Whether working on games or spending time together playing them, a Pinball Dad is a silent hero that works endlessly in hopes to create those lasting memories. Thank you to all the Pin-Dads out there. Show him you care by getting him pinball parts and accessories for Father’s Day! Codes are CASE-SENSITIVE, use all caps to activate! Domestic orders receive USPS/FEDEX GROUND shipping. Make sure to click the “USPS Priority” option to get your shipment before Father’s Day! For International orders, input code on International Checkout Page. Offer valid from Thursday 6/9/22 – Sunday 6/12/22 at 11:59PM PT – $5 OFF APPAREL COUPON CODE: COOLDAD – CLICK read more…
This Month’s “Location of the Month” is Recbar and they currently have about 70 pinball machines and about 60 arcade games at their J-Town location. (70 pins and 100+ arcade games and at Recbar 812 and will have around 30 pins and 30 arcade games at Tilty Bob’s in Lexington) They are a full service bar and restaurant. They have one of the best bourbon selections around with over 200 bourbon offerings available. Their food menu focuses on great shareable appetizers including their well known totchos. (Tater tot nacho varieties) They also offer burgers, sandwiches, tacos with a twist, salads and read more…
Meet Phil Forrester Jr., located in Greenville, South Carolina. He, along with his dad (Phil Sr.) own and operate The Phil’s Pinball. We mainly refurb and rent pinball machines. We do some sales as well. We service mainly Upstate South Carolina and the surrounding areas. Phil says: “I got my start in pinball 4.5 years ago refurbishing a Gottlieb Charlie’s Angels with my dad. We caught the bug and have been working on machines ever since! Now we enjoy not only repairing them but playing them.” I dove head first into repair. The refurb, transformation, and bringing things back from read more…
FORT WAYNE PINBALL WIZARD’S WORLD ARCADE This Month’s “Location of the Month” is Fort Wayne Pinball Wizard’s World Arcade. They are located at 14613 Lima Rd, Fort Wayne IN 46818 where they currently have 136 Pinball machines. And, their team is presently working toward expanding the collection to well over 200 pinball machines before their big Wizard’s World War tournament in June. In 2021 Fort Wayne was excited to host 108 players, gave away a brand New Stern Pinball machine, along with loads of cash prizes. Mike is set out to build a World Class Championship Pinball Venue that host read more…
March LOCATION OF THE MONTH: Pinball Palace Q: When did you get into the pinball business? A: “We have been open just over 4 years and I have been an arcade, pinball, video game fan most my life! I started collecting pins in my home and when I ran out of room there, I opened the arcade. Q: When did you open this location? A: “I opened up March 12th of 2016, which happened to be the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. (It definitely helped get noticed and people in the door!)” Q: Do you guys run any tournaments or read more…
MARCH TECH OF THE MONTH: MATTHEW MANDARANO Meet Matthew Mandarano, located in North Carolina working under Carolina Pinball Repair and a full time technician at Abari Game Bar located at in Charlotte, NC. He re-found this hobby in 2011 and began repairing machines in 2013. I would seek them out and put some quarters in any pin I came across. While my contemporaries were playing TMNT, The Simpsons, X-Men, Mortal Kombat, etc. I was the weird kid in the corner playing the pinball machines. Q: How did you first get into the hobby? “My best friend’s dad was big into read more…
This month’s laborer of love is Randy Walker – located in Maryville, TN between Knoxville, TN and the Smokey Mountains. A long time repair tech, Randy has begun to delve deeper into the restoration side of this hobby. I have only been doing [repair/restoration work] professionally for 3 years. Before that is was just for myself and a few friends Q: When did you get into actually restoring machines? A: “Well, I have been repairing and restoring pins for about 30 years. But I have only been doing it professionally for 3 years. Before that is was just for myself read more…
This year, the return of It Never Drains in South California (INDISC for short) created so much excitement that the Thursday Targeted Matchplay with 120 available spots sold out in less than 30 seconds. The hole created by the loss of Pinburgh has left many pinball players and enthusiasts scrambling to fill that spot with other events and shows – which INDISC has provided! This year the venue changed to the Convention Center in Riverside, CA and was run in conjunction with the Festival of Fights (an FGC weekend event ran in the larger ballroom next door). There was a read more…
February LOCATION OF THE MONTH: Morristown Game Vault This Month’s “Location of the Month” is Morristown Game Vault, uniquely situated in Morristown, New Jersey! Open 7 days a week with a variety (almost 110) of retro arcade cabinets and pinball machines inside of a former bank. Q: When did you get into the pinball business? A: I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s playing these games as a kid. In 1999 I came across an ad in the newspaper for some games. Me and my cousin Vinny rented a U-Haul and grabbed my first 3 games. Asteroids, Ms. Pac-Man read more…
FEBRUARY TECH OF THE MONTH: EVAN BOOKBINDER Meet Evan Bookbinder, located just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who has been working on pinball machines under “Shoot Again Pinball Repair” for both residential and commercial customers. He services games for several Stern distributors. In terms of operating, Evan helps run the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo, a collective of approximately 60 pinball and arcades owned by myself and several other folks well known to the Pittsburgh pinball community — all of us formerly associated with PAPA as well as having helped tech for Replay FX and Pinburgh! Evan says, “Believe it or not, I read more…
