Not crazy at all... I'm pretty sure I fall into that camp.

Ditto.

I can spend 20 hours cleaning and fixing a game, play it 3 times, and then sell it. It's just relaxing ripping apart a playfield and cleaning it.
You should have put up a poll.

I’m starting to work on them more than playing and love it. I find it very relaxing and a great distraction from other stuff going on that’s not so great.
And I love a good before and after shot to see the progress. This is one of my more involved projects.

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You're not crazy. There's a reason why a lot of pinheads are engineering types. I'm still fascinated by what makes these games tick (especially the 80s/90s era) ...and diagnosing and fixing issues is both fun and frustrating at the same time.

I love playing, but fixing and restoring is what keeps my interest in the hobby. If it was only playing, I would get bored rather quickly. I suppose that is why the NIB buyers cycle through games so fast.

There’s a huge difference between playing a game you bought fully working vs. playing a game you’ve brought back from the dead and restored.

And a couple before and after pics....
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Okay. Now you're making me choose between the purchase, the fix up, and bacon...that's just mean.

I'm solidly in this category too. I've always enjoyed finding abused, broken, abandoned
pinball machines and the process of bringing them back to life. Its a very rewarding
personal challenge. Playing a game you restored is far more fun IMO.
Anyone can open their wallet and plunk down a few kilobucks for new or
overpriced pins but few can polish a turd.
Steve

I dont like to fix more than i play, but I still end up spending more time fixing than playing....

You people are masochists! But we thank you.

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boy I love me some BACON!!!!

well I do have to admit. I am not an engineer or a tech guy. Just a guy that enjoys playing games. I have been buying broke games because I can afford that. now that i have been in the hobby for a while, I have learned so much and get some great gratification when i bring back a game to life. Then after ripping it apart and making it shine again just makes me smile when walk by it.

I'm an engineer and I like fixing all kinds of things. Pinball machines are like a hobby. There is a certain satisfaction from having something on the machine not working properly, fixing that, and then seeing the results. I'm not that much into restoring old machines. That is more like a labor of love, that is not something that I would do first. Replacing broken parts or repairing wiring errors and such, is something I can get into. Just like on cars, I can replace anything broken or not working properly. Restoring old cars is a lot more work that I am not willing to do.

I barely ever play my pins. Much rather be fixing them. It's what I enjoy.

I definitely fall into that camp. Look at how many of my started threads say **-FIXED-** in front of them. I love working on them.

If you can fix them, you can play them. The converse is not necessarily true.

Anyone can throw their money around, have an A-list B/W collection, or buy every new Stern and JJP to keep up with the Jonses.

I like fixing more than playing

I am in this group. I am currently working on restoring a skateball and a meteor at the same time.

I'm no engineer but I like to turn nuts, bolts and screws. Before this, I did car stuff. This is much different than car stuff, but it scratches the same itch.

Playing, well I've usually had enough after about 30 min to an hour.
Restoring never gets boring. I have no idea why taking something apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together makes me happy, but it does.

I love helping Steve Young stay in business. Just finished a "Card Whiz", onto a "Surfer" restore
It's a great feeling when you can bring a pin back from the dead.

I think I enjoy fixing them more than playing, with the exception of my latest acquisition, Seawitch.
Honestly, I’m a bit annoyed with myself because I spent hours and hours fixing games but once it’s done I rarely play them!

Im the opposite of most of you guys. I buy these games to play em and do not really enjoy the other aspects. Its just another chore for me to do in my mind...

I get the reward of fixing things though...

You are SURROUNDED by like-minded individuals - fixing of course... that's not to say I don't like playing... or bacon.

You are not wrong. The amount of work involved in the latest restoration of Freefall was excruciating.

Fix more than play any day of the week.

Let's see, I do full blown restores, have a two pin collection, one of which is for sale, what does that say about me?

I'm a fixer upper! Wait, that came out wrong.

Still trying to decide which one to vote for. I love scoring a multi game deal with a few fixer uppers. Then I get to do the work which is fun. My business is pinballs and vending. My wife dosent like it when I work because I have too much fun doing it. And then I see things like this and it makes it hard to choose.

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I love playing and working on projects about equally. I like the "fixing" part less when the project part is over and something randomly stops working or breaks. When it goes from fixing something for fun as a project vs. fixing something to avoid having an unplayable game in the lineup it can be a bit frustrating, but it comes with the territory.

I wish I could fix as much as I play. I’ve been in search for a good project pin, but, as everyone here knows, they are hard to come by. One of these days...

I'd love a real dirt bag of an Addams Family to restore.

I like playing. It is fun.

Who wants to come over and fix the ones I can't play since they are broken? If it's so much fun, that is.

I'll stay 6 feet away! Or we can schedule it for later when things quiet down. I'm flexible.

Im with ya. Anyone who wants extra enjoyment can certainly come fix my issues when they pop up!

Bingo! The game is sweeter when you have brought it back to life.

I used to like fixing pins when projects used to be cheaper. Now everything gets snatched up so quickly and at higher prices...I just stopped chasing. Occasionally I will luck into a project and remember how fun it is to work on pins again. Reminds me I need to find a summer project!

I used to be this guy and got burnt out. I would get every cool project I could get my hands on. I got real good at going over games and fixing anything I came across.
These days I enjoy casually playing and focusing on greenfield projects. Sometimes a little thing that needs adjusting will persist for weeks because I don't want to take off the glass.

Projects are still appealing because I'm so frugal, but trying to only get stuff that I'll end up keeping.
Flipping stuff to make a buck is cool, but ultimately not worth the time that could be spent elsewhere (for me).
Still waiting for a ratty FH or CFTBL to show up and do a complete restoration on it!

Who wouldn't want to find a blown out (insert your game here.) Problem now is no matter how beat down a game is, somebody does a half ass shop job and thinks it's worth just a few hundred under pinside average.

What?! There's no choice that says I like it all?!

I guess that choice must be bacon since everyone likes bacon

I fix more than play. Its therapeutic.

Love seeing ads with "worth xxx when restored"

And? As it sits not worth a 1/4 of that if not less.

Kinda the opposite for me---US.. ..... I love to play ... I am horrible at fixing games and understanding the workings.... I try and then get frustrated.. and give up...BAD.....

So anyone in the area come on over and fix away...Please Teach us the way of the pinball machine,,,.,.,..I have plenty of working games and some needing attention... Can pay or trade for ???? Food Drinks..etc.... Friendship.... Nick.

Congrats to the peeps that this kind of thing comes easy..... NT.

I probably spend 20 hours fixing to each hour playing. If I factored my time in each of the last 3 games I brought back from the dead, my labor rate was maybe $5 an hour if that. But the satisfaction of getting another project game up and running again make it worthwhile.

I really like fixing pinballs, as long as it isnt complicated electrical problems like a broken circuit board. Its very rewarding seeing a dusty game that plays bad end up in great shape.

Every new game I buy gets a complete teardown on the upside and all assemblys on the downside get properly cleaned. It often take weeks before I can play it.

The only thing I hate is fixing pop bumpers, screw them.

They are very enjoyable fixing up because they have many skills involved and it's all in a single project. You have wood shop, metal shop, painting/art of the playfield, and electronics/electrical work.

I enjoy 'restoring/fixing' to a point. The problem is the big project severely take my playing time down.

Fixing>playing

I do both. Mechanic by trade and livelihood, been restoring pins since 2006. Restoring cars is much greasier, lots of fluids, but you get to drive em. Pins are cleaner but you get to play em.

I have a desk job, so learning to fix and restore pinballs has been a new challenge for me. I really enjoy this side of the hobby. My restoration projects take a long time though. I start working on a game and then end up playing the game next to it. If only I could multitask.