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Learned some things on vacation

gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
So I'm in europe and found a few spots to play pinball.
Sadly whwre I live in Ontario, Kingston there is no where to play and try out pins.
So I found out I dislike pins that don't have multiball, only 2 flippers.
I also got to try a few games and now know I don't need to look for or buy
Munsters
Adam's family
Jaws
Midieval madness
James bond
But dropped euros into Rush. Really enjoyed it. Kiss was good. Dead pool was ok.
While I'm sure a lot of people might think I don't know what I'm talking about but I like what I like. Lol
So now I'd like to try a JP before I buy one.
Maybe we just like music pins? But if I find Rush I think I might pull the trigger. I wonder if GNR is as bad as people say.
 
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gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
Buying machines without playing them a fair bit never makes a lot of sense.
That's true if you have that option. Otherwise it's read and watch videos. And gamble.
So far it's paid off. And 1 was such a good deal I couldn't say no and glad I did it because we love it.
Our lineup
WW
FF
IM
UM
 

kool1

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2021
569
406
63
55
Oakville ON
Kingston (my home town) badly needs a pinball spot. Bracadia closed but it was never good anyway with 2-3 bad games. Few games scattered around the city but nothing new. It's shocking Kingston Billiards doesn't set something up since they have so many games in stock. Anyway...

Awesome that you could play some games on vacation but even playing games once is tough to get a good idea on whether you like it. I think I had to play JP 10 different times before I realized how good it was. Keep playing any chance you get.

BTW - Rush is awesome. :)
 

Smokezz

Active Member
Apr 29, 2019
223
145
43
53
Kingsville, ON
Kingston (my home town) badly needs a pinball spot. Bracadia closed but it was never good anyway with 2-3 bad games. Few games scattered around the city but nothing new. It's shocking Kingston Billiards doesn't set something up since they have so many games in stock. Anyway...

Awesome that you could play some games on vacation but even playing games once is tough to get a good idea on whether you like it. I think I had to play JP 10 different times before I realized how good it was. Keep playing any chance you get.

BTW - Rush is awesome. :)
Windsor/Essex is exactly the same LOL. I jump in the car and go to London/Kitchener and even Toronto.

As for Kingston Billiards... that's the place with absolutely ridiculous prices. When I was looking for a GZ recently, they gave me a price of 18k. Anyone that buys from those idiots is getting ripped off badly. Just trying to get them to tell you the price of something is really difficult, then when they finally do... you go WTF?
 

MrMikeman

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2019
808
665
93
Ottawa
Don't disregard other manufacturers. Scooby is interesting as well. I was pleasantly surprised.

It also makes a difference whether you play a Pro or Premium. Just be sure to try both before writing a title off.

Elton John is surprisingly good, if you can get past the emasculation aspect. I'd get one if I could afford it.

JP is hard. The shots are tight. But the theme is fun and when things are clicking just right it's pretty awesome. Come visit and try it!
 
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gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
Kingston (my home town) badly needs a pinball spot. Bracadia closed but it was never good anyway with 2-3 bad games. Few games scattered around the city but nothing new. It's shocking Kingston Billiards doesn't set something up since they have so many games in stock. Anyway...

Awesome that you could play some games on vacation but even playing games once is tough to get a good idea on whether you like it. I think I had to play JP 10 different times before I realized how good it was. Keep playing any chance you get.

BTW - Rush is awesome. :)
No shit.
If I had money to play with I have some great ideas. I'd incorporate my 2 current passions. Pickleball and pinball. Wish I had rich friend investors.
Kingston billiards, Chris is an ass. I've gone there multiple times asking for a part and his bs stories are fkin ridiculous.
How he hangs around with Gary stern personally.
6 warehouses around kingstons with pins and billiards. Swamped selling pins everyday.
Then goes on to tell me he.ll get the part from the warehouse and it will be in there little shop the next day.
Then never has it. Wasted my time a few times and enough to know I'll never go back.ever.
Minutes of my life I'll never get back.

As for pros, I think I'd like to be able to get premium whenever I can. My FF is premium and live it. The IM is a pro and now I wonder what I'm missing lol.
 

gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
Kingston (my home town) badly needs a pinball spot. Bracadia closed but it was never good anyway with 2-3 bad games. Few games scattered around the city but nothing new. It's shocking Kingston Billiards doesn't set something up since they have so many games in stock. Anyway...

Awesome that you could play some games on vacation but even playing games once is tough to get a good idea on whether you like it. I think I had to play JP 10 different times before I realized how good it was. Keep playing any chance you get.

BTW - Rush is awesome. :)
Barcadia was closed before I retired here.
I wonder about finding a couple older pins and finding a bar to host them somehow. Not sure if I'd break even though. I really like Kingston but I'm also surprised there aren't any places here.
Kingston billiards read my reply above that guy is an ass. Period. Along with bad prices I've heard equally bad service.
He does have a lot of pins and said he is open to a day a week of open play? But again lots of talk.
 

gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
Don't disregard other manufacturers. Scooby is interesting as well. I was pleasantly surprised.

It also makes a difference whether you play a Pro or Premium. Just be sure to try both before writing a title off.

Elton John is surprisingly good, if you can get past the emasculation aspect. I'd get one if I could afford it.

JP is hard. The shots are tight. But the theme is fun and when things are clicking just right it's pretty awesome. Come visit and try it!
I'm not. I'm open to any. As much as UM is hammered. We enjoy it and enjoy it even more because of the price we paid.
Gnr even though reviews are bad I'd like to try it.
 

AlexRogan84

Active Member
Dec 4, 2020
150
57
28
Guelph
Does that pizza place on Division (NoP) still have the Space Jam and Lethal Weapon 3? It did the last time I was in town for either homecoming or the iron ring ceremony on campus...
 

Smokezz

Active Member
Apr 29, 2019
223
145
43
53
Kingsville, ON
No shit.
If I had money to play with I have some great ideas. I'd incorporate my 2 current passions. Pickleball and pinball. Wish I had rich friend investors.
Kingston billiards, Chris is an ass. I've gone there multiple times asking for a part and his bs stories are fkin ridiculous.
How he hangs around with Gary stern personally.
6 warehouses around kingstons with pins and billiards. Swamped selling pins everyday.
Then goes on to tell me he.ll get the part from the warehouse and it will be in there little shop the next day.
Then never has it. Wasted my time a few times and enough to know I'll never go back.ever.
Minutes of my life I'll never get back.

As for pros, I think I'd like to be able to get premium whenever I can. My FF is premium and live it. The IM is a pro and now I wonder what I'm missing lol.

Same here. LOL. I'd love to open something down here. My wife doesn't have risk tolerance, and I don't have enough dollars sitting around to convince her it's a good idea.
 
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kool1

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2021
569
406
63
55
Oakville ON
Barcadia was closed before I retired here.
I wonder about finding a couple older pins and finding a bar to host them somehow. Not sure if I'd break even though. I really like Kingston but I'm also surprised there aren't any places here.
Kingston billiards read my reply above that guy is an ass. Period. Along with bad prices I've heard equally bad service.
He does have a lot of pins and said he is open to a day a week of open play? But again lots of talk.

I think a place near Queens would do very well - Barcadia had that part right, they were just down from Stages. University crowd love barcades. They said they were going to re-open somewhere else but it never happened.

I know all about Kingston Billiards - owner is definitely full of it. I have to be careful though and one of my buddies from high school is friends with him for some reason. LOL. I don't know how he is in business.

There is a Metallica at the Cineplex on Gardiners - was playing well last time I was down.
 
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kool1

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2021
569
406
63
55
Oakville ON
Same here. LOL. I'd love to open something down here. My wife doesn't have risk tolerance, and I don't have enough dollars sitting around to convince her it's a good idea.
No doubt it's a risk.

I think if you start small with your own collection, takes a bit of the risk out.
 
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Smokezz

Active Member
Apr 29, 2019
223
145
43
53
Kingsville, ON
No doubt it's a risk.

I think if you start small with your own collection, takes a bit of the risk out.
I'd probably only really do it if I was able to retire, had a winfall of some type so it wouldn't matter if it made money. A big winfall would be nice, open something with 300+ machines for me to play LOL. Oh... and I guess other people too.
 
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gunner007

Active Member
Jan 26, 2024
255
77
28
55
kingston Ontario
I think a place near Queens would do very well - Barcadia had that part right, they were just down from Stages. University crowd love barcades. They said they were going to re-open somewhere else but it never happened.

I know all about Kingston Billiards - owner is definitely full of it. I have to be careful though and one of my buddies from high school is friends with him for some reason. LOL. I don't know how he is in business.

There is a Metallica at the Cineplex on Gardiners - was playing well last time I was down.
Metallica is a pin I'd like to try as well. But pretty $$ for an older pin I think.
 

ngcprk

New Member
Dec 2, 2023
20
20
3
41
Toronto
Kingston (my home town) badly needs a pinball spot. Bracadia closed but it was never good anyway with 2-3 bad games. Few games scattered around the city but nothing new. It's shocking Kingston Billiards doesn't set something up since they have so many games in stock. Anyway...

Awesome that you could play some games on vacation but even playing games once is tough to get a good idea on whether you like it. I think I had to play JP 10 different times before I realized how good it was. Keep playing any chance you get.

BTW - Rush is awesome. :)
I grew up in the Kingston area and can attest to this. I wanna say the only games on location currently are at the movies, or a pizza shop. Pretty pathetic for a city of nearly 140,000 people.

Barcadia was super disappointing to me on the couple occasions I went there. It was just the old and broken games I remembered from 501 Video in high school.

I can't say anything about Kingston Billiards, but judging from the lack of transparency on pricing on their website, that's a major red flag.
 
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