Totally agree with just about everything you're saying. There is nothing wrong with home owners and no one is attacking them, BUT, home collectors being the majority is *NOT* going to revitalize pinball as a medium. Basement dwellers are just not going to excite new players into the game if all they contribute is making posts on Pinside.

The Bay Area is a PRIME example of how pinball, through positive public exposure, has created a demand and a significant growth in the people being exposed to the game. In 2008 there was 1 league and maybe 2 big spots to play quality machines in public. Everyone was hiding in their garages. In 2013, through the effort of people like JohnnyO, TJ, PhishRace, the EBP crew, the Free Gold Watch guys -- there are 5 leagues and 5 VERY HOT spots to play pinball in public, the furthest being an hour drive from any other spot (Phoenix Games in Concord, Free Gold Watch in San Francisco, Lucky JuJu AKA PPM in Alameda ((sorry...I still think JuJu is a cooler name)), Playland Not-At-The-Beach in El Cerrito and Pizza Depot in the South Bay...Hi-Life in Oakland is an honorary 6th, since I'm hearing a bunch of buzz for the place).

All 5 of those locations have one thing in common, they maintain their machines (and in a few cases, they are HOBBYIST machines being routed). 4 of those locations have something else in common that is almost 3X more important: they have a league/group associated with them. Good machines in a location are key, but even bigger is having the community SUPPORT these places. Not just through showing up to play 2-bucks worth of games once a month, but organizing events and get togethers that encourage and endorse this cool ass game.

My ranty 2-cents...now log TF off Pinside, go tell your pinball friends to bring some beer and MEET you somewhere OUTSIDE to play pinball...