What happened to the pinball hobby?

playpin35

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I bought my first pinball in 96. I got obsessed with the hobby in 2007. I found the different forums such as this one where people helped each other along. In the past year I've noticed a big change in the forums, maybe not so much this one, but some of the others (pinside, RGP).
It seems anymore all people want to do is bash each other, or dominate by demeaning others for just seeking help. Dealings on craigslist fell through and they want to publicize other members that may have been involved.
The price police is another big problem. Someone posts a game for sale at $XXX. Within a few responses you have someone chime in that can buy them all day for half that in better shape, shitting all over the OPs add.
I understand everyone has an opinion on a subject, but why do some seem like they have to go out of there way to be an ass about it?
I've been undercut on games for sale. Shit happens and keep looking for another one.
The supply in demand is another good one. An attack from mars use to go for $2500, but not anymore. If you can't afford one at $6-8000 move on.
Will the forums get back to the way they were, or just get worse?
Anyone else feel the same way?
 
To me it has always been a rich mans hobby and have been lucky enough to pickup a few over the years. Its easy to focus on all the "bads" right now. Econ sucks, so you have the super rich paying top dollar and the rest of us trying to grab the junk to fix up.


I would love to have a rfm or afm, family guy, south park someday but i refuse to (and cant) shell out the big bucks they always command. I guess i was born to suffer :D

Try not to focus on the negs man, you will burn out of the hobby quickly.
 
I hate to say it but it also seems people are just becoming assholes more and more too. Honestly, I think I've become less of an asshole in the last couple years and become a nicer person. But I can still be an incredible asshole -when I need to be-.

It just seems like the increasing toxic partisanship of politics coupled with the bad economy as Cadilliacman mentioned, and the growing divide between the haves and have nots has spelled has just put everyone more on edge.

Even look at how bad things were getting in the CAAA section on here that prompted necessary changes in moderation and some folks to split.
 
What it comes down to is, if the entire world become assholes, dont' let it affect you. If others don't want to play nice, oh well, that's their loss. Maybe your positive light attitude will influence somebody to stop being a dick.

Here's the other thing to keep in mind. When people are pricks like that, often they have a lot more going on that you don't realize. They're probably miserable, have issues with their spouse, have shitty relationships with their children, and they're probably a couple bad nights away from being a single father with visitation rights on weekends. Or, they're already there. You can turn the computer off and go back to your happy positive life, but they're stuck with themselves. Nobody knows they're an asshole more than they know it themselves.

So when you meet somebody who's just a complete prick, instead of getting angry at them, or wondering why they're like that, just realize that they're pitiful and generally failing at life.
 
What it comes down to is, if the entire world become assholes, dont' let it affect you. If others don't want to play nice, oh well, that's their loss. Maybe your positive light attitude will influence somebody to stop being a dick.

Here's the other thing to keep in mind. When people are pricks like that, often they have a lot more going on that you don't realize. They're probably miserable, have issues with their spouse, have shitty relationships with their children, and they're probably a couple bad nights away from being a single father with visitation rights on weekends. Or, they're already there. You can turn the computer off and go back to your happy positive life, but they're stuck with themselves. Nobody knows they're an asshole more than they know it themselves.

So when you meet somebody who's just a complete prick, instead of getting angry at them, or wondering why they're like that, just realize that they're pitiful and generally failing at life.

or they are just 12 year old keyboard ninjas

theres some crazy stuff going on in all my hobbies, this just being one of many... I hope it blows over, and if not whatever, I will just go play some pinball :)
 
I bought my first pinball in 96. I got obsessed with the hobby in 2007. I found the different forums such as this one where people helped each other along. In the past year I've noticed a big change in the forums, maybe not so much this one, but some of the others (pinside, RGP).
It seems anymore all people want to do is bash each other, or dominate by demeaning others for just seeking help. Dealings on craigslist fell through and they want to publicize other members that may have been involved.
The price police is another big problem. Someone posts a game for sale at $XXX. Within a few responses you have someone chime in that can buy them all day for half that in better shape, shitting all over the OPs add.
I understand everyone has an opinion on a subject, but why do some seem like they have to go out of there way to be an ass about it?
I've been undercut on games for sale. Shit happens and keep looking for another one.
The supply in demand is another good one. An attack from mars use to go for $2500, but not anymore. If you can't afford one at $6-8000 move on.
Will the forums get back to the way they were, or just get worse?
Anyone else feel the same way?
many of us feel the same way.i know i do. the only thing i can think of to do is to not to be that person. continue to be a positive force in the hobby. when new people come to a site be sure to welcome them.when someone lists a pin for a crazy price.just let it go.the last one is the hard part for me but i have been really making an effort to just ignore the over priced ads. the last thing is if someone is being a jerk call them on it.dont allow anyone to bully anyone else via a key board. the thing that unites us all is that we love pinball. i say we band together and make our little cyber community stronger and a nice place to spend time.just my 2 cents.
 
Rgp used to be a great place. Over the past few years, however, there has been an extreme influx of douchebags that plagued that forum. I barely visit anymore.

There's one guy in particular over there now that thinks it is his life's mission to reply to every thread on rgp in a derogatory manner. Since rgp is not moderated, his posts ruin the experience for a lot of people. I mean literally, every thread. The guy must live in his moms basement, or maybe he was dropped on his head when he was young. Couple all of this with endless spam for Nike Shox and watches, and the place starts to look like rgvac.

I joined pinside last week. Looks cool so far. Seems like the mods keep the bs to a minimum.

Mike
 
I bought my first pinball in 96. I got obsessed with the hobby in 2007. I found the different forums such as this one where people helped each other along. In the past year I've noticed a big change in the forums, maybe not so much this one, but some of the others (pinside, RGP).
It seems anymore all people want to do is bash each other, or dominate by demeaning others for just seeking help. Dealings on craigslist fell through and they want to publicize other members that may have been involved.
The price police is another big problem. Someone posts a game for sale at $XXX. Within a few responses you have someone chime in that can buy them all day for half that in better shape, shitting all over the OPs add.
I understand everyone has an opinion on a subject, but why do some seem like they have to go out of there way to be an ass about it?
I've been undercut on games for sale. Shit happens and keep looking for another one.
The supply in demand is another good one. An attack from mars use to go for $2500, but not anymore. If you can't afford one at $6-8000 move on.
Will the forums get back to the way they were, or just get worse?
Anyone else feel the same way?

There's been a huge increase in collectors and I think that pisses alot of the 'old timers' off. They dont like their hobby growing...which is weird since it's probably what's spawned two new pinball companies!

The addition of new collectors has driven the prices up and there seems to be those that believe prices are high and those that say prices haven't risen that much and it's all hype...those two camps dominate tons of threads.

Boards are boards but in person I've met only good people.
 
It just seems like the increasing toxic partisanship of politics coupled with the bad economy as Cadilliacman mentioned, and the growing divide between the haves and have nots has spelled has just put everyone more on edge.

There are some hobbies that attract certain types of personalities. For example, if you're into guns, odds are that many of your fellow gun enthusiasts are going to be right wingers, and many of them have been told by the media that the democrats are anti-gun and they hate them with a passion (the reality is most gun control laws have been introduced by republicans but you'd never know that talking to a typical gun enthusiast). It's really odd how politics has turned Americans against each other, and even made people violent and hate-filled towards someone who disagrees with them. A lot of times there is no debate on these issues. People believe what they want to believe and no amount of discussion or contrary facts are going to prove otherwise.

I've found that the pinball hobby has similarly-polarized personalities. I don't know why that is? Is it because pinball was more of an anti-social activity and "latch key kids" didn't interact with others more and tended to get their opinions from media rather than discussion and interaction? I'm only speculating, but there is a significant chunk of enthusiasts who seem to really have hard core political and social opinions and contempt for anyone who disagrees.

That kind of "screw you if you say something I don't appreciate"-attitude has permeated all aspects of the hobby. People criticizing someone else's favorite designer or manufacturer are often met not with a contrary opinion, but outright hostility. It's a shame.
 
Says the man with 22 pinballs. It's really easy for you to say "if you can't afford it, move on" when you have a 22 game collection, isn't it?

What if you didn't have a bunch of money, and you slowly but surly see something you love become un-attainable? Eh, move on, whatever?

I don't know you, or how much money you make, and all 22 of your games could be $300 EMs for all I know, but your point of view is extremely narrow. In fact, just by your rant I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have a very nice collection that you're very happy with.

In terms of the price police, pin side has a marketplace and they have discussion forums. There is Mr. Pinball, Ebay and Craigslist. If you don't want to have a discussion about your game that's for sale, you have plenty of options.

But if you post a BS price to RGP and the Pinside forums, you might get called on it. Don't like it, use any one of the several methods of sale that don't facilitate discussion.

Why is it the few times I've read rants about this subject, the person posting usually has a very large collection?

I bought my first pinball in 96. I got obsessed with the hobby in 2007. I found the different forums such as this one where people helped each other along. In the past year I've noticed a big change in the forums, maybe not so much this one, but some of the others (pinside, RGP).
It seems anymore all people want to do is bash each other, or dominate by demeaning others for just seeking help. Dealings on craigslist fell through and they want to publicize other members that may have been involved.
The price police is another big problem. Someone posts a game for sale at $XXX. Within a few responses you have someone chime in that can buy them all day for half that in better shape, shitting all over the OPs add.
I understand everyone has an opinion on a subject, but why do some seem like they have to go out of there way to be an ass about it?
I've been undercut on games for sale. Shit happens and keep looking for another one.
The supply in demand is another good one. An attack from mars use to go for $2500, but not anymore. If you can't afford one at $6-8000 move on.
Will the forums get back to the way they were, or just get worse?
Anyone else feel the same way?
 
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Says the man with 22 pinballs. It's really easy for you to say "if you can't afford it, move on" when you have a 22 game collection, isn't it?

What if you didn't have a bunch of money, and you slowly but surly see something you love become un-attainable? Eh, move on, whatever?

I don't know you, or how much money you make, and all 22 of your games could be $300 EMs for all I know, but your point of view is extremely narrow. In fact, just by your rant I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have a very nice collection that you're very happy with.

In terms of the price police, pin side has a marketplace and they have discussion forums. There is Mr. Pinball, Ebay and Craigslist. If you don't want to have a discussion about your game that's for sale, you have plenty of options.

But if you post a BS price to RGP and the Pinside forums, you might get called on it. Don't like it, use any one of the several methods of sale that don't facilitate discussion.

Why is it the few times I've read rants about this subject, the person posting usually has a very large collection?

These type of sour grapes posts are the ones everyone is talking about I think.

How is kicking and screaming, slamming others and hijacking for sale posts going to make expensive pinballs more attainable?
 
Like the OP, I didn't necessarily offer a solution.

I just wanted to point out that his point of view was extremely narrow. If you have money and don't care about the insane prices right now, that's great. But to dismiss someone who isn't as rich as you, saying that you should just move on is elitist bullshit.

Dismissing the crazy prices in that manner is just as bad as the people who bitch as loud as they can because of it.

These type of sour grapes posts are the ones everyone is talking about I think.

How is kicking and screaming, slamming others and hijacking for sale posts going to make expensive pinballs more attainable?
 
Like the OP, I didn't necessarily offer a solution.

I just wanted to point out that his point of view was extremely narrow. If you have money and don't care about the insane prices right now, that's great. But to dismiss someone who isn't as rich as you, saying that you should just move on is elitist bullshit.

Dismissing the crazy prices in that manner is just as bad as the people who bitch as loud as they can because of it.

Who is dismissing them? High prices suck for everyone. Who doesn't care that a AFM has tripled in price?

Hijacking posts, telling people what they can and can't ask for their pins, being pissy about it and blaming others doesn't accomplish anything.

Bitching about prices and 'acting out' are two totally different things.

That was my only point.
 
I think there is a faction of people in the hobby that are perfectly content with running people away if they post stuff they don't agree with. A lot of times these "what has happened to the hobby" threads are little more than suggestions that some people need to STFU.

Yeah, we'll, rgp has become a toxic place for sure.

I do think that people need to be held accountable for what they post and if you post something nasty, untrue or insane, being called out seems reasonable.
 
Yeah, we'll, rgp has become a toxic place for sure.

I do think that people need to be held accountable for what they post and if you post something nasty, untrue or insane, being called out seems reasonable.

Ironically, a lot of RGP has run to Pinside, and recently Pinside has become just as toxic as RGP, and RGP has become more mellow. It's like "white flight" to the burbs, and then people complain when the crime appears out there too.. lol

I used to think KLOV being locked down as a bad thing, but they might end up having a superior forum now.
 
I read RGP all the time, and I disagree. Just like any other system, there are good people, great people, annoying people and a few trolls.

It might not be like it was in the "old days," but there is nothing wrong with how it is today. I think we take these trolls and naysayers just a little too seriously.

Maybe we all just need a little thicker skin.

Yeah, we'll, rgp has become a toxic place for sure.

I do think that people need to be held accountable for what they post and if you post something nasty, untrue or insane, being called out seems reasonable.
 
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