The THANKS-giving thread

Talk about anything that you would like.
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Drano
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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

I have some big praise to hand out to some fellow pinheads. Some I've known for a while, others I've just gotten acquainted with. This year has brought more deals and purchases than I would have liked... but you have to make hay while the sun shines. And, although it has forced me to sell several games to raise money and space, it has also allowed me to reconnect with friends old and new.

Firstly a huge thanks to Pinballfan87 who remembered that I had been after a Heavy Metal Meltdown for a while and, in the normal course of his travels, located a very reasonably priced example and then went out of his way to collect and house it for me until it could be transported home. By a total fluke, the machine also appears to be a very early prototype or test machine with standard Bally Midway art and a space where a drop target should have been in front of the main ramp. A great find! Thanks Sylvain!!

Williamsfan also stepped in to complete the final leg of my EK's journey from Quebec City to here. Collecting and holding the game while it also awaits transport to its final destination. Thanks Jason!

And most recently, it was a true pleasure dealing with Andre on the purchase of his Medusa. It's a machine that I had searched for but had almost given up hope of finding. He was a straight up guy and very accommodating. I hope you find that new game you're hoping for! But it doesn't end there. This was a tag team effort and I owe Chris Silver a huge thanks as well. He was already set to pick up one of Andre's other pins and offered to bring Medusa 3+ hours closer to home for me.

And of course all these machines are being stored and will be transported so I have endless more people to thank; you know who you are ;)

I think everyone should be reminded what a great group of people we have in this shared affliction, err hobby, of ours! So, good on all of you!

Thanks gentlemen!

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

I've been delinquent in my thanking lately, so here goes.

Thanks are due to to Spiroagnew for 2 incoming pins and 1 outgoing pin and to Ed for recommending a nice couple who bought their first pin from me recently. 2 in and 2 out. Status quo. Whew.
Thanks to Spiroagnew again for ordering us manuals and schematics for what can only be aptly named "the great EM keeper escapades".

Thanks to Tim and Walt for helping @ BPL as they always do. Much appreciated gents. Nice to keep meeting new pinheads and long time friends alike every other week.

Thanks to Williams Fan for delivering an EM wedgehead to BPL and to Walt for receiving it while I was away.

Thanks to the regular crew in ON and QC who continue to assist each other in moving pins east and west.
Cheers. Salut.

More soon.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Pindude152 »

Thanks to Chris Silver for bringing my small Starburst order to Ottawa. It's always interesting to talk pinball with someone new. Cheers!
Wanted: Bally 20 hole Bingo machine: Orient, London, Safari, Super 7, Bonus 7 or Hawaii.
Bally: Mad World
Williams: Pot 'O' gold, Beat the clock
Rally Play Company of Nice France: Any Flip Tronic(s) era machine produced between 1966 and 1969


"It's heavy. What is it? ... The, uh, stuff dreams are made of"
-The Maltese Falcon

"Every ball for me's another game.For you this always looks the same [...]
I know for you this doesn't look a lot. For me this is the only thing I got"
-Yello - Pinball Cha Cha

"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life"
-Homer Simpson


Check out my blog at http://pindude152.blogspot.ca/ for quality content about electromechanical amusement
http://www.pinballowners.com/pindude152

Too far gone... beyond time, space and pinball stages

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by R.A.B. »

Many thanks to Pindude152 for spending the large majority of his weekend in Montreal and helping out at The North Star and its adjacent shop in order to prepare the next machines for rotation.

We had planned this busy service weekend a while back and I made it clear to Jean-Francois that we should not be too stern about hitting all the targets we set out for ourselves. The schedual was loaded, but I also really wanted this excursion to be fun for him. I think it was, but I will let him confirm that. What I want to do here and now is express my gratitude for his skills and company. His help was quite invaluable.

Pindude152, James Schid and yours truly preformed some major preventive maintenance on the machine line up at the North Star when the bar was closed on Saturday morning. After it opened at 1PM we head off to my parts locker, had lunch near Big Dave's place and set up the Sonic "Faces" in the new shop and began assessing the beast. A bit of a mess I would say, in fact J.F. called it a basket case, I am not sure if that is to be taken as a challenge or a warning at this point in time. :lol:

Thanks J.F. for being competent, attentive and knowledgeable in a non-hasty google type of way. Your reasoning is sound and consequential and not at all fragmented or reactionary. It is so important to be able to "connect the dots" of the mountains of information we gather and choose from when trying to understand a system. So all this to say that I am thankful for your ability to do this and that you shared it with us this weekend. I also hope that you enjoyed your time with us in our city.

We shall do this again in a couple of weeks and add a pow wow to the schedual.

Sincere thanks for your help, very encouraging.

Rob
Last edited by R.A.B. on Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
http://www.montrealpinball.com
https://amusement.evolvo.com/

Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Pindude152 »

In this prelude to Spring, when the Sun cast's it beautiful light upon everything, us included. That beautiful light we realize we've been yearning for during these long winter months.

This trip to Montreal was just the right thing at the right time. I had good fun. Yes, we got some work done. Yes, I worked my pinball repair skills. But this pinball stuff is also a pretext to meet new people and bond with friends. We did that as well.

The North Star, the way I see it, offers / sells (however you see it) a service. The way I see it, the most exclusive service it can offer me is their confidence in me working on their precious machines.

There's something ritualistic about walking down the Main with my toolkit, walking up the stairs into the closed bar, setting up my tools to work on the games. For me, it's the best way of “being there”.

Merci Robert
Wanted: Bally 20 hole Bingo machine: Orient, London, Safari, Super 7, Bonus 7 or Hawaii.
Bally: Mad World
Williams: Pot 'O' gold, Beat the clock
Rally Play Company of Nice France: Any Flip Tronic(s) era machine produced between 1966 and 1969


"It's heavy. What is it? ... The, uh, stuff dreams are made of"
-The Maltese Falcon

"Every ball for me's another game.For you this always looks the same [...]
I know for you this doesn't look a lot. For me this is the only thing I got"
-Yello - Pinball Cha Cha

"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life"
-Homer Simpson


Check out my blog at http://pindude152.blogspot.ca/ for quality content about electromechanical amusement
http://www.pinballowners.com/pindude152

Too far gone... beyond time, space and pinball stages

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by R.A.B. »

Pindude152 wrote:There's something ritualistic about walking down the Main with my toolkit, walking up the stairs into the closed bar, setting up my tools to work on the games. For me, it's the best way of “being there”.

Merci Robert
"Being there".

And that is what we need to thank in the end. And while we are here or there we should do our best to share positive experiences with those that have good moral fiber.
http://www.montrealpinball.com
https://amusement.evolvo.com/

Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

Just a quick shout out to Ian for his help in transporting and "shaking down" :) the Heavy Metal Meltdown test game that Pinball87 found and purchased on my behalf.
Also some applause to guys like Menace, Cooke and others that have been pointing me in the right direction as I hunt down some prototype code for this rare beast.
I can't wait to be the first mere mortal outside of the Bally factory to play HMM as it was intended!!!

Also, thanks to our resident honeybadger for completing the last leg of my EK's trip from Quebec City to Toronto!

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by R.A.B. »

Many thanks to Pindude152 for his invaluable help and time this weekend in Montreal. Not only did he help at the North Star and it's adjacent shop, he fixed oddball Bally EM stuff that would have taken me hours to debug. I am so happy that he has joined the small army of apprentices and repair experts that I have been surrounding myself with as more and more people want to play well tuned pinballs in public. We are preparing some real gems for the spring and summer rotation schedule at the North Star Machines a Piastres.
Heads in the machines
Heads in the machines
Two guys and a Richelieu - Photo by James Schid
Two guys and a Richelieu - Photo by James Schid
The souls in the shop
The souls in the shop
I am more than pleased to have put in his capable hands another North Star "Richelieu" I picked up a couple of years ago, it is reassuring to know that it will be taken care of for future generations to enjoy.

I will try to tell the full story of this extraordinary weekend in Montreal somewhere on MAACA. Unitl then I also want to thank Big Dave, JamesSchid, Mindstorm88, Robbie and all my friends who constantly watch my back as we navigate these new seas of what is left of the coin operated amusement industry.

Sincerely,

R.A.B.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:10 am, edited 5 times in total.
http://www.montrealpinball.com
https://amusement.evolvo.com/

Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Pindude152 »

Thanks Robert for the Richelieu.
I'm really stoked about it.
I always thought it would be awesome to have one of these but I never thought I could own one some day.
As Canada/Quebec/Montreal historically important pinball machines It doesn't get any better than this.
The Richelieu is going into my office to be revised electromechanically. I'm keeping the cabinet as is. I like that it shows it's a converted cabinet.
Wanted: Bally 20 hole Bingo machine: Orient, London, Safari, Super 7, Bonus 7 or Hawaii.
Bally: Mad World
Williams: Pot 'O' gold, Beat the clock
Rally Play Company of Nice France: Any Flip Tronic(s) era machine produced between 1966 and 1969


"It's heavy. What is it? ... The, uh, stuff dreams are made of"
-The Maltese Falcon

"Every ball for me's another game.For you this always looks the same [...]
I know for you this doesn't look a lot. For me this is the only thing I got"
-Yello - Pinball Cha Cha

"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life"
-Homer Simpson


Check out my blog at http://pindude152.blogspot.ca/ for quality content about electromechanical amusement
http://www.pinballowners.com/pindude152

Too far gone... beyond time, space and pinball stages

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

Since this thread has resurfaced to page 1 again, I should take this opportunity to thank Menace for all his recent help in burning (and often delivering) ROMs for my crazy HMM proto project.
Sadly, the last round fried his burner so just awaiting him to fire up the replacement.
Spiroagnew lent a hand in there also with my last delivery.

The code is getting very very close to being stable so, fingers crossed!

Thanks guys!

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

I will bump this to the top again.
Everyone who knows I am thankful, knows.

I will do a detailed accounting of all required soon.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

Thanks to everyone involved during the last Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal Journey.

Thanks to Spiroagnew for making the trip with me.
Thanks to RAB for hosting the North Star Pow-wow.
Thanks to James, Jason, JF, Sylvain + Sylvain for games.

Great to see everyone in Ontario + Quebec again. Maybe more Tales in 6 months.
Cheers. Salut.

All the very best.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

It has been six weeks since my last confession....
I owe a great number of thank you's to a large number of people...
Thank you my friends; and, one day I will get to thanking you all publicly..
For now, please accept my gratitude and many continued thanks. On or off: (line) Thank you all.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

Where are my manners? It's been a slow summer, but still several helping hands have made a world of difference towards my ongoing struggle to acquire, preserve and play these beautiful machines we all love.

Warlock of course for providing transport and refuge to transient pinball machines when and where required.
Spiroagnew for his great assistance in the parts and paint procurement department :)
Mursky for his donation of some much needed and hard to locate parts for Fathom as well as a little help in the art department (Quicksilver thanks you!)
Thanks to Gino for his skill and attention to detail. The contributions to my classic stern projects will be very visible.
Menace for being on-call for my electronic repair fails
Monkeybug for the encouragement on Batman '66... even when I'm feeling not so dynamic ;)
Not sure if he's here, but GorgarSpeaks... thanks for a great transaction. The kids (and me) are loving our new Bally Frontier. It's never easy to do these long distance deals, but nice when they go off without a hitch.
Mr. Hanley for sharing a treasured and beautiful piece of history with me. I will endeavor to be worthy of it.
And of course thanks to everyone who takes the time to post, respond and offer encouragement. It makes the work just that much more rewarding.

It's funny how many people go into making this a great hobby when you stop to think about it.
Hope I didn't miss anyone.

Cheers!
Adriano

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

Thank you to the veterans who have helped me for many years...
Thank you to the new guys who inspired me to help and who help in return.

Thank you to all of those individuals who post and help and assist us all repairing these things.
Thank you to all of those people those who buy things from me and also offer to sell things to me here...

Thank you to Brewmanager, Drano, Wong, Menace, Monkeybug, Spiro, Tim; and RAB, Sparky, Jason, Murrsky, Chris Silver, Sylvain, Pindude152 and many more.
There are so many friends whom I am in contact with "offline" that I can no longer actually take time to name everyone here. But, I really should do so at least once.

Cooke, Speedy, Mark, Milkman, Terry, James, Slama, Poolman, Ian H., Randy, Squiddy, Eric H., Ancient Games, McMean, Bish, Hanley, Doug @ SB, and so many new and old friends.
This is a really fascinating hobby. I have touched only upon a few of the people who help me regularly with this hobby and I really can't acknowledge every name of everyone I have dealt with here.

Thank you all. (and Barry and Eddie and) and. and...
Keep flipping them boys. All of us who play as well.

Be good to each other and enjoy.
All the very best.

Warlock
Scott

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Azatotht »

Cheers !
I am the monster that breathing men would kill.
I, am Dracula... (and you're not!)

Pinball machines I have owned

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

Salut!
All the very best.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Chris Silver »

Azatotht made the house and we made the home. I'm thankful that we all have a place to be. I've met an amazing fantastic huge group of friends in this network.
Pins: Spirit, Centaur II, Af-Tor, Avatar, Embryon, Timeline, Baby Pac Man, SkyJump, Night Moves, Split Second
Gone: Space Station, Top Score, Flash Gordon, Solar Fire, Haunted House, Fire (x2), Vector, Bally Playboy, Tropic Isle, Beat the Clock, Blue-Chip, Disco, Punk!, Lightning, Time Fantasy, 8 Ball Deluxe LE, Double Dragon, Stellar Wars, Alien Poker, Panthera, Elektra, Blackout, Black Hole, Black Knight, Silverball Mania
WTB: Medieval Madness, Rush
Its better to have played and lost than never to have played at all.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

I am very thankful and I am full of gratitude. Here is a small Tale from a fireside story close to many of us here.

SPIROAGNEW RECENTLY did the cab. restore on my old pinball Melody. The rest of the story is below...

Rob now absolutely accomplishes amazing feats with no small amount of work and effort.
It's been months since my last confession online, but it is time to state and give credit when it is due.

This Melody was and is still a "grail" for me. It is my favourite pin pre 1960 and you have to go back to pre 1935 to have one I love more.
When I first purchased this example, I knew I loved it. Mike at Church of Silver Ball is responsible for that feeling. Thank you muchly Mike.

Drano and I were in Allentown one season many moons ago... The minivan was ready for 3 pins to bring home. Go Time! And then, well, I happened and then I happened a bit more. Pretty sure Drano was bored of me hunting. (Don't fret - Drano's days of hunting came soon after)

So, I had reserved a U-Haul just in case already. I went and picked it up. We filled the minivan. We filled the U-haul trailer. 13 pins between Drano and I is what I recall... My poor (wife's) Sienna...

There was NO room for this Melody. BUT, I could not leave it behind.
For perspective, Walt (Brewmanager) and myself had our kids out at Mike's (Church of Silver Ball) Hanley, long ago.

Our 2 daughter's fav. game was Melody.
I just had to bring this home. No Space tho.

I asked Mike Hanley for assistance and advice. Thank you.
Mike brought this pin back to Canada for me and I am so grateful.

550 made. Likely 50 ONLY left on the planet. Rare pin. So beautiful.
And here is the beginning of the point of this entire tale. Brotherhood.

Once I brought her home and played her, she played like donkeyballs in Walt's garage. urk.
Our daughter's hated it. Turned them off immediately. I was sad. I knew I needed Drano's help.

I sold the pin to Drano so he could "do his magic". Please fix the pin and make her play. Drano does nothing but deliver.
Then, Drano was busy, and so was I. (And so were most of our bro's) Rob said he would take the pin and house her and "do her up". Sweet.

Well, as the photos can state, Rob has done a stellar job of restoring this pin in no uncertain terms.
There is no others I would have been able to accomplish this "particular" journey with other than Hanley, Drano and Spiro.

This hobby is fantastic. The participants I have been blessed and empowered to meet and know are even greater.
Moving forward, positive posts and thanks and gratitude from my statements and tales only. Thank you to all my great friends.

Sure, I have dibs from Drano on this pin. We merely house it. It is it's own entity.
As long as we play, enjoy and appreciate it, it resides where it will, and where it needs to be.

Thank you gentlemen.
You are all top shelf.

All the very best.
Cheers. Salut.

I am thankful.
I am truly grateful.
My words are barely adequate.
The results are of the capabilities of good friends.

Experiences...
Beyond explanation.

More soon.

Cheers.
Salut.

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

It happens rarely, but sometimes there is a machine that passes through many of our hands and makes for a great story.

I was definitely tired of hunting that day in Allentown. Everyone had long left for dinner and drinks... but I guess acquiring something special like Melody is a good enough reason.

Not sure why she exchanged hands as many times as she did? During my first round with the machine I recall taking apart the kicker mechs and doing a lot of banging/straightening to get that signature ball pass working right... And lots of pop bumper fiddling; but no way I was going to get to the cabinet anytime soon. And then it went to scott again... and eventually back to me. I don't even recall the deals and trades that were made. In a funny twist Rob was coming into his EM years and I was short on space so I offered to lend it out to him while I cleared my plate a little. It turned out to be the right place to send it.

The saga isn't over though. When it comes back I'll be completing the playfield touch ups too. Then, somewhat like the red violin, maybe it will finally find some peace for a spell in my basement.

I always love the various degrees of separation that these machines create; the human connect-the-dots game they make us play :)

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by spiroagnew »

Thanks for the kind words about that Melody (pics can be found over on that other site if anyone is interested). It was a pleasure to work on this game. Even more of a pleasure to paly it for a few months. Possibly my favorite wedgehead (and has made my EM grail a Kings and Queens, another four kick-out hole game).

Rare game for sure. The one I repainted carries serial 02019, likely one of the first twenty to be made for the Add-a-Ball U.S. states.
Rob
creditdotpinball.com

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by WARLOCK »

As time does pass, I find more and more to be thankful for.
A few shout outs are overdue and I wanted to thank the Bluffs crew.

Thank you to everyone who works so hard to make Bluffs Pinball a great place to play.
Thanks to Walt (The Administrator), Menace (Tech Overlord), Tim (Timinator), Kevin (Pianoman), Scot (T1), Chris (Y) and everyone else who assists regularly to make Bluffs the great thing it has now become. Much appreciated.

FYI - Bluffs Pinball is my shop in Scarberia where all things "non-related" to my Audio-Visual Production Company now live.
FYI - www.portunionpinball.com is where you find out all of the Bluffs Pinball event details as well as Pinball for Change deets from Walt.

Thanks to everyone who regularly assists with bringing parts and pins to and from Bluffs. Spiro, Tim, Walt, Drano, Stephane, Ed, Chris Silver, Sparky, and Kevin to name the most recent movements... and with many thanks with pins on loan from Ed (Future Spa) and Dave (EBD) as well. Many thanks to Robert and Doug @ Player 1 Amusements for parts and advice. Thanks to all. I couldn't and wouldn't do it alone, and I thank you all for your assistance.

Thanks again.
All the best.
Enjoy.

Scott (T2)

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cait001
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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by cait001 »

I wanted to drop some shoutouts in to the thanks-giving thread... you know who you are.
Thanks to everyone who has offered to host a Pinball Women Ottawa event with their collection.
Thanks to everyone who has gone out of there way to help pinball machines end up in eager homes.
Thanks to everyone who has so readily shared their technical experience.
Thanks to everyone who has organized to help make pinball a vibrant community.
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
marquees wanted: Roller Aces, Quiz Dragon, Strider, Varkon, Dark Planet, R-Type (w/ship), Quantum, Ninja (Sega)
blog -- collection -- want list -- Pinball Women Ottawa -- Ottawa Pinball Map -- ratings

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by Drano »

I have to give a shout out to my buddy Cooke without whom I never would've managed to score a very reasonable and decent condition Big Game recently. The same goes out to Jason for helping me track down another classic Bally grail in his neck of the woods. And last but not least, thanks to Che for providing additional transport help and shaving 2 hours off my drive. After all my recent travel, that's 2 more hours with my kids. I appreciate it!

It's awesome to have good friends in the hobby who are willing to go out of their way for you. Because God knows that having to jump in a car and race down the highway, for hours on end, just to 'ambulance chase' a good deal on a game is such a drag. It's even more awesome when these friends know the local sellers and can help close the deal; even as the Kijiji hounds are closing in.

I can only hope to be in a position to pay it back one day.

Thanks guys ;)

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Re: The THANKS-giving thread

Post by R.A.B. »

Nice weather we're having isn't it ? Those who call this cold rain - "Spring" are a very hopeful bunch, and I am one of those people. It is springtime, and I am thankful for that because I get to finally crawl out of my bunker and thank some good friends.

I am posting here in order to offer tardy thanks to some positive MAACA members who showed their true colours by coming out on April 7th to celebrate with Roger Sharpe, his wife Ellen and a full house at the North Star's legalization party. It was nothing short of extraordinary and I am very thankful for being able to share pinball with a wider audience than hitherto. We are out in the open now, and it feels great to see so many new faces, young and old enjoying the game and the beautiful atmosphere that the North Star embodies.

And when Roger Sharpe personally pulls you aside to tell you that this pinball bar is like no other he has ever seen and that the line up of machines, and how they play so well compared to other barcades is rermarkale. Well, you can't help but feel that you are part of something truly exceptional and unique when you hear an industry vet acknowledge your work and choices. I am humbled and honoured by this. My career is now pretty much complete.

So thanks to the following people, who were largely from Ontario & who made the effort to attend. And as a Montreal pinball collector buddy told me at a later date, it was disappointing in a way that so few Québec collectors made it to this historic event in comparison to the Ontario chapter of MAACA members. A bit disappointing yes, and even slightly shameful considering that the North Star Machines a Piastres is now considered by many as a Montreal institution, especially in honoring a Québec pinball machine manufacturer from the mid 20th century via its name. However, on the bright side, their were tons of young Montrealers (future pinball freaks) and many regulars who celebrated with us and knew that this was a significant event in Montreal pinball history. Even though most of our younger clientele is new to the pinball culture, they understood that this was a historical evant and wanted to be part of it. Doesn't get much better than that in my book, a future is secure for pinball in Montreal. That was the goal.

So a heartfelt thanks to those who shared this incredible weekend with me and my partners :

Ben Salmon from Timmins, Ontario (who won the draw of the pinball machine)
Big Dave
Big Frank
Chinnapoil & his son Julien
Chris Silver
Daniel15
Heisenberg
JamesSchid
Madtitan
Monty
Pindude152
Robi
Semicolin
Shoot Again
Uncleboo
and ofcourse
WARLOCK

I am sure I am forgetting a bunch of people and will correct as my memory catches up with me.

And for those who missed the event, for whatever reasons, here is a video that captures the passing of the torch from Roger Sharpe himself to himself (lol) and then to the North Star Machines à Piastres which has promised to keep the ball rolling in Montreal after working so hard at making it legal to play pinball while having a beer with others in a public establishment. And finally, sharing this passion for pinball & social interaction with such a wide variety of people young and old makes me feel like all my work life meant more than just earning a living. It was all worth it.




Rob
Last edited by R.A.B. on Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
http://www.montrealpinball.com
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Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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