Anyone here collect full size Arcade and/or Pinball machines?

[dashv]

:-)

If so, do you do your own repairs/restore work?

Got any favorite sites?

I’ve been spending a fair amount of time on pinside the last couple years.

[shawndude82]

I wish I had the space for it.

[bikingjahuty]

I'm on the verge of buying a house finally either this spring or summer and making sure I have adequate space for my very home home arcade is actually a priority of mine as silly as that might sound lol. I have every intention of creating my dream arcade which will probably consist of about a dozen arcade cabinets and anywhere between 5 and 10 pinball machines. Obviously I don't plan on doing this overnight and will likely be acquiring and building my arcade over many, many years. But I'm fairly committed to getting my first cabinet within my first two years of living there. This is definitely the next stage in my evolution as a collector and gamer and I am beyond excited to get started on it!

[tripredacus]

I lost interest in most actual arcade games once I discovered I could play the games for free. There is little novelty in playing on actual cabinets anymore. The only games I will consider playing are Millipede or Puzzle Bobble. I once had a deal on buying an R-Type but I had to cancel at the last minute because my car needed a big repair.

As for pinball, I potentially have room for 1 table but I just haven't pulled the trigger on anything. My "home" location has over 80 pinball machines and I play there. I do try to help with repairs if I can, but I've done very little when it comes to actual repair. I'm sure that will change if I ever get one.

I have been on pinside for some time but do not use the forum very much. I maintain the pinball list for the previously mentioned arcade as well as track my own scores on there. I did start by just putting high or tournament scores, but recently have been making an effort to put all my best scores for machines I have played on there.

https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/tripredacus/scores

[Cartagia]

I wish I had the space for it.

This.  I'd definitely have a couple if there was room.

[dashv]

I'm on the verge of buying a house finally either this spring or summer and making sure I have adequate space for my very home home arcade is actually a priority of mine as silly as that might sound lol. I have every intention of creating my dream arcade which will probably consist of about a dozen arcade cabinets and anywhere between 5 and 10 pinball machines. Obviously I don't plan on doing this overnight and will likely be acquiring and building my arcade over many, many years. But I'm fairly committed to getting my first cabinet within my first two years of living there. This is definitely the next stage in my evolution as a collector and gamer and I am beyond excited to get started on it!

Doesn’t sound crazy at all. This is basically what I did the last three years.

Let’s keep in touch. If you want I can give some tips. I have separate power, voice activated, etc. :-)

Looking for folks to swap ideas, advice, and stories with.

Stuff like “should I get a house with wall out basement and double doors? Or keep ‘em all in my garage?” And “what did you do for power?” Etc. :-)

I’ve already faced and answered a lot of these questions on my own.

Happy to share what I did or what I wish I’d done. :-)

[dashv]

I lost interest in most actual arcade games once I discovered I could play the games for free. There is little novelty in playing on actual cabinets anymore. The only games I will consider playing are Millipede or Puzzle Bobble. I once had a deal on buying an R-Type but I had to cancel at the last minute because my car needed a big repair.

As for pinball, I potentially have room for 1 table but I just haven't pulled the trigger on anything. My "home" location has over 80 pinball machines and I play there. I do try to help with repairs if I can, but I've done very little when it comes to actual repair. I'm sure that will change if I ever get one.

I have been on pinside for some time but do not use the forum very much. I maintain the pinball list for the previously mentioned arcade as well as track my own scores on there. I did start by just putting high or tournament scores, but recently have been making an effort to put all my best scores for machines I have played on there.

https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/tripredacus/scores

Makes sense. It’s an expensive hobby and unless you like doing the upkeep, it may not be worth it. Especially if you have easily accessible alternatives.

I think I enjoy working on and maintaining them as much or more than playing them.

[tpugmire]

I know a guy that does. Oh, wait…

[snyderec3]

I've always wanted a Nintendo Playchoice 10, but I've never seen one for sale that wasn't on the other side of the country, or in another country.

[dashv]

I've always wanted a Nintendo Playchoice 10, but I've never seen one for sale that wasn't on the other side of the country, or in another country.

I almost landed one.

Dude ghosted me.

Later told me he arranged a trade with someone else. :-(

[dashv]

I know a guy that does. Oh, wait…

I think I know who you are talking about.

That guy is a tool.

[wartoy]

I wish I could say I do but because of lack of space I could never make it happen.I do have one Street Fighter ll cabinet and a couple home arcades with one pinball machine but i'm at my max.

[dashv]

I wish I could say I do but because of lack of space I could never make it happen.I do have one Street Fighter ll cabinet and a couple home arcades with one pinball machine but i'm at my max.

What pinball machine? :-)

[bikingjahuty]

I'm on the verge of buying a house finally either this spring or summer and making sure I have adequate space for my very home home arcade is actually a priority of mine as silly as that might sound lol. I have every intention of creating my dream arcade which will probably consist of about a dozen arcade cabinets and anywhere between 5 and 10 pinball machines. Obviously I don't plan on doing this overnight and will likely be acquiring and building my arcade over many, many years. But I'm fairly committed to getting my first cabinet within my first two years of living there. This is definitely the next stage in my evolution as a collector and gamer and I am beyond excited to get started on it!

Doesn’t sound crazy at all. This is basically what I did the last three years.

Let’s keep in touch. If you want I can give some tips. I have separate power, voice activated, etc. :-)

Looking for folks to swap ideas, advice, and stories with.

Stuff like “should I get a house with wall out basement and double doors? Or keep ‘em all in my garage?” And “what did you do for power?” Etc. :-)

I’ve already faced and answered a lot of these questions on my own.

Happy to share what I did or what I wish I’d done. :-)

I really appreciate that. There's one house in particular I am very, very interested in for a variety of reasons, but I'd be lying if I said a third of the reason I wanted it wasn't because it has a large dedicated space in the basement (almost 1000sqft) designed specifically to set something like a game room up. I know I shouldn't count all my eggs before the house is actually mine, but I frequently imagine how I'd place various machines in it and whatnot. If it were about 50k cheaper I'd have already moved on it, but it's currently out of my reach, a least for another month or two. It's already been on the market a while so I'm very hopeful, but who knows.

[undertakerprime]

My parents have 2 pinball machines which they purchased when they remodeled their basement about 20 years ago. One is Theatre of Magic, which they bought on my recommendation (possibly my favorite pin ever). They also bought the Star Wars Episode I Pinball 2000 table (with the video projecting onto the glass). They’re planning on moving within the next few years so they said I’m welcome to take the tables, I just have no place to put them ATM.

I did some restoration work on the Theatre of Magic table: replaced most of the lights with LEDs, replaced the trunk and a broken piece of background, partially disassembled the playfield so I could give it a good cleaning, etc. The bumpers were so dirty you could barely see the lights inside them; it was like night and day when I got done. Most of the “flasher” lights didn’t work even back when we bought it, but they do now. Still needs work (badly needs a new plunger) but I live hundreds of miles away so I can’t just pop over to do work on it

Me, I would LOVE to have my own mini-arcade. First thing I’d buy is a Q*Bert arcade machine, either original or an official reproduction that came out about 10 years ago, as long as it has a working voice chip. Q*Bert isn’t Q*Bert without the random vocal sounds
Again, I just don’t have the space or the money to do something like that right now.