# EP01 Sterling Martin

**Source:** The Pinball Studio Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2025-07-23  
**Duration:** 14m 44s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://thepinballstudio.podbean.com/e/the-pinball-studio-ep01-sterlings-journey-into-pinball/

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## Analysis

Sterling Martin, host of The Pinball Studio Podcast, recounts his personal journey into pinball from childhood encounters with Attack from Mars and F-14 through becoming a competitive tournament organizer and Georgia state director. He details his progression from collecting Back to the Future memorabilia and purchasing machines (notably his first new-in-box Godzilla Pro from Old Town Pinball) to founding The Pinball Studio, a dedicated tournament venue in Richmond Hill, Georgia, built with personal investment and labor. The narrative emphasizes community building, venue culture, and the growth of competitive pinball in the Southeast.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Sterling encountered Attack from Mars and F-14 at a local movie theater during childhood — _Sterling Martin, opening of personal origin story_
- [HIGH] Sterling purchased a Back to the Future pinball machine from Facebook around mid-2016 for $1,200 — _Sterling Martin describing his entry into machine collecting_
- [MEDIUM] Sterling purchased approximately 25-30 pinball machines from Old Town Pinball distributor — _Sterling Martin, with hedging language ('maybe near 25, 30 machines', 'Maybe not that many')_
- [HIGH] The Pinball Studio's first tournament had no-shows; the second tournament attracted 7-8 players — _Sterling Martin describing early tournament attempts at his house_
- [HIGH] Sterling became an IFPA tournament director and hosted his first IFPA-sanctioned tournament in late 2022 (possibly Halloween) — _Sterling Martin describing IFPA tournament director qualification_
- [HIGH] Sterling sold his fishing boat to fund construction of The Pinball Studio building — _Sterling Martin explaining funding for the venue_
- [HIGH] Sterling was promoted/asked to become Georgia state director alongside Tommy — _Sterling Martin on his role expansion within IFPA_
- [HIGH] The Pinball Studio attracts tournament participants from South Carolina, Atlanta, Charleston, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine areas — _Sterling Martin on tournament geographic reach_

### Notable Quotes

> "I loaded it up. There was nothing really wrong with it. Other than one broken wire. So I fixed that and I started flipping."
> — **Sterling Martin**, early episode
> _Describes his first hands-on experience with Back to the Future machine and entry into pinball restoration_

> "There's so much to do in the game compared to an older pin."
> — **Sterling Martin**, mid-episode
> _Highlights the difference in game depth and complexity that drew him to modern pinball after playing Mandalorian_

> "I went and played one on location and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I got on my phone and started searching for distributors."
> — **Sterling Martin**, mid-episode
> _Documents his passion-driven decision-making and impulse to acquire Godzilla_

> "The hell with it. We'll just do one at the house."
> — **Sterling Martin**, mid-episode
> _Shows pragmatic pivot when venues refused access, leading to home-based tournaments_

> "It's more than just going to a pinball tournament and playing a game and going and standing in a corner and staring at your phone."
> — **Sterling Martin**, late-episode
> _Articulates his philosophy on tournament culture and community-building as core differentiator_

> "We're just one big family. We all actually hang out. We conversate. I've been on vacations with multiple members in our group."
> — **Sterling Martin**, late-episode
> _Emphasizes The Pinball Studio's community identity and social cohesion as a competitive advantage_

> "No assholes or no jackasses, whatever it was, and that's true man. Just be a cool, nice, laid back individual."
> — **Sterling Martin**, late-episode
> _References The Wormhole's community ethos as inspiration for The Pinball Studio's culture_

> "For all you people out there that are just getting into the hobby and stuff, don't be afraid to chase your dreams, man."
> — **Sterling Martin**, late-episode
> _Motivational messaging to new entrants about entrepreneurship and venue-building_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Sterling Martin | person | Host of The Pinball Studio Podcast, Georgia IFPA state director, tournament organizer, and owner of The Pinball Studio venue in Richmond Hill, Georgia |
| Michael Seavey | person | Rental machine operator who introduced Sterling to Stranger Things pinball and became close friend; Data East machine collector |
| Will Russell | person | Owner/operator of Old Town Pinball distributor in St. Augustine, Florida; primary distributor for Sterling's machine purchases |
| Cory | person | Sterling's friend in Baltimore who loaned him money to purchase F-14 pinball machine |
| Josh Yates | person | Competitive IFPA tournament player who advised Sterling to make his tournaments IFPA-sanctioned |
| Neil Wagner | person | Competitive IFPA tournament player who advised Sterling to make his tournaments IFPA-sanctioned |
| Tommy | person | Tournament director from Atlanta who assisted Sterling with IFPA tournament submission; now co-Georgia state director with Sterling |
| Rich | person | Pinball player Sterling met at early tournament in Pooler, Georgia; now considered close friend |
| Brian | person | Previous Georgia IFPA state representative who preceded Sterling and Tommy in state director role |
| The Pinball Studio | venue | Tournament-focused pinball arcade venue in Richmond Hill, Georgia founded by Sterling Martin; features membership model and community events |
| Old Town Pinball | company | Pinball machine distributor in St. Augustine, Florida; primary sponsor of The Pinball Studio Podcast |
| Back to the Future | game | Data East pinball machine; Sterling's first machine purchase; catalyzed his entry into pinball collecting and restoration |
| Attack from Mars | game | Williams pinball machine Sterling played at movie theater during childhood |
| F-14 | game | Pinball machine Sterling encountered at movie theater and later acquired; sparked nostalgia-driven purchase |
| Stranger Things | game | Stern pinball machine that Sterling rented from Michael Seavey; themed after television series Sterling enjoyed |
| Mandalorian | game | Stern pinball machine Sterling acquired from Facebook Marketplace in St. Augustine; introduced him to complexity of modern pinball |
| Godzilla | game | Stern pinball machine Sterling's first new-in-box purchase from Old Town Pinball; still owns Pro model |
| IFPA | organization | International Federation of Pinball Associations; pinball tournament sanctioning body that Sterling became tournament director for and now serves as Georgia state director |
| Pinball Palace | venue | Pinball arcade in Brunswick, Georgia with extensive collection; located near The Pinball Studio |
| The Wormhole | venue | Pinball tournament venue Sterling references as inspiration for The Pinball Studio's community culture; credited with 'no assholes' ethos |
| Richmond Hill | event/location | City in Georgia where The Pinball Studio is located; near Florida border, south Georgia |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Personal origin story and hobby entry, Machine collecting progression and acquisition strategy, Tournament organization and IFPA sanctioning, Venue development and infrastructure investment, Community culture and social cohesion in pinball
- **Secondary:** Modern vs. classic pinball game design differences, Distributor partnerships and vendor relationships, Regional tournament growth in Southeast

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Sterling expresses genuine enthusiasm and pride throughout his narrative. Optimistic about community, venue future, and encouragement to new hobbyists. No criticism of machines, people, or industry. Reflective and grateful tone toward supporters and friends. Only minor frustration expressed about early tournament venue rejections, which he reframed as learning experiences.

### Signals

- **[venue_signal]** The Pinball Studio purpose-built tournament venue opened in Richmond Hill, Georgia with custom infrastructure; represents significant capital investment and market opportunity in Southeast region (confidence: high) — Sterling describes selling fishing boat to fund metal building, performing all construction labor himself (sheetrock, flooring, electrical, spray foam), and building tournament location described as 'as legit as it comes'
- **[event_signal]** The Pinball Studio IFPA tournaments grew from zero attendance to 7-8 players to supporting multi-state regional participation; Sterling promoted to Georgia state director in 2024-2025 timeframe (confidence: high) — Sterling recounts progression from home tournaments with no-shows to hosting players from South Carolina, Atlanta, Charleston, Jacksonville, St. Augustine areas; Tommy assisted with first IFPA submission in late 2022
- **[community_signal]** The Pinball Studio differentiates itself through social cohesion and community integration rather than pure competition; references The Wormhole's 'no assholes' ethos as inspiration (confidence: high) — Sterling emphasizes 'We're just one big family. We all actually hang out. We conversate. I've been on vacations with multiple members' and explicitly contrasts with tournaments where players 'stand in a corner and stare at your phone'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Sterling's engagement with modern Stern pinball (Mandalorian, Godzilla) triggered deeper investment and purchasing; represented qualitative shift from casual nostalgia-based collecting to active hobbyist (confidence: high) — Sterling states: 'There's so much to do in the game compared to an older pin. So at that point, it wasn't long and Godzilla launched. When Godzilla launched, I lost my freaking mind.'
- **[business_signal]** Old Town Pinball relationship became cornerstone of Sterling's business model; sponsor of podcast and source for ~25-30 machine purchases over multi-year relationship (confidence: high) — Sterling describes visiting Old Town Pinball monthly after initial Godzilla purchase, purchasing 'a shit ton of pinball machines', explicitly recommending distributor as 'awesome', and featuring as show sponsor
- **[operational_signal]** Early tournament venues (Pooler arcade, Rock House at Tybee) required significant negotiation and offered suboptimal conditions; led Sterling to pursue independent venue ownership (confidence: high) — Sterling describes gaining access as 'like pulling teeth', needing to disable extra balls, dealing with 'machines just weren't up to par and the lineup just wasn't that great', ultimately deciding 'we need our own place'
- **[personnel_signal]** Sterling elevated to Georgia IFPA state director role, indicating growth of competitive pinball infrastructure in Southeast and recognition of his organizational capability (confidence: high) — Sterling states: 'I was promoted or not promoted. I was asked to become a state director for Georgia alongside with Tommy. And that was super awesome. Thank you, Brian, our previous state representative.'
- **[collector_signal]** Sterling's machine purchases were heavily theme-influenced (Back to the Future collector obsession, Stranger Things show fan, Godzilla passion); emotional attachment to IP drove acquisition decisions (confidence: high) — Sterling describes purchasing Back to the Future due to collecting memorabilia, choosing F-14 for nostalgia, renting Stranger Things because 'I was obsessed with the show', buying Godzilla after one location play
- **[design_innovation]** Sterling articulated perception of significant design depth increase in modern Stern games vs. classic pins; suggests modern pinball offers greater player engagement through rule complexity (confidence: medium) — Sterling: 'I figured out why people like modern pinball. There's so much to do in the game compared to an older pin.'
- **[market_signal]** Southeast pinball tournament participation shows growth signals; willingness of players to travel multi-state distances indicates emerging competitive scene infrastructure (confidence: medium) — Sterling notes surprise at regional draw: 'I never thought people would be traveling this far to play pinball', and describes ongoing multi-state participation from South Carolina, Atlanta, Charleston, Jacksonville
- **[community_signal]** The Pinball Studio emphasizes addressing barriers for new tournament players through inclusive culture and discouraging negative experiences at other venues (confidence: medium) — Sterling advises: 'If you ever did have a bad experience, definitely don't feel discouraged. Go give another tournament try of a different group of people.'

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## Transcript

Hello and welcome to the very first episode of the pinball studio podcast. I'm your host Sterling Martin and well guys this is going to be a lot of fun. I want to know your story of how you found the silver ball. We all have these crazy stories how we found this hobby and well it's time to hear them. Let's start off with me. Let's do it guys. all right so how did i get into the pinball hobby let's back up to my childhood i remember going to the movie theater in my local town and there was two pinball machines there at least for a short while attack from mars and f-14 so me and my friend would run over from the mall while our parents were shopping and we'd go watch a couple movies and of course while we were waiting for the movie to start we would play some pinball but fast forward many years later i was actually collecting back to the future stuff um of all things and my collection was getting out of hand with all kinds of things from autographs to toys and anything you could think of from the back to the future world And at one point I found a Back to the Future pinball machine For sale on Facebook This is probably around the year of 2000, mid-2016 And of course I had to have it The guy was asking I believe $1,400 back then Which I thought was crazy I offered $1,200, he let me get it And I loaded it up There was nothing really wrong with it Other than one broken wire So I fixed that and I started flipping After that I started collecting some arcade cabinets Or arcade one-ups if you will And then another pinball machine Became available A F-14 And I had just visited a buddy up in Baltimore And there was an F-14 there and it kind of brought back some memories. So I was like, you know what? I would really like to get this game, but at the time I just didn't have the extra money. And then I mentioned it to my buddy Corey in Baltimore. He's like, dude, get the machine. I'll loan you the money. Just pay me back as soon as possible. So I grabbed it and I paid him back pretty quickly. And then I went down the crazy rabbit hole of pinball like we all have. After that I was starting to have some issues With my Back to the Future And I noticed a guy was renting A Stranger Things pinball machine Which had just launched And I was obsessed with the show So I reached out to this guy Michael Seavey And he's like yeah man I'll rent you the game And he brought it over and set it up I showed him my Back to the Future I was having a couple little small problems and he agreed to help me out. And then we became awesome, great friends after that. I purchased four or five, I think five Data East pinball machines from him. He had a huge collection out in his garage. He was just constantly buying and flipping. And for whatever reason, I got obsessed with the Data East pinball machines, probably because of the Back to the Future game I already had And I was kind of familiar with working on it After that it got crazy A Mandalorian came up for sale on Facebook Marketplace down in St. Augustine, Florida. So it was a killer deal, and the game had just came out. So I ran down there and picked up that game. And boy, I figured out why people like modern pinball. There's so much to do in the game compared to an older pin. So at that point, it wasn't long and Godzilla launched. When Godzilla launched, I lost my freaking mind. I went and played one on location and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I got on my phone and started searching for distributors and came across Old Town Pinball in St. Augustine, Florida. And gave Will Russell a shout down there and he sold me my first ever new in-box pinball machine. And it was a Godzilla Pro, which I still own to today. And after that, me and him really kicked it off. I swear I was down there every month buying another pinball machine. It got crazy. I think I've probably purchased, oh man, maybe near 25, 30 machines from him. Maybe not that many. But I've purchased a shit ton of pinball machines from Old Town Pinball anyway. And if y'all are ever looking for a new or used pinball machine, give him a shout. He's an awesome distributor to work with. And I wouldn't choose any other distributor out there. But moving on from that, I wanted to start something a little bit more. Maybe a tournament club. So I started pitching the idea to my new buddy, Mike. And he's like, dude, I love it. Let's do it. So we started going around downtown Savannah, Georgia, and asking local arcades and places that had pinball machines if they were interested in letting us host a tournament. And the answer was no. So after that, we started brainstorming. We're like, the hell with it. We'll just do one at the house. So we had enough machines. Mike brought over a couple more machines. I think we had probably six or seven at the time. And we made some Facebook posts and stuff. This was before I even knew what the IFPA was. And we bought a bunch of pizza and set a time and a date, and nobody showed up. So we didn't totally lose interest after that. We're like, all right, we'll try it one more time. So we booked a second tournament and surprisingly we had probably seven or eight players show up, which a lot of those players still come to this day, which is super awesome. And, um, we just did some makeshift tournament. Um, there was no format or anything. I believe it was just a high score in a game and we all competed to try to, you know, beat that high score. Um, but I had a couple of friends or I call them friends now. I didn't know them at the time. Josh Yates and Neil Wagner Have both Played in IFPA sanctioned tournaments and they're like Listen you should really make these IFPA so I looked into it and I became a Or made an account to be a tournament director And I submitted to Host my first tournament This was Towards the end of 2022 I believe right at the tail end of the year It may have been Halloween, actually, our first ever Halloween tournament. But anyway, I held a head-to-head match play tournament, and I can't remember how many rounds we did, but it was a blast. And then I was afraid to submit it. I had no idea what to do. And then another tournament director up in Atlanta, Tommy, he reached out and he's like, do you need help submitting? I see that you hosted a tournament and you still hadn't submitted. And I was like, yes, I definitely need some help. I had no idea what I was doing. Anyway, he helped me out and then it was smooth sailing from there. Um, I started hosting tournaments out of my house and other players houses, you know, with their private collections. And then we started branching out to some, uh, some local locations once we had kind of, you know, built a group up a little bit. And I think our first ever one was in Pooler, Georgia. It was a little tiny arcade called, uh, shit, uh, ready player one up or something. I can't remember arcade. No, not arcade one up. Anyway, something along those lines. I don't even think they have pinball anymore, but it was like pulling teeth and we finally got access to get in the machines with all the extra balls turned off and all that. And we held a tournament there and it, it was great. We had awesome turnout, tons of people. and met some really cool members that are, you know, I consider really close friends now, Rich being one of them that we met at that tournament. And then we started hosting them at Rock House at Tybee, which was fun, but the machines just weren't up to par and the lineup just wasn't that great. So we were bouncing around everywhere. And I finally came to the conclusion I needed, we need our own place. So that's expensive. I've got the land already, but I need a building. So I wasn't fishing much anymore. So I decided the hell with it. I'm just going to sell my nice, my nice flats fishing boat. So I did that to fund a nice metal building and it's totally finished on the inside. it's super nice and uh now we have a tournament location that is i mean as legit as it comes but uh it was a long journey to get here and uh definitely not an easy one um in the building just to save money i mean i did all the labor myself from sheetrock to flooring to spray foam to electrical you name it i did it all and i had experience with those things throughout the years So, I mean, it was definitely doable, but, um, yeah, it's, it's just nuts what it's turned into. And for all you people out there that are just getting into the hobby and stuff, don't be afraid to chase your dreams, man. I've turned this into something that I really am proud of and it's only going to continue to grow. This building will work for a few years But I see it probably turning into A large arcade somewhere in the Savannah area In the future But even moving into this year I was promoted or not promoted I was asked to become a state director for Georgia alongside with Tommy. And that was super awesome. Thank you, Brian, our previous state representative here at Georgia. So it's just crazy. I went from, you know, a back to the future pinball machine because I liked back to the future stuff all the way to running some pretty big, crazy tournaments where I have people traveling from South Carolina, the Atlanta area, Charleston, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, St. Augustine area. It's just crazy. I never thought people would be traveling this far to play pinball. And I keep hearing the same thing from all the different players that come here is, we just really enjoy your spot, man. It's something about the vibe of the pinball studio. We're just one big family. We all actually hang out. We conversate. I've been on vacations with multiple members in our group. It's more than just going to a pinball tournament And playing a game And going and standing in a corner And staring at your phone Which I've been to those tournaments And they aren't fun But I want to let y'all know There are good groups out there So if you ever did have a bad experience Definitely don't feel discouraged Go give another tournament try Of a different group of people I know like the wormhole and stuff I don't think the wormhole is a thing anymore but it was kind of what we were trying to copy at the time we're like they have such a good vibe going over there Jamie always joked what was his rule? no assholes or no jackasses whatever it was and that's true man just be a cool, nice, laid back individual and it's just going to make it so much nicer for everyone that's here. But anyway, I think I've touched on most of my pinball journey. So if you're interested in coming and joining us in an upcoming tournament, just head over to thepinballstudio.com. Click on Tournament Schedule and see all the upcoming events along with special events like Movie Nights. also you'll want to join the facebook group that's where you're going to see the tournament sign up list now you don't have to be on facebook but it's a peace of mind to see your name on the list um but anyway for the people that aren't just email me sterling at the pinball studio.com i'll make sure you're on the list we're in richmond hill georgia south georgia kind of near the florida line uh not very far from the pinball palace in brunswick georgia that has a fantastic collection. So anyway, come join us for a tournament. Also, I want to give a shout out to Old Town Pinball, the sponsor of this show. And Will Russell can hook you up with whatever you need. A stern pinball machine, barrels of fun, spooky. Give them a call. 904-217-7430. Later, guys. Bye.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 7f21da4d-5ce1-4740-8f41-39618aa6de3b*