Collecting pins

[Strangeways]

Me personal collection are games I used to play when I was young, or games I wanted to play, but could not. The Ballys are all classics - KISS, Paragon, Viking, Fathom, Medusa, Embryon, Xenon, Eight Ball Deluxe and Centaur. Two Sterns - Flight 2000 and Freefall. Three Gottliebs - Spirit, Haunted House and Black Hole. EMs - Spirit of 76, Sky Jump, Fireball, Wizard, Nip-It, 4 Million BC, Captain Fantastic and Mariner.

The Spirit, Haunted House and Black Hole were all next to each other in one of the arcades in the City. If you were lucky, one would be working at any given time. They were on location for years, because opposite them was a Big Guns and Fire. I have located a nice Fire, and possibly a Big Guns. The only DMD is a Cirqus Voltaire. I might buy a Scared Stiff one day, and if Stern remake KISS, I'll buy that.

The above games I've been actively searching for, and I've been lucky enough to pick up. I'd still like a Bally Atlantis, Transporter or Blackwater100.

Outside of my collection, I will buy almost anything. I bit like a person who finds sick animals and nurses them to health. I do the same for pinball. I'll just buy the game and restore it. The journey is worth more than playing the games. I do like playing pinball - but not as much as working on them.

[Blktgr74]

I think that's the way I'm heading as far as I'll basically buy anything at the right money and give it some love. I've got plenty of room so that's not a problem.

[goodolddays]

I started out buying games for less than $1K , concentrating on EM's with no particular theme . Then I saw Firepower on Ebay and had to have it for old times sake.

My latest purchase about 9 months ago was a Creature complete with Leds and lots of bling for 3K which is my most expensive pin purchase to date.

I currently have 8 pins but will be downsizing this year .

The only game in my collection that I played back in my arcade days is Firepower.

I am thinking of adding another DMD once I move some games on as I only have room for 5 pins setup.

I enjoy the resto side as much as playing them and like most collectors have a number of projects to complete.

I am thinking of having a pin from each decade starting with the 60's (in fact I do right now ) 

[Blktgr74]

Thanks for the input guys plenty for food for thought

[Wotto]

Its a twisted road this one  and it's a VERY individual thing.

Originally years back, I started out wanting games from my youth , for the 'sake of' playing titles from my youth, like most of us I wanted to 'recapture' those moments a little if possible. I started with lots of SS titles from the 80's and was happy to own them.

However , as my adult playing skills improved ( some would say WTF at this point  ) - I wanted 'more to do' in a game and so I started switching to DMD titles that were 'deeper' in game play but have NO 'sentimental' value to me whatsoever as I didn't play them in my youth.......I do however really enjoy playing DMD games and only own DMD game sat the moment.

Lately however I have been thinking about adding one or two SS games back into my mix and will more than likely do so midway through this year after our League is finalised, so that I can start the next League with some SS games amongst the mix.

I think I am a little mixed up in the head 

ALL games from all era's have their for and against points.
Personally I am seeing of late that most DMD/ late model games are the same in lots of ways , the same way that people see a lot of 'same play' in the older SS titles, so I find the purchase of any new game a little uninspiring to be honest.

If you dont have a personal history with certain titles then I suggest the age old method of getting around to as many members places as you can and trying titles for yourself and see what games/ gameplay take YOUR interest.