I'd be fine with that.

John

$3500 on your Spiderman right now.

Tr

Tried the "rent mobile home for vacation" thing. Realized I DON'T want to do that for any extended period.

20K? This dude can hook you up with one.43 (resized).jpg

The hobby has become a rich man's hobby and the new folks coming in are exposed to the ever changing prices. ( I couldn't get in now if I started today) I'm glad I got in when I did when a decent deal could be found. I've learned to scale back on the amount of pins I had because I knew I would never get to them all and I was pissing off the wife! I've contemplated dropping out more than once because of cost and time along with raising a family of five. Pinball has been with me since I was a kid and it will be for a long time to come and someday hopefully I can pass it on to my kids if they are interested? Remember folks we are only caretakers for a short time!

Dude, I need to move out to Ashburn apparently!

Ferrari's, Poker or 21 year old hot girls?

QSS

Sweet and since I already sent him a bunch of money the first time then it wont be no problem sending him money this time as I'm sure he'd be happy to take my money again since I'm sure he could use it right about now.

John

I've only been reading pinside for about 2 years but there is way too much negativity here for me (**most tech threads excluded). I'll definitely continue playing pinball but collecting is probably not for me. I do also feel that people with a lot of money have ruined this hobby in a lot of ways.

I agree, it would take a lot more than that for me to sell up my collection considering how long and how much it has taken to get to this stage, but I was just providing a real life example based on conversations I have had with clients of how it can and does cause some to re-evaluate the personal price of being involved in our local hobby publicly. Typically once a new entrant to the hobby has had a taste of AA and been soured by the experience, the chances of getting them to venture onto other properly run forums like pinside are virtually zero.

As an aside it is also an accurate guage of how quickly and easily forums can turn to shit with bad leadership and how it has a negative ripple effect on the growth of the hobby at a domestic level which now basically entails having to conduct sales transactions at a clandestine level for those that choose not to be involved in any domestic online cliques.

Time. Plain and simple. I need to stick with reliable pins as it is hard to find the time to fix them. I'd much rather be playing. As none of my family will play with me (original plan for us getting into pinball was to have something we could do as a family) so if I'm playing pinball I'm by myself and not spending family time. Wife resents the time I spend if I take a Saturday to buy or sell. Trust me, THAT is not worth the hassle (overall though she is fairly supportive). I'm gonna look to get back down to 4 pins. Not sure if I can do it though. Maybe 6. Either way, it will always be tough cuz I LOVE playing and I love trilling out new pins.

First step for me is in process (trading SS for DILE) and AFM is for sale. I suspect I will have some other for sale ads up between now and 2018. I'm thinking I will keep at least DILE, Hobbit, TNA (definitely buying this), Metallica but then things start getting fuzzy on what to do. That said, I'm usually wishy-washy so who knows what will happen.

Rising prices is a big factor as many collectors love the thrill of the chase and it gets harder and harder to justify if losses start to increase which will/is happening as the market is getting saturated.

Lately various QC issues, code not being updated, Heighway/JPOP etc has not helped either.

I will be not making as many changes as in the past, so code updates become even more important! KISS anyone?

Hernias

Remember Houseofpin? He jumped right into pinball and went nuts buying games to fill up his basement. Eventually he realized he rarely played them and just sold them all off.

Speaking of codes, wasn't Stern supposed to come out with another new one for Star Trek?

When I burn out a little, I just take a break. As long as I need. The games wait patiently. I haven't purchased with debt, so there is no pressure to sell. Tournaments renew my enthusiasm more than anything else. I'm no threat to to highly skilled players, but I learn to appreciate just about any game when fighting for every point. Also, the tournaments introduce me to new people and increase the social part of pinball for me.

I think pinball would be a really small part of my life if I only played games at home and didn't have pinball friends, shows and tournaments. Pinside, or any discussion group, is a purely optional part of the hobby. I'm not sure how it could ruin a hobby for you unless you take criticism from strangers personally. A few years ago I felt that way about another online community and I just quit logging on to it. Poor! No more awkwardness there.

We're all different and very few of us really understand that without passing some kind of judgement. It's human nature. Proof reading this post, I just did it in paragraph two.

Pinball for life.

Ugh, well, Marco is out.

Lot's of reasons but i do like cheese

Funny....when my son was learning to talk, the 1st phrase he repeated over and over "I like Cheese".

But with that said, I have had games off and on, but only been a serious buyer and Pinside member for a couple of years. I have an option for an upcoming promotion that would necessitate me to relocate. If I decide to go, I am at a stage where seriously downsizing looks like an attractive option. I would miss all of the games and toys, but there is something to be said for a much simpler life. That would be my reason for dropping out.......

Just a trend I am noticing... Many of the people noting they may be getting out in the future, have very 1 dimensional collections IMO.

Lots of Stern, SternLE collections with a MMr or AFMr mixed in.

I suggest branching out if you feel the hobby is getting stale.
Pick up an EM, classic Bally or classic Stern and learn how to clean it up. You may find that it is easier to not burn out when you have a sub 1k game that you put 500 in and has tons of replay factor.

JMHO/ suggestion FWIW (not much)

Or sell one of those, and buy 10 old EMs with the proceeds. Then you can get out of the hobby for the "no time" reason.

This is exactly how I started with pinball. My first machine was a high speed that stood in my dad's garage and I fixed it up and played with friend with a beer. Only my high speed was super nice but at that time I bought the machine for 300 euro and it needed some new displays.

One other thing thats sometimes anoying is moving the machines. I don't have a big enough car and I live on the 2nd floor. It can be an enormous hassle sometimes. Especially eith games like Haunted House. That thing is crazy heavy.
Peter

I find that many people get wrapped up in "keeping up with the Jones's", just focusing on the new JJP/Stern LEs or B/W A-listers. Eventually they get burnt out or bored. I know some just get tired of other people doing and always talking about this which causes them to leave.

Me, I've been around pinball nearly my whole life and can be just as happy with one working game (BK2K please) as a room full of them. Not like I have time anymore to deal with the latter.

It's interesting that two people can look at the same problem and see totally different solutions. I do, of course, realize that transporting and general maintenance for pins can get to be a bit much at times, but once they're setup and working properly I can't think of a simpler time in life than spending an hour or two slapping the silver ball around the playfield. For me, it's all about the playing and how it takes me back to my childhood. When I'm playing pinball all the pressures, deadlines, and general "noise" of daily life get put aside for a while. I don't think of anything else except where my next shot is. My simpler life would involve more pinball (playing) and not less.

- Got into the hobby in the late 90's
- After a while Started routing games (pinball and video) to supplement income.
- Eventually stores closed etc and I was in the need of cash so started selling, keeping only a few vids in laundrymats.
- Life reset... started missing pinball.
- Started going to shows, repairing machines for others, etc.
- Completely got out of routing games.
- Discovered pinside
- Started collecting again.
- Joined Pinside

I suspect at this point it's too late for me... I'm a lifer. When I did take a break (about a 3 year break) it was for financial reasons.

I don't ever intend on dropping out. That said I have one game.

A magic number right now would be four. I will always have atleast 1. But I don't need 50.

trying to get to 50 would be work, not fun to me.its all about balance.

Is it just me or is this thread kind of depressing

"Pinball is not a way of life...it's just a godamn hobby...."

Setup a few dozen in your house for a few decades and you might feel differently.

2 years in. Still constantly browse PS, play every day, and am in love my cookie cutter games! I'm pretty much done with mods however.

Looking forward to progressing to system 11s and early solid states in a couple years. If I had the space I'd already be there. Also really want to buy a beater EM and learn how to bring it back to life.

Shit, I should probably go to a pinball show too.

Financial disaster aside it looks like I'm in it for the long haul, and even then I can go the broken EM route. Woohoo!

I was in a motorhome sunday and realized i could fit 2 in the back..! Maybe thats the way to go into retirement.

In the late to early 2000s I had a shitload of videos games and a handful of pins in my gameroom. Also had a storage unit full of games. When I moved out of NJ I sure as heck wasn't going pay to move a truckload of games several states away. So I traded or sold all my games and kept one of the MAME machines I had built.

So me getting out at that time was due moving an entire collection of heavy games. They are just games to me and I don't get attached to a game so it was no big deal to part with them all. Then four years ago my wife said we should get a pinball machine for our basement bar. And here I am again.

I hear ya, just 2 different perspectives. When I use the term "simpler", I mean as a whole...not having a big home or property to care for. If I want to go somewhere, I just jump in the truck and go. When I want to play pinball, I just drop on by the arcade and feed some quarters and walk away.

Several hobbies have held my attention over the years. In the 80s/90s it was cars. Back then you could still find a '50s corvette (we had a '58), dad bought a '57 Chevy Bel-Air two door hardtop to restore for under 5K, and I picked up my first car - '70 Chevelle for $3K. To find parts you had to travel to the big swap meets. . . Hershey, Charlotte, Carlisle, etc. or look thru Hemmings/Magazines -- no internet to help you out. Finding that needed, missing piece at the bottom of a vendor's pile was a very rewarding feeling. Traveling as a family or with friends was as much a part of the adventure as finding something you were looking for.
In the 2000s I moved over to tractors. The internet was starting to kick in and a solid classic car found for a decent price was becoming a thing of the past. The same thing began to happen in the tractor world -- the internet crept in, prices began to rise (skyrocket actually), and competition for even a halfway decent deal became ridiculous. Early on, I cant remember how many times I would call someone a number of states away and come to an agreement with the phone call. I would send a check, wait for payment to clear, then make arrangements for pickup. I never once had a problem with a seller.
While the internet did help me find a few deals it also exposed those deals to my "competition" and of course the scammers worked their way in as well. I grew tired of people trying to outbid me on something that was already supposed to have a set price and I was annoyed with the people that thought they could fool me into sending them money they did not deserve.

Cars and tractors were something that I enjoyed not because they held value but because I could bring life back to something no one else saw the potential in. If you ask me it was money that led me to lose interest -- most of the people buying the stuff I was looking at saw its value in dollar signs vs. something to work on, enjoy, and keep. Supply and demand -- its the American Way and I get that. I could still be in the mix of things if I wanted to but the game has become too commercial for my liking so my money will stay under the mattress or buried in the jar in the back yard.

Ive only been involved in pinball the last couple years. Found this site less than a year ago and its been a great reference/source of information that I would not have otherwise had (+1 for the internet!).
I also notice the competition for a good deal and discussion of inflated prices. . . hopefully people will continue to find value in the fun/enjoyment the machine provides vs. what it can be sold for. Seems most pinsiders are good people. That is a big plus. . . when the big money people moved into the car/tractor world they turned their noses down to on the common folks -- a vehicle became like a painting on a wall not to be touched or heaven forbid sat in/driven. If pinball machines ever get to the point of "look but dont touch" this hobby will probably be done for me as well.

Good/People Stay = Pinball is Fun and great people involved.

Bad/People Leave = Commercialization can take the fun out of things. And other stuff too as the other responses have well said.

I dont always upvote Beezleboob, but when I do its because he was nice to me in the past. . . once.

I also have felt this way.We waited 7 Months for the new GB to come out,and it was full of problems! Then,the B66 hype,and we got worse! My B66LE wasn't even playable out of box! And the prices are going crazy!! None of the new Stern pins move me! The only pin I've seen so far that I thought was fun is the new Houdini!And now my ST/PRe is acting up,so more repairs!! The future is not clear!

Someone should open a Pinball Retirement Community. There are enough old guys now to fill one up. Everyone bring your collection with you and share it in one big building. Pinsiders could bitch and gripe in person at Tommy's Bar and Grill. We could drive around in custom golf carts with pop bumper hub caps.
I read that Jimmy Buffet is opening a retirement village called Margarita Villas or something like that. What would you call a planned pinball retirement community?

Out here we have full basements. Tho when I moved to 3 games, the wife forced me to buy a bigger house

Why did I not see this "patented" stellar Beelze move on SW at Pintastic every time you drained in under 15 seconds? You have made me contemplate leaving the hobby several times.

I also dove in like I didn't have a care in the world, and have enjoyed it because I actually learned how to fix games early on. That made for some fantastic cheap finds on games that were either projects, or that somebody thought was a project and didn't really need a whole lot...just somebody that knew how to use a DMM and a soldering iron. Those deals are nowhere near as plentiful anymore, not that I look anywhere near as much as I used to.

As Ron and dgoett said above, getting involved with LOP for a brief stint definitely made the "hobby" part worse for me for a time. When you spend all day answering texts, emails, PM's, organizing parts, talking to vendors, emailing some more, checking Pinside, listing games, interacting with customers, etc....I would go home and stare at my gameroom, turn the light back off and walk away. Very little desire to play pinball...and actually enjoy it...when you're immersed in it all day and night. I do enjoy some of that interaction and meeting a ton of people in the hobby, helping out with their games and make them pretty, etc....so I might start up my own venture sans partner (because that just comes with headaches).

All in all, I think Lloyd said it the best earlier in the thread. When you are tiring of the hobby, look for some other aspect in the hobby to focus on. I was recently too busy, immersed in the hobby and my interest was declining. So instead of buying and selling, playing or even searching for pins and spending a ton of time on here, I started restoring my Bally Vampire. That has been exciting for me (even though a slower process than I would like), but I know in the end when I play the first game when it's done, it'll feel great.

And at Pintastic it was absolutely great to enjoy a show as a patron for the first time in two years, play some games, talk to some people and just wander around, without all the vendor hassles. It would have been even better if Beelzeboob wouldn't have kept tapping his foot when he was in the stall next to me...

Partially Pissed Pinball Party Paradise?

Casa De o-din

I almost typed a big thing aboot just this topic. For me it's not even the collection aspect, it's the mindset I can't understand.
If people don;t like EMs whatever I've been there that makes a little more sense...but the constant tunnel vision idea people of have of what they can like is so bizarre. "I don't like Widebody machines," "Watching the animations kills the flow," "i only like mode based games..." Just the weirdest shit.

Get Off My Lawn Pinball Retirement Community

Yeah, it is a little bit. After reading through most of this thread, maybe it IS time to leave this hobby?? Take up knitting or something....

This is really the best advice possible. Variety is the spice of life. Don't be afraid of a game not in the top 100.

A game like Sorcerer or Quicksilver may look simple, but it doesn't mean it's easy. They play fast as hell. Mix up your collection and get a game like one of those two.

That was it. Without the patented beelzeboob ball save, the ball would drain in under a second. So fast you couldn't see it.

LTG : )

Some probably get out of the hobby because they are video gamers at heart and had no business owning pinball machines in the first place. Others just aren't very mechanically inclined.

You can think that about any hobby that gets popular.

The other side though is more games available, new and used. And way more parts too. Growth has really helped pinball.

LTG : )

More people are getting in then getting out. Hence the rise in prices.