Sunday Pinball Questionaire - part 30 - Evro

[Strangeways]

OK - I remembered to put this up tonight instead of "last minute" 

All yours Evro 

1. Earliest pinball memory?
2. All time favorite pin? Why?
3. Favorite pinball manufacture?
4. Favorite game in your collection? Why?
5. How long have you been collecting?
6. First game and how did you find it?
7. Do you still have it?
8. What are you currently working on?
9. Most wanted game to add to your collection?
10. Best all time bargain game added to your collection?
11. Worst ever miss – tell us about the one that got away!
12. Worst ever purchase – tell us about the game you wished you never bought
13. Describe your collection
14. Describe your gamesroom
15. Do you have other games other than pinball?
16. Where can you see the hobby in 10 years?

[pinballist]

Disclaimer: I apologise in advance that I don't have any amazing pinball anecdotes & yarns like the many amazing responses I've read here.

1. Earliest pinball memory?
1977 - I was around 9yo with my uncle getting fish and chips at a take-away in Mascot.  That was the first time I ever saw one and remember how noisy it was.  It had card playing designs on the cabinet but I was too short to see the PF (I think I was a bit scared of it too.)
A couple of years later my brothers and I started catching the train to Kings Cross to play pinnies at that huge amusement centre near the Wax Museum.  I'm freaked out thinking about this now because we were 5, 10 & 11 year old kids walking around the Cross playing pinnies - my parents had no idea, they were slaving away 7 days a week, morning till night in a corner take away.

2. All time favourite pin? Why?
Crickey that is definitely not an easy question to answer!!  I have two :) The first was Sinbad in the early 80's and then Cue Ball Wizard in the 90's (Southgate Bowling Lanes at Sylvania)

3. Favourite pinball manufacturer?
I don't have one but if I was forced to choose at gun point I'd say GTB especially late 70's machines - System 1, because I spent a lot of time maintaining them, but secretly I LOVE 70's Bally SS machines.

4. Favourite game in your collection? Why?
The Machine Bride Of Pin*Bot - I love the "ooh" & "ah", sounds she makes when you hit the right holes

5. How long have you been collecting?
I started in 1982 when I was 13 but took a break and started back up this year.

6. First game and how did you find it?
GTB Volley, my dad and I went to all the pinnie sellers on the St Peter's strip and settled on Able Amusements

7. Do you still have it?
Sadly no, I stupidly parted it out a few years later after I got GTB The Hulk - the Volley BG had the pox really bad so the first form of vandalism I committed was scraping off all the BG artwork and doing my own lame design

8. What are you currently working on?
GTB Skipper 1969 (as soon as it arrives next week.)

9. Most wanted game to add to your collection?
Sinbad, Cue Ball Wizard or BTTF, I'd also love one of the later DMD machines like ToTAN or CV but I'm a realist and I'll never have spare money to invest in these titles.

10. Best all time bargain game added to your collection?
Volley $300

11. Worst ever miss – tell us about the one that got away!
I was a broken man when I missed out on Shangri La 

12. Worst ever purchase – tell us about the game you wished you never bought
GTB The Hulk - borring game play, sold it to a high school friend in the late 80s to buy GTB Genie - I believe he still has the haulk in his old man's shed.  I'm trying to think of a way to buy it back off him though we haven't spoken in nearly 10 years.

13. Describe your collection
Minimalist but not for long 

14. Describe your gamesroom
Ha ha, for the moment it's my office, I work & play throughout the day:)

15. Do you have other games other than pinball?
I recently eBay'd a MAME cabinet I built 10 years ago and redirected the funds towards pinball stuff :)

16. Where can you see the hobby in 10 years?
I say it will definitely be a home hobby as there is no interest by operators to have pinnies on site and let's face it the market isn't big enough to manufacture machines for the home market.  My recent visit to a huge city arcade confirmed that video shooting games is what the young ones want to play today.  I don't know that new pins will be continue to be made, instead, what I see is a new generation of virtual games made up of screens that can emulate the design & game play of all the classic pinball plus creation of new ones.

It's up to us collectors to maintain what exists and rescue the machines that are sitting in old sheds rusting away.

Thanks for reading :)

[Wotto]

MAN !

Sounds like you and I would have crossed paths back then 

That place in Kings X was MASSIVE - we used to go there quite a bit as well - how good was it 
We were about 11-13 at the time too. I also used to frequent Southgate Lanes and play the games there.

Good read - thanks for sharing

[pinballist]

Thanks Wotto, was the Cross safer back then?  Geez we got up to no good back then 

I just can't imagine my son & daughter getting on a train on a Sunday morning going out the Cross to play pinnies. I'd lock them up in their rooms forever. 

[Ford Fairlane]

Thanks for the great read Evro!!!  ... volley for $300 i wish i was a collector back then!!

[ajlaird]

Thanks for the read, it is always interesting to find out how someone else got into the hobby.

Sad story re the Volley! But when you are young you don't know any better.

Re travelling in to Kings Cross - I suspect that we were much more 'innocent' back in those days (ie less aware of what the bad potentialities were) so didn't worry about stuff like that.

[pinballist]

Andrew seriously, I don't like going into the Cross and I'm in my 40's!!  The last time I was there was for my brother's 30th several years ago because he wanted to go to a strip show.  Man I couldn't wait to get out of there the whole place stunk  of sweat, piss and drug f**ked women!

[ajlaird]

Admittedly I have never really ventured into the area; I think I may have been through it on an airport bus on the way to the city once or something.

Certainly it seems a rather unsavoury place these days, but when you were young you may not have realised that.

[Strangeways]

Great read Evro 

Common thread is that the future of Pinball clearly sits with Hobbyists and collectors - there is no doubt about that now.

Another point of interest - As far as the Hobby is concerned - it has NEVER been this good. There are more and more people getting into the hobby and fast becoming enthusiasts.

Maybe the Industry is dying - as far as operators and manufacturers are concerned, but it is growing as far as the hobby is concerned.

[tonyt]

Great read Evro, thanks for sharing

[illawarra_steelers]

Thanks for taking the time to post your answers Evro, gee I really enjoy reading these.

Everybody has a totally different story to tell

[ktm450]

Great stuff Evro 

[ajlaird]

Great read Evro 

Common thread is that the future of Pinball clearly sits with Hobbyists and collectors - there is no doubt about that now.

Another point of interest - As far as the Hobby is concerned - it has NEVER been this good. There are more and more people getting into the hobby and fast becoming enthusiasts.

Maybe the Industry is dying - as far as operators and manufacturers are concerned, but it is growing as far as the hobby is concerned.

I am inclined to agree with you on this. The days of pinballs being generally available to play in the public arena (arcades, corner stores, pubs and so on) are pretty much over. You can still hunt them down if you look hard enough, but you do have to look pretty hard and then when you do find one you need to hope it is working and not filthy with dirt.

With the hobby side of it growing, it should entice the producers of reproduction parts to keep going, and the basics (coils, flippers, rubbers, pinballs) should be available for many years to come.

The big question is what will happen when the current generation of collectors pass on. Will there be enough hobbyists/collectors to keep the industry going in 30 years time or 40 years time or 50 years time?

[millsy]

Great read  Evro 
Looking forward on some picts of the Skipper,does it need restoring ?What are youre plans with the new aquisition?
Just love playing around with these old machines.
Kev

[pinnies4me]

15. Do you have other games other than pinball?
I recently eBay'd a MAME cabinet I built 10 years ago and redirected the funds towards pinball stuff :)

Wise move!

Thanks for sharing.