Ok, here goes...Ive been thinking about this questionaire and my answers...you know its really tough to give definitive answers to these, but ill have a go.
1.EARLIEST PINBALL MEMORY
As a young lad i used to get taken to Brighton Pier and given a bag of change to go into the arcade at the end with. Dont remember any pins though, but i do remember plugging coins into a Midway Monster Gun.
Actual earliest pinball memory is from about 13. My mates mum worked in a greasy cafe called "Eats Cafe" - we used to eat for free in there so long as it was no more complicated than sausage and chips. In the corner was a Wms TRAVEL TIME, we'd hang around till mates mum kicked us out eating chip butties and scrounging 10pence pieces to put into Travel Time.
2. ALL TIME FAVOURITE PIN - WHY?
Has to be Cpt FANTASTIC. Ive never played one, but to me the artwork on this just screams PINBALL! This and another machine which ill mention later are the epitome of what pinball is all about. When i think of pinballs, then my head conjurs up something along the lines of Cpt Fantastic
3. FAVOURITE PINBALL MANUFACTURER.
This depends on the era of the machine, having collected pinballs from all eras, then i have to say that for 30 - 40's its got to be STONER - small company that did well - made such nice flipperless games, love these games, love the logo's they used, just everything about STONER is classic art deco pinball.
50's HAS to be GTB - no questions here, they led the way and the pins prove it
60's - gee tough one....GTB again, but Williams are starting to wake up and come up with some real innovative gimmicks, but still Gottlieb wins - you gotta admit, a wedgehead is such brilliant design, for overall looks and game play, Gottlieb wins again.
70's - I give this to Williams. Gottlieb lost the plot here and Williams came into their own.
80's - BALLY hands down, hate working on Bally SS games but the vibrancy of bally games of this era is outstanding. I can look at a Bally game for ages and appreciate it before playing it, simply for its choice of colour and design. I wish i could say the same for Wms and Gottlieb.
90's - Not a lot of choice, but Bally/Williams.
So sorry, i dont have a favourite manufacturer, but if there is a manufacturer id like to collect EVERY game made from then its Stoner and i only have another 84 to go before i have the lot!
4. FAVOURITE GAME IN COLLECTION - WHY?
Bally LOST WORLD - its really a classic EM in SS mode, its fast, snappy, great captive ball/spinner combo shot if you make it. Not too complicated, but fun to play over and over again. This game gets played more than any other i have by everyone that comes round. I find that people will try them all but eventually gravitate to Lost World for tournaments - love this game
5. HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN COLLECTING
approx 23 years
6. FIRST GAME AND HOW DID I FIND IT
Sitting in a pub in south London, i was talking to this guy i knew watching people play the pinnies in the corner and i mentioned that id love to own my own pinball - to my surprise, he said he had one in a shed and i could have it for free. Within the hour i was a proud owner of the Segasa version of TRAVEL TIME.
7. DO I STILL HAVE IT?
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!
8. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
LOL- Too many.. 48 Genco Triple Action ( prototype)
65 GTB Bank a ball - Complete restore
67 WMS Apollo
80 GTB Spiderman
78 Stern Wild Fyre
9. MOST WANTED GAME TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION.
Right now, its a 58 GTB ROCKET SHIP.... and i think ive found one, This game also screams PINBALL!!! To me
then Cpt Fantastic,
Stoner RITZ
plus.......TWILIGHT ZONE
10 BEST ALL TIME BARGAIN ADDED TO MY COLLECTION.
Well a FREE Travel Time has to be it as i still own it, but i did pick up a GTB TOP SCORE and SOLAR RIDE for $10 for both - both games were in awesome condition... and be warned... if you ever run off with another woman, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PINBALLS BEHIND! As the "ex" wife refused to accept more than $10 which she promptly gave to her children to go buy lollies with - she had the biggest smile on her face!
11. WORST EVER MISS
Dont have one apart from the RIVIERRA that Mark C sold - still smarting over that!
12. WORST EVER PURCHASE
Ive been racking my brains over this question and i dont have one! I can honestly say that ive enjoyed every pin ive ever owned - worst player had to be Solar Ride, but i still found myself playing it and enjoying it - nope, i dont have a worst purchase
13 DESCRIBE YOUR COLLECTION
LOL- Forever evolving!
I have some 20 odd pins that go as far back as 1936 through to 1987 at the moment. The more i get - the more i want. I guess my collection is more like a trip through the evolution of pinball. Im now at the point where its a refinement of titles, but there are very few that im happy to let go, in fact, i dont want to let any of them go, but space dictates.
Id like to collect everything that is coin operated, in fact im after a TV that you have to put coins in to watch!
14 DESCRIBE YOUR GAMES ROOM
In a word - Busy. You walk in a straight away you have a pool table to negotiate around. On either side of this are pinballs, then round the corner are more, next door is the garage and in there are even more pinballs, but those im working on - anything working is in the games room.
Theres a smoke machine, an oil wheel for psychedelic lighting - the stereo with turntable so i can play my vinyl collection, a few 30's and 40's gum machines on the wall. Tools and bits everywhere - its organised chaos
15 DO YOU HAVE OTHER GAMES OTHER THAN PINBALL
Yes - 59 one arm bandit - ( thanks Tony!)
68 Midway Monster gun
48 in 1 low boy
Cocktail Galaga
a 1952 Upright Genco
16 WHERE CAN YOU SEE THE HOBBY IN 10 YEARS
Exactly where it is today pretty much. Id be very surprised if Stern are still around due to their lack of innovation.
I see the hobby as being bigger than it is now. EVERYTHING will be in private collections or museums. The 2nd hand market will be huge and command bigger dollars, spare parts will be a booming industry. Restoration will take off in a big way but at the same time those classic pins that havent been touched will be highly sought after.
To tell the truth, i think pins in original condition will be hard to come by. Theres far too much emphasis on having immaculate pinballs at the moment, a little bit of wear is fine, its expected and shows the enjoyment the game gave throughout its life.
In 10 years though, i hope the Chinese have taken up the manufacture of pinballs - it will keep it alive and will keep the progression weve seen over the last 80 odd years going. At the moment its in stalemate and going nowhere and i see no solution to this apart from another manufacturer coming onto the market. Pinball has come a long way in its time, no matter what - its deserves a long way to go
