I am planning on taking a trip to a convention or pinball show. But I don't know which is the best/biggest. I cont play competitive at all. Just love pinball and want to go to a good show, play lots of games I otherwise wouldn't. I want to take the whole weekend or days of the event.
Any suggestions inside the US?
I go to Pintastic because it’s close. I don’t really care to fly to go to a pin show. I always have a good time.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:I love the Allentown show and it’s my favorite to attend.
Beat me to it, Allentown is an absolute blast. I look forward to it more than any other show.
It looks like Pintastic would be about a 3:00 to 3:20 drive for you, straight across I-84, as long as you time it to not be in the Hartford area around rush hour. Other than playing games that are set up and working, and NOT playing in tournaments, do you care about seminars, trying homebrew games and commenting to the designers, buying parts and stuff, after-hours entertainment, etc.? Pintastic has all of that.
.................David Marston
If you just want to play games, then The Ann Arbor Pinball Museum, a.k.a "VFW", is hands down the best. No vendors, no seminars, just games.
511 total games, 487 pinball games, 24 EM arcades (e.g. gun games, pitch-n-bats, bowlers ect.), zero videos.
Operational game percentage on show days is over 99%
and
Thanks for the responses so far. I'm planning on going the the NYC Pinball Chamionships, just to check it out. Like I said, I've never been to anything. I'm thinking of a weekend trip somewhere. That's why I'm checking it out. I figured this would be a good place to get some opinions. I know I can get reviews on Google. I'd rather have the ability to ask specific questions to live people.
When you go, is it a weekend thing or do you burn out after one day?
Anything pinball is good for me. I like the idea of going to seminars too. I didn't realize you could do that.
Thanks again for the responses. Any dialog is helpful.
I can't believe no one has said Texas Pinball Festival yet! That's my favorite, they always have a giant selection to play including tournaments and a lot of game debuts (this year included Foo Fighters, Galactic Tank Force, the Godfather, Pulp Fiction, etc.), awesome BBQ and margaritas nearby, and a good mix of vendors and video games thrown in.
Quoted from tedwasright:Thanks for the responses so far. I'm planning on going the the NYC Pinball Chamionships, just to check it out. Like I said, I've never been to anything. I'm thinking of a weekend trip somewhere. That's why I'm checking it out. I figured this would be a good place to get some opinions. I know I can get reviews on Google. I'd rather have the ability to ask specific questions to live people.
When you go, is it a weekend thing or do you burn out after one day?
Anything pinball is good for me. I like the idea of going to seminars too. I didn't realize you could do that.
Thanks again for the responses. Any dialog is helpful.
We'd love to see you at NYCPC! The venue is awesome and right in the center of Manhattan.
Quoted from Strohz:I can't believe no one has said Texas Pinball Festival yet! That's my favorite, they always have a giant selection to play including tournaments and a lot of game debuts (this year included Foo Fighters, Galactic Tank Force, the Godfather, Pulp Fiction, etc.), awesome BBQ and margaritas nearby, and a good mix of vendors and video games thrown in.
Because it's crowded as shit and way long wait times vs other events. The jump from 2018 to 2023 was insane. I'm done with that show.
Go to whatever is close, and then get to the VFW however necessary. Absolutely amazing collection. Most shows are gonna be 20%+ latest-release filler brought by distros. VFW is 500 unique games in peak playing condition, with an army of orange shirt techs fixing any problems that arise. And it's basically a big pinball-tailgate outside.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:We'd love to see you at NYCPC! The venue is awesome and right in the center of Manhattan.
I'll be there for sure. Already put in for Friday, 13th!!
Now that replayfx and papa bit the dust, for me it’s Allentown or Vfw. Vfw for the amazing selection of games. Allentown is just an old school down and dirty show, it’s large and great.
Quoted from tedwasright:I am planning on taking a trip to a convention or pinball show. But I don't know which is the best/biggest. I cont play competitive at all. Just love pinball and want to go to a good show, play lots of games I otherwise wouldn't. I want to take the whole weekend or days of the event.
Any suggestions inside the US?
By car - Allentown
By plane - Texas Pinball Festival
For sheer games (but nothing else) - VFW
texas is the best ‘show’ in terms of vendors and mix of free play available in a convenient package
For pure playing, VFW, as many others have said. Limited tickets means no need to wait in line, and all eras with flippers are there, and even some pre-war flipperless classics.
For buying, selling, and playing EMs (which I collect), it’s the White Rose Gameroom Show in York, PA every early fall. (Link: http://www.theyorkshow.com/ )
Quoted from kciaccio:Houston Arcade and pinball Expo. Great party Expo.
https://www.houstonarcadeexpo.com/
If you like some live music or listen to Scott Danesi DJ to go with your pinball action, hit it!
https://www.houstonarcadeexpo.com/guests-bands-and-speakers/
Quoted from tedwasright:Thanks for the responses so far. I'm planning on going the the NYC Pinball Chamionships, just to check it out. Like I said, I've never been to anything. I'm thinking of a weekend trip somewhere. That's why I'm checking it out. I figured this would be a good place to get some opinions. I know I can get reviews on Google. I'd rather have the ability to ask specific questions to live people.
When you go, is it a weekend thing or do you burn out after one day?
Anything pinball is good for me. I like the idea of going to seminars too. I didn't realize you could do that.
Thanks again for the responses. Any dialog is helpful.
Selfish plug for Pincinnati! Great one if you just like playing a ton of pinball.
What got me hooked on shows is the ability to get a cheap room and stay and play all weekend.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Selfish plug for Pincinnati! Great one if you just like playing a ton of pinball.
What got me hooked on shows is the ability to get a cheap room and stay and play all weekend.
I especially love the sometimes optional power being turned off until about 4pm 
!!
Quoted from PinballManiac40:If you like some live music or listen to Scott Danesi DJ to go with your pinball action, hit it!
https://www.houstonarcadeexpo.com/guests-bands-and-speakers/
Closing time on Friday and Saturday nights are 2am!!! Only one cost to get in the door for everything..the live music, games in the free play area, and seminars.
What types of seminars do they have at the shows? I'm in for sure no. Maybe I'll do PA first them head west.
Quoted from LTG:Check show reports on pinballnews.com
LTG : )
I appreciate your insight. But the whole point of a forum is discourse. LTG is a pretty passive-aggresive way of being a douche. Maybe you dont realize it. Maybe you do. Thanks, though.
#GottaLovetheInternet
Quoted from tedwasright:I appreciate your insight. But the whole point of a forum is discourse. LTG is a pretty passive-aggresive way of being a douche. Maybe you dont realize it. Maybe you do. Thanks, though.
Sorry, I meant no harm. I thought besides what others may post, show reports would help you decide what show or seminars would help you decide what to attend in the future. You might get more information that way. Especially if anything good was missed.
I might add some shows may not have seminars. Some like Expo in Chicago, the home of pinball, and CGC, Stern, and jjp, and where many of people that have or now work in pinball may attend, can have great info on the inner workings on past and present manufacturing. Besides info on home builds, EMs, tech seminars, etc. etc.
LTG : )
Quoted from LTG:Sorry, I meant no harm. I thought besides what others may post, show reports would help you decide what show or seminars would help you decide what to attend in the future. You might get more information that way. Especially if anything good was missed.
LTG : )
Cool. No harm done. I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you for your opinion.
Quoted from tedwasright:I appreciate your insight. But the whole point of a forum is discourse. LTG is a pretty passive-aggresive way of being a douche. Maybe you dont realize it. Maybe you do. Thanks, though.
#GottaLovetheInternet
Bashing Loyd is uncalled for. He is one of the most helpful on this site.
Quoted from freddy:Bashing Loyd is uncalled for. He is one of the most helpful on this site.
No harm no foul. tedwasright reached out to me. My LTG confused things. He thought it meant Learn To Google. Which would be not nice. And he wasn't the first, and won't be the last.
I hope he finds shows or seminars to attend, and I hope I made a new friend.
LTG : )
freddy Thank you for sticking up for me. Please remove your down vote. It was a simple misunderstanding. And compared to some through the years, a quite mild response.
In reality, helping a guy and getting called a name is funny. After doing a day of tech support stuff, it was a nice break in the action.
LTG : )
PinballManiac40 Please remove your down vote too. The post was in error.
And please, no one else give him a down vote. He's a good man, apologized for the misunderstanding.
None of us are perfect. And we only hope the best in his going to pinball shows or seminars.
Thank you,
LTG : )
Quoted from LTG:freddy Thank you for sticking up for me. Please remove your down vote. It was a simple misunderstanding. And compared to some through the years, a quite mild response.
In reality, helping a guy and getting called a name is funny. After doing a day of tech support stuff, it was a nice break in the action.
LTG : )
Done!
Quoted from tedwasright:What types of seminars do they have at the shows?
See this history: https://pintasticnewengland.com/past-speakers/
That is all the seminars at past Pintastic shows, plus a link to a YouTube channel where some can be watched.
.................David Marston
Quoted from tedwasright:passive-aggresive way of being a douche.
Do me a favor, go to one of these shows and wait in line to play the latest and greatest machine, and when the guy presses start once again
use that douche line on him. Report back.
dmarston you gave me another thought.
Go to Youtube, search pinball seminars. And scroll through, a lot to choose from. Can give you an idea of what is all at these shows.
I mentioned Pinball News before, Martin has recordings you can listen to of many of the seminars.
LTG : )
I have been on pinside for long enough to have interacted with Lloyd and learned from him. I didn't really know who he was. When I saw LTG I didn't know what it meant. So I googled it. It came up as Learn To Google. We all know how many keyboard warriors there are. I usually ignore it. So when I saw it again it bothered me. So I posted. Then I saw someone had referred to him as Lloyd and I had to reconsider my thoughts.
If you check my posts I do my best to be helpful and positive while trying to avoid negativity. It was a weak moment. I personally apologized to Lloyd for it and he was kind enough to hear me out.
My goal on pinside is to be positive, smile, and learn. Check my posts and you will see this with increasing frequency.
Again, Lloyd, Sorry for that. And thanks for your understanding. Hope to meet you someday at a show.
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