Any show on a Thursday will be a crap shoot. A lot of people, games and venders don't show up till Friday because of work issues.

The best answer I can offer is to check out the Ann Arbor pinball show. It has a different show model, one that should fit well into your level of expectations. But it starts Friday may 16, not on a Thursday. If you're married to the thursday model, i cant really offer much. http://vfwpinball.com

Thanks for noticing the pf on the TAF, at the show. It was installed close to 5 years ago, and still looks fresh, and it gets a lot of plays I imagine (the owner plays a lot and has a lot of people over).

I actually had a good time this weekend, when usually I freak out about all of the people. Its nice that the room is so big. Sure there are many things that could have made the show better, but until I get off my butt and organize a show myself, I don't want to criticize. I really appreciate the people who bring games!!! thank you. I seriuously doubt someone would take down a game, get it out of the house, find a vehicle to transport it in, set it up, then do it all in reverse, plus let people you don't know put 500 games on it to save the 12 dollars. They do it to be very cool, and I think it is awesome.
I want to thank chris for giving me 2 dollars for a pop, after I spent every dime I could save and borrow. Since I am dumb and unlucky, I spent all of my money before the auction. If I would have had money, I would have bought almost everything that sold for less than 50. I guess that was about 60% of the items. I can not believe how low stuff sold!!!!!!!!!!!! anyone ever been to an estate auction, and a ashtray sells for 45 bucks? where were the American pickers?
Thanks to john for the donuts and pizza, and putting on the auction. (he does that for nothing and charges no fees)
I may as well brag, that I bought the nicest STTNG I have seen in years (that didn't have a new pf installed) and of course my new eight ball champ!!!!

I think fri and Saturday were better than expo this year... by far. If you think you were bummed when you saw what was set up on thurs, My sister showed up on SAT at 3 pm!!

Thanks for noticing the pf on the TAF, at the show. It was installed close to 5 years ago, and still looks fresh, and it gets a lot of plays I imagine (the owner plays a lot and has a lot of people over).

I actually had a good time this weekend, when usually I freak out about all of the people. Its nice that the room is so big. Sure there are many things that could have made the show better, but until I get off my butt and organize a show myself, I don't want to criticize. I really appreciate the people who bring games!!! thank you. I seriuously doubt someone would take down a game, get it out of the house, find a vehicle to transport it in, set it up, then do it all in reverse, plus let people you don't know put 500 games on it to save the 12 dollars. They do it to be very cool, and I think it is awesome.
I want to thank chris for giving me 2 dollars for a pop, after I spent every dime I could save and borrow. Since I am dumb and unlucky, I spent all of my money before the auction. If I would have had money, I would have bought almost everything that sold for less than 50. I guess that was about 60% of the items. I can not believe how low stuff sold!!!!!!!!!!!! anyone ever been to an estate auction, and a ashtray sells for 45 bucks? where were the American pickers?
Thanks to john for the donuts and pizza, and putting on the auction. (he does that for nothing and charges no fees)
I may as well brag, that I bought the nicest STTNG I have seen in years (that didn't have a new pf installed) and of course my new eight ball champ!!!!

I think fri and Saturday were better than expo this year... by far. If you think you were bummed when you saw what was set up on thurs, My sister showed up on SAT at 3 pm!!

sorry for the double click

The show was GREAT !

Everyone was super nice and courteous.

Game selection was amazing with many rare games I had never played before.

Lot's of air in the room, not so stuffy and stinky like most shows.

Everyone we came with had a super time.

Yeah there is no doubt the website hasn't been updated in years.

There are three groups of people at these show.

a) the organizer and his crew
b) those that bring games
c) those that don't bring games

Pretty sure, everyone will fit in one of these bins.

When people complain that there were not enough games at the show, which of the three groups at they focusing critism at?

a) the organizer? - so, you want him to do more?

b) those that brought games? was that not enough for you? you want blood?

c) those that did not bring games? (oh, that was likely the person critizing. you know, expecting one of the two other groups to do something better.

Sure, you paid your 15 bucks, and played our games all day long.
but that was not enough for you.

Or maybe the intention of your critism is to warn others not to go.

Actual the website has been updated every year for the last 15 years, I apologize if I missed updating some of the links. I do the best I can to keep it current. I have a full time job, a business and a family and the website is not always my top priority.

Kevin

Here are a couple of pics of the Cyclopes, sorry about the 3rd one , I was distracted.
I played the game a few times, it played ok. I liked it.

PATZ201442.JPG

PATZ201441.JPG

PATZ201438.JPG

Any previous comments I made was not intentionally meant to bash the show at all. I had a lot of fun. Think I played everything that was there on Thursday. I came at 2pm opening and left at 6 pm. so I missed a lot. Never having been to one before, my expectations may have been set to high. Because of work obligations I could not attend any other time.
Being just newly into the pinball scene as an owner of a game, and not really played a lot since the early 1980's. I enjoyed playing all the machine. As pretty much all I have never played before. Unfortunately I came with a pile of cash and came home with the same pile. The vendors that I wanted to spend cash with were not there until from what I hear until friday evening. That is where my gripe is at. The show is Thur - Saturday. As a vendor it seems you would want to be there for all of the show. I take it that your objective is to make as much money as you can, right? I'm sure I'm not the only one who went home with a pocketful of cash that I wanted to line your pockets with..

Jack

I had a great time Saturday with my son. Thanks to everybody who was involved. I loved all the games, my son absolutely wants a Getaway: High Speed 2 now that he played the one at the show. It was a great looking/playing machine. Thank you owner. The Pharoah game was beautiful, enjoyed playing that. The Addams Family makes mine look bad in comparison, will be fixing mine up soon. I realize all games are in varying condition, it is nice to see what can be done to them. The Monster Bash was amazing, and Rock's TZ looked amazing as well. I grabbed some extra parts, bulbs, rubbers, and a new ramp for my TAF, no shipping makes it a great deal. Thanks again all, and to Kevin for putting this on.

I believe it's all what you make of it in attending any show.

I traveled with fellow Pinsider's Astropin & tamoore on Friday. Had a great time meeting new and old friends, playing Metallica and WOZ for the first time as well as others, went to a private pin party Friday night and hit Bell's Brewery for some fine brews and laughs. Then back on Saturday for a bit and picked up some good deals from Pinball Life and other vendors. Overall a great time for me.

My only gripe has nothing to do with the show itself, but certain people in attendance. I went into the bathroom and got hit with the smell that someone just got done dropping a deuce, was still in the stall wiping, comes out and walks right past the sinks and goes back to playing machines, I seen him. C'mon man, have some decency. I find myself slowly turning into Howard Hughes as I carried a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me. Some of those flipper buttons sure felt nasty!

Thanks to Kevin, as well as all the others who brought pins or parts to put on a great show!

Was predator in attendance?

No, sad to say Predator was not there....

Best of Show games Link

http://www.pinballatthezoo.com/BestofShow2014/index.html

Kevin, the show was great. My son and I had a great time. I can't comment on Thursday before 7:30pm but was surprised at the number of people there when my son and I arrived. We both had to work Thursday and he had to work until noon Friday so we loaded the trailer on Tuesday and were ready to ride after work Thursday. We bring 10 games and put them in the trailer on their feet. About 40 minutes with the pinball cart and we're done at the show. Yea, they aren't DMD's or even System 11's. Certainly no "A" listers but it's 10 games that ran almost solid through Saturday (2 blown fuses in Paragon, broken "0" switch on Jukebox). Meteor, Flash Gordon, Paragon and Firepower hardly got a breather for 2 days. Even HayburnersII hung in there. We plan to be back next year....got a High Speed to add to the line up. The auction was great, too. John does a terrific job. Lot's of stuff. And he was worried Saturday morning there would be nothing in the auction. Hahah. All in all it's too much fun to pass up. And you won't find an easier going show. Waiting to see links to the pictures!

Sorry bro but if you'd had seen what i let loose in there you'd realize I had to go outside and light my hands aflame, water wasn't gonna cut it.