I want to thank Ruben and his wife (I didn’t get her name) in Phoenix, for giving me such a great deal on this game and holding it (much longer than I expected) until I could get someone to pick it up.
I also want to thank John (jawhn) in Phoenix, for picking it up for me and holding it until I can get someone to bring it here or one of us to drive back to Phoenix and pick it up.
We had plans to pick it up but due to some circumstances that were beyond our control it just didn’t happen. So thanks again to everyone who helped make this happen.
I saw a Craigslist ad for a baseball arcade game that looked like a pinball machine. After a little googling and talking to the owner of the game I found out that it is from 1963, the same year I was born. That made me want it even more. Unfortunately most of the game buying budget was gone. These things add up really quickly, and that’s without adding the cost of all the parts and materials to fix them, fuel to get them, etc. Anyway Ruben was really nice and wanted to help me be able to have this in the museum so he said for me to make him an offer. I was actually embarrassed because I couldn’t offer very much. Ruben said he would talk to his wife and then call me back. His counter offer was barely any more than my offer so I accepted and he said he would hold the game for a while until I could find someone to pick it up.
I was really feeling bad that we couldn’t go pick up the game or find someone to do it and then John was nice enough to go and get it so I feel much better about the whole thing now.
While I’m thanking people, I also want to thank my wife, Kathleen, she knows that I’m crazy, but somehow can live with that. Even though she doesn’t really understand why I like these game so much, she is being very supportive.
I really can’t explain why I have such a passion for these old games, but I do. It’s almost like an obsession. When I go to get a new game there is such a feeling of excitement, like finding buried treasure or opening presents on Christmas morning. Maybe it’s because my Dad was manager at Shakey’s Pizza when I was growing up and I was there so much. I can remember when we got Pong and Tank and there were always new pinball machines coming in. I worked at another Shakey’s years later and pumped more quarters into the machines that were there. I’ve worked at an Aladdin’s Castle arcade, played lots of arcade games when I was a carny (first time I played Dragon’s Lair), traveling with the shows, there used to be arcade games everywhere you went. I would always try to find the local arcade or even that one machine at 7-11 or High’s (I lived in VA. too).
Now, I rarely see arcade games anywhere and when I do they are usually fighting games, hunting games, redemption games, there are a few driving games, but I usually just pass them by.
Hopefully other people will enjoy this arcade game museum as much as I know I will, as I already am, just buying and fixing these old gems.
And since this post was supposed to be about the 1963 Midway Slugger baseball game, here are some pics that John took.
Here are a few links I found about it too.
Flyer
http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=14874
http://www.marvin3m.com/baseball/slugger.htm
