Rob Berk Interview / Expo Story time etc.- Inaugural Ep 1.0 - AUDIO VERSION
Summary
Rob Berk reflects on founding Pinball Expo in 1985 and its evolution into the industry's premier gathering.
Rob Berk, founder of Pinball Expo, discusses the origins and evolution of the world's longest-running pinball trade show in this inaugural episode of the Grown-Grownup Adjacent podcast. Burke shares how Pinball Expo began in 1985 with just 100 attendees and has grown into a massive annual gathering featuring seminars, tournaments, vendor exhibitions, and homebrew showcases. He highlights the upcoming 2025 Expo (year 42) with 53 homebrew games, 100+ vendors, international attendance, and special recognitions for legendary designers and artists, while also detailing his personal collection of 1,200+ machines housed at Past Times arcade.
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I sat down with a legend who owns over a thousand pinball machines for episode one of the Pinball Podcast. A collector, curator, historian, and driving force and growing this amazing hobby we all enjoy... pinball. This is a NEW Podcast which records LIVE and then publishes teh edited final version later. Rob Berk founded Pinball Expo, built Past Times Arcade, and somehow turned a family basement hobby into a Guinness World Record. Today we talk rare pinball machines, 40 years of Expo chaos, and why my collection looks like a sad starter pack next to his. Expect first hand old-school stories, collector war stories, expo ups and downs and me turning red every time he casually mentions another legendary pinball machine I will never afford or a designer i forget the name of. The vibe is chatty, nostalgic, and informative. I truly feel blessed to have sat down and talked for what he called his longest interview. Lots of silverball history, amazing storytime and zero polished podcast energy. Just a dad with a mic asking the man with 1,000 pinball machines how the rest of us are supposed to cope. See you in the live chat, you beautiful degenerates. Bring snacks. I am still emotionally in tilt.
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