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Posted: 1/3/2019 8:39:17 AM EST
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How much do you think this Primus machine sucks? https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1527/9923/products/PRIMUS-Default_2048x2048.png?v=1542763394 That said, it's the second retheme of Whoa Nelly, Big Juicy Mellons. Which was designed to be a throwback style em game. The second retheme of it was sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon, called Pabst Can Crusher. When I say retheme, the manufacturer changes the art work, soundpackage, and overall "theme" of the machine, but leaves the basic play field mechanics as is. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 8:50:29 AM EST
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How much do you spend on travel? Is it tax deductible? On average, I'd guess about 5k a year between flights, and hotels. I try to bring the family when a tourney is in an interesting or touristy area, I justify it as a mini vacation. My accountant hasn't been able to figure out how to right off the expenses yet, as my profession is usually localized within my state, and it's "iffy" to say I traveled to a conference or met with a client when there actually wasn't one. 
So no, I foot the travel expenses. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:13:51 AM EST
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No. I work 40+ hours a week as a civil engineer. She also works as a professional in the healthcare/medical field. We do alright. If I had the time or resources, I'd try to hit every pro circuit stop. A few people actually do. It's a major time and monetary commitment. No different than auto racing or pro billiards, or golfing. Minus the huge purses, babes, and coverage. 
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:52:00 AM EST
[#4]
This thread reminds me I need to get back on that Evil Knievel machine I bought 20 years ago and get it repaired.
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:59:23 AM EST
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This thread reminds me I need to get back on that Evil Knievel machine I bought 20 years ago and get it repaired. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 10:00:21 AM EST
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How much do you think this Primus machine sucks? https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1527/9923/products/PRIMUS-Default_2048x2048.png?v=1542763394 |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 10:09:10 AM EST
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I bet it really sucks. Last week Primus made an update on their Facebook page about a signed one for sale. $8,000. It's for sale on their website. I've played both wnbjm and pcc, and wasn't impressed with either. For $8k I'm buying a Monster Bash Remake Classic Edition, and a nice gottlieb system 3, or 3 nice 90's Bally/Williams machines. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 2:51:42 PM EST
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What's wrong with it? |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 2:58:55 PM EST
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No. I work 40+ hours a week as a civil engineer. She also works as a professional in the healthcare/medical field. We do alright. If I had the time or resources, I'd try to hit every pro circuit stop. A few people actually do. It's a major time and monetary commitment. No different than auto racing or pro billiards, or golfing. Minus the huge purses, babes, and coverage.
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Posted: 1/3/2019 3:05:23 PM EST
[#10]
Quoted:
Inspired by this thread from a few months ago, I thought I'd do an "ask me (almost) anything" in regards to pinball or competitive play. So a little background from the previous thread: I am a highly ranked competitive pinball player (yes it's a thing). I play in a league every Monday night, and nearly every single day down in my basement. I play an average of 3 hours a day. I frequently travel around the country to play in high level tournaments. For opsec reasons, I won't say my exact ranking, but I am literally one of the best players in the world. My friends and family, and coworkers refer to me as "the pinball guy"
I have had dozens of different machines, but the collection is currently down to three. It's an addiction just as bad, if not worse, than brd. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to become a genuine expert at something; figuring I had no other realistic chance at becoming a world champion in anything, I jumped into pinball. Five years later, I'm ranked in the top 1% of the world, and have played against (and become friends with many of) the best players in the world. I'll gladly answer any questions anyone could have about machine ownership or competitive playing. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 3:09:09 PM EST
[#11]
Very cool op, I dream of having an Addams family pinball machine one day.
I always had top 3 scores on my local machine when it was new. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 3:10:18 PM EST
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Must suck being a virgin. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 3:58:18 PM EST
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Oh, when I bought it I read up about modifying the main power board. I pulled out the transformer and the power board and never finished. I do have the service manual, and I am an electronics tech. I'm pretty sure I could knock it out if I put my mind to it. Right now it's making a great horizontal shit collector in my shop. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:03:11 PM EST
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Very cool op, I dream of having an Addams family pinball machine one day. I always had top 3 scores on my local machine when it was new. But it will be made. Mark my words on it. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:10:08 PM EST
[#15]
There is a pizza place over in Downtown Los Altos (Silicon Valley) called “State of Mind” that has a nice selection of Pinball machines, they charge $1 per game but the replays are low from all the kids dumping quarters into them.
Here’s a few pictures. Pinball machines are more than a game to me, it’s functional mechanical art.  Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:12:26 PM EST
[#16]
I played pinball once or 43 times. I'm kind of a big deal.
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:15:16 PM EST
[#17]
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:24:41 PM EST
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Must suck being a virgin. 
Geez, then this little lady must have been conceived by immaculate conception! Hallelujah! |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 4:30:09 PM EST
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There is a pizza place over in Downtown Los Altos (Silicon Valley) called “State of Mind” that has a nice selection of Pinball machines, they charge $1 per game but the replays are low from all the kids dumping quarters into them. Here’s a few pictures. Pinball machines are more than a game to me, it’s functional mechanical art. And I totally agree, it really is functional art. No two games are ever the same, even on the same machine. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 5:04:03 PM EST
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Must suck when you get caught up on the thread and look like an idiot. He was doing the AMA last night waiting for his wife to give birth. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 5:21:20 PM EST
[#21]
Congrats papa!
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Posted: 1/3/2019 5:49:13 PM EST
[#22]
OP, congrats!
I tried following up on your generous offer to ask around to see if any local Connecticut pinball enthusiasts might have interest in my mother's Gottlieb 'Easy Aces' machine - but it appears that your PM mailbox is full. I figure that you may have your hands full right now with concerns other than ARFCOM - if you can shoot me a PM or reply here when your mailbox is no longer full I will try re-sending the note, thanks... |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:01:39 PM EST
[#23]
Congrats on the daughter!
I didn't realize there was skill involved in pinball. I thought it was mostly luck. I can pull the plunger 3 times and drain the ball right down the middle 3 times. That's consistency.
This has been one of the more fascinating threads. Thanks, OP! |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:13:06 PM EST
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thank you, my little lady was born this afternoon. 9lbs 14 oz. 23 1/2" long. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted: Must suck when you get caught up on the thread and look like an idiot. He was doing the AMA last night waiting for his wife to give birth. That's a big baby. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:28:26 PM EST
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Congrats papa! |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:29:26 PM EST
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
OP, congrats! I tried following up on your generous offer to ask around to see if any local Connecticut pinball enthusiasts might have interest in my mother's Gottlieb 'Easy Aces' machine - but it appears that your PM mailbox is full. I figure that you may have your hands full right now with concerns other than ARFCOM - if you can shoot me a PM or reply here when your mailbox is no longer full I will try re-sending the note, thanks... Cleared it out, give me a shout again. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:38:06 PM EST
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Congrats on the daughter! I didn't realize there was skill involved in pinball. I thought it was mostly luck. I can pull the plunger 3 times and drain the ball right down the middle 3 times. That's consistency.
This has been one of the more fascinating threads. Thanks, OP! There sure is. Don't get me wrong, "house balls" happen to the best of us, especially on older machines that don't have ball saves (and were purposely designed to bounce just right to drain your ball from a full plunge, everytime. Hence "skill shots" on most machines starting in the 60's. If you were skillful enough in the early days to launch a ball onto the playfield without causing it to instantly drain, you were rewarded with the opurtunity to maybe bat the ball once or twice with a 2" flipper (today's are 3") |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:39:16 PM EST
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: CONGRATS!!! That's a big baby. Not sure if the picture loaded, but she is definitely a ham. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:39:30 PM EST
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0jr7c.jpg Geez, then this little lady must have been conceived by immaculate conception! Hallelujah!   
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:42:34 PM EST
[#30]
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Posted: 1/3/2019 6:47:21 PM EST
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0jr7c.jpg Geez, then this little lady must have been conceived by immaculate conception! Hallelujah! |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:03:51 PM EST
[#32]
What is the number 1 machine of all time OP? Medieval Madness? Twilight Zone? Attack from Mars? Something else?
Whatever your pick is, explain why it is above other machines for you. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:05:45 PM EST
[#33]
I've read that people would 'gamble' on pinball in times past. Never could figure out how that worked other than two guys betting on who could get the higher score. Any insight on that?
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:36:53 PM EST
[#34]
Congrats on that extra large baby OP.
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:39:10 PM EST
[#35]
We had a Gottlieb Top Score in the basement growing up. Many good memories
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:41:12 PM EST
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What is the number 1 machine of all time OP? Medieval Madness? Twilight Zone? Attack from Mars? Something else? Whatever your pick is, explain why it is above other machines for you. AFM and MM are essentially the same machine; look at the layouts, same exact fan layout, same exact shots. Both designed by Brian Eddy. Both came out during the downswing of pinball in the mid to late 90's, and until they were recently remade, were very scarce, and commanded big bucks ($10k plus, seriously). The humor is great in both of them, and the production quality could rival that of a legitimate production studio. Gameplay wise, I prefer AFM. Even though it's literally the same as MM, it plays faster, and is considered to be the better tournament machine. When set up for top level play, it is downright brutal. I played in a tournament last May with the #1, #2, and #6 players in the world in my seeding group. I would guess the average ball time was 12-15 seconds. I mean it was nasty, but I wanted more! TZ is an animal all of its own. After breaking the all time sales record for a single machine (Addams Familly, 22,000+ units sold), Bally/Williams gave renowned designer Pat Lawlor carte blanche to do whatever he wanted. The result was the most mechanically complex, deep ruled, and most expensive to produce game in history (and probably still to this day). While being a sales success, with 14k units sold, it did terribly earning on location because it was too complex for the average player to comprehend. It was designed for hardcore pinheads. It really signaled the begging of the end for what most consider to be the golden age of pinball in the 90's. In a home setting, I would pick TZ out of the three. It has serious lastability. They rarely come for sale despite the sheer number of them, because people love it and rarely ever get bored of it. In a tournament setting, I'm picking AFM. Every "good" player knows the onbjectives to achieve high scores. It really is almost the perfect tournament machine as it is a true test of skill. In my humble opinion, and many other pro level players, only Jack*Bot is a better test of sheer player skill. It was designed to be a tournament machine, for tournament players. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 7:49:00 PM EST
[#37]
OP can you actually make a living doing this, or is it just a side gig?
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Posted: 1/3/2019 8:00:48 PM EST
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've read that people would 'gamble' on pinball in times past. Never could figure out how that worked other than two guys betting on who could get the higher score. Any insight on that? Back in the day, most pinballs and bingo machines (look them up if you wish, too detailed for me to go into here) were operated by local mafia or mob outfits. They were pure cash businesses, and easy to launder money in or out of. The gambling aspect comes from the ability to win "free games", aka credits on a machine. With exceptionally skilled play, a person could insert a nickel, and continue earning free games. The player then could "cash out" these credits with the bartender, arcade attendant, shop keep, etc. for the cash value of the credits (and then the attendant would reset the machine back to 0) or sell the credits to waiting players. Keep in mind, this was in the days before portable personal entertainment. Pinball was a BIG DEAL! In states like NY, CT, MA (sound familiar?) that considered this gambling, manufactures came up with the idea for "add-a-ball" machines. Instead of awarding free games at a certain score or achievement threshold, the machine would award an extra ball to play in the game. Players would then simply bet on who could achieve the highest score on a game over an evening. To this day, add-a-ball machines are preferred by collectors because they are much more rare, and considering most people set games to free play in a home environment, the add a ball feature extends game time over simply racking up free games. Keep in mind, the machines were identical, one just added a ball, the other added credits. (Sound familiar in comparison to AR's in ban states?) |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 8:01:59 PM EST
[#39]
Double tap
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Posted: 1/3/2019 8:13:21 PM EST
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
OP can you actually make a living doing this, or is it just a side gig? A personal friend of mine and dominate player left his job at IBM when he was offered at a job at Stern Pinball. Pretty cool, actually. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:11:38 PM EST
[#41]
I am terrible at pinball, but really enjoyed this thread.
Many Congratulations on the new family member. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:17:45 PM EST
[#42]
Grats on the kiddo!
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:21:12 PM EST
[#43]
2019 pinball sales will be up 37%.
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:38:21 PM EST
[#44]
Cool thread OP.
I haven't played pinball in years. A place I used to go to with a friend of mine when we were in high school had Adams Family which we played a lot. My other favorite was old school Fireball. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:39:25 PM EST
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thank you, my little lady was born this afternoon. 9lbs 14 oz. 23 1/2" long. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted: Must suck when you get caught up on the thread and look like an idiot. He was doing the AMA last night waiting for his wife to give birth. Whats her name? And what drew you to pinball? You said you wanted to be great at something, or something along those lines - why that? |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:51:50 PM EST
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
2019 pinball sales will be up 37%. Pinball peaked in the late 70's, then almost died in the early 80's with popularity of arcade video games. It peaked again in the early to mid 90's, then really, really, really almost died in the late 90's. The Gottlieb family shut down production in '95, Bally/Williams shut down their pinball operation to focus on slot machines, and Data East/Sega sold out back to the Stern family in '99. Stern pinball started in the 70's, but then sold out to Data East in '87. Stern trekked on as the only manufacturer of pinball machines, selling only a fraction of what they did in the hey days, likely due to the proliferation of home gaming consoles. They nearly went bankrupt in 2007, but meagerly continued on with a couple big machines based on popular franchises (Spider-Man, Batman, Ironman). A good year was selling about 9000 total machines (a far shadow from just a few years earlier where an individual title could expect to sell 7k-10k units. Fast forward to today, and a number of upstart manufacturers have revitalized the industry. The market isn't nearly what it used to be, as the focus has seemingly shifted to home collectors, but pinball is alive and well, riding a wave of nostalgia and a love of the game. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 9:53:30 PM EST
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0jr7c.jpg Geez, then this little lady must have been conceived by immaculate conception! Hallelujah! Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted: Must suck being a virgin. Geez, then this little lady must have been conceived by immaculate conception! Hallelujah! |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 10:00:21 PM EST
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
With some tips from the OP and some hard work you can bump your pot to $10. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Tag. I'm the #1 pinball guy at the bar down the street. I rake in about $8 a month in earnings. |
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Posted: 1/3/2019 10:07:24 PM EST
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Congrats! Whats her name? And what drew you to pinball? You said you wanted to be great at something, or something along those lines - why that?
No, her name is Emily
What drew me to pinball? I was always "good" at it. (I'm significantly better now). I always had access to machines. I also had machines downstairs so I could practice at home. I met some local folks through forums that were into pinball while I was looking for repair advice, but a couple of them were REALLY into it. I was invited to a small tournament a collector was running out of his house, and I was immeadietly hooked. I used to shoot competitively at a pretty high level, but soon realized I would never be as good as the top guys I would shoot against at idpa matches, regardless of how much I practiced. And I did. I just decided one day that if I could become world class in something, it would be pinball. As I type that, that sounds really fucking weird
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Posted: 1/3/2019 10:32:22 PM EST
[#50]
Congratulations, beautiful little girl!
My daughter’s named Emily as well. Is “tilt” your favorite movie of all time?
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