Pinball Parlour, Earlington, PA

Silverunicorn

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Donor 2011-2012
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I got a few crappy cell phone shots from my visit to the Pinball Parlour the other day.

Please note - This is a place that has kid's birthday paarties. The machines are sometimes not as clean as some collectors would like. The maintenance has really been stepped up, and I am working on a plan to help keep the machines cleaner. He knows his target audience (which are not collectors).

That said, it is a great place in my opinion to play alot of games I could never afford to buy. This is the upstairs only. Downstairs (no pics) there are racing games, classic videos, and a juke box.

Despite some criticism that people may have, I always have a good time when I go here.


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I went a couple times.
Definitely worth it for all the Williams pins upstairs.
It felt like he had almost every System 11 & WPC pin made.
Everything from Banzai Run to Junkyard to Medieval Madness!


PROs:
Tons of Williams and a long double row of EMs.
Classic & Modern video downstairs.
You get your money's worth.

CONs:
It gets really warm upstairs.
Fluorescent lights create high glare.
Most pins had several repair issues pending.

Go visit if you can!
 
CONs:
It gets really warm upstairs.
Fluorescent lights create high glare.
Most pins had several repair issues pending.

Go visit if you can!

The repair issues are getting better. I know EagleTG here from the group helps out there every week. If you go and find something that requires attention, PLEASE mention it. Todd can not play everything when he is there, and if nobody lets him know what's not working, it may not get addressed. This past time I was there was far better than previous visits. I honestly think very good progress is being made here.

It does get warm upstairs. There are fans, but it can still get warm from all the games being on, even with fans and A/C.

If the lights are an issue, ask Paul (the owner) to shut them off, I would think he would gladly do so (providing the place is not full) and has on many occasions for me.

Even if I play some machines that have some minor issues, for $6 an hour, I can't beat that at all. I know how hard it is keeping 11 machines running. I can't imagine the scope of things they need to deal with at the Pinball Parlour.

Chris
 
The repair issues are getting better. I know EagleTG here from the group helps out there every week. If you go and find something that requires attention, PLEASE mention it. Todd can not play everything when he is there, and if nobody lets him know what's not working, it may not get addressed. This past time I was there was far better than previous visits. I honestly think very good progress is being made here.

It does get warm upstairs. There are fans, but it can still get warm from all the games being on, even with fans and A/C.

If the lights are an issue, ask Paul (the owner) to shut them off, I would think he would gladly do so (providing the place is not full) and has on many occasions for me.

Even if I play some machines that have some minor issues, for $6 an hour, I can't beat that at all. I know how hard it is keeping 11 machines running. I can't imagine the scope of things they need to deal with at the Pinball Parlour.

Chris

I can definitely say that on my last visit there was a LOT of progress made on maintenance issues. We can't get there very often (2 kids make timing interesting), but we've been visiting Paul since he was in Lansdale and still love it.

If you are in striking distance, do go pay a visit when he's open. The prices are very reasonable.
 
It's (unfortunately) been a few years since I was there, but I've been there MANY times and it was always a great time. Paul has such a diverse selection of pins that cover many "feels." Totally well worth the stop!!!

Bill
 
Sounds great...

Last time I was there, the top Williams pins were shit.... I mean almost unplayable. Especially bad flippers.
 
I have to check this place out... I drive by it a couple times a month while working, but never when its open. Its a little bit of a hike from my house, 45 minutes or so, but the place looks really cool.
I'm dying to play the Blackwater pin.
 
I have to check this place out... I drive by it a couple times a month while working, but never when its open. Its a little bit of a hike from my house, 45 minutes or so, but the place looks really cool.
I'm dying to play the Blackwater pin.

Let me know when you plan on going, I will see if I can make it the same night :)

CHris
 
That place looks AMAZING! I would kill for a place like that around my neck of the woods...
Its amazing that people will ALWAYS find something to complain about LOL
 
That place looks AMAZING! I would kill for a place like that around my neck of the woods...
Its amazing that people will ALWAYS find something to complain about LOL

Yea. That's not to say that there haven't been problems - the owner does work full time as well as run this place evenings/weekends, so I think he doesn't have a lot of time to do maintenance himself. I'm glad to see some folks have stepped up to help, and it does show.

Heck, I was pleased as anything to see that Tempest was back in operation when I last visited.

Hopefully someday he'll get time to fix up the Joust Pinball - I got to play it once back at his old location, and it was kinda fun, but it's not been operational since he moved.
 
That place looks AMAZING! I would kill for a place like that around my neck of the woods...
Its amazing that people will ALWAYS find something to complain about LOL

Honestly, I think alot of the complains were valid. Not to put down Paul (the owner of the Pinball Parlour), but the games were pathetic, to put it in a word. This is my opinion, both as a collector, and as someone who has some expectation of things working when this is the kind of place it is. Can everything be 100%? No, and I would nto expect that at all. In a lineup of 80 machines, I would say 75% wiuld be fair.

My issue was when I went there and like 40% of the stuff I would play had issues that were significant enough to make me NOT want to play that game any more. I think that is an issue (or would be for me). Paul is a hobbyist, he owns all the machines. He is NOT a technician, and luckily others have started to fil that role more consistantly to insure a positive experience.

I have had lengthy conversations about this with EagleTG and others, and for a long time I did not go there because I always left with a feeling that I did not get my money's worth, which is truly unfortunate. Paul is a nice guy and I have known him for years. He has been extremely generous to me, and I wish nothing but good success for him and the business. If I knew better how to fix machines, I would certainly do so.

Now I enjoy my time there, and as I stated, there have been GREAT strides forward in the maintenance of the games.

I am trying to get a schedule for cleaning the machines so they will both look and play well to future visitors.

If you find yourself in the area, give it a chance. Pay the $6 and play for an hour. If you don't find it worth the $6, let me know. I am starting to sound like a commercial, so I will stop now.


Chris
 
Honestly, I think alot of the complains were valid. Not to put down Paul (the owner of the Pinball Parlour), but the games were pathetic, to put it in a word. This is my opinion, both as a collector, and as someone who has some expectation of things working when this is the kind of place it is. Can everything be 100%? No, and I would nto expect that at all. In a lineup of 80 machines, I would say 75% wiuld be fair.

Operating any public gameroom, be it coinplay, freeplay, even our home collections, can be quite a challenge. The pay-one-price plan is fun and more sustainable in the current market of classic games, and with this goes more leeway in being forgiving on maintenance. If one game is broken, just walk away and play something else! But both times I went, pretty much every System 11 pin had multiple and often serious playability problems (can't make it up ramps, most of the lamps burned out, dead solenoids). Paul instantly gets much gratitude for operating a big collection open to the public, and deservedly so. It's awesome to hear the equipment is getting attention! Having worked in a bunch of arcades and running street locations over the years, I have great respect for repair work. Take a look at Silverball Museum in Asbury Park, NJ. They have around two hundred machines, mostly Electro-Mechanical, and I'd say they'd score 90% or higher in playability. But they get a lot more traffic and income, I bet, being right on the boardwalk now, and if you factor in the cost of parts and the small amount of visitors Pinball Parlour sees out in that rural area, it makes sense.
Let's patronize this spot whenever we can. It can only get better. I'll be going back soon based on what's been said in here. Thanks for reading my ramblings!
 
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