Sometimes an opportunity comes along that is really special, and you’re reminded of how awesome people in the pinball community can be. Here’s one such story.
Pinball Stories #22: A Very Special Prototype from a Special Person
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Category Archives: Museum
A Pinball Arcade Livestream Studio
Another thing I do in addition to operating and repairing pinball machines is run a special, unique space in the New Orleans area called the “PinChurch” – it’s a long story about how this came to be that you can find out more here if you want. But in short, it’s a unique space that is supported by a small but tight knit community of enthusiasts and creative people.
We do all kinds of things in the club, including occasional outreach projects to help those in the local community. We’ve turned our arcade into a high quality recording and broadcast studio and during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as during the phase outs, we’ve been hosting local artists who need to make a living because the places they normally play at are closed. We live stream the events and help people discover new music and help support local artists.
I made a short video of what that’s like, so share with you all. To find out more, visit www.PinChurch.com – you also can help support our efforts if you like!
Pinball Stories #7: Amazing top 5 pinball pickup!
This is one of those pinball pickups that we all dream about. It took me awhile but I finally had one of those experiences. A top-5 grail game, in HUO condition? Way below market value? Sign me up!!
This is also one of those games I’ve toyed with selling on and off because it’s so beautiful and desirable, but so far, we’ve kept it.
Here are some pictures of the game showing its condition:
Inside Dan Ferguson’s “Lone Star Pinball Museum”
A friend and a true legend in the pinball community passed away this week. Dan Ferguson, owner of the “Lone Star Pinball Museum” and one of the iconic enthusiasts in the region. Dan was a fixture at all the Texas pinball shows and had one of the most amazing collections of games and memorabilia anywhere. Eight years ago was one of the first times I got a chance to take a peek inside his infamous private museum, that was typically only open by invitation (and was an inspiration for our own PinChurch facility).
Here’s is a video I shot of a quick walk-thru of his amazing place. We miss you Dan!
Behind the scenes, using pinball machines in a movie set
If you ever wonder how these things work in the movies and television series, here’s some insight. Why are some games modified? What happens when there’s a scene involving a game, that *gasp* gets smashed?
A few years ago, I was involved in bringing some pinball machines out to a movie set for a series done for HBO/Cinemax called, “Quarry” – it was a very cool story based on a series of fictional books, about a Vietnam Veteran who comes back from the war and is shunned in society and becomes a “hit man.” The series was set in the 1970s and the filmmakers wanted various pinball machines and coin op devices which we supplied.
Here’s a promo trailer featuring some of the scenes and pinball sounds:
Here’s a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the set design and work that went into re-creating a vintage carnival arcade, and some of the things the set designers have to do for legal reasons. I wasn’t able to show this video at the time the show was in production, but the series has since been canceled so I don’t think there’s any issue in sharing it.. here’s a neat glimpse behind-the-scenes…
Here’s the actual scene and my reaction to it..
First Look: Bally “Mystic” prototype/early production game!
Lately, I’ve been developing a big appreciation for the 80s-era Bally games. As a kid I remember them kicking my ass and having unique and interesting rulesets that set them far apart from the Gottliebs and Sterns of the day, so when the chance to pick up a “Mystic” came up, I jumped at it, and drove about three hours to get this game.
Little did I know how special the game would end up being…
A video tour of the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas
A recent discussion came up on one of the online forums about the Pinball Hall of Fame and I was prompted to dig up some footage I shot in 2009 so here it is.
For those of you who don’t know, the Pinball Hall of Fame is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, just off the main strip, run by an eccentric but brilliant and generous guy named Tim Arnold who is a long-time operator and has one of the most impressive collections of vintage pinball machines in the world.
The PHOF houses at any given moment, several hundred vintage pinball machines, including some extremely rare games you will not likely find anywhere else. Here’s a series of videos where I walked the rows of the place in 2009 not long after it moved into a new building. Enjoy!
How many rare and unusual games can you spot?