Rethink my Collection

Thanks for feedback so far. There's a lot of commonality in the keeper recommendations. Here are the 12 games that get played the most at my place. I also highlighted the top 3. Not saying these would be the 12 keepers. I have a sweet spot for Rip Off (watched them wheel a brand new one into the student union at Michigan Tech when I was a freshman) and Galaxian (first color game I ever played at Mothers Pinball in Mt Prospect). Heck, maybe I keep 15...


1 Ms Pac Man
3 Ringer
The Irritating Maze

Tron
Electric YoYo
Robotron
2 Joust
Frogger

Missle Command
Star Trek
Tac/Scan
Space Fury
Zektor
Gravitar
Space Duel
Black Widow
Quantum
Tempest
Star Wars
Asteroids

Demon
Major Havoc
Red Baron
Battlezone
Berzerk
Centipede
Q*bert
Mad Planets
Space Invaders
Scramble
Cosmic Chasm
Aztarac
Boxing Bugs
Galaxian
Rip Off UR
Rip Off CT
Touch Me
Contra
Whirlybird 1
Whirlybird 2
 
Thanks for feedback so far. There's a lot of commonality in the keeper recommendations. Here are the 12 games that get played the most at my place. I also highlighted the top 3. Not saying these would be the 12 keepers. I have a sweet spot for Rip Off (watched them wheel a brand new one into the student union at Michigan Tech when I was a freshman) and Galaxian (first color game I ever played at Mothers Pinball in Mt Prospect). Heck, maybe I keep 15...


1 Ms Pac Man
3 Ringer
The Irritating Maze

Tron
Electric YoYo
Robotron
2 Joust
Frogger

Missle Command
Star Trek
Tac/Scan
Space Fury
Zektor
Gravitar
Space Duel
Black Widow
Quantum
Tempest
Star Wars
Asteroids

Demon
Major Havoc
Red Baron
Battlezone
Berzerk
Centipede
Q*bert
Mad Planets
Space Invaders
Scramble
Cosmic Chasm
Aztarac
Boxing Bugs
Galaxian
Rip Off UR
Rip Off CT
Touch Me
Contra
Whirlybird 1
Whirlybird 2
Rip Off is definitely cool. The cocktail has some of the nicest art out there. You didn't specify if any of your other machines were cocktails, but I love having them in the arcade because people can put their drinks on them without fear (of me) and it allows for additional seating. Perhaps I have too many cocktails though.
 
I can't speak much to pinball because I own none and prioritize space for video games first and always as my love. I DO play Attack From Mars, Medieval Madness, and Elvira WHEREVER I see them because they're amazing. Good games get good play always.

Video games, it's pretty simple: keep the hits that were hits for a reason. 99% of the time with a few exceptions, a game was made 100,000 times (looking at you Pac-Man) because it's a good, fun, accessible game. Sell the rarities and drown in the cash. You had them, you owned them, you achieved finding them and collecting them, you can say you've done it and be proud of that. My 2¢.
 
Wow, going from 40+ vids and 25+ pinballs to 12 and 12 - that in itself is a courageous endeavor. So good for you for making that first consideration.

It really depends why you need to cut down. You would like to use the money for other hobbies. You need to cut down house size or perhaps (and this is something I think about as I hit my mid 50s) you wonder if you still have the passion/stamina to keep on moving and fixing and maintaining those fine games.

At one point, I had 25 machines and 8 pinballs (and 20 other vids passed in my hands). It was hard to let go of the Atari system II ones I had for example, but at the time, I had decided that it was hard to find medium resolution monitors and that those were not my favorite anyway. I'm only left with 14 machines these days including one Pinball. I do miss at least half of those gone machines so to you I say make sure you really understand that it's not easy to start over later if you miss something. So depending on the reason again that you want to cut down, make sure that you really have to?!

As for the games and pertaining to your questions about family members liking them, a list that I feel are amazing is bellow, but first, I just want to mention it really depends on not only which are played the most, but also which ones mean something to you and which ones have easier spare parts on hand when they will break later.

Best Vids:
Ms. Pac-Man
Tron
Joust
Frogger
Star Trek
Quantum
Star Wars
Asteroids
Major havoc
Q*Bert
Space Invaders
Contra

Best Pinballs:
The Machine Bride of Pinbot
Cirqus Voltaire
Dr Who
Medieval Madness
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Attack from Mars
Xenon
Black Hole
Haunted House
Guns and Roses DE
Whirlwind
Funhouse

Best of plans to you and your final decision.
 
Not to start a tangent, but I sometimes think about which 3 games I'm going to keep when I drastically downsize my house hopefully in a couple of years…
I think about which rooms get to be free of arcade games as my collection outsizes its current area in the next couple of years!
 
Not to start a tangent, but I sometimes think about which 3 games I'm going to keep when I drastically downsize my house hopefully in a couple of years…

For me, I think it will be the ones that no one else wants.


Actual answer to OPs question, don't get rid of Ringer, love that game. And the other one just like it.
 
Thanks for feedback so far. There's a lot of commonality in the keeper recommendations. Here are the 12 games that get played the most at my place. I also highlighted the top 3. Not saying these would be the 12 keepers. I have a sweet spot for Rip Off (watched them wheel a brand new one into the student union at Michigan Tech when I was a freshman) and Galaxian (first color game I ever played at Mothers Pinball in Mt Prospect). Heck, maybe I keep 15...


1 Ms Pac Man
3 Ringer
The Irritating Maze

Tron
Electric YoYo
Robotron
2 Joust
Frogger

Missle Command
Star Trek
Tac/Scan
Space Fury
Zektor
Gravitar
Space Duel
Black Widow
Quantum
Tempest
Star Wars
Asteroids

Demon
Major Havoc
Red Baron
Battlezone
Berzerk
Centipede
Q*bert
Mad Planets
Space Invaders
Scramble
Cosmic Chasm
Aztarac
Boxing Bugs
Galaxian
Rip Off UR
Rip Off CT
Touch Me
Contra
Whirlybird 1
Whirlybird 2

I feel you should hold onto at least one Gottlieb based on your location.
 
You may keep a couple more vids than 12 if you decide to downsize them to cabaret versions.

Del
 
If you are trying to broaden the net I'd also look at the first person shooters—LE 1 or 2, Carnevil, Jurassic park, etc. pick your poison. Everyone seems comfortable (insofar as game rules) picking up a gun and pointing it at a bad guy plus the hunting games have been very popular. I've had a cruzn standup before that definitely got played a lot but Championship Sprint sees more action.
 
I'm to the point where I'm ready to rethink the direction of my hobby. I've been doing this for well over 25 years...back to RGVAC days. My collection is really an homage to my ego. I watch what my guests play and what my grandkids ask me to turn on. Just because a game is rare doesn't mean it get played. I'd like to dramatically change the look and feel of the game room. I'm thinking I'll keep 12 pins and 12 vids. Looking to add something more tactile...Pair of sit down drivers...shuffle alley...skee-ball. I don't know.

Would like some input if you've had a similar shift in your trajectory.
Here's my list in no particular order. What 12 pins and 12 vids would you keep that would appeal most to friends and family who are not in the hobby?

Ms Pac Man
Ringer
The Irritating Maze
Tron
Electric YoYo
Robotron
Joust
Frogger

Missle Command
Star Trek
Tac/Scan
Space Fury
Zektor
Gravitar
Space Duel
Black Widow
Quantum
Tempest
Star Wars
Asteroids

Demon
Major Havoc
Red Baron
Battlezone
Berzerk
Centipede
Q*bert
Mad Planets
Space Invaders
Scramble
Cosmic Chasm
Aztarac
Boxing Bugs
Galaxian
Rip Off UR
Rip Off CT
Touch Me
Contra
Whirlybird 1
Whirlybird 2

Elvira
The Getaway
Dr Dude

Rockey and Bullwinkle
The Machine Bride of Pinbot
Cirqus Voltaire
Junkyard
Dr Who
Medieval Madness
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Attack from Mars

Capcom Pinball
Xenon 1
Xenon 2
Black Hole
Haunted House
Guns and Roses DE
Hurricane
Whirlwind
Funhouse
My list goes for general appeal vs. collector appeal, and based on my experience in my own arcade doing something similar to what you are proposing. The arcades were a much harder list imho for me. Also included a replay/general appeal factor, which bumped games like q bert off the list. Really debated battlezone and Space Dual over Gravitar and missile command. Tried to account for duplicative games such as robotron and bezerk, selecting one while eliminating other 'like' games.
 
Ms Pac Man
Ringer
Robotron
Joust
Frogger
Star Wars
Red Baron
Centipede
Q*bert
Mad Planets
Space Invaders
Contra

Elvira
The Getaway
The Machine Bride of Pinbot
Junkyard
Medieval Madness
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Attack from Mars
Haunted House
Guns and Roses DE
Hurricane
Whirlwind
Funhouse

Still an epic collection. I'd be interested in your Black Widow if it doesn't make the top 12...
 
Why not get an older mechanical game?

People seem to love to grab a real gun and shoot a real projectile at a real target.

It's fun and challenging.
 

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Just replace them all with Arcade 1Ups. Lighter weight, smaller, and upgraded tech. You don't want all of that old tech.

Thanks,
Jason
 
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