I like rescuing dead and non-working games and bringing them back to life. Then seeing others have a chance to enjoy them after they are alive again is very satisfying--especially when they get really into the game and start jumping around, lol

I also like hanging out with other people in the hobby. Playing multi-player games where the points don't matter can be a blast.

I like fixing things. I've always been that way and it makes me feel good when I do so. Pinball is a great hobby if you like repairs. Also, I like the social aspects of having people over to play and enjoy the games.

Kind of a weird opinion around here, but I like playing the pinballs.

So true. It seems all people talk about is the maintenance aspect or the thrill of the hunt, but I just straight up enjoy having a few beers while im racking up the scores. I work on electronics for a living, but I don't derive nearly as much pleasure from fixing games as I do playing them. I will admit I do enjoy shopping a game, but that's only because I love how they play when I'm finished. So yes, it's just the straight up pleasure of game play that will always keep me involved.
Not to mention, I love artwork and where can you find better artwork than youll find in the world of pinball?

Beelzeboob and cheese??

Seriously, I enjoy working on them, bringing them back from the dead, modding them, adding personal touches and of coarse playing them.

Ive been working on a Jurassic Park now for 3 months and its almost finished, just need some Cliffy's to finish it off. It took a lot of work but playing it and finally being able to put it next to echo, my full sized raptor will be so rewarding. Even the kids are excited!

After a long day at work, I enjoy the tinkering or modding or playing. Takes my mind off my horrible job and the losers I work with.

I love games my whole life. Board games, EM Rifle/Sub Games, Video arcade and console. I love playing them and even finding out how they work from mechanics to electronics. Pinball puts it all together with the added bonus of the randomness you don't get with a video game.

Watch King of Kong and it puts the whole "pattern recognition" issue into perspective. That is what video games turn into. I can remember in the early 80's my local bar would get video games and I would master them. Asteroids, Tempest, Super Cobra . . . Then they got Dragon's Lair. My brother came in and realized I was drinking a beer, talking to him and rescuing Daphne without even thinking. As a gamer you worked to make the game not fun anymore. And that is just strange.

Pinball has it all. In the old days even the repair aspect was fun. Getting a bard find and bringing it back to life. Then playing it until you decided if it was a keeper or seed money for the next game.

Go play a game of Stars. Then after it kicks your butt play another. Simple to understand what you need to do but a hill climb to get there. One of those "Just One More" games that keep you either kicking yourself for not getting that one shot you wanted or feeling a drained happy almost post orgasmic feeling from having that ball that did what you wanted it to do.

Then of course there is the beelzeboob factor like passing an accident and having to take a look.

I love buying a new game and the trill of the hunt and smell of old basement on games, then hopefully bringing them back to life.
I love chasing my own scores and progression on a game and figuring out new things on a machine.
But all of that, nothing compares to the fun I have hanging out with all the great people I have met trough pinball!
And lastly, pinside is full of drama, but the help and fun threads more than make up for it.

The history, gameplay, and repairs! Also the community of others who love pins as well.

I can walk right out in my garage any time I please and just randomly play a game of pinball. Or two. Or three. Or as many as I feel like. And it doesn't cost me any quarters. I can just push a button and play pinball. As many times as I want. Whenever I feel like it. Its fun. The end.

All the sexy women and groupies keep me enthused.

I am in this hobby because I enjoy these things such as searching a pinball machine, cleaning a pinball machine, fixing a pinball machine, playing a pinball machine and more importantly sharing a pinball machine.

I love the artwork of the machines just as something to look at while not being played. I love all the history involved with pinball in general. Most of all I love the sounds that emanate from the machine once a game is started.

Actually just passing though. I tend to rotate interests. Canoeing, 4 wheeling, skiing out west, snowmobiling, golfing, etc. only constant is going to health club for decades.

Wade Krause playfields.

image (resized).jpeg

The people. Plain and simple. I love meeting new people. Go to shows, play on location, participate in local events and leagues. Not only is it good networking, you will make some amazing friends. Also pinball people are some of the most generous, kindest people you will ever meet.

I like playing games that are bright and loud. This means that most location and show playing sucks for me. The best time for me is having people over to play my games, or going to someone else's gameroom to play. I probably bs more than play, but that is a big part of the fun.

Repairing and cleaning games makes me want to get rid of them.

I like the uniqueness that only pinball can bring for me in a hobby:

a) Keeps my mind spinning in non work mode ( needed)
b) Appeals to my electronic " fix it, modify it, understand it" mindset
c) I enjoy playing them as much as working on them
d) I don't have to go anywhere, or deal with anyone to enjoy them
e) I can have friends over, and truly brings great entertainment value
f) Always fits my work schedule
g) The feeling of satisfaction after repairing one, or having a great game.
h) The " personality" of each title, unique on many levels
I) probably 50 more reasons for me, including interacting with many people on this site, and the pb community, in general

There is no better hobby for me at this point in my life...period

I like the smell ... of the games, not so much the people.

Each one is a piece of art!

I like moving heavy boxes in and out of my basement

the variety
dont like this game, then play another

the art work
through most of pinballs history, the art on the backglass is amazing

the random silverball
this is something video games will never have, you may think you have control of that tiny ball, but in the end, IT WILL WIN !!!!

Amateur Mortician is a good hobby for that, and it is still fun having beelzeboob over to play

Edit: Think Phantasm. He can be crushed down into a smaller troll

They are all works of playable art

It keeps my mind busy and allows me to concentrate on that, instead of other things in my life.

See I suffer from severe depression. I haven't had great success with medications or mental health (yet), so the few hours I get every couple of days to work on games or play has been a great help in keeping me here.

Very grateful for pinball.

Playing, pimping, and savoring the aesthetics!

Helping people get their games back up. The friendships that bloom from meeting others in this hobby face to face. It is definitely a networking tool that allows me to meet people I'd never think I'd run into, share war stories and have a drink with.

What keeps some people in the hobby is the exorbitant amount of money they spent on their collection and they reallze they will never be able to sell them for that much.

For me it's the artwork and history of the machines. Although I love playing pinball sometimes I like to grab a beer and watch the attract mode light shows, admire the playfield/cabinet artwork, and think about the history of the machines and their creators.

The interesting people I've met and solid friendships I've made because of this hobby was an unexpected bonus that I'm very thankful for!

I can't imagine ever leaving pinball.

Its kept me out of trouble the past 4 years and i have meant lots of people who are now good friends.

It's the only thing I know that can erase a shitty day in one single game.

People. Some of my dearest friends, I met through this hobby. I like the games, but I love the people.

Perspective: The worst day playing pinball is better than the best day at work, unless your working on a pinball machine.

Pinball is a rare mixture of artwork, engineering, and craftsmanship all bundled into a package that anyone can enjoy. Some are time capsules that represent eras long past.

Being able to combine that all into a package that's not only fun to look at and play, but also bring back from the dead, is a such a great feeling

Being able to share that experience by playing them with close friends, or meeting new people, is supremely satisfying.

On the Games:

I find Peace when I need it, and adrenaline when I need that.

On the Hobby:

You Guys and Gals!

I cant think of anything else Ive been involved in that does all 3 so well!

Pinball was escape when I started playing at (11) Now that im 53 it still is. Escape reality for awhile. I almost left the hobby back February. I was fully intent on selling all 16 of my games that I had collected for 10 years. I had to finish my new house and I ran short of cash. I sold off 14 games in a week til I got wind of my senses and managed to hold on to the last two. (MM and SS) Since then the house is done and I added two more games (CC, WOZ) Well now I'm off again! Hoping to save up for an AFMR. I am fixer too. (I have my degrees in electronics so I cant deny that). I will fix n flip til I get the cash to get that AFMR. For me though I just fix so I can play. I do enjoy fixing but not as much as playing!

I'm a collector, I collect books, used to collect DVDs when before Netflix there was a need for that. Comic books, comic book Omnibus editions etc..

With pinball I just started out buy two old games because I liked playing pinball when I was younger. But later I began to upgrade and try out the better rated pins. Still was more or less a pastime not a big obsession.

But lately (say in the last 4-5) years I've converted to more games that I love and even though don't play a ton, I have my favorites that are nearly permanent keepers. I also got into the rules (begin to understand most of the rules) while I may not be great player to get all the way to the end, the pins I have are in my opinion very well coded and I am trying to get deeper if possible to nibble around the edges of the end game, and maybe someday will defeat a game or get to the Wizard modes.

Some of my pins look easier to crack than others but as yet I'm still plugging away at all in hopes of getting to the Wizard modes without cheating setup.

Kept Potc because it's sentimental first new pin I bought and it still looks new.

because what else are you going to put in your basement? And because it's the 2nd coolest American art form after Jazz.

But not Dixieland Jazz, you can't dance to it.

Lots of great posts above. For me it's:
Nostalgic reasons. Late 70s early 80s were my formative years and a lot of that time was spent in arcades.
I love the feel of pinball. There aren't many things that feel better than a perfectly flipped ramp shot, or a spinner into a loop, or a scoop/ball lock.
The challenge. I played a lot of sports as a kid through early adulthood. The last time I played basketball I tore my meniscus in a father/son basketball game in February. Pinball is a much safer activity to get the competetive drive going.
Social interaction. I love having friends and family over to hang out and play. There's nothing better than watching a little kid standing at one of your machines wide eyed and grinning ear to ear.

There isn't a single facet that exclusively keeps me in.

- Nostalgia: yeah, i do have some very fond memories of playing pinball with my dad as a kid, but never really was heavy into the arcade scene.

- Repair & Restoration: probably the biggest pull for me. I love taking things apart, learning how they work and repairing.

- Playing: I'm not a great player and probably never will be but it's very fun. Tried a tournament not long ago and had a blast coming in last.

- The hunt: meh... i love finding a good deal like anyone else and its always fun bringing home a new game... i do always seek out games that would otherwise be destroyed and try to save them... but not really into hunting.

- Having a game: the house feels empty to me without a pinball machine anymore. I love to play and it's wonderful having a game to play at a whim.... and a project pin to work on as well.

- The people & their stories: pinball has a great way of bringing together people. I have made many great friends in this hobby. As someone who is normally introverted thats really something there.

For most of us, playing pinball is what got us into this hobby. I love playing older and newer games and I'll never get tired of it.

The restorations got me here originally. I started with restoring cars, but they took up too much room, and money. Pinball machines were a nice change. Same techniques, but much more interesting, and rewarding at a quicker pace.
After meeting locals, the people are what will keep me here.

Pinball machines are cool, and the people who like them are generally pretty cool too.

in 1976 I played my first pinball. Fireball. I was in fifth grade going into sixth. There was a cute cousin or three on vacation with me. I discovered I liked girls and pinball.

Then when I became a teen the arcades emerged. It was not something you could ignore.

Pinball never left but took a back seat in the 80s for me. I had an 81 Camaro gold.

I later returned to playing and never will look back. The comradery, the games, the weirdness.

It is all amazing.

I also wanted to say, even if I did get distracted, I would be back.

Well Lloyd I will comment with the following.

Since 1967 or so, seeing a Pin for the first time, I was hooked on the bells, lights and shiny ball. Not sure of the draw but Pinball had me hooked. Later in life as a teen there were 3 arcades near our home. The arcade was an escape from the continuous shit show at home. Rows of EM pins (and a few pool tables), where 2 or 3 dollars could give hours of fun, alone, or with friends, that told their parents that they were at my house. Then in 1982 I bought a Solar City, still have it, still play it, love the drop targets. Through thick and thin Pinball was there, some where. With the help of Pinside, meeting local Pinsiders has been great, going to their homes playing pinball machines I would never own (is a bonus), shooting the breeze, is just, simply fun! In the future if I ever need a walker, I'll still play pinball.

Why do I like pinball? "It is just frustratingly fun".

Technical repair and historical knowledge, including protecting valuable artwork or re vectoring from the original designs. A person moves onto higher levels of expertise, along with meeting collectors of the community that do the areas of work.
Simply implied, the people are equal, if not more important for sustained interest, not the machines necessarily themselves. The games don't change, if they were made 1-100+ years ago, they are the same games. There are many substantially creative people in this hobby, some with even more incredible motivation.
Someone one said it best a long time ago, "If you remain a pinball collector long enough you will end up touching every aspect of pinball machine repair including carpentry, design, programming, troubleshooting, soldering/desoldering, basic and advanced electronics, electromechanics, artistry, and reproduction and by doing so the people that are the experts in their fields."
This also includes teaching, as everyone starts at the beginning at sometime in their life.
Being a neophyte is not a "bad" thing.
A person will get bored with just being a player and owner eventually, as the "center does not hold".
The amount of time before this happens varies by the individual, how much they play, and the amount of cash in their pocket.
That is why you see the common "winking out" of owners like a star when they reach their personal limits, or at least downsizing at a minimum. For the latest generation of owners, the wheel of time is turning again.
A person will know when they see it, a person will say something like, "I own X pinball machines (or X $$$ of games), and I never play them. Should I sell them and use the money for something else?"
Watch the posts even on this website, it's a personal choice, not a groupthink answer, but gets asked all the same.
This means a person is close to pinball burnout and leaving, whether temporarily or permanently.
Personal age plays a factor as well.
Pinball machines are very time consuming devices to keep running, much more than many other hobbies/operation.
If you play them, they will break down, although not really a concern for most when they get into the hobby initially.
"Every pinball collector passes through the same six phases in their lifetime. "Curious George", Player, Owner, Collector, Restorer, and finally Hoarder. The place that you stop depends on when you start in the age of your life, and how many times you regress to a previous stage based on time, other life commitments, and of course, money."

Added over 7 years ago: Another example of "winking out":
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/selling-my-collection-asking-for-advice-on-prices#post-3881768

I get to put my initials on other peoples machines BBB baby.

Seriously though, as I no longer work I can utilise my past skill set and implement to the operation/ restoration of arcade machines and hopefully help others.
Plus I totally L O V E getting a dirty machine and making her pretty and playing like a demon again.

I like pinball because the physics of it cannot be duplicated/replicated every game.