My parents bought us an "Old Chicago" Bally machine when I was around 13, love that machine. They've still got it.
http://mirror1.ipdb.org/images/1704/image-4.jpg

My Grandfather got me an old school pinball machine when I was around 10; I can't recall what its name was even though I played it almost non-stop for a very long time.

It didn't take long for my friends and I to figure out a way to remove the metal end cap on the front so we could remove the glass! I'm still amazed one of us didn't die of electrocution.

Fun times, indeed.

I started on the dime machines myself more than a few years ago.

My son-in-law worked for Williams on the P2K design team just before they got out of the pinball business. I agree on the point of video/mode overuse on the newer machines but.. I did rip his highest score to shreds on his RFM with the latest post production ROM's. :D Too bad those never made it to most of the location machines.. made it a much better game.

My modest collection. (appologies for old camera)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1226688858.jpg

I have had a few over the years, getting my 1st one at 11:D
I use to have a 1950 Williams Batting Deluxe baseball game, like the one pictured, but my favorite was an Evil Knievel machine. A friend use to repair them and when he retired, he gave me a bunch of manuals for juke boxes, pinball machines & video games:D

The best part about a pinball machine compared to video games,
is that there is no repetition. You don't know how the ball is going to drop
on every given shot.
I have a few machines, love them all, but the later models, with
pc boards need alot of maintenance, main problems are loose connections,
I constantly have to remove the boards, put them under a magnifier light
and resolder loose joints.
I have a 1973 BIG INDIAN (no boards) once in a while I will have to clean some of the contact points, and have never done anything else to it. Had it for 15 years.
Have fun with your new one, real good when it is raining outside.

Yup! it's a blast to play. Turn all the lights out and it's even more engrossing. Been working with mine trying to get it back up to perfect. Needed a few parts and a few extras like bolts and screws. Had to resecure a wire on one of the sinkhole switches that had split. Other than that, it's in great shape!

This was my favorite machine in college (circa 1974). It was in a place called Playland. There were probably 50 pinball machines in there. I used to love playing while intoxicated (PWI). I visited the campus about a year ago, and Playland is now a clothes store.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1226768345.jpg

I started loosing intrest in them when they went to digital scoring instead of the number wheels.
Jim