoice comes. I sit there at the post office getting the Mail Order check ready and spelling out the long address. I would always even use extra postage to send it flat rate priority mail because I wanted to pay him just as quick as he was sending the stuff out.

For the record, I’m an email Jimmy guy. No muss, no fuss. Used to call, but now thinking I should call more often, if only for Steve’s wisdom.

I have a BaB project completely restored, that’s been sitting for months because of aggravation around installing a couple pool ball replacements from PBR. For the life of me, I can not figure a way to position or orient them to allow for spring connection. Worse, while fumbling with one I dropped it, watched it tumble as if in slow motion, land and promptly snap in two. Grrrrrrrr…..

Anyway, I was hoping you could share Steve’s advice on BaB pool ball replacement.

Thanks!
alex

Ok seriously yoshootme you gotta fix the spelling on the title

I couldn't imagine being on the phone as much as Steve is every day. Got to really give him credit. And we are all smart and know what we are talking about....imagine dealing with those other people that aren't! LOL

I was one of "those people", the only time I called Steve.. 2nd or 3rd order I placed, always email, was a flipper rebuild kit and new coils. One flipper wasn't strong, so I sent an email saying I think one of the coils I got was bad. I got a msg back "Call Steve". I had never called in an order or even knew who "Steve" was. So I called, totally naive, not knowing who Steve is, told him what was going on. He told me why I was wrong and what was wrong, in a nice way. He also told me how it worked and why it worked.. Patience with a newbie.

I use Transferwise ( now called Wise) very easy and relatively cheap in comparison to a bank transfer. Email Jimmy for the payment address, etc.

I've used that for an international transfer years back and it was the cheapest option compared to bank wire - was not pinball related. Do you have to set your bank accounts up first and validate them (and maybe add funds) or can you just do it on the fly if you currently have no accounts registered with them?

I have to first convert USD to GBP in the Wise app, then I credit my existing Wise account from my on-line bank app.
They then do the rest ( PBR's payment details are retained on file in their app) and I copy their webpage that shows PBR that payment is on it's way and for the amount paid, etc and send that to Jimmy and he in turn acknowledges payment received.. Usually, PBR have their money next day with this process.
Before Wise, it was a case of using the very expensive bank transfer route, or sending actual cash which wasn't good for my blood pressure!

Jet Spin is the best EM game. Best game play, best artwork. Real solid. Bull's eye target on left 5000 when lit! My high score is 404,130

Steve has taught me a lot in the hours we've spoke on the phone which is very generous considering I've only spent a few hundred dollars. EM machines are generally cheap.

In an attempt to get on his good side I sent $500.00. I still have a credit after 4 years. I think it helps.