The only thing is that you have to seek out good machines these days, and there are relatively few in public unless you know where to look. I got into pinball

The only thing is that you have to seek out good machines these days, and there are relatively few in public unless you know where to look. I got into pinball in junior high right when TAF came out. At that time I could randomly walk into any movie theater, bar, or video arcade and find new pinball machines. These days when you find a random pinball machine, it's either a new Stern (rare) or it's run down to the point that you can't even play it seriously. I wish I had space to start a collection, but even if I did I would the casual competitiveness of the golden age. No one gives a shit about your high score on your home machine, but the time I got Lost in the Zone twice and scored 6B on the TZ in a bar in London (The Pipeline FWIW), that turned a few heads.