I took my wife, 9 year old daughter and 8 month old son to see Shrek 4 in 3D on the Gold Coast. A Fun movie with a nice message.
(love the life you have, dont take things for granted etc was the nice message of the movie). I looked at my beautiful family on the way out and thought how lucky I was.
Just when I thought it couldnt get any better, I spotted a Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball Machine sitting there, with the other sitdown driving games etc.
THE PINBALL 2000 STAR WARS PINBALL WAS IMMACULATE ! MINT. It had a small metal plague on the right headbox side at the rear with Taito etc.
It seems it was a japaneese re-import cause i have the exact metal plaque on my Jap Fishtales.
The machine was turned off but. The playfield, cabinet, red trimming etc were immaculate. I thought I have to have a game. Ohhhh yehh.
So i snuck around behind the machine and turned the power point back on (it was almost closing time). BUT THE MACHINE DIDNT WORK.
ONLY the top fluro light lit up. So i reached under for the power switch, but it was removed/broken. So there was something wrong with the machine I felt.
* There was a 35 yr old guy n his wife watching me. I said, "ohh this is a collectors item, its a pinball machine, its in beautiful condition and a real gem, I would like this in my collection, I collect them". He sort of ginned and walked off.
I heard him say to his wife "A pinball machine, whats the big deal ".
I JUST LOOKED AT MY WIFE AND SMILED.
* WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS.
ITS A BLOODY PINBALL MACHINE. A WORK OF ART. A FUN COLLECTABLE. SOMETHING MADE OF WOOD, PLASTIC AND A FEW SILVER BALLS, THAT CAN GIVE U YEARS OF FUN, AND SOMETHING OF BEAUTY TO LOOK AT ON A REGULAR BASIS. AN ART FORM, A GREAT HOBBY, EVEN A WAY OF LIFE !YEP, THATS A PINBALL MACHINE. It finished off my night just seeing such a nice example still in great undamaged condition.
AND IN MY BOOKS, THE TERM "PINBALL MACHINE" IS MORE THAN JUST 2 X WORDS, ITS JUST BLOODY BEAUTIFUL AND MAKES US COLLECTORS HAPPY ON THE INSIDE. I THOUGHT HOW MY LIFE WOULD BE WITHOUT ANY PINBALL MACHINES ? BLOODY EMPTY.
SO LONG LIVE PINBALL (AND SHREK. LOL)
