New Show! Saratoga Pinball Show - Sat, Aug 12 - Saratoga Springs, NY

Events
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I am pleased to announce that there will be a brand new pinball show in Saratoga Springs, NY on Saturday August 12th, 11AM-9PM!

Details about the show can be found at http://pinballsaratoga.com

It will be held at the Saratoga Regional YMCA at 290 West Ave in Saratoga Springs, NY. The staff at the Y are very excited to be hosting this event.

Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/QgNLLya9bBq

The idea was to have a small local show since there’s not much in terms of pinball in this area. However, this show will only be fun and successful if collectors and enthusiasts from the area bring games for everyone to enjoy.

So, if you would like to bring a game (or several), the registration details are available here:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/game-registration/

The setup time for the show will be on Friday from 7PM to 10PM, and Saturday from 8AM to 11AM. The doors will then open to the public at 11AM and will close at 9PM. Break-down will happen between 9PM and 11PM on Saturday night, and Sunday morning between 8AM and noon.

Note that there will be a cap of 50 games for this year, but with the possibility for expansion next year if there is demand for it. Arcade games are welcome as well.

If you have rubber feet/footies/castors for your game, please bring them. The floor in the room is wood and may cause games to slide around somewhat. Rubber pads will be provided if you do not already have rubber feet/footies/castors for your game(s).

There will be vendor and flea market spaces available. Spaces are priced low enough to attract anyone who might not feel they have quite enough stuff to make it worthwhile for one of the larger shows. A space can also include chairs and a table at no extra cost. Details are available here:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/vendors-flea-market/

This show will be run more or less like most other shows, just scaled down somewhat. So, if you have been to other shows before, many of the same familiar rules and guidelines will apply.
If you have not been to the Saratoga area before, there are several downtown attractions, shops, restaurants, and a bustling night life just 5 minutes away. Some details are here:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/local-attractions/

Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.

Hope to see everyone at the show and looking forward to see what games get registered and show up!

The facebook page for the show is here:

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Any plans to have a tournament/competition at the show?

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Sorry, I have no plans to run anything like that unless someone would like to volunteer to run it. I have no experience with running a tournament or competition, and have very little experience in participating in them.

Since the cap is 50 games for the event, I would prefer not to remove too many games from the free play pool, but if someone wants to come up with a fun and light competition that even new and non-tournament players can participate in, I’d be for it.

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You could run a cash Tops tournament on one or two Stern’s. Software is all there. Cash prizes, WPPR points eligible and no scorekeeper needed… Might get a few more people to the show. Good luck either way. Wish I was closer.

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If someone wants to volunteer to get something set up and and run it, I’d be happy to accommodate it. It’s just one aspect of pinball that’s not really in my wheelhouse.

If this sounds like it might be something up your alley, feel free to give me a shout :slight_smile:

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If you can get some folks to man a short ball time pin in shifts you can setup a clipboard and a whiteboard and folks can pay per game and the money go to a local charity. You can have top 4 face off near end of show for some swag. The event can be ifpa eligible also since it has the 4 player vs final.

I have some other ideas of running a single day selfie league on various machines but you’d want someone who is familiar with matchplay.events to facilitate it and would also need a small final to make it ifpa eligible.

Some ideas of pins with short balls times that are modern are iron man, ghost busters pro, f14 , games with lightning flippers like bram stokers and fish tales etc. lots of solid states could be used also.

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Volunteer information for the show is now up:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/volunteer/

We need help with check-ins, showing people where they can set up, monitoring the doors for game removals, monitoring games for problems (and report them to game owners), and helping with event break-down.

Free admission to the show will be available for anyone who volunteers for 2 hours or more on Friday or Saturday.

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If you plan on bringing a game, please go ahead and register it so we can share the game titles.

While these may be difficult to move, if anyone has a bowler, shuffle alley, skee ball, or chexx hockey to share, these are welcome as well to add some variety to the show.

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/game-registration/

Game cards will be printed ahead of time using the submitted information, which should help speed up the check-in process.

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There are also plenty of flea market spaces still available. If you have a couple of boxes of parts you want to get rid of, this is a perfect opportunity–a 10x6 space for only $30–including a table and chairs!

Flea market spaces will be in the center of the room, so they will be highly visible to anyone attending the event.

http://pinballsaratoga.com/vendors-flea-market/

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30 days until the show on August 12th! Help spread the word to make this a fun and successful local show! If you have a game you plan on bringing, don’t forget to register it:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/game-registration/

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Here is the current list of registered games:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/

Aquarius, Gottlieb, 1970
Domino, Gottlieb, 1968
Flipper Pool, Gottlieb, 1965
Flying Chariots, Gottlieb, 1963
Jungle Lord, Williams, 1981
Rescue 911, Gottlieb, 1994
Star Wars (Pro), Stern, 2017
The Sopranos, Stern, 2005

If you have a game you are planning to bring, please go ahead and register it:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/game-registration/

There will be “best in show” blue ribbons awarded to recognize collectors who put so much time and effort into their games and share them with everyone at the show.

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/best-in-show/

If you have anything to sell, it is only $30 for a 10’x6’ indoor flea market space in the middle of the show floor–a table & chairs is included!

http://pinballsaratoga.com/vendors-flea-market/

A summary of what is going to be in the flea market so far:

  • Space #2: Pinball games & parts, video arcade games & parts, and jukebox parts. There will be a few project games and several games that are plug & play ready.
  • Space #3: Video arcade games & parts.
  • Space #15: Comics, action figures, and other collectibles.
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We’re about down to the final week before the show!

There are currently 18 games registered. Who else is bringing games? I know there are about a dozen more people who have mentioned wanting to bring a game, but just haven’t committed a title yet.

If you bring a game, you get in free–plus have a raffle entry for one of six $25 gift certificates, and if you register by midnight on Wednesday 8/9, you also get an entry for the $100 grand prize gift certificate from Pinitech!

http://pinballsaratoga.com/games/

There are two 20x20 flea market spaces and one 10x6 flea market space registered–there will be a good number of games and parts in those spaces.

It’s only $30 for a 10x6 space with a table and chairs! If you have a random box of parts or a project machine, this is a really good opportunity–it’s an inexpensive space and your stuff will be highly visible in the center of the show floor!

http://pinballsaratoga.com/vendors-flea-market/

We could use a few more volunteers throughout the day. See the volunteer page for details:

http://pinballsaratoga.com/volunteer/

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Who’s busy prepping a game for the show? :sunglasses:

There’s less than a week left!

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JJP’s Dialed In will be making an appearance at the show! :grin:

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Thanks to everyone who brought games, set up on the flea market, volunteered, and visited the show. This show would have not been successful without everyone who pitched in :slight_smile:

I posted some photos on the facebook page, and if you have any to add, feel free to post them: https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaPinballShow/

If anyone has feedback about the show, I’d like to hear it.

Thanks :slight_smile:

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Things are in the works for a 2018 show. I will be looking into expanding to a 2-day show, on-site food options, hotel options, electricity for the flea market, and encouraging more pinball & arcade games.

Here is a brief survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VS9K8PV

If you have any additional comments, feedback, or suggestions, feel free to post here or message me.

Thanks! :slight_smile:

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Congrats on your first show, i cant imagine all the time and work that was involved. If you could redo it, what would you do differently?

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The show went pretty smoothly overall, so there isn’t a whole lot that I wish I could “go back and change”.

Probably just a few minor adjustments here and there to make a few things easier (like putting something over the threshold for the doorway in the loading entrance–lift carts carts with small wheels had trouble with it).

I do have a list of a handful of things to add or change for the next show, though. Some based I stuff I couldn’t do for this year, some based on little things I noticed, and some based on feedback from people who were at the show.

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Somebody posted this on facebook, walkthrough done by Ron Hallett Jr

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