this is it, you're right, on a carpet the machine should not be doing the shuffle across the floor.
I know that wasn't what you meant but if I bring a machine again it will have the tilt bob tightened up a bit more.
-Mike

I'm a little disheartened to see so many people saying that they wouldn't bring games to a show. I go to several shows a year, and take games to a couple of them. In fact, I'm dragging my brand new TNA out to one for this weekend.

Abuse happens, I'm sure, but I would hardly say it's common...at least not at the shows I've been going to. If there are shows where abuse is common, it would be good to make event staff aware of it immediately so they can start keeping a tighter watch on things. In 10+ years going to shows, I've only seen a game lifted and dropped once, and that was actually in the tournament. They were asked to leave afterwards.

I am comfortable bringing games to shows. The vast majority of people are gentle with the games, and even "rough" play is generally not enough to do any actual damage, it just looks rough. These are meant to be played and manhandled to some degree.

I don't doubt the OP saw some stupid thing that shouldn't have happened, or that other people don't have real stories.

But the collector mentality is also a bit dumb at times. There's a not insubstantial group that seems to freak out over slaps and shoves and utterly normal game stuff. These games are meant to be played that way.

This. The "does the shooter lane have wear?" crowd that likes to look at games, and glue toys on them, and enjoy their LED color choices but not actually play need to relax some.

Kind of excessive isn't it? Balls don't wear out during the course of a show!!

If I saw someone lift up a machine and drop it I'd probably give them a roundhouse to the jaw with my fresh white new balance thus reducing it to bird seed.
While the person was stunned from the first roundhouse, I'd follow up with an axe kick bringing their head through the glass with the force of Thor's hammer.

I don't know how my jean shorts would fair after me exercising this method of justice but you can bet your ass they would be tattered.

Pretty weak...In Texas they curb stomp you.

Yeah that should calm down the abusers

You’re not hangn out with the right kinda girls...

What I described actually happened on my very first game of Ghostbusters, when I found out the table doesn't weigh as much as it looks. Would never happen on, say, the Dialed In! I tried out elsewhere a few days later. That thing feels like a tank.

The way GB drains, I don't see how anyone can play without a good shove or two.

Amen.

I've had people say stuff to me at the local arcade and even recently give me the "look" in a tournament for trying to wiggle balls out of the outlane or doing a slide save to save a SDTL ball without getting a tilt. If the game has a tilt bob installed and you aren't tilting it's hard for me to consider it abuse of a game.

I’m the tournament director for this and trust me people know I won’t tolerate stuff. I was in the bathroom for 5 minutes. I never left my tournament area for more than 2 1/2 days straight. I take pride in what I try to do I feel I run a fair tournament and all these games are mine and my other td’s. Every event I do people know yellow cards will be awarded for questionable behavior and ejects follow that. Ask Levi. I even tossed him a yellow card for distracting his buddy on a qualifying game

I’ve been being games for years and have brought 100’s of games at this point I guess. Never a serious issue or a problem with a game that wouldn’t eventually pop up in my basement. If a component is going to fail in 100 flips or 100 plays it’s going to fail. End of story. It just might get there slightly quicker at a show and show you where you had a weak component. I’m sure a few instances of neglect happen and the best we can ask is tell us if you see something so we can take proper actions. I’m sure if any staff caught these things it would of been addressed.

A death/slide save and an "outlane shimmy" are two different things entirely. References:

(Illegal in comp. play) DEATH/SLIDE SAVE:

(Completely fine) OUTLANE SHIMMY:

There is also another variation of the death save that's illegal in comp. play, also known as a "slam save" where you palm the front of the coin door or lockdown bar with enough force to slam the ball back up on the right flipper. (You can fracture bones in your hand trying this!)

Not to be confused with these illegal moves, a "Lazarus save" is completely fine... if deemed unintentional.

I asked the local operator if I'm going to get in trouble for aggressive nudging or sliding, I loved his response:"well the business IS called Tilt, go ahead."

Nothing good is going to happen to a game brought to a show plus the closing must suck. Everybody trying to leave at the same time.

Everything good happens when you bring games to shows, and the camaraderie you build with other game bringers really makes the closing go very well, as if the feeling you get from making people happier for a few days is not enough.

These are coin operated commercial machines built to withstand the kind of punishment they will take being left alone in establishments frequented by drunks and drug addicts and other on the fringe kind of people.

All I can say is if you don't have faith that they can withstand that kind of punishment, then don't buy them, or keep them at home.

See, this is why these types of threads suck. Someone posts a negative experience, more people pile on and next thing you know 50 more guys are resolved to never bring pins to a show.

Pins are born to be played and to spread joy. 300 plays is nothing. Vast majority of attendees are respectful. Vast majority of pin bringers never have a problem, which is why the same cool guys bring pins over and over again.

My location pins get played thousands of times and aside from regular wear and tear items are still fine.

I encourage more of you guys to start being less selfish and more sharing of your collections. If you attend and enjoy shows, consider what you can bring to the next one to help do your part.

At minimum you can help do your part by making sure the rare, disrespectful a-hole gets dealt with if you ever see one.

I felt guilty not bringing the Surf N Safari I had registered for free play but I was just discharged from the hospital last Thursday, after being there for 2 weeks, and had no time to shop it as I'd planned. This thread wouldn't deter me from bringing it next year though.

What did the person look like/wearing?

Thank you, Mr Crusader and Vigalante of all pinball Justice....you can go back to playing Judge Dredd now....

Good lord that was painful to read.

It's actually pretty goddamn funny.

That shit is gold man.

I’ll say this now, if for whatever reason I’m ever caught wearing jean shorts please just kick my ass.

The shows are great for collectors and people who just want to play games they may never see anywhere else.

Besides, what's the point in spending hundreds to thousands lovingly restoring what had been a 30-year-old piece of junk, probably unloaded for peanuts by its original owner-operator, if it's never going to leave your house?

Yeah but what if you had fresh white New Balance? It evens the look out fo sho

I chewed the guy out.

Older big drunk guy. It was after every ball he played it seemed. After the second ball I watched him play, he shoved it so hard, the back of the cabinet nearly hit the game behind it. Him and his drunk buddy thought it was hilarious.

I told staff, they watched him for a while, and he knew he was being watched, so he stopped.

I've never seen anyone do that before.

He also put his wet drink glass on glass, on the World Cup Soccer nearby. The game was open, so I took off the lockdown bar, and wiped down underneath it with my shirt.

Addidas for dbag throw downs.

A few fools shouldn’t discourage us from bringing games to shows.

In honor of this thread, I'm going to go home this evening and pick up and drop the front one of my favorite games. Maybe make a video, just so I can get some reaction here!

Whoa whoa whoa...bro you disrespected someones machine by opening it?!?@!?

This is the kind of people you get at a show, arcade, bar....anywhere.

Jim is a terrific, fair and dedicated tournament director. Whether the tournament is at the Sanctum, or at a show like this - it has been run perfectly. I did not see any rough or foul play of any kind during the tournament, unlike the free play area.

Jean shorts on men = Daisy dudes

Still laughin.

C'mon Shackler you tellin me that didn't make you bust out laughin?! I esp love the "white New Balance" part bwahaha....i think I found my favorite new Pinsider. Fuckin hilarious.

As a joke? Maybe. If serious, rolling eyes.

Please take measures to protect your floor, which is at greater risk than your game.

Yeah, it will be one in the garage over that already busted up concrete floor.

I value my original hardwood oak floor from 1959 way more than any of
these cheap plywood boxes full of wires.

I thought it read as complete and obvious sarcasm honestly, no I wasn't serious.

If he was serious it would be even funnier...

Haha these show threads get people emotional so that was it. I mean it's very obviously a joke...goddamn bird seed...post of the week

POTM

What's with the skewed poll? Where is Hell Yes!? I brought 8, they got played all weekend, with no breakdowns or issues. If you don't want people to shake your games make the tilt tighter. If your game is well maintained, it should be good to play all weekend.

I've brought pinball machines to shows since 2004 and never have had a problem. Shrug. The most recent years my games were used in tournaments, but prior to that they were on the show floor. I'm not sure what sort of show lets people get away with the stuff described in this thread... I'd kick someone's ass if I saw those things.

Games are meant to be played. I sure hope the people who don't brings pins aren't the ones complaining the show doesn't have enough good games to play.

Still laughing.

Most people that attend pinball shows are respectful of your games. Of course, there will always be a small minority of people that just don't care and they will find some way to damage your game. I brought multiple games to a number of shows from 1999-2014, one year trucking 18 games alone. I can count on one hand the amount of damage that was done through abuse, some damage that was unintentional like a guy rolling his game on a cart right into the side of my Indy 500 at Pinball Expo in 2003, left a big scuff on the head. He was sorry about it, just moving his game too fast and couldn't make the turn, ha! Worst year was at Pinball Expo in 2006, with a few issues that were clearly abuse. Didn't stop me though, still brought games after that. Probably more risk from just moving the games back and forth to and from the show. Only reason I stopped bringing games is because it is too damn much work to bring a truckload of games.

Games on location these days seem to take more abuse than ever. Those that say the games are built to take it haven't seen a playfield knocked off its supports and sitting cockeyed in the cabinet, or legs bent from game sliding, or plungers bent from whatever, flipper buttons smashed from rings, necks cracked on older games from someone picking up and slamming the game up against the wall, dents in coin doors from a knee or kick. All this stuff can be fixed, just don't kid yourself thinking that games can always take rough treatment because sometimes they break.

I take games to shows , don't really worry about them being abused .

I brought 28 games from the pinside top 50 list to Pintastic this year and 23 games last year. Yes they get played between 500 and 800 plays over the show. I give them a good wax and have titan rubbers on all my games. I have never had an issue with any of them other than a quick cleaning of the PF and rubbers. I do set my tilts a bit tight to keep people honest and that seems to work well.

We do have code of conduct signage all around the show and staff watching for any type of abuse. We do not condone any machine abuse and people will be first warned and than removed from the show if they are caught doing it again. I have personally warned a few people the last few years. But this is a rare endurance and most people are very respectful of my machines. We will be doing a few more banners with pictures of what will get you a warning and than ejected from the show. I think picture speak louder than words and will get noticed better.

One thing I do stand by is if your game can make it through a show than it is pretty much bullet proof and we will even help you get it to that point with in reason. I always get a lot of joy from watching other people and kids playing my machines at the show. Of course with out people bringing games to the show all the great shows around the country would not exist. Why not try it and see for yourself you get more joy from it than you would ever think.

I would like to personally thank each and every game bringer that contributed to Pintastic this year and made it an amazing show.

I'll personally drop off the guy in jeans shorts and brand new white New Balance to the nearest assisted living facility, gratis.

My games get roughed up more in a single league night than they do in 500 plays at a show.

Only twice have I seen something truly abusive at a show: someone lifting up a machine and dropping it to free a stuck ball (as the OP described). I immediately jump in and yell "hey, hey, hey - that's really bad for the machine. What's the problem where? Hang on, I'll get the owner".

The type of person who wants to slam a machine like that is not the type of person who wants to wait around for a resolution to the problem, so he will wander off. Obviously the person has done it before, and thinks he's being helpful. So try and butt in with a very scolding tone.

My experiences of placing games at shows has been pretty positive overall. I really get a kick seeing folks enjoy games I've restored - or games they may never get to play otherwise...

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I always thought that was what the "tilt" was for? Worst I seen was when I was 11 (back in the early 70's) someone completely smashed the top glass of a pinball in the arcade. Not sure if the guy was just a drunk or on something. People need to keep their cool when playing.

That’s pretty awesome that you were in the arcade at the same time Pauly smashed that glass, is that you on Flash Gordon!? If so you're pretty big for 11.

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