I have always enjoyed 3" flipper EM's as much or more than any SS machine in our collection. To me early SS machines and later 3" EM machines are just pure pinball - no gimmicks - no BS - just down and dirty pinball at its best. Once you get into a bunch of ramps, DMD displays, etc something is really lost instead of gained in my eyes.

What is kind of funny is I am in the hobby with my adult son and in his eyes if a machine didn't have a ramp in it then it wasn't any fun. As time has gone on he has actually warmed up to playing earlier SS machines and they are slowly taking over our collection. I am sure EM's will be the next step down that path once he gives a few a second chance.

I kind of feel sorry for the guys that think they have to spend $7500 to $10000 for a new pinball machine to enjoy the hobby. Most of those guys don't even understand the hobby. Once you truly get what it is all about you can have one hell of a collection for that same $7500. Especially if you do your own repairs on your EM machines.

If you have the space - time - and energy and take your time buying for under 10k you can likely have about 25 to 40 pretty nice EM machines or over a dozen of the better EM titles. I don't care what anyone says playing 15 different machines in your collection is a hell of a lot more fun than just owning one!

In all honesty I don't think any collection is complete without a full mix of machines. If you have the space I think a mix of a couple of each era makes a lot of sense. I fully understand being "top heavy" on DMD machines over EM pins for some guys and being top heavy on EM pins over DMD machines for other guys but I think to fully understand the evolution of the hobby you need a full spectrum of machines.

To me the DMD collector should have at least one EM, one earlier SS machine, and the rest DMD machines if that is what he likes. On the flip side I think every EM guy with the space should consider having at least one DMD machine and a couple earlier SS machines even if they are outside his (or her) comfort zone. To fully understand just what an EM machine is you need to realize it is a mechanical computer and the easiest way to understand that is to put an early SS machine next to the EM and compare how they work.

There is no right or wrong in the hobby but from my experience the longer most people are in the hobby the more they realize a collection needs a little of everything in it. I think this is especially true for guys who start out with newer DMD SS machines. Over time they always seem to drift over to loving a few earlier machines also.