Has home pin collecting "spoiled" you?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I don't know if others have had this problem, but I'm finding it very
hard to enjoy pins out "on location" anymore now that I've started
building my own collection.

Basically, it seems to me that there's just no comparison between a
clean, well-maintained home machine and what you find these days out in
bars and the local "Chuck E Cheese". The "fun factor" is dramatically
different.

I used to be very tolerant of poorly maintained pins I ran across -
beggars can't be choosers, after all. You adapted to the pin's condition
and made the best of it. Problem is, now I'm less tolerant, and I get
irritated a lot faster when flippers are weak, pop bumpers don't pop,
and the ball is skittering all over the gunk on the playfield.

I'm playing less pinball on location, a sad thing to say for a pinhead.
If others are doing this, it means less income for ops, removing their
incentive to buy new machines (or maintain their current ones): could
home collecting actually be hastening the decline of pinball?

--
Kevin Steele
RetroBlast! Retrogaming News and Reviews
www.retroblast.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I have the exact same problem, and I'm thrilled when I find a machine
on location that works without major problems.

I have also wondered the same thing about home collecting, although
there are so many factors contributing to pinball's decline, I doubt
this one is significant.

Wade

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Definately - I try and maintain my machines better than most people do
that bring machines to sell at shows like Allentown and York. I still
play out on locations though, but will walk away from games that are
not working properly..... love when the op doesn't unbox the tilt mech
and you can shake away like on a TSPP down the shore last year.....
machine walked about 8 feet across the carpet when we were done
playing!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

To answer your last question: probably not.

There are 3 kinds of pinball collectors:
- those who have (almost) never played on location and have started
their own pinball collection. Maybe they'll play now on location when
they discover a new pin, and wouldn't do it if they hadn't started
collecting.
But they won't play a lot so ops won't make a lot of money from them.

- people who played in the past and then didn't for a while (ie when
they were students, and later got married, kids, ..) and finally bought
their own pinball machine.
Same here, they were lost income for the operator anyhow, and now will
sometimes play when they come across a machine.

- die hard players who go to pubs: they usually keep going to pubs
anyhow.. having an own machine is only an extra, to play more, but they
won't suddenly stop playing on location, and will still look for all
latest pins when they are released. But don't expect to earn from them
by putting a JM or Popeye on location.

And the largest income for operators probably are not pinball owners
but just 'bar people'. Those who go a lot to their local pub and will
play every machine, as long as it's a fun machine to play.

In my area new Stern pins are available and still earn (well).
Players go out and search for them, we know what pubs get good
machines.. So we can't really complain about broken pins as usually
they're reasonably new (Elvis after a month on location was also
filthy, but still played well).

The number of locations did go down though.. while in the past there
were 'good' locations which earned well and got the new pins, there
were also average/bad locations which had a pin, usually the lesser
titles.
This second group doesn't make enough income to justify their location
so they were pulled.. but good locations still get good pins, so we
can't complain

Having own machines in perfect condition does make you be less tolerant
or at least see the bad things on location pins.

Aeneas.
-- http://www.flippers.be

 

[pt]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Totally agree. I've been in California on business for two months.
There are 5 pins in a local Tavern 100 yards from my condo. They are
mostly Gottlieb DMD games and one TAF. To date I have played 2 games
on the TAF and none on the others. I left with 2 earned credits on the
TAF. I have no interest in playing those machines. Its like they are
not even pinball. Fortunately I'll be home in Florida for two weeks
starting Friday...

I'm sure there will be some playable games at CA Extreme!!

John

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I doubt it. You will always have people doing things at home. Even in the
video game fad hay days there were people staying home and playing dungeon
and dragon board games, the video game manufacturers tried to get them out
and couldn't. Pinball on location is dying on it's own, not because it
became a great hobby. LTG

"Kevin Steele" <net-replyDEL@DELadelphia.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d36ee8e867aa42f989ed1@news...

could home collecting actually be hastening the decline of pinball?
>
> --
> Kevin Steele
> RetroBlast! Retrogaming News and Reviews
> www.retroblast.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Lloyd,

"Classic" Dungeons & Dragons is NOT a board game - it is a Role Playing
game (where you play a pretend "role" in a made-up fantasy world).
Board games infer something like Monopoly, Clue, Life, etc., which
require a "board" (playing surface) and tokens.

While D&D typically requires dice - and lots of them - the requirements
are only pencil, paper, and imagination. And rule books. Lots of
rule books! That's where the company (Wizards of the Coast now) makes
their money. Of course, like most things, there are lots of optional
accessories to invest in besides the books. I enjoy collecting the
miniatures myself. We use them to enhance combat, helping us visualize
the battles.

Anyway - just wanted to clarify that!

(Oh, I think there *was* a D&D board game, but it is not the same as
the popular role playing game, it was just created to make money off
the name.)

-Brannon (regular player of pinball, D&D, and computer games.)

Lloyd Olson wrote:
> I doubt it. You will always have people doing things at home. Even in the
> video game fad hay days there were people staying home and playing dungeon
> and dragon board games, the video game manufacturers tried to get them out
> and couldn't. Pinball on location is dying on it's own, not because it
> became a great hobby. LTG
>
> "Kevin Steele" <net-replyDEL@DELadelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1d36ee8e867aa42f989ed1@news...
>
> could home collecting actually be hastening the decline of pinball?
> >
> > --
> > Kevin Steele
> > RetroBlast! Retrogaming News and Reviews
> > www.retroblast.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Not at all. I still play location games, even
if it is a title that I already own, or have
owned in the past.

The sad truth is that in my part of the country,
there are so few pins still on location. Many of
those, I've worked on myself at some time or another!

Fred
TX
CARGPB#8
=============================



Kevin Steele wrote:
> I don't know if others have had this problem, but I'm finding it very
> hard to enjoy pins out "on location" anymore now that I've started
> building my own collection.

 

[frenchy]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I basically only use the 'real world of pinball' out there to try out a
brand new machine like when LOTR was coming out and I wanted to judge
it for purchase. Other than that, forget it, once they are put in
location they go downhill from there and compared to a home machine
it's a waste of a buck. Unless I happen to run across one that is
obviously well-kept but how often does that happen, hard enough finding
machines at ALL let alone clean ones.
Frenchy

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

frenchy wrote:
Other than that, forget it, once they are put in
> location they go downhill from there and compared to a home machine
> it's a waste of a buck.

ESPECIALLY Sterns, right? At my local bar which always gets the new
Stern pin in, Elvis, Sopranos, and LOTR have all been useless after
only a couple weeks. They really need to do better.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

The local pizza place has a RFM that my wife and I used to play all
the time. For the last six months the GI lights have been out so you
can't see the ball. We always used to play it when we went there but
now just play the one at home.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

> I don't know if others have had this problem, but I'm finding it very
> hard to enjoy pins out "on location" anymore now that I've started
> building my own collection.

Here in MN we have a VERY active pinball location database (currently
down because the server is moving) that reports on game, condition, and
location comments. Some local ops have taken to reading the database
and posting when they're doing maintenance. It's been really nice.

Then again, the Twin Cities Pinball Enthusiasts (www.tcpe.org-- us
locals that like to play on location (yes, some members have home
collections)) have put forth a very strong effort to support local ops
including choosing a public location every three weeks to meet at. We
usually have 10-15 people at a time, and spend hours just playing and
talking. We designed business cards and leave them wherever we play as
a group or one of us just in passing, and have found them under
playfield glass in at least one location.

When we choose a location to play at, post it on our website and bring
it up in our _local_ discussion group, we try and notify the op that
we'll be there, so they have ample time to do some work on the machine.
If they get out there in anticipation of us dumping some $ in the
machines, then the machines are clean for a while for the "regulars" at
that location.

Thing is, it's taken many of us to make it work. Lots of local
dedication to pinball and cooperation with each other in the best
interest of pinball. TCPE was recently mentioned in the July issue of
Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, and had a great article in The Rake
magazine in 2003.

> I'm playing less pinball on location, a sad thing to say for a pinhead.
> If others are doing this, it means less income for ops, removing their
> incentive to buy new machines (or maintain their current ones): could
> home collecting actually be hastening the decline of pinball?

I play far more location pinball than home pinball.

-Jen
-www.tcpe.org

 

[Del]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

All of the Above is Sad but True !,
I still play games on location & only the worst of the worst wont get
played by me, I'm not a TSPP fan & LOTRs & RBION
started getting old to me,,I did put a JM on location a few weeks back
as a Filler game & its doing about the same as the T3 that
came out,, I'm trying not to buy & have 2 of the Same Sterns
But I have already started my Pre-Order for Nascar & that will be my
last NIB game until I see anything better, SAP & Elvis
were not bought by me as I think even RBION is a better game than
either of those,, Pns on location in SC is a rare sight now a days & I
do have to give credit to one of the local Ops who is still running his
Bally/Williams games,, BUT Hes Killing me with the
Titles hes putting out ,, I'd buy everyone he has if I had the chance,
But even then hes not making enough on Pins to
get him to buy "Any" of the new Sterns,,, I'm hoping Nascar
gets put in all of the Bars around here to Jump-Start the players
again,,, As far as my Home Collection goes, I buy & keep them
just to play & my games ALL need shopping right now, But
I'll wait til this summer heat cools down before I start those,
As it is now with no A/C in my shop, I only play pinballs at night.

Pin-Del,

 

[otto]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

The shame is, the thing probably just needs new bulbs and a wipe down and it
will start earning again.

Otto

CARGPB11

My web page: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Ottoslanding

"Kenbo" <Kenbo@NOqsolvJUNKMAIL.com> wrote in message
news:echqc1tuekbh25r319s7un92po1immq10b@4ax.com...
> The local pizza place has a RFM that my wife and I used to play all
> the time. For the last six months the GI lights have been out so you
> can't see the ball. We always used to play it when we went there but
> now just play the one at home.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Probably just a fuse. The fuse on ours blew and had the same affect.

I'm thinking of calling the op and making an offer on it. It has a
much nicer cabinet than mine. It looks like it was put on location new
and never moved since. My playfield in that cabinet would be near
mint.

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 11:48:51 -0400, "Otto"
<ottondebremove&%$*@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>The shame is, the thing probably just needs new bulbs and a wipe down and it
>will start earning again.
>
>Otto
>
>CARGPB11
>
>My web page: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Ottoslanding
>
>"Kenbo" <Kenbo@NOqsolvJUNKMAIL.com> wrote in message
>news:echqc1tuekbh25r319s7un92po1immq10b@4ax.com...
>> The local pizza place has a RFM that my wife and I used to play all
>> the time. For the last six months the GI lights have been out so you
>> can't see the ball. We always used to play it when we went there but
>> now just play the one at home.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

haha...well the sad part is it isn't too far off.

>
> "ass bbq"? There's your problem right there...
>
> --
> Kevin Steele
> RetroBlast! Retrogaming News and Reviews
> www.retroblast.com

 

[frenchy]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

<<They really need to do better. >>

On my LOTR it was the flipper switches (one of them anyway) and after I
replaced that they have been perfect since then. Don't know if that
was the problem on a lot of Elvises and Sopranos or not. But they
should tell the switch maker to do better.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

> I don't know if others have had this problem, but I'm finding it very
> hard to enjoy pins out "on location" anymore .....

Yes, I agree with you on this. I find it very hard to put quarters into a
beat up POS that barley works out on location. I am almost always
disappointed in the game play.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 20:45:55 -0400, Woodsy wrote:
>
>> I don't know if others have had this problem, but I'm finding it very
>> hard to enjoy pins out "on location" anymore .....
>
> Yes, I agree with you on this. I find it very hard to put quarters into a
> beat up POS that barley works out on location. I am almost always
> disappointed in the game play.

Depends on the location, and depends on the route owner. Bowling alleys,
taverns, and movie theaters are more likely to be in playable shape,
IME, than actual "places of amusement". You'd think the other way
around; maybe it's some kind of "trapped customer" thing...


--
37. If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a
battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.
--Peter Anspach's list of things to do as an Evil Overlord