Nino, i love reading all the posts where you tell of your younger days growing up around pinballs... must've been just awesome! stuff most of us here including myself would've died for to be a part of when growing up
As for my own early pinball days, i never played them at all as a kid, never really got the chance as i lived out of town and anytime i DID go anywhere with my parents they wouldn't let us put money in any games that might happen to be in any shop we were in
As a result my early pinball playing experiences didn't happen until i had a drivers licence and my own car!!
AS i have said in other posts in the past, KISS was the first pin i ever played, which was at the Star Hotel in Macksville (NSW midnorth coast) where i used to do regular band gigs.. indeed every venue i came across while doing gigs that had a pin i'd put all my spare change thru it, even to this day
Other regular places i'd visit to play were the old Pinball Parlor that used to be next to the museum in Clarence St Port Macquarie, several of my own games came from that place.. Stingray, Solar Ride, Hot Hand, Buck Rogers and i think my Cosmic Princess came from there originally too, even though i bought it from someone else. Stingray, (my first ever pin purchase) i bought directly from there in 1988, the others came from other people who bought from the Pin Parlor.
Other places i went to frequently, Lake Cathie and Laurieton i could always find a good selection of games to play. In Lake Cathie (pronounced 'cat eye' for anyone who cares)
one little shop the by the beach had several different games there over the years, Gtb King pin, Jungle Princess, Star Trek (bally), Globe trotters and Mata Hari (the Mata hari didnt have chimes, but what sounded like a Gtb sys 1 'beep beep' board and a speaker in it)
and Gorgar.
In Laurieton at the amusement center that used to be there, games like Stellar Wars, Kiss (both of which i own from this place) Haunted house, Flash, Hankin ESB and some REALLY nice nick EMs.. Super Spin, Buccaneer and a Chicago Coin Casino.. Super spin in particular was in PRISTINE condition! looked almost new!! (this was about early 90s @ that time). Plus several others that didn't make a huge impact on me at the time. In a little takeaway shop in North Haven (on the way to Laurieton) used to have Playboy (bally) and Jacks Open that i would go in and play on my way home from Laurieton.
On any weekend that i had nothing else on i would do a Saturday or Sunday arvo drive to all of the above places
and most places that either dont have pins anymore or no longer exist
Sorry for the long winded post guys but just thought i would get in on the act and share.
