I hear your pain. I had a large pinball party one time. Everyone had a GREAT time. They were overwhelmed by all the games. All the ladies were lining up to play Theatre of Magic or Centipede. The guys were playing Indiana Jones or Dracula. The night was perfect and it couldn't be better. Everyone, but me, was a newbie. They weren't really into pins, so I enjoyed it even more knowing I was introducing folks to the allure of the silver ball

The next day, one of the guys comes over to me and says, "The minute we walked out of your place, my wife said, "NEVER in our basement". I said, "You choose poorly." ! Then explain how my wife supports me and my hobby.

Later, it hit me and I was pissed. I mean WTF!!!??? 30 people had a great time, great memories, and all this piece of work was concerned about was having one in her basement? Like what would happen? Her husband might enjoy himself and actually have fun?

At the end of the day, we all have different interests and tastes.

I love my basement and everyone that comes to my house has a good time and that's all that matters to me.

Duane

I get the old "See I am not so bad, Look at all the games that guy has, I should get another one..." from people.    My Wife really likes the games, but seems to think we have enough?? Can you believe that?? Enough Pins?? Then She rolls her eyes and starts playing whatever new game rolls in the door.

Dave

Quoted from 265

    As I said yesterday my wife always calls me an "enabler"....I say, yes I am, I enable many people to experience the pure pleasure of playing Pinball!!!! I'm sure to some wives out there I'm like the drug pusher or the pimp....hey theres a new name..the Pinball Pimp!!!  I'm gonna get myself a nice big Cadillac and fill the backseat with IJ's, cruise around town and start breaking up marriages wherever I go!

(looks to see if wife is looking over the shoulder) If you're giving away the pins, you can break up MY marriage.  

Although not pin related, I've also got a wife who "tolerates" my gaming hobbies.  Although she doesn't get it, she knows it keeps me happy (and at home eh Sparky? ).  I will say this though, whether it's pins or anything else, in defense of some of these ladies, it's a lot of money and THAT's what is really their big concern, they just don't see the value in spending money like that on what to them is a toy.  I don't agree with that of course, whatever makes you happy and doesn't put your family in financial hardship is ok, we're all allowed our hobbies).

I have to say though, the ladies where you work have a huge set for going out to you and questioning what the hell you do with your own life.  Sorry, not a huge set, I meant to say "they have no class", it's none of their freakin' business.

Quoted from TwilightZone

Later, it hit me and I was pissed. I mean WTF!!!??? 30 people had a great time, great memories, and all this piece of work was concerned about was having one in her basement? Like what would happen? Her husband might enjoy himself and actually have fun?
Duane

Amen Duane! It's atrocious, and even disgusting to hear about arcade games nearly cast in the same light as
instruments of torture from the Third Reich....how can anyone have such low self esteem to want to repell
something that people enjoy?....it's almost creepy....no....it "is" creepy...

Since I'm pretty stupid, can someone please clarify just what in phoque's name people have in their
houses that is so sacred that an arcade game could tarnish by its mere presence?  let me take a guess here....

Is it that stupid Hockey player bobble head gift from the christmas office party?

How about the 3 year old "to do list" that's yellowing on the fridge under a replica fruit magnet?

A turd-like statue  of Buddha that you bought at Pier 1 Imports to try and look spiritual to pretentious friends?

Is it that monstrosity of a dining room table with worn legs that's been mercilessly handed down generation
to generation only because adult children couldn't say no to the festering old folks?

Are Arcade machines not good enough to breathe the same air as the shitty magazine basket you bought in
morocco that collects dust next to the UNmatching love seats you bought at the Brick?

Is it the thought of an Arcade next to your "pharmacy white" walls highlighting the fact that they're too lazy to
paint, and haven't got a creative bone in their body anyway?

How about that cd tower that stands as a 4 foot monument to their failure to play an instrument, and end up listening to the Eagles like everyone else.........yeah......that's what I thought......   

Craig

Why space is so important to women?  I think the problem with pinball machine in the basement is that she can't move it by herself to fit is mood

     Heres another stab at it....I think most wives/girlfriends just can't understand how so much $$ should be tied up in what they view as just expensive toys. Its always about how that money could be put to a better use..." max out the RRSP" or "a down payment on a cottage" or "put aside for our childs future", etc...it doesn't matter if you're also actually doing all of those things..because you could have a BIGGER RRSP or a NICER cottage or a  LARGER college fund set aside. We can preach till we're blue in the face about how these machines are "truly an investment that you can enjoy every day" ( as I like to put in my EBAY listings). To most of our significant others, our machines are just expensive toys that point to our inability to completely grow up and let go of our childhood.   I say I NEVER want to grow up...its very overrated!!!!

I had someone I work with on the robotics team suggest all the robotics staff & spouses go out for dinner, and then come back to my place to play games.  That makes it all worthwhile.  

I wouldn't really care if other people I know or work with don't support my hobby, because quite frankly, it's none of their business.  I'd semi-politely point that out to them, and they'd never get an invite to come & play.  Their loss.

My wife supports me doing this, but we're on a "1-in, 1-out"  policy with pins now, mostly because the size of the basement, which only holds 3 pins (I own 6) and because she wants us to reduce our overall debt before I get any more.  

I just have to throw in my .02 right here, i think i win on this topic!!

When i met my girlfriend (wife now) i had one pinball machine and one arcade machine, she thought it was really cool, and so did all her friends,
mind you, at the time, she was 19 and i was 21.

Fast forward to last year, for a wedding gift, she bought me a RollerCoaster Tycoon pinball machine, so if that doesn't say she approves of the hobby
i dont know what does, now she doesn't go down there and play all the time, but every couple weeks i can persuade her to go to the gamesroom
and play some pinball and cruis'n and when we have people over, the gameroom is always packed.

Now i have a space issue as well, but i'm dealing, i now have 6 pins and 4 other misc machines, i'll have pics up sometime.

but again, she always wanted me to have a hobby, and is happy i found one i can do at home, and one i get to know a bunch of people with
and she still approves even after meeting alot of the cgcc'ers haha

so all i can say, is just be happy for what you have, and if somoene else bitches about it, just know in your head that it's because they are jealous
cuz all they have is a ping pong table with a broken leg

Keep up the good work ladies and gentlemen

Eric

Quoted from thunderstorm

I just have to throw in my .02 right here, i think i win on this topic!!

When i met my girlfriend (wife now) i had one pinball machine and one arcade machine, she thought it was really cool, and so did all her friends,
mind you, at the time, she was 19 and i was 21.

Fast forward to last year, for a wedding gift, she bought me a RollerCoaster Tycoon pinball machine, so if that doesn't say she approves of the hobby
i dont know what does, now she doesn't go down there and play all the time, but every couple weeks i can persuade her to go to the gamesroom
and play some pinball and cruis'n and when we have people over, the gameroom is always packed.

Now i have a space issue as well, but i'm dealing, i now have 6 pins and 4 other misc machines, i'll have pics up sometime.

but again, she always wanted me to have a hobby, and is happy i found one i can do at home, and one i get to know a bunch of people with
and she still approves even after meeting alot of the cgcc'ers haha

so all i can say, is just be happy for what you have, and if somoene else bitches about it, just know in your head that it's because they are jealous
cuz all they have is a ping pong table with a broken leg

Keep up the good work ladies and gentlemen

Eric

       Just in case thing don't work out, can I give her my number???????

Quoted from thunderstorm

...
Fast forward to last year, for a wedding gift, she bought me a RollerCoaster Tycoon pinball machine, so if that doesn't say she approves of the hobby
i dont know what does...

Well, my wife did buy me a TFTC for Xmas 2 years ago... she understood then. She was also grateful when I sold it for cash to put against the new house. She then understood that my priorities were in the right place. She is OK with it now.

Oh, I still get the occasionnal "you're obsessed with pinball" comment, especially when machines come in the house (even when most of the time they aren't mine... takes a lot of convincing her to make her understand that they are someone else's there for repair), but it usually is OK, as long as I keep it reasonable and I don't put myself in financial jeopardy over it.

think the ladies at your work would say that about you even without your hobbie!  lol.


  i too am lucky to have a great wife that lets me buy almost all the machines i want.  inlaws have to put up with them mostly and they too enjoy my hobby.   they love it when i get machines from there era and they play the crap out of them.  as for my mom.  she is just happy its pinball and not toys.  i use to have over 4000 package toys from the 60's on.  also over 500 board games.  they all too up more room and looked ugly compaired to even when i had 22 pins set up.  i still have over 100 board games that need to go and quarter of a garage with toys and other stuff.