Episode 24: I Spent 4 Years Collecting Pinball Machines and Here's What I Learned!
It all started with one trip to Pinball Expo—just one. I came back home, bought my first machine, and from that moment on, it’s been all pinball, all the time. Machines have come and gone, and through the years, I’ve learned a lot about what I love in a game and what just doesn’t stick. But here’s the problem: I still struggle with deciding what stays and what goes. With limited space and an endless list of games I want to own, it’s a constant battle. In this episode, I take a deep dive into my current collection, the games that didn’t make the cut, and whether I regret letting any of them go. If you’ve ever wrestled with tough pinball choices, this one’s for you! Let’s talk collecting, decision-making, and the never-ending search for the perfect lineup. LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL AND I MIGHT PLAY IT ON THE SHOW!
Kineticist’s take
Retro Ralph reviews his 3+ year pinball collecting journey and lessons learned from 14 owned machines.
Synopsis
Retro Ralph reflects on his three-plus years collecting pinball machines, examining the 14 games he has owned (6 current, 8 sold) and the lessons learned. He discusses his evolution from casual player to competitive enthusiast, his initial mistakes (buying without understanding games, favoring Premium over Pro), his partnership with Stern Pinball marketing program, and how his appreciation for game variety and code depth transformed his hobby experience.
Highlights
- Retro Ralph has owned 14 pinball machines total over approximately 3+ years (6 current, 8 sold)
- Retro Ralph was recruited by Stern Pinball through a third-party marketing company called '47' after they saw his Jurassic Park video
- The Stern program involved loaning games with no formal contract, no purchase discount, and loose expectations for content creation
- Stern appears to be increasing Pro model features (e.g., X-Men, D&D) to reduce perceived gap between Pro and Premium tiers
- Retro Ralph has played pinball competitively for approximately the last year and credits this with significant skill improvement
- James Bond Premium/Pro received significant code updates late in its lifecycle that improved community reception
- Venom Premium was subject to fire-sale pricing by distributors during the LE production run
- Retro Ralph initially had a bias against Pro-level machines but has since reconsidered after playing modern Pros like Jaws and Black Knight Rage Pro
- Retro Ralph has maintained 160+ consecutive days of pinball gameplay
- Brian Eddy designed both Stranger Things and Venom; Dwight worked on Venom code
Entities
- Flippin' Out Pinball· company
- Game Room Goodies· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Pinball Expo· event
- Black Knight Rage Pro· game
- D&D· game
- Godzilla· game
- James Bond Pro· game
- Jaws Pro· game
- Jurassic Park Pro· game
- Stranger Things Pro· game
- Venom Premium· game
- X-Men· game
- Flipping Out channel· organization
- Loser Kid podcast· organization
- Pinside· organization
- Aaron· person
- Brian Eddy· person
- Dwight· person
- Joe Marchfield· person
- Josh· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Scott· person
- Seth Davis· person