# Five Minutes to Tilt #2 – Gary Stern on Stern Pinball & the Dutch Pinball Museum Partnership

**Source:** Dutch Pinball Museum  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2026-02-15  
**Duration:** 7m 14s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOvnpqiABXk

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## Analysis

Gary Stern discusses Stern Pinball's history, philosophy, and new European expansion partnership with the Dutch Pinball Museum. He explains how his business partner Dave Peterson joined the company during the 2008 recession, drawing a parallel between pinball's passionate enthusiast community and Harley-Davidson's brand loyalty. Stern emphasizes the importance of introducing pinball to new audiences through high-profile titles like Pokémon and Star Wars, and announces plans to position Pro and Premium editions of upcoming machines as first launches in Europe.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Dave Peterson joining Stern Pinball during the 2008 recession was 'the best thing that happened in my business career' — _Gary Stern, directly stated in interview_
- [HIGH] Stern Pinball has designated their head of sales as head of Europe sales and is relocating him to the Amsterdam area — _Gary Stern, stated as commitment to European market expansion_
- [HIGH] Pokémon and Star Wars titles are strategic tools to 'draw a new group of people' and increase first-time buyers — _Gary Stern, explicit business strategy statement_
- [HIGH] The Dutch Pinball Museum partnership agreement was previously confidential but is now publicly announced — _Gary Stern, 'I couldn't tell anybody but now it's open it's out there'_
- [HIGH] Pokémon and Premium editions will be the first machines of those tiers to be displayed in Europe — _Gary Stern, partnership announcement details_
- [HIGH] Europe is 'very important and underserved in the pinball business' especially at the Pro market cost point — _Gary Stern, market assessment_
- [MEDIUM] Stern Pinball is increasing home/enthusiast market share through games like 'Costco game' and Pokémon to grow the community — _Gary Stern, business development strategy_

### Notable Quotes

> "He researched and there were like 400 companies making buggy whips. So whether it be Harley or buggy whips, he invested with me and he's been a great partnership."
> — **Gary Stern**, ~2:30
> _Core story illustrating how Dave Peterson was convinced to invest in Stern Pinball by recognizing the passionate enthusiast community parallels to Harley-Davidson_

> "That's like it's like a mini Harley. They've got you know enthusiasts that tattoo things on them and they do this and so forth."
> — **Gary Stern (quoting Dave Peterson)**, ~2:00
> _Key insight into how the business partner understood pinball's cultural value through brand loyalty comparison_

> "We need games with operators on the you know in street locations in clubs where the clubs open up in Europe to you know uh twice a month to outside people"
> — **Gary Stern**, ~3:15
> _Strategy for introducing pinball to new audiences in Europe through location operators and venues_

> "pinball's all the time still make pinball. Maybe it was like buggy whips or something."
> — **Gary Stern (quoting Dave Peterson's initial skepticism)**, ~1:50
> _Illustrates common perception that pinball manufacturing had ceased, motivating Stern to demonstrate market vitality_

> "Europe is very important and underserved in in the pinball business and uh especially in the cost point uh of the uh the market that we own shall we say in the uh the Pro market for operators"
> — **Gary Stern**, ~4:30
> _Explicit market positioning statement identifying Europe as strategic growth opportunity in the Pro tier operator market_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Gary Stern | person | Chairman and co-owner of Stern Pinball, discussing company history, partnerships, and European expansion strategy |
| Dave Peterson | person | Co-owner and business partner of Stern Pinball since 2008 recession, introduced by Gary Stern's lawyer, instrumental in company's continued growth |
| Stern Pinball | company | Pinball machine manufacturer headed by Gary Stern and Dave Peterson, focused on licensed IP titles and enthusiast/operator markets |
| Dutch Pinball Museum | organization | Museum dedicated to collecting pinball history and stories, entering partnership with Stern Pinball to showcase upcoming games |
| Pokémon | game | Recently announced Stern Pinball title featuring 30th anniversary celebration, strategic focus for first-time buyer acquisition and European expansion |
| Star Wars | game | Major licensed Stern Pinball title cited as example of high-profile IP used to attract new audiences |
| Harley-Davidson | company | Reference point used by Dave Peterson to understand pinball's passionate enthusiast community and brand loyalty dynamics |
| Gerard Sandler | person | Interviewer or museum representative with same initials (GS) as Gary Stern, mentioned in closing remarks |
| Mark | person | Individual who spoke with Gary Stern before the interview about motorcycles, context suggests museum staff or event participant |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Business partnership and growth strategy, European market expansion, Enthusiast community and brand loyalty, Dutch Pinball Museum partnership
- **Secondary:** Major IP licensing strategy (Pokémon, Star Wars), New player acquisition and market growth, Pinball history and cultural preservation, Location operator market strategy

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Gary Stern expresses strong confidence in company direction, deep appreciation for partnership and community, optimism about European expansion and new title launches. Tone is enthusiastic and collaborative regarding museum partnership and future growth.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball officially announces European expansion with head of sales relocated to Amsterdam area and commitment to establishing first-launch locations for Pro and Premium editions in Europe (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'we have taken our head of sales and made him head of Europe sales and he's moving there' and 'we're going to fly them over going to be the first in Europe that have the machines on display'
- **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball enters formal partnership with Dutch Pinball Museum to showcase upcoming machines as first European launches, previously confidential agreement now public (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'I couldn't tell anybody but now it's open it's out there you sold it so we're going to work together'
- **[product_strategy]** Stern Pinball strategically positioning Pokémon and Star Wars as flagship IP titles to acquire first-time buyers and expand addressable market beyond core enthusiasts (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'with games like our Costco game and uh with the game we just announced Pokemon title like that increase uh the first-time buyers so that uh we can increase our community'
- **[market_signal]** Gary Stern identifies Europe as strategically underserved market, particularly at the Pro tier operator cost point where Stern has market position (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'Europe is very important and underserved in in the pinball business and uh especially in the cost point uh of the uh the market that we own in the Pro market for operators'
- **[personnel_signal]** Stern Pinball's head of sales is being elevated to head of Europe sales and relocating to Amsterdam area as part of European expansion commitment (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'we have you know taken our head of sales and made him head of Europe sales and he's moving there'
- **[community_signal]** Dutch Pinball Museum initiative to collect and preserve pinball industry stories and history through oral histories before they are lost (confidence: high) — Museum introduction: 'At the Dutch Pinball Museum, we collect stories before they are lost. Because pinball history doesn't live only in machines. It lives in people.'
- **[industry_signal]** Dave Peterson joining Stern Pinball during 2008 financial crisis despite initial skepticism about pinball's viability demonstrates long-term confidence in market fundamentals (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'when he uh was introduced to me, the best thing that happened in my business career' during period when 'companies were in trouble'
- **[design_philosophy]** Stern Pinball explicitly using major IP licenses (Pokémon, Star Wars) as mechanism to introduce pinball to new audiences and drive first-time buyer acquisition (confidence: high) — Gary Stern: 'like Pokemon which we just announced that will draw a new group of people' and 'This would be a great game for street operators Pokemon'

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## Transcript

At the Dutch Pinball Museum, we collect stories before they are lost. Because pinball history doesn't live only in machines. It lives in people. In stories that are often told once and then disappear. 5 minutes, one egg timer. When it rings, the story ends.
It's 5 minute interview. People want to
You ever hear me talk for only 5 minutes?
That's what I'm trying. That's what I'm trying to do. Um going to set an act time for five minutes. That's the idea. And uh going to ask you three things. Who are you? What are you doing at Pinball? Can you tell us? No secrets. Just a fun story.
So
hello everybody. A new version of our untold stories uh series at Pinball Beach. We're here with Gary Stern. I'm going to set an X timer and then we're going to start with the interview. Hello. So, my question to you is who are you? What are you doing at Pinball? And can you tell us an fantastic untold story?
Uh Gary Stern, which you just said uh chairman and and uh uh one of the uh owners of Stern Pinball. I do have a partner. I have a couple smaller partners uh but uh by the company's basically myself and Dave Ashley Peterson and you know the the reason that I I mentioned all that you were just talking to Mark and uh and uh he he asked me about Harley's because he's a motorcycle guy and I you know I have uh four Harleys and a Ducati and my partner Dave Ashley Peterson when he uh it was layman brothers recession companies were in trouble So when he uh was introduced to me, the best thing that happened in my business career drives a great he was introduced by my lawyer who's also has done legal work for him. uh and I'm explaining to him that uh I was that we have a uh a growing uh now very important uh customer base that's enthusiasts and homeowners and we're increasing that by trying to get with games like our Costco game and uh with the game we just announced Pokemon title like that increase uh the firsttime buyers so that uh we can increase our community. Of course, businessmen increase business. I explained to Dave uh that we had a uh a home business part. I'm the coin op guy. Uh we were at uh at a billiard show once and gentleman came up and he's just crazy about pinball the enthusiast and he took off his shirt and he was almost done with a tattoo on his back of the paragon back glass.
And so I explained all this to Dave. Well, Dave had been a uh uh he liked me as a lawyer, but he had been um as a young man carrying the suitcases for the investment bankers who uh who uh uh worked on Harley and taking a p public private public private and he said, "Oh, no. That's like it's like a mini Harley. They've got uh you know enthusias that tattoo things on them and they do this and so forth." And it is very similar. That's part of what hooked them into this is is that we do have this community like the people that are here at the show and that go to your museum, but also the new new, you know, the your museum is great to have uh uh uh newbies go there, so we said, but we have that community that is passionate about pinball and that's part of what makes us great and what what makes us continue doing it because of the appreciation
from people like that are here. That's a few now for to get new people. We need games at your museum. Uh we need games with operators on the you know in street locations in clubs where the clubs open up in Europe to to to you know uh twice a month to outside people you know this or that. We need it introduced because a lot of people still say oh they still make pinball. We do still make pimple and with a game uh you know titles like Star Wars and like Pokemon which we just announced that will draw a new group of people. This would be a great game for street operators Pokemon. So
So that's my little story how my my partner got hooked. He he said he said I thought I you know I thought uh uh uh uh pinballs all the time still make pinball. Maybe it was like buggy whips or something. And so I gave him a little thing from the last buggy whip company, but he researched and there were like 400 companies making buggy whips. So whether it be Harley or buggy whips, he he invested with me and he's been a great partnership.
Um and uh
yeah,
again, the best thing that happened in my business career. Did I use up all my time? No, I got time left.
You got time left.
Time left. That's all right. I think I think that's a story. I heard uh podcast from Martin this week and there you announced that we have an agreement uh in our museum and I couldn't tell anybody
but now it's open it's out there you sold it
so we're going to work together and the newest machines like Pokemon
we're going to fly them over going to be the first in Europe that have the machines on display
yeah you're going to have a a launching the first launch
the pro and the premium very proud of it
you know Europe is very important and underserved in in the pinball business and uh especially in the cost point uh of the uh the market that we own shall we say in the uh the pro market for operas and u we have you know taken our our head of sales and made him head of Europe sales and he's moving there because we are yep he's moving uh to Amsterdam area and uh
we're going to see him a lot
yeah you are you are we're very very committed to the European market
man. So
so yeah every second now is going to going to help
Gary I want to thank you man
pleasure
pleasure
and a nice shirt and for instance uh Gary Stern is GS but you are aware that our initials are also Gerard Sandler. [laughter]
Who would have think of that? Uh, I did I have to save my shirts for uh uh also for uh Gabby's John Screed is from Electric Point. You know, says he wants my wants my shirts.
Thanks, man.
Thank you all.

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 2faf8004-9851-4e67-bffb-4a27623bc1d6*