The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => General Discussion => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: knight76 on August 24, 2009, 10:27:42 PM
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No doubt many of you will know me already from Aussie Arcade but anyhow, heres my story.
As a kid I always spent my free time at the arcades in the area, or on holidays etc I was always looking out for a machine to play. Spent quite a bit on Xain'd Sleena in my time and found a Wardner once near my Nana's and used to walk there to play it whenever we visited.
Once grown and in the workforce I always had the want in the back of my mind to get an arcade cab. Then when I discovered Mame I just wanted an arcade mame machine so I could play all my favourites. That would be sweet.
After years of doing nothing about it I finally decided it was time and bought a cab from ebay.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/DSC01220.jpg)
This peaked my interest but this cab was not to end up being completed by me. It did however spur me on to ebay watching and soon after I bought myself a working Neo Geo cab that had a game with it. I bought some more Neo games and ended up with about 7 carts. My plan was to have the neo (1 slotter) as an original arcade machine running original boards etc, and have the original cab bought above as my mamer.
Reality set in and with 3 kids I was not likely to be diverting masses of cash towards game boards all the time so I sold the original cab I bought, plus all my neo geo stuff and converted the Neo in to a mame cab.
So I had my mame cab finally. I was nightly re-living my childhood favorites and loving it.
Then opportunity knocked again and I bought a Final Lap 3 driving cab from a member on AA. This was not working at the time but I worked out the cause with some advice and got it going. It still does not fully work but boots and works fine, just an issue with the steering and pedals thanks to the harness missing some connectors.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/2149_1.jpg)
Then one day, as luck would have it I was surfing AA and noticed an add for a mint condition Roadshow. I somehow talked the wife in to buying it and we ended up driving down to Sydney to pick it up. Indeed it was very nice and all it achieved was to fuel my pinball fires. Having never really got in to Pinball as a kid it was surprising that I enjoyed it so much. This Roadshow was Rollerballs.
Now at the moment I had the Roadshow, the Final Lap 3 and the Neo Geo all wedged in to a corner of our lounge room. Man paradise %.%
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/DSC03708a.jpg)
In my garage I had a 1974 GT Falcon Hardtop that was quite a rare colour. I say "had" because I recently sold it as it was just not getting driven and I got sick of it sitting there. So my brain hatched the plan to sell it and put much of the proceeds in to pinballs.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/web16.jpg)
With the car gone, and some cash to splash I embarked on a pinball spending spree. Within maybe two months maximum, I have acquired a further 6 pins and converted the garage from a GT storage shed, to a bit of a pinball/arcade room. $#$
The pins I bought in order of appearance:
Roadshow: Rollerball
Theatre Of Magic: Honkey
Hook: Dealer
Flintstones: Dealer
Funhouse: Hamish from AA
Medieval Madness: Pauls 50's Germany - Arriving tomorrow
Party Zone: Rollerball - Picking this one up Saturday.
So I have morphed somewhat from an arcade kid to a pinball collector/enthusiast. Go figure.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/Pinball/DSC03862a.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/Pinball/DSC03860a.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/knight76/Pinball/DSC03864a.jpg)
That's my story anyway.
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Man, welcome and congrats for the best intro post ever!
But now there's nothin' left for Sunday Questionnaire!! :lol
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the car looked great..the pins look better..welcome..good games room 4 sure. ^^^
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Man, welcome and congrats for the best intro post ever!
But now there's nothin' left for Sunday Questionnaire!! :lol
Yep - Best intro post EVER !
%)% to AP - Great to have you here.
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Hey mate - I still have pin envy && Now what can I sell, kidney, child, wife, hmmmmmm.....
I've never really been into cars like some guys, but always liked the GT Falcon. Must have been a big decision to let it go, but geez, you've put the money to good use ^^^
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Yeah I'm impressed....what an intro! Welcome to Aussie Pinball.
The Rollerball Roadshow - now that is one clean pin ^^^
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:lol I think Tony misses that Rollerball Roadshow !!! :lol
Much better idea to have 'useable toys' at the ranch instead of one big ( albeit VERY nice ) asset sitting there doing nothing.
Sold my bikes years ago for simialr reasons - costly to sit there and hardly used em in the end.
You have gathered some nice titles in a hurry ^^^
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Yeah I do Wotto :lol :lol
Will just have to sit in the corner on Saturday night and watch you guys play while scoffing the pizza down :D
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Thanks for all the kind words guys.
The GT was a fantastic car to own. Everywhere you go you turn heads, get guys chatting to you in servos. Have complete strangers filming you as you overtake them on the freeway etc etc. It was certainly something special. But, as great as it was to own, I was just not using it. In the 12 month period before I sold it I probably drove it less than 1,000km. Maybe less than 500 even.
I'm not one to keep something just for the !!@ value so the little voices in my head started at me to sell it. Over time those voices were a daily thing and I was constantly debating with myself whether to sell or keep. I put it up for sale previously but couldn't go through with it, this time I did. But it sold in about 2 days so I didn't have too long to have second thoughts.
So far I am really enjoying my pins, very difficult to pick favourite:
Roadshow: My first and I love the different modes the game has. The taxi dude is great.
Funhouse: Such a great pin, in new in box condition and an old favourite of my wife. Plus I love talking pinheads and putting Rudy to sleep.
Theatre Of Magic: Such a great free flowing game, yet forgiving and still a challenge. Great toys and sound. Love it when she says "Vanish" to me.
Flintstones: Love the smart ramps, the bowling feature, the multiball machine etc. Great sound and theme.
Medieval Madness: Don't have this one yet (tomorrow) but played it at Honkey's and liked it. The wife straight away said she wanted one, I tried to talk her out of it and reminded her of the price but a week later we had committed to buying one. I love the castle that crumbles.
Party Zone: Haven't played this one yet, but it has the talking head going for it and it looks like a great fun pin.
If I absolutely had to pick a fave, it would be very difficult.
I have another side of the garage that I may be able to talk the wife in to letting me use as more pin storage over time. So hopefully I can fit another 4 pins in.
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Not much to add here that hasn't already been said, but you have a nice collection there!
It would be nice to have something of value to sell that could be converted into pinball machines, but it ain't going to happen that way for me.
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Welcome to AP great Intro i really miss my hard top but shit happens atleast you put the money to good use ()
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Top intro mate, am really looking forward to your meet (not far away now). I must make one suggestion......that Hook looks pretty good, and its a decent player. Keep it, and use the space that video machine is taking-up. %$%
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Man, welcome and congrats for the best intro post ever!
But now there's nothin' left for Sunday Questionnaire!! :lol
+1 %)%
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Great collection, tough call selling a classic muscle car to buy pins?? !@# Welcome to AP and thanks for posting the pics
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Nice intro Jason.
Just wish that i was more computer literate and i might have been able to do similar.
I,m sure you will enjoy your time here much more than AA!
Cheers mate ^^^
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I could probably keep the hook if I wanted to space wise but it has to go. I robbed peter to pay pall to get the Party Zone and the deal at the time was I needed to sell a pin. Hook was the one I chose.
Selling a muscle car to buy pinballs wasnt exactly how it happened though it pretty much worked out that way. It was more a decision to sell the car, once that was made and I was ok with that, I then figured I may as well replace one hobby with another.
The Medieval Madness is in my garage all wrapped up as I type. Can't wait to get out there and rip in.
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Hi and welcome to AP Jason .
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$.$ AND %)%
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Hello Jason & %)%....
Great car,I can imagine how hard it was to let it go.
Peach %$%