Pinball Expo MUST SEE Best Vendors: PART 1 Close Ups and Interviews Pinball Podcast Ep 5

Part 1 of 2. podcast also available on podcast apps Just got back from Pinball Expo 2026 and my credit card is still filing a restraining order. Between the Homebrew Village chaos, the Best Booth energy, and the parts/mod tables that actually delivered, some vendors made the trip worth it and others just made me question my life choices. Here’s the short list of the ones that stood out (or that I spent real money on) while walking the floor: PinPal (buypinpal.com) — Wireless Bluetooth mic/pickup that magnetically sticks to the speakers so you can actually hear the game in a convention hall. Game changer if you ever stream or just hate yelling over the noise. Mezel Mods (mezelmods.com) — Custom mods, accessories, and a solid marketplace. Always something weird and useful. Brian Allen / Flyland Designs (flylanddesigns.com) — Alternate backglasses and art packages. The guy knows how to make a cabinet look expensive. PinballCabinet.com (pinballcabinet.com) — Virtual pinball cabinets, flat packs and assembled. For when you want the look without the full mechanical pain. Pinball Scientist (thepinballscientist.com) — Lighting kits and playfield illumination. RGB done right. Warped Pinball (warpedpinball.com) — Vector NVRAM / smart boards for the classics (System 9/11, WPC, etc.). Quietly essential if you own older iron. Cointaker App (cointaker-leaderboards.com) — Photograph the backbox, get the score on the leaderboard. Related dealer side lives at cointaker.com. Escalera (escalera.com / StairCAT) — Stair-climbing hand trucks. The unsexy but necessary tool for moving machines without dying. FlipperCraft (flippercraftpinball.com) — Australian licensed Bally/Williams reproduction cabinets and hardware. Flipper Fidelity (flipperfidelity.com) — Premium speaker systems and audio upgrades. Worth it if you care about sound. Pinball Dudes (thepinballdudes.net) — Florida dealer (Jupiter) with new and used machines.