# Episode 46 - Interview with Vic Camp 4-25-15

**Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2015-04-26  
**Duration:** 136m 4s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-46-interview-with-vic-camp-4-25-15

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## Analysis

Vic Camp, a prominent bingo pinball collector and player from New Jersey, shares his decades-long journey with bingo machines starting in 1969. He discusses his early experiences playing bingos in local establishments, his techniques for learning card combinations, his restoration and collection efforts (150+ machines handled), and his passion for promoting bingo machines to modern collectors as an undervalued alternative to flipper games.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] First played bingo around 1969 at age 13-14, specifically Light Align at Tingaling on Bloomfield Avenue in Newark, New Jersey — _Vic Camp, direct personal account of his earliest bingo experience_
- [MEDIUM] Bally made the first six-card bingo game called Bright Lights in 1951, and Light Align came out in 1961 — _Vic Camp, historical claim citing general industry knowledge_
- [MEDIUM] Stock Market was the first six-card bingo game from Valley in 1971, with a gap of 10 years since Light Align (1961) — _Vic Camp, referencing Jeffrey Lawton's book for historical validation_
- [HIGH] Vic has had over 150 machines pass through his hands for restoration and collecting — _Vic Camp, direct statement about his restoration experience_
- [HIGH] Vic purchased Bill Dahl's private warehouse collection in York, acquiring approximately 27 machines in a single box truck trip — _Vic Camp, detailed personal anecdote with specific details about the transaction_
- [HIGH] Vic currently has approximately 40 machines in his collection across four separate game rooms — _Vic Camp, stated during the podcast interview_
- [HIGH] The podcast 'For Amusement Only' and its host Nick Baldridge are credited with promoting bingo pinball interest in the modern collector community — _Vic Camp, praising the podcast's impact on hobby engagement_
- [MEDIUM] Russ Jensen's 'Inside Your Bingo' operation manual is freely available online and is essential reading for bingo collectors — _Vic Camp, recommendation presented as foundational resource_

### Notable Quotes

> "I eat, breathe and drink it"
> — **Vic Camp**, early in interview
> _Establishes Vic's deep passion for pinball and bingo machines_

> "I was there to dominate that machine. To stay on as long as I can and to get up as many replays as I could."
> — **Vic Camp**, discussing youth playing strategy
> _Reveals competitive drive and game mastery mindset from early age_

> "The difference between the flipper game and the bingo is like checkers and chess."
> — **Vic Camp**, discussing game complexity
> _Key comparison expressing bingo's strategic depth vs flipper games_

> "These are basic stuff that you can learn. and just generally learn about this. And then if you can trace the circuit, you're going to fix a bingo."
> — **Vic Camp**, discussing restoration accessibility
> _Encourages new collectors by emphasizing bingo restoration is learnable_

> "Give yourself a chance Buy the game $50, $100... They're so cheap and they're so remarkable."
> — **Vic Camp**, promoting bingo collecting
> _Direct appeal to modern collectors about bingo affordability vs flipper games_

> "I got to open it up. You're going to make love to it. You're going to fight with it. You're going to cry with it. You're going to bleed with it."
> — **Vic Camp**, describing emotional journey of restoration
> _Poetic expression of the deep personal investment in bingo restoration_

> "This is the time to get it out there. People are starting to get intrigued by these games now."
> — **Vic Camp**, discussing current bingo market opportunity
> _Identifies perceived timing advantage for bingo collecting in current market_

> "They're still my true love... I know Jeffrey Lawton says I sold out a little bit on the bingos, but I didn't."
> — **Vic Camp**, addressing criticism about focus on flipper games
> _Defensive statement indicating community awareness/gossip about Vic's priorities_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Vic Camp | person | Prominent bingo pinball collector, restorer, and player from New Jersey; has 40+ games in collection; has handled 150+ machines; born March 1956 (turned 59 in April 2015) |
| Nick Baldridge | person | Host of 'For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast'; interviewer; recently started collecting bingo machines; credited by Vic as instrumental in promoting bingo interest |
| Bill Dahl | person | Former operator/collector from York with private warehouse collection; email Turf King; owned machines that Vic Camp eventually purchased |
| Jeffrey Lawton | person | Author of pinball history reference material; Vic references his work on bingo game history |
| Russ Jensen | person | Author of 'Inside Your Bingo' operation manual; described as foundational resource for bingo collectors |
| Joe Newhart | person | Bingo pinball enthusiast; appeared with Vic Camp on Spooky podcast |
| Steve Smith | person | Referenced by Vic as source/recipient of 'checkers vs chess' comparison about bingo vs flipper games |
| Light Align | game | First bingo game Vic Camp played, circa 1969; made by Bally in 1961; six-card game; featured center-spot number; played extensively in Newark area for 10+ years |
| King of Diamonds | game | First coin-operated flipper game Vic remembers playing; wedgehead series; one of Nick Baldridge's favorites |
| Bright Lights | game | First six-card bingo game made by Bally in 1951; Vic owned two examples; some production variations in number combinations |
| Stock Market | game | First six-card game from Valley in 1971; cost a quarter to play; introduced features like super lines and corners |
| Dude Ranch | game | One-ball horse-race game; Vic played on Seaside Heights boardwalk; later purchased one from dollar store basement; restoration learning experience |
| Nightclub | game | Bingo machine offered as gift to Nick Baldridge by Vic; missing two coils, extra ball button, needs playfield work; Vic planned to bring to Allentown show |
| Turf King | game | One-ball horse-race game; Bill Dahl's favorite (email handle was Turf King); Vic acquired two, fixed one, sold to local friend; described as gorgeous |
| Palm Springs / Palm Beach | game | Early 1950s bingo games; recently posted on Pinside by collector; Vic expressed interest/admiration |
| Nashville | game | Bingo game played in Hallmark card store across from Italian cafe in Vic's hometown area |
| Tingaling | venue | Italian lemon ice and hot dog establishment on Bloomfield Avenue in Newark, NJ; had bingo machines in back room; major hangout where Vic first played Light Align circa 1969; connected to subway station |
| Rose's | venue | Confectionery store with owner (old lady) near Vic's house in North New Jersey; had four bingo machines; where Vic moved after Tingaling; major hangout for various ages and professions |
| Italian Cafe | venue | Opened in 1971 two doors down from Rose's confectionery; European/Italian clientele; open late/all night; first location with Stock Market six-card game; major Vic hangout |
| Hallmark Card Store | venue | Directly across street from Italian Cafe; had Nashville bingo game; run by North Policeman; Vic has photo of three friends playing Nashville there |
| For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast | organization | Hosted by Nick Baldridge; focused on early mechanical and bingo pinball content; credited by Vic as phenomenal resource; driving modern bingo interest |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Modern pinball manufacturer; Vic appeared on their podcast with Joe Newhart |
| Bally | company | Classic pinball/bingo manufacturer; made first bingo machine (Bright Lights, 1951) and Light Align (1961); also made horse-race games in 1940s-early 1950s |
| Valley | company | Bingo manufacturer; made Stock Market (first six-card game, 1971); made subsequent bingo games with expanding features |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Bingo machine gameplay and mechanics, Personal history of bingo playing in 1960s-1980s Newark, NJ, Bingo machine restoration and technical knowledge, Collecting bingo machines and market trends, Promoting bingo machines to modern collector community
- **Secondary:** Bingo pinball history and manufacturer timeline, Comparison between bingo and flipper game design/strategy, Bingo culture and community in vintage Newark venues

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0)

### Signals

- **[collector_signal]** Vic Camp reports significant growth in modern bingo pinball collecting interest, attributing it to podcast coverage and affordability compared to flipper/solid state machines (confidence: high) — Vic: 'The hobby's exploded. The hobby is as big as it's ever been... now is the time for bingo pinball... People are starting to get intrigued by these games now.'
- **[community_signal]** Bingo collector community recognizes podcast media (For Amusement Only, Spooky) as driving engagement and education about bingo games (confidence: high) — Vic: 'It seems like right now is the time... It's been somehow because of you [Nick]. This is a great show that you put on here... I started listening to your podcast and so much information it's remarkable'
- **[restoration_signal]** Vic Camp has extensive bingo restoration experience (150+ machines) and promotes accessibility of restoration knowledge through published manuals (confidence: high) — Vic: 'I've done a lot of restorations. I've helped a lot of people. I've had over 150 machines go through my hands... Inside Your Bingo by Russ Jensen is the secret to success'
- **[collector_signal]** Bingo machines are available at significantly lower price points than contemporary flipper/solid state machines, positioning them as affordable entry point for collectors (confidence: high) — Vic: 'For your listeners... They're so cheap and they're so remarkable... Get a bingo now... Buy the game $50, $100'
- **[historical_signal]** Bally made first bingo (Bright Lights, 1951), followed by Light Align (1961). Gap of 10 years before Valley Stock Market (1971) as next six-card game (confidence: medium) — Vic: 'Bally started making bingos in 1951... Light Align, which is one of my favorites, in 1961... from when Light Align was made to 1971 there were no other six cards made'
- **[collector_signal]** Vic Camp maintains a large personal collection (~40 machines across four game rooms) after years of aggressive acquisition and has history of bulk purchases (confidence: high) — Vic: 'I had over 20-something bingos at one time... I'm 59 now and I don't have enough of these games... 40 game collection and 40 machines here and four separate game rooms'
- **[design_philosophy]** Bingo games positioned as strategically complex compared to flipper games, requiring card knowledge, feature play sequencing, and planning (confidence: high) — Vic: 'The difference between the flipper game and the bingo is like checkers and chess... You got to think. You got to take your time. It's incredible'
- **[content_signal]** Podcast interviews with experienced bingo collectors (Vic Camp) serve as educational and promotional content for niche collector community (confidence: high) — Vic references appearing on 'Spooky the other night with my buddy Joe Newhart' and crediting For Amusement Only with spreading word about bingo games
- **[community_signal]** Bingo community awareness of collector priorities and focus; reference to criticism from Jeffrey Lawton about Vic's shift toward flipper games (confidence: medium) — Vic: 'I know Jeffrey Lawton says I sold out a little bit on the bingos, but I didn't. They're still my true love'
- **[venue_signal]** Detailed account of 1960s-1970s Newark venue culture with bingo machines embedded in confectioneries, cafes, and card shops as social hubs (confidence: high) — Vic's detailed descriptions of Tingaling, Rose's, Italian Cafe, and Hallmark store as interconnected neighborhood bingo venues
- **[operational_signal]** Operators used maintenance tactics (lemon pledge for slickness, tilted playfields) to affect gameplay; players developed counter-tactics (cigarette ash, leveling machines, soda cans) (confidence: high) — Vic: 'the vendors rigged the machines... they used lemon pledge on the playfields... we smoked cigarettes and flicked ashes... we would put a can of soda behind the head... stiffen the whole machine'
- **[gameplay_signal]** High-skill bingo play requires memorization of all card number combinations across six cards; Vic developed systematic learning method using blank card templates (confidence: high) — Vic: 'I drew up blank cards, six blank cards on a notebook paper and circled all the holes in them and then memorized the numbers... Plus, being around the machines, 8, 10 hours a day... calling numbers'

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## Transcript

What's that sound? It's 4 Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to 4 Amusement Only, this is Nick Baldridge. Tonight I have a special treat. The foremost bingo player that I'm aware of, Vic Camp, has a beautiful collection of Valley Bingos and Godly Wedgeheads. Tonight I wanted to talk with him about his beginnings in bingo playing and collecting on the streets of New Jersey So, Vic, hello Hi, Nick, how are you doing? I'm doing great, how about you? Oh, can't be any better, man Talking pinball on a Saturday, it's a good time, huh? I love it, I eat, breathe and drink it I can tell. You're a very prolific poster in all the various pinball forums, and your passion comes through quite clearly in everything that I've seen online. So, Vic, first let's start. How old are you? Just turned 59 this past March. Well, happy belated birthday. Oh, thank you. So My typical first question After that is What's the first Coin-out machine that you remember Playing Probably The King of Diamonds King of Diamonds, that's an excellent game It's one of my favorite out of the Wedgehead series For different reasons we won't get into right now probably want to head towards the bingos. So when was the first bingo that you played? What year was that? It was probably, I guess, around 19... the age of 14, let me see. You've got to do the math there. Probably about 1969. Okay. 67, somewhere along there. Probably 69. Yeah, that was around 13, 14 years of age, I remember. First playing the bingo, yeah. So that was after the transition to metal rails? Right. Actually, Light Align was the first bingo that I played. And before that, probably from an age about five years old, six years old, seven for sure, I was just flipper pinball crazy. I mean, played a lot of flipper games, and then once I bumped into that lighter line at the Lemon Ice place there on Bloomfield Avenue, it was called Tingaling. That was a big place, sold hot dogs and Italian lemon ice. It was homemade, and they had them in the back of the room there. They were off from the front where the counter space was and the pizza was being served and all of that. they had a separate room in a back entrance to that room and I used to see all the big guys the older guys playing there and once I learned about the Lido Lines and and how to play them I decided to go and play there because that's where all the action was this was a big hangout right below the store there Tingaling was the subway that would get you downtown Newark so people would come up out of the subway steps and go right into Tingaling and start playing bingos right with their jackets on in the cold winter months. It was crazy. Lots and lots of people hung there. And I finally got a chance to play. Once they knew I was only 14, but once they knew I knew the numbers and I was playing at other establishments, they started serving me there. So I ended up playing at Tingaling at an early age but then moved down closer to my house in the city of North New Jersey because within that whole three or four block radius there must have been nine, ten, twelve, fifteen bingo so but at all different stores yeah they were everywhere so you know the other that place was a little rough for a 13, 14 year old kid not that I it didn't affect me it's just that it was a little rowdy I needed concentration and I need to focus I needed to win I wasn't there to just past time in Hangout, I was there to dominate that machine. To stay on as long as I can and to get up as many replays as I could. Because once I got the triple digits up there, 100 plus games, they knew that they were in for a long wait. Who was ever wanting to play that game? The good thing about Pingaling was they had three or four machines. So really, it had to be packed for you not to get on the machines because back in 1969, money was scarce, especially in the big city. We lived in a really poor neighborhood and, you know, money for me was, I used to go and cash in two-cent Coca-Cola bottles and carry bags during the day for people, anything to make some money for some pinball action, you know. But once I hung at Tingling, I moved down. I got away from the rallyness and I was going to a place called Rose's. There was this old lady that had a confectionery store. And she had about four Bengals in the back. And she was the sweetest old lady. She just let everybody play, whoever wanted to play. Old, young, whatever. And let me tell you something. People were caught in school. They were taking long lunches. Mature people that had real jobs and families would take long lunches and stay there. Who would play hooky? Who wouldn't go back to work? The bingos, it was more than just a machine. It was, for me, it was, I got addicted to them. I mean, I loved them at the start and I wanted to play them because I wanted to win replays and stay on the machine and play all day or whatever. Of course, I wanted to cash in and have a little bit of pocket money. But in the beginning, that really wasn't my main attraction. The attraction was that replay meter and the digits. And, you know, when you play a pinball machine, you got that zero to 15. That's about it. And just the amount of replays, it really enticed me to want to play them games and get good at them games and win at them games. So I ended up playing closer to home at Rose's. And all my friends got involved. I mean, it was all walks of life there. People worked all day. You would come home from work and play pinballs until 10, 11 o'clock. She would stay open really late. and it was just a great place to be at the time. I mean, I remember, especially in the winter months, Bengal Pinball was great because you would, them stores would have them big radiators and it'd be so heated up and jackets come off and we'd make an event out of it. I'd get there, sometimes I'd wait at night. I'd be thinking if I get there early enough when he turned key and got in, I would be the first one I could choice any machine I want. So I says, you know what? I'm going to get up five in the morning. When he gets there at six, I'd be waiting at the door. Some days I would get up and just be there opening because I became friendly. I was really a good kid. I mean, they didn't like me because I would win. You know, the bottom line was they felt sorry for me. Nice kid, but don't come back. You're killing the machines, you know. You're going to get clutched. So, you know, Roses was a great place in the beginning. And then right next to Roses, two doors down, an Italian cafe opened up. And then by that time, it was 1971, and a lot of the six-card games were starting to come out from Bally. Because Bally made a six-card game, Light Align, which is one of my favorites, in 1961. We all know that Bally started making bingos in 1951. And the first game was a six-card game called Bright Lights, which I had the pleasure of owning two of them. The only problem with Bright Lights was the number of combinations was like in test mode. They made different combinations from when they really went steady and made all six cards, all the number combinations, all the same through the years. I guess that first game off the manufacturing line was a test sample for, you know, seeing how the players did with this game and what they were going to, you know, correct the next year. And they did correct it probably after the six-card game. Ice, not Ice Frolics. That was a three-card game. just Frolics was a six card game back in 51 or 2, I'm not sure but anyway by that time I was moving over to the Italian Cafe which was right next to Rose's and two doors down and they were putting in the first six card game in 1971 called Stock Market so from 61 from when Light Align was made to 1971 there were no other six cards made if you look at Jeffrey Lawton's book or find out some history somewhere go look I believe that it was a long stretch and I remember them Leiter lines in Newark everywhere old looking and beat up but still tickering and chiming and everything I mean it was great they moved it from a dime a play on the Leiter lines to a quarter a play which really was a big boost I was still a poor kid by then and it was a good thing that the The stock market came out in 71 because it was a quarter, but they came out with super lines and corners and things of that nature. I mean, Valley really started exploding with features back then. The next game out got something else, and the game after that got something else. So that really made it easy for me. Being a player on a six-card game for all them years, and right of line is the toughest six-card game out there. I mean literally they took the center spot number off every vendor every avenue I roamed every game I played Lidl and they were out there for 10 years straight all had the center spot number but I never knew that till I purchased my own Lidl and found out I opened the head up and saw oh look at this a spotting unit so I mean uh the funny thing about the Lidl worries is they were $0.10 a shot, and you got the first three cards for $0.10. And then the fourth, fifth, and sixth card would cost you extra coins, and they only lit at random. But I learned the click at the end of dropping the coin. I learned the click at an early age, and my friends thought I was crazy. I said, now listen, everybody be quiet. I know the click. And they said, what? I said, you won't have to waste no more money. If the click comes up, drop the diamond, you'll get the fourth or fifth or sixth card. And still today, I know that click, and I taught everybody that click through the years. It's a little, someday you'll witness it if you come across a lighter line, Nick. At the end of the stroke on them relays, when they click at the end, you get like a real fierce double, triple click. It's a high pitch click, and you can tell by the sound that it's going to give you the light, the next card. And I would always, it would all test me all the time. Is it it? No. Is it it? No. This is it. Okay. Oh, how do you know that? So it was great. I mean, we literally were around the games all the time. I mean, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Pinball, pinball first hit the scene for me, the flipper games. I just, I couldn't stop thinking of it all the time. I wanted to play it. It's all I did. But then when I got addicted to the bingos, it was strong. I mean, now I started and I didn't stop playing for 20 years. I guess it was, jeez, 69, 79, 89, yeah, at least 20 years straight. I mean, you know, I grew up. I got a car license. I had a girlfriend. All I thought about was leaving my girl. I'm going to go play a roll of quarters. I'll stop in at 10 o'clock when I leave. I'll stay till 1 or 2. I got to get up for work the next day. I would have all this information in my head when I went to play the games because I knew that I literally was going to have a marathon there because I was good. I did not want to lose. I played a tremendous amount of hours. I knew all the combinations from being a lurker. A lurker is someone that stood by the machine and just called numbers for people. Some people didn't want you to lurk. But a lot of the people, especially the older players, they wanted that kid calling the extra numbers because they couldn't focus and look at the cards and didn't really know the combinations. They weren't that dedicated to these machines like me. I drew up blank cards, six blank cards on a notebook paper and circled all the holes in them and then memorized the numbers and then looked away from the back list and tried to fill in all the numbers I could and all the cards. And that's how I really got to learn the number combinations. Plus, being around the machines, 8, 10 hours a day, 12 hours a day, calling numbers, going partners. I was popular. Everybody wanted to go partners with me. The big thing in Newark, New Jersey was going partners. Everybody wanted to go $10 each or two rolls of quarters each, play together, play with a good player, extend their playing time, and win at the end. They hoped for that. And there really weren't that many good players. And the vendors rigged the machines. tilts were very sensitive oh they used lemon pledge on the playfields made it so slippery and wild that crazy Eddie couldn't play it you know so what we did is we smoked cigarettes and flicked ashes on the top of the playfield glass the playfield glasses would move gently up and down vertically and there's a little space they're not that tight so we would pull it all the way down towards the lockdown bar and then flick the ashes on the top of the back glass and then blow into the glass and under the head and get the ashes to fall into the play field. Right on the top parts where the ball rides back and forth, back, and the ball would pick it up, the ball would push it down, and before you know it, we'd slow that game down. Of course, there were other means to slow the game down, like bring your own little level in, level the game, go on to the game, lift the game up with your back at 14 years old, and I was small. and get them legs up far enough because you're determined. You want to win. You don't want to lose your money. You want to spend your playing time. So you're going to lift that game up and then level that machine. Now, did anybody ever catch you doing that? Yes. I was going to get around to that. I got pulled out by my hair and kicked in the butt plenty of times, and it wasn't by anybody gentle. So the other thing I did was, and it was a dead giveaway, and this is how they caught me, is I would put a can of soda behind the head, a little bit higher in the center of the backbox, to against the wall, and I'd have the guys push the machine in and jam the machine and the can between the wall and the game. And that would stiffen the whole machine from rocking. And that would alleviate the tilt bar from swinging. You got a level game, cigarette ashes in there, soda can up. Now the vendors were heaving. now they're going to be now we give the players a chance but a lot of the players didn't like it some players I would always find the can on the floor I'd play a couple hours come back the next night and find the can or the same day and find the can on the floor because I knew there was a couple guys I watched them pull you got that can up again or they pull out towards the lockdown bar and drop the can and they liked it that way but they were fools because they ended up tilting or it just wasn't right but that Italian cafe was a big hangout for me, and then directly across the street was a Hallmark card store, and I have a picture of three of my friends. One has an Afro, which was so long ago, playing a Nashville in there, right alongside all the Hallmark cards. I love you. Happy birthday. And there's this big bingo just sitting in the middle of this store, and it's run by North Policeman. Wow. Yeah. So, I mean, that was my area. I lived right, the machines I'm talking about right now, Roses and Italian Cafe and Blocks was the name of the confectionery, the Hallmark store, and they were all on the same block. And my house was two blocks away from there. So I literally sometimes wouldn't bring my car here because everybody would see my car. And they'd all come in and watch. I really didn't want too many people watching because I loved playing alone. The best times in the night were about the Italian cafe would stay out, which they opened all night sometimes. They would play. All these Italian guys from Europe and Italy, they'd play these Italian card games and drink espresso. They were up all night drinking that stuff. So they would stay open real late. So I would leave, you know, maybe my girlfriend's house or somewhere, and I'd go there about 11 o'clock at night, and it'd be real quiet in the back, no one playing the bingos. and I would go back there and crack a couple of rolls of quarters open and play. I enjoyed playing in front of everybody, too, but I played my best when I was alone. So, I mean, it was great. At a very early age, it was really fun to have all the guys. I mean, we taped, we brought a tape recorder in. I remember my friend had this big Panasonic tape recorder with a cassette tape. And we taped Al Pace. We had all nicknames. We taped Groucho and his wife. We nicknamed all the people that played these bingos. We all had nicknames anyway growing up, all us guys that hung out together. So we decided to, you know, make fun of these people in a nice gesture way and just nickname all the players that came in because we had names for everybody. And this guy outpaced with double or nothing. Now, you've got a ticker tape, so you know about the double or nothing. That double or nothing, he would hit with his thumb. He was a carpenter or something. I used to work with his hands and come in with these hands full of plaster and all this stuff, take his money, all his hard-earned pay. He was such a loser because he was the biggest degenerate gambler. I mean, he doubled everything. Five in a row, he just wanted the big, big payout. And that's not the way to play the bingos. Everybody knows that. But anyway, we taped him. We taped Groucho and his wife and Groucho's wife's sister. They used to play a lot. I mean, there was this kid, Andrew, who used to wear, he used to have maybe 200 keys on his waistbands and leather jacket. He looked like the Fonzie with a bunch of keys going around his belt buckle there. he played a lot. I mean, sometimes it was even tough to get on the machines. You know, sometimes they'd be busy. A lot of people would be playing these things night and day and they made a lot of money. They made a lot of money, but I'll tell you, I did good on them. I did good on them games. I played in the Italian Cafe. I must have had the record. I got in here 11 in the morning. I was still playing 1 o'clock at night. I went home and had dinner. I had so many games up. I told the kid that was work and I said, here, play my game. I'm going to eat dinner because if I didn't go home, I probably got me hit. So I had to go home for dinner at least. Ran home. I was only two blocks away. Ate dinner. Ten seconds flat. Ran back. And he's playing one card at a time. I still got, you know, 1, 800 games up on the... I told him, don't go lower than 16. Just stall, you know, because I'm afraid I would lose all my games. He spunked the kid. But so much fun, man. They brought me so much joy. I mean, I love the bingos. It's a shame that I got rid of a lot of my collection. Right now, I think I got six or seven. I don't even know what the count is. I was up to, gee, I had over 20-something bingos at one time. I even bought out Bill Dahl from York. I used to run the York show before the guy that's running the York show now. I took the box truck from work at ADP. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. But anyway, they know about it. And I took a couple of the IT guys from the computer room, the data center, and went down and bought out Bill Dahl's Warehouse, where he had his private collection in there. His email was Turf King, because he loved the one ball Turf King. I ended up getting two Turf Kings. He never got them to work. I fixed one. I made one beautiful one and had it in my collection here. Man, that was a nice game. Gorgeous game. I sold that to a friend around town here. But I think Bill had, Dahl had about, I think I put 27 machines in that box truck that day. I filled up, the tires were so low going back home. The two IT guys were exhausted and hated my guts. I got to stop for a couple bottle of wine for them. I told them, you know what, pick any games you want each. You guys deserve it. They looked like they got beat up by Muhammad Ali. So we finally got back and I could only put half in my house. I had to go calling people at night and dropping games off from the box truck because I had to get the box truck empty back at work. We had a big move job the next day. It's crazy. I'm 59 now and I don't have enough of these games. The Bengals especially. I wish that I could play them on route again. They're still out there but every 10 years everything changes for a guy. As you mature, you go down. Things aren't as important but they're just The thing for me now is I'd love to just try to get more games out there, bingo pinball machines, to these collectors at the present time. The present time being the hobby's exploded. The hobby is as big as it's ever been. I was there over 30 years ago when I had nowhere to turn to to find out where I can get a part. or do I rebuild these pop-upers? There was nothing. So, I mean, now, after being involved with the hobby, I've done a lot of restorations. I've helped a lot of people. I've had over 150 machines go through my hands. But still, I took the time out to dedicate, to put pictures on IPD, to join up on pinballowners.com, build his website with him, put on information I can put on there. I mean, but it seems like right now is the time for bingo pinball. This is what I feel. If no one would I know where I'm coming from all these years, this is the time to get it out there. People are starting to get intrigued by these games now. It's been somehow because of you. This is a great show that you put on here. These podcasts are phenomenal. I was just on Spooky the other night with my buddy Joe Newhart. I did an episode with him I just I said wow you know this is my second podcast but you know where have I been I got to get more involved you know I started listening to your podcast and so much information it's remarkable this is exactly what I was hoping for someone would dedicate and bring out their passion and spread the word spread the word I mean And we got a strike now. For your listeners out there who are thinking about getting a bingo pinball machine, now's the time. They're so cheap and they're so remarkable. Nick will tell you. He's just starting to dabble in them and he's loving it because he gets it. He gave himself a chance. He played them a couple times. Yeah, I'm sure when he first listened and watched, he was a little confused or, you know, it didn't seem right, but he took the time out and he gets it now, and that's what we need to do. We need to tell everybody these games are great. They're EMs. The mind's behind them. I mean, it's incredible. We don't want the Bengals to take all the credit because the horse race games really came from the Bengals, and Bally had them out from the early 40s right up to 1949 at the end with Turf King or 50, whenever that one went out. and you pull a tray out of a horse race game, a one ball horse race game and it slides right out that big door and there you go. You've got the bingo parts that are in the heads of the bingo. So I mean, it's easy. You're fixing a flipper game. It's the same parts. It's only multiplied by a lot more circuits. Okay, maybe there's a little bit more of a 110 volt motor thing going on and control units and searching this. But these things are basic stuff that you can learn. and just generally learn about this. And then if you can trace the circuit, you're going to fix a bingo. You're going to fix it. Especially when you get your own bingo and you buy a game, you bring it home, that's when you're going to get it. You're going to open it up. You're going to make love to it. You're going to fight with it. You're going to cry with it. You're going to bleed with it. I mean, let's face it. Give yourself a chance on these bingos. They're sensational players. I mean, the difference between the flipper game in the bingo is like checkers and chess. I heard Steve Smith say that. I might have said that to him. I don't know where he got that from, but I think, I don't know, I might have heard it, but I might have originated it. I don't know, but that's precisely it. Chess and checkers. Bingos are like chess, man. You got to think. You got to take your time. It's incredible. It's such a special game, and it takes so long. It's like pool. Poole's a phenomenal game But he's got to put time in and dedication To even start to run four or five or six balls Once you do You're never going to put that stick down again Same thing with the bingos Give yourself a chance Buy the game $50, $100 I want to give away a nightclub I'm going to offer it to you On the air, live here to you Nick first I got a nightclub that has your name on it It's got two coils missing an extra ball button missing on the front door the play field needs a little touch up I got a picture on my cell phone I'm going to send it to you that's why I asked you Nick if you wanted to go are you going to the Allentown show I was going to put it in the truck and surprise you if you didn't want it I was just going to leave it on the side I mean I had this thing up and running so I did want to ask you first before I make a move with this I'm trying to make a little space around here with my 40 game collection and 40 machines here and four separate game rooms. I'm trying to squeeze in more games because I need more games and I need more bingos. Somebody just posted they got a Palm Springs or a Palm Beach on Pinside just before we started this little podcast here. And damn, that game is nice. I love them early 50s games. I had a Dude Ranch and I played Dude Ranch and you asked me, what was my first game, and it was light line, but Seaside Heights Boardwalk in New Jersey had tremendous amount of pinball machines in the early 60s to the late, to the mid-70s, but no bingo pinballs, and I finally one year found a dude ranch in the back of Central, it wasn't Central Arcade, it was Royal Arcade down in the front town section of the boardwalk. It was all the way in the back, and the guy would pay you off in cigarettes, not cash, but I was playing a right line fight and when I saw this game it was strange to me I said what is this is this a one card, what's this all these odds this doesn't look like no six card big no and I was a kid I must have been 15 maybe 14 I said it's a bingo I gotta play it so I got a roll of nickels, two dollars in nickels goes a long way, better than quarters so I started dropping them in and I'm trying to figure out the game I really didn't know what I was doing and I can recall that I didn't know what I was doing I saw the, well, fortunately for me, I found a dude ranch one mile from my house in a dollar store in the basement of the chain of stores, the little mini mall there. I pulled it out for like, the guy wanted big money. I told him, look, this is $75. You got more cook coils than a, what do you call it, chef. I says, you can't expect no money for this. So I got it cheap. I brought it home. And this was in my early days. I says, I can't believe I found a dude ranch because I played one on the boardwalk. in Seaside Heights when there were no bingos then on the boardwalk. So rare. Sometimes weird things happen in the hobby to me. And incidents come up where I'll help people and it'll turn out that I know the game or something. Even stuff has happened 35 years ago and that's a whole other story I'll tell you about a banker ball what I did to a person here that lives a couple blocks from my way. But anyway, getting back to the doodler hits, I pulled this game out of the basement of the dollar store. And it needed a lot of work. And that was my beginning days of the bingos. And I'll tell you, that's where I learned a lot of stuff. I took that Russ Jensen, the bingo operation. That's the Bible, guys. Listen to me out there if you're listening. you. Inside Your Bingo by Russ Jensen is the secret to success in buying bingos and getting them to operate, getting to know about them, familiarizing yourself with them. This will get your foot in the door without even buying a bingo or anything. Go online. It's free. Find it, print it out, and take it everywhere like I did. You got to go into John. Take it into John with you're going on a trip, you're not driving, take it what you can read it. Read it, learn it, and then the bingos will be easy to work on because you have the foundation, the foundation. And that's what's going to get you to love these games. Terrific games they are. I mean, I can't talk about them enough. I know Jeffrey Lawton says I sold out a little bit on the bingos, but I didn't. They're still my true love. it's just that I get more thrills from playing flipper games in the home collection than bingos because nobody's paying me the real catch fellas, when you're out you're a poor kid from north you got about 50, 60 cent in your pocket you carry bags all day long cashed in all these bottles, it all added up to like maybe a dollar tops and you're going to play that lighter line you want to win you want to extend your playing time because you love the games. You love the game. It's a great playing game. It's so skillful. It takes time. This is what people are shying away from. They look at the game and people explain, you've got to buy your odds, you've got to play your features, you've got to play after fifth ball. All of that stuff, they're not focusing. It's easy stuff. If you can read, you can play bingos. All the information is on the back glass and the card. So, I mean, now's the time. I'm promoting it. I'm hoping that everybody wants to try to get a bingo because you all have DMDs. You all have solid states. You all got wedge heads. These are all packed up. You can't buy. Get a bingo now. Now's the chance to experience what Nick, myself, and all other bingo collectors love about these games. Get a wood reel. Look at this Palm Beach this kid just picked up. I don't even know his name. What was his name on Pinside? I picked that up. anyway, usually I've try one you're going to like it if you bring it home and you work on it and give it a chance, you'll see it's a game you're going to keep in your collection so, I mean playing days are not over for me they weren't like they were back in the streets in Newark when the city was flooded with bingos, I mean, I got thrown out of a lot of stores, you ask me, did anybody ever pull you out from underneath a machine? yes they did, and they were not happy about it because they warned me and they knew who I was and they said I promised I wanted to do it but I had to put the can back up because I want to even the score up man I'm going to win I'm not going to throw my money away not after I worked all day for two bucks I'm going to give myself the best chance but yeah I got pulled out they you know pulled by the back of the pants they kick you on the way out they get over it and they let you back in then you hit them for a couple more hundred dollars and they want you out for more couple weeks. I mean, you know, these six-card bingos were my games, though. I have to say, resorting back to the six-card bingos, even though I did play Dude Ranch on the boardwalk at Seaside Heights at an early age and found one here, I like the six-card games on route. And I like the one-card games, magic screen games, turn and quarter games, magic pockets, you name it, whatever they did, the shaker. What's the ones that shake, Nick? What's that game? the hi-fi yeah I love the colors on that game but they're the games too they're nice for home use because it more of an experience of playing you get to drop more nickels in and build up this game and they have all these features that you can move the ball and magic lines I mean, that's what it's about. If you're going to think about getting a bingo, get something like that for your collection. And then if you want to get better at playing, literally, then you get yourself a six-card game, because a six-card game is maximum coin in, maximum coin out. That's all it is. Light a line, six, eight, ten dimes, and you've got all six cards. Now, your ticker tape, Nick, what do you got? Six games, six quarters going right in? Six quarters max, yep. So that's a quick game or what? Oh, yeah. You put six quarters in, it takes you how long? 37 seconds? Not even. Just about, yeah. And then I've got all the numbers memorized yet, but I'm working on that. That's okay, but that comes. Now you have to play partners with Ava. and tell her, listen, we're partners, we're playing together, and that's going to be a nice bond. I mean, I was going to dedicate this podcast to my friend. He's no longer with me. He was my bingo partner and my best friend growing up, I guess from the age of about 10 until he passed away. But, I mean, him and I went partners so many times on bingos, and all he thought about was bingos, too. He was an okay player. he resorted to me to carry the load and I didn't mind and then once in a while he'd get hot and bang double corners on a six card game or hit that big six card line that 1-3-7 21-6 on the bottom of the six card and he'd even go double sometimes but they're very magical games and I love the six card games only because that's what I grew up playing but I prefer the other games for home use the Magic Screen games and I love my gate time. I had three gateys. That game is a spectacular game. You can hop holes, change numbers on the back glass in the car, and move lines, and then get spotted free numbers during the course of your nickels going into the machine. That's a lot of help. A lot of help. And to give that to Vic Camp, it's suicide. It's death. I would hit that machine at my leisure, And I proved that. It was a big summer pinball show that Kevin McHugh from Classic Pinball here in Clifton, who really brought the hobby to New Jersey. He came over from New York. Just have to give Kevin the credit for really taking this hobby and especially the EM hobby and putting it where it is today. His mark is there forever. There's no one that's ever done what he's done. But anyway, getting back to his show there in the summertime, I decided to take four bingos in a box truck from work. The same box truck I took down the Bill Dolls warehouse that I from York, we used to run the York show. And I decided to make a 40-foot banner and have a demonstration of the bingos for everyone at the show. And I thought I was going to be successful. So I literally brought my Gaty, and I can't even recall the other three games. That's how long ago it was. But anyway, I have witnesses because they helped me lug them big guys right into the show. It's not like bringing in a wedgehead, boys. I know as you play with bingos, you're playing big time, big weight. I just had my silver seals crush my plastic horses. My son says, I can't believe you caught that game and you were in the back there. I said I wasn't going to let that game hit the floor. Anyway, so I brought four games to Kevin's show, set up my banner, and this is before showtime. I brought the game in, and all the collectors that know me here in the tri-state area, in Pennsylvania, and all the guys in New York, I have so many friends that I've met over the years, and this is so valuable of information I like to pass along, is when you collect the camaraderie with the boys and the guys and whoever else is cherishable. So all the guys are at the show. They're like, Vic, what are you doing bringing all these bingos? Nobody's going to be interested. I said, you'll see. And they said, well, how do you play these games? I said, I'm going to hit a five in a row for you guys right now, first game, right out of the truck. They set the gaiety up right in the middle of the floor. We were setting up the big showroom there. and all the guys are gathering around, all the collectors, and they're all watching because they're intrigued by this machine. I see it in their eyes. I know they want them. I know everybody wants them, but they're afraid because of the complexity of them. They're going to get over that hump. So I set this machine up and I power it up and I start dropping them nickels in and I'm building up this game. I'm getting the magic pockets. I'm getting all the lines. I got a couple of numbers spotted. Now I know in my head, you're cheating because you got two numbers spotted already. You got all this stuff lit. But they don't know that. But here I go, five balls out, moving everything around. Look at him going, moving it up. He's moving numbers up. Look at this. He's hopping holes. He's changing all the numbers. They can't believe it. All of a sudden, the sound of five in a row. There you have it, fellas. I pulled it off again. And the people come to my house. I have big parties here on yearly parties. And then I open up twice a month on Thursdays now. And I get as many people as I can get here. Collectors and anybody that likes pinball. Even people that don't can come. And before they get down into the basement or into the family room game rooms, they've got to pass the garage game room, which has all my Bally bingos. So I always hold them ransom for a little Bally bingo demonstration. of course I got people that are walking away one by one and then I notice that two or three stayed and they're really interested and I always give a good thorough education and background on the games hoping that somebody's going to want to get some of these games because there's so many of these games out there now they're still available I think they're still available so people got to start to wonder what's the next game do I get I got all these DMVs, got all the South States, got all the websites. Let me try it, Bingo. Do it, guys. Take the time out. You're going to love it. They're great players, and you won't regret it. But, you know, right now I'm thinking, I did an article in the Game Room magazine back in 2001 and then one called Confessions of a Coin Addict was the title of the write-up. I'm looking at it now online. My two boys are, I got one sitting on the glass. He's so small. I guess that's 15 years ago. That's why, Vic. Anyway, I wrote about how I did convert over from a flipper player game to a bingo pinball addict is the right term for me because I just couldn't get enough. I mean, 20 years, 30-year-old man still going out and wanting to play these games. They were so exciting and so challenging and took so much skill and focus. And that's what I like. That's why I love pool and I've been a big pool player for the longest time too. So, you know, it's a, can't hurt to try it. So, I mean, now's the time. I'm glad you have this podcast going for amusement only. And I think in that article I wrote, I think at the bottom page here I'm looking at, It says, Bingle pinball machines were not for amusement only. They would be placed in back rooms and sometimes right out in the open in all types of establishments, like candy stores, cafes, bowling alley, pool halls, bars, etc. The city of Newark was flooded with them. I started playing at the age of 14 and played them about 20 years straight. The first 10 years, I played almost every day. and I mean hours per day. I didn't go to school much because it was during the riots. It was 1969 and 1973. The riots still had residue from the riots. I went to a public school after being in a Catholic school and I remember that we weren't in the school that much but I did get a good education. I actually started college but did play a lot of bingo playing hooky. Sorry. I have to admit it. But it was good. It was good. I learned a lot. And, hey, you did your math. Yeah. Hey, and I learned the number combination as well. So, I mean, there's nothing like it. But how are you doing with that six card yourself? What do you want to talk about? Anything about that six card compared to your, you got a, what, a double up? And you got a, you got a. You do have a double up, right? Yes, a double up and a bounty. And a bounty. So, you got a 25-20 hole, and now you got the six card game. And that six-card game, Nick, is going to make you a great player, bro. Yes. It's trying to now. You've got to go partners. You need a partner, calling numbers. That's how you're going to learn the combination. Because while you're watching your ball, because I already heard how you play the game, literally, where you put your hands and everything. So while you're watching that ball and weaving that ball through that maze and making your numbers for in-line hits, you're going to hear that little farmer saying, 16, it's four in a line 17, it's five in a row and you'll know, you'll learn them numbers it's a great game, the six card game, it's a really great game to get good at the game so, yeah, it's 5-1 just like Nick, he's got them all now 20 hole, 25, and he's got the six card game, so he's on his way It's funny you mention about Ava being my partner that's actually her current favorite game down here and she gets in a little time every day and I spot her and she spots me. So that's working very well. That's wrong because, you know, on Spooky's podcast the other night, Joe Newhart, we go back and he knows me very well and he used to take his boys and I used to take my boys to all the shows and they would battle out in the tournaments. Even me and Joe battled a tournament, an adult tournament, and I hadn't won until he was leaving. I made him sign up and then everybody was looking for him. Joe, if you're listening, I know you know this story. I was at Central Park at the Allentown show, and I got 2, 850 points. That's huge. I was shaking. Someone went to tilt low, and I was shaking. People were almost upset saying, look at him. I seen it in their face. And I had a game. Everybody had 700, 900, 1, 200. I had 2, 850. I was a lock. And there goes my friend Joe. Everybody says, what happened to Joe? I don't know because Joe's busy at these shows. And all of a sudden, I see him walk. I say, Joe, you're up. You're the last player we're looking for you. You know what he did? Came over and got 2, 900. You're kidding. He took that plaque from me. Joe, we're going to battle again. I'm going to battle you against that variety bingo I sold you at your house. Joe's got a nice bingo in his collection. Joe's got a great collection, too. Do you know Joe Newhart, dear Nick? I've met him at the last York show but I don't know him personally he's a great guy man you're going to get to know him he's just so friendly and he loves the games too I mean that's where it comes from the heart this hobby you'll know who the real collectors are at the end some people get in it and get out and come back in and come in and get out but the guys who really have the passion and the heart are never going to let it go but I'm glad you got that ticker tape but I think what's going to happen to you Nick is you're going to say hey Vic that Dixieland's got a 7th and 8th coin and what if that 9th and 10th coin and what's this double double stuff you see on that Dixieland just like the Valley enticed those players when it was happening out on the routes of course they came out with the first one the game was the blue-colored game. I just said it's stock market and ticker tape. I mean, a lot of games came out, and every year they put a different feature in. And I'll tell you, them features made a big difference, a real big difference. When they were enabled, huh? Well, you know what? They had to keep them in. They did keep them pretty fairly in. I have to say, Nick, That's very good you brought that point up because at that point, I remember the light alarm, having the ticker tapes and blue chip had the center spot, always worked. High Flyer, they came out with the seventh and eighth quarters diagonals, red diagonals. That was a really terrific game, that red diagonal game. Then Nashville came out with the magic number, ninth and tenth coin. and then Dixieland, of course, the 11th quarter was the double-double feature. And, you know, you're going to want to graduate probably down the road, but you'll find a good home for that one, and then you'll probably, or you may never sell it. That might be enough for you because you're learning and you love playing that game. It's a quick-paced game. You're making numbers. You're going back on your double up. You're going on your bounty. You're playing much better on all these other games. That might be your game for, you know, progression in your gameplay. Yeah, what's been interesting. You've got to play the games. You know, there's collectors out there. You know, there's a lot of collectors out there that are not playing their games. But as I've said before, I mean, that's eventual death for an EM. You know, then you spend all your time fixing them and no time playing. that's why I open up on Thursday nights for myself when no one comes around I really have to play my games because I do extensive preventive maintenance on all my machines I've done it for years I have documentation inside the coin boxes of when I waxed a game when it got a new ball when it got new rubbers I cleaned switch switches what broke down and you know changing lights and I've done it religiously for many many years And just recently, because the boys are getting older and they're not playing as much, the games are getting considerably less plays. I documented all my game meters throughout the years. When the kids were playing them on the summer vacations from 9 in the morning to 2 p.m. every day, I was fixing score reels constantly and stuff. They were burning them up. They were literally smoking. I mean, I was getting 500 plays per year. Home use is quite a bit. I'm down to about 125 plays per year. And I'm putting... Wow, and that's with all you do opening up your game room, huh? Yes, because when I have a party, each game gets about 40 games to play, 35 games to play. I've got 40 games, I've got 40 people here. And don't forget, Nick, when you have these parties, everybody comes over and talks. everybody's hanging out and not playing pinball they're eating, they're hanging they're talking the stories are going I mean all the secrets are coming out and everybody's listening so you don't get that many plays when you have big parties just one in a week so it's interesting having the three different types of games. We've got two with moving numbers or moving cards, and then the one six card now. And I feel like the six card is probably a really good place to introduce new players. And I know you said that for home use, the magic screen or the moving numbers are a better fit. But for just having people over that have never... That's for me, Nick. It's a personal thing, these games. Sure. but what I was going to say is when you have people over it's just so straightforward the six card, you know exactly what your goal is at any given time for each ball it's pretty simple there's less deep thought that has to go into each shot you just have to know which number you need to make and usually there's a couple that will get you a good result at least a three so it's you know it's a little easier for someone who's intimidated by all the features the other thing I'd say to recommend the six cards is that there are fewer units inside so if you're a person who's intimidated by the electrical setup it might be something to investigate And that's, you know, another reason why I'm interested in doing this. And thank you for your compliments earlier and your nice words there. I'm really looking to introduce people to these fantastic machines. And having a variety here, every time I have people over, just like you, I guess, I make sure that the bingos get playtime. I had a pin golf tournament here recently, and the bingos were no exception to the tournament. People had to try to get certain shots. So it's a thing where I think with enough exposure, enough familiarity, people will start to feel comfortable and will want to pick these up. And you're absolutely right about the price right now. it is a good time to get into bingo pinball. They're out there, sometimes in beautiful, original condition, for not much money. And fixing them can be daunting. But as I say, I mean, there are ways to get around that. And, of course, there's resources online. There are so many different things that you can read. that tell you how the machine works. Russ Jensen's Inside Your Bingo, as you mentioned. Phil's site is just a fantastic reference, and I've mentioned that several times at bingo.cdyn.com. It's all, you know, great material to get your feet wet. And another thing that I'd like to do in the future, and let me know what you think about this. Vic has filmed some gameplay, everything from pointing up the machine to actually playing and winning, hopefully. Not easy to do sometimes. Even the best of the machines get. That's the magic of video, though. You can always try again. But, yeah, I just think having those resources out there to make people more comfortable would probably go a long way towards getting them into more people's hands. And obviously, I feel very strongly about it, strongly that I talk about them almost daily here. And I would love it if every collector got a bingo in their collection or at least knew someone around town that they went to play bingos regularly. They're such a different experience, and they're so challenging. And every game is completely 100% different from the last on the same machine. So they're just fantastic games. marvels of engineering and the different features that they provide that allow you to win so many replays, there's nothing like it that I've seen, certainly. Yeah, they'll give you a rush, a thrill. For me, playing on route was so exciting. I mean, to make these numbers, I love the pressure. The closer I got to five in a row, the more I knew I was going to make that number. Tried harder and harder to make these in-line scores or hits, which we bingo players call them. So, I mean, Nick, you're on the right track with the six-card things for an introduction type of game into someone's collection because of the things you did touch base on. It's less mechanical moving parts. quick instructions to learning the game. And the good thing about the six-card game is you'll actually play the game literally, and that's where the excitement really lies. When you know that you need to shoot the ball on one side of the play field and follow what I call blockers, if you have another ball in a numbered hole, you use that ball to kind of ricochet off and come down that side for the number you need to make a hit or an inline score. So, I mean, there's a whole strategy to literally playing these games. And that's what really I loved. And that's what keeps me interested in the games now. I love everything else you touched base on with the mechanical engineering design and all of that. But, I mean, playing the games is what it's all about, whether it's a flipper game or a bingo or a shooting game or a ball bowler. They look good. They're cool. But playing is the real thrill, at least it is for me. And these games are sophisticated, these bingo games. You need to study the layout, play a lot of games, just like anything else in life to get good. You need to dedicate time and focus and you'll become a better player and enjoy the game more. So the six-card game is a great game to start off with for sure because of the things we talked about. But the only real challenge will be learning the number combinations, and that just takes time. So once you do that, I mean, you have to study them like I did. I mean, I took a picture of a backless, and I carried it in my pocket. Taking your advice, I'm starting that too. It helps, and you'll see. That'll fuel you to becoming a better player quicker. anything you can do in anything in life sports guys these dedication of exercise and this and that it makes them all a better player but it takes a strong dedication but then you'll be at the top of your game once you do and the Bengals need that you need to really dedicate time to these games I mean it's not like flipping playing a flipper game flipper games you're whacking the ball around yeah you're shooting for a target once in a while you're holding the flipper, you're taking a shot here, but literally that ball's on its own a lot of the time. Right. That's what it wants to do. And the Bengals is the opposite. You're on top of that ball, controlling that ball all the time. And I think I talked to you about this. The best advice when you're starting to first learn how to play these games, literally, you know, trying to make numbers and shooting the balls out and playing the games, is the best thing I can tell you is to shake only when you have to. I seem to watch the ball a lot. And I let the ball do what it wants to in the last split second. And I know it's not going to do what I want it to do. I'll make a little nudge. I'll make a little shake. And I see the ball coming down the play field. I can envision the ball hitting the certain post and ricocheting right into that number. and that comes from experience and watching the ball and playing these games seriously. So then when you do come up against challenging these games, which it's all about, whether it's flipper games or bingos, because they wrote it on the back glasses. You look around, you see little sayings, fun to compete and challenging this and that, little sayings all over. Bingos are the leaders. I mean, these are games you really need to put your best foot forward on and try to beat. Because you're in control. You're actually always moving. That ball's just rolling down the play field. There's no pop-uppers hitting it anywhere. There's no ricochets going. No kicks, no kick-out holes, no drop targets. It's just you and the ball. And that's where it lies, man. You become a good player. You start playing these games. You learn the number combinations. you start winning you're going to like it you're going to want to play more you're going to want to get a bigger hit than you got and that's what's going to keep you interested in the games but you got to get there it takes time to get there and that's what people out there don't want to do but I don't understand why because some of these DMD games my god I had an atmosphere I mean that's not really a complicated one it took me two weeks to learn that game what to do I mean you know my sons they didn't read the manual I did they knew how to play without reading the manual I talk about, you know, you talk about Ava, you playing. I can remember the days, man, that the boys, they just lived pinball with me. My oldest son was the player and the tester. I restore a game, he played for two days and tell me, this is broke, you missed that, this is out. I, really? These kids are amazing. The minds on these children playing these games is astronomical what they can pick up. Now, I was talking to Joe Newhart the other day on the podcast, and we were talking about the boys and how they, and I was saying, you know, I never taught Michael or Victor anything about any game, a sequence of operation. I never said to them, read the card. I never explained the card to them. I didn't have time to tell them how the game worked. I fixed the game or been fixing the game and they're playing the game and all of a sudden, an hour later, the next day, two days later, hey, Dad, did you know when you do this, you do this, and that happened, and this, oh, I didn't know that. you guys know more than me and you don't even read and never figure anything out their brain is a sponge it's so much fun to to experience the games bring so much joy to everyone and for me it was extra special when the boys were young I mean my son Michael my little guy I mean he literally would get invited to big collector's party where there was no kids allowed and he was 10 or 8 and they all wanted him to come because he was so educated on all the machines. He knew more about wedge heads, air balls, and how gameplay was and all these collectors were amazed by him. They'd pick him up at the show and I, where's my son? Oh, he's with him for an hour. He's talking to him. Eight years old, he was filming all my stuff at the Allentown shows and York shows with my camera and never had a crooked screen. I trusted him. Oh, the amazing thing about him was he would run home from school, the school I could see from my deck, the grammar school, and I bought him a skee ball. It was a small little Chuck E. Cheese dinosaur one. It was a short, and I got it free, so he wanted to restore it because him and I were restoring a 1949 bowler together. And once I got him that skee ball, he's like, Dad, he says, I just can't help you anymore. You're on your own with the bowler, you know. It's going to be my project. as a 10-year-old kid that I got pictures and films of him scrubbing legs, polishing stuff, doors, filthy, dirty, super clean all over them. I mean, he knew how to use a razor knife. I trusted him with a soldering iron. I mean, he would literally run home from school to do restorations. At a really early age. The games, they just bring so much joy to everybody and bring closeness to everybody. Look at all the collectors, all the people I know on this East Coast here. So many people have called me and said, hey, listen, I found your number. Can you help me out? And I get them started. Before you know it, they got 10 games in their house. They're coming to all my gatherings. I'm going over to their kids' birthday parties. I mean, these games, they were amazing when I was growing up. I used to look at them and I was startled by them. I didn't know, how could this be? You know, I remember a distinct story where 2001, the Dotlib Wedgehead, was the first drop target game ever made. And I didn't know that when I was hanging in the candy store 50 feet from my home back in Newark, where I literally worked with the vendor that used to bring in games into this candy store that was very close, 50 feet from my house at least. And every month they'd bring a new game in. and I guess it was about 1971 I guess I was 15 and here comes Vito Vaglino, the owner of Coin Amusement the company I worked for as a young kid $2 a day, emptying machines, count quarters, grand opening flags, you name it I did it got candy at the feast, anyway he comes with his pickup truck this little beat up green truck and there's the box the gauntlet box, he went and picked up a new game, it's coming into the store now everybody's waiting in the store what's he got this time we went through Northstar, Buckaroo, King of Diamonds the 67, 65, 69 Aquarius was in that store every month a new game, I played every game plus I went around to Irvington and Elizabeth and I counted quarters I played all the games on all the rounds he had but this time he came with the truck, he had the box and he starts ripping the box up pulls the game out of the box, and sets it up in the store. And we're all just gathered around. We're amazed. We're saying, there's nothing, just like, there's something on the sides, but there's slits in the machine. There's nothing there. So he plugs the game in, takes the paperwork out. This is how these vendors did it, right out of the box, set it up in the store, and bang, it worked. We saw them drop targets, go up and down. I literally, my knees were shaking I couldn't believe it I said what is that? what kind of feature is that that disappears into the play field like that? I'm looking at the game now here's the thing I'm looking up at the back list now and it says 2001 it's 1971 I'm 15 years old I'm small for my age I'm very low looking up at that theme of this the title of the game and I said to myself wow 2001 I'll be dead by the time that year comes. It seemed so far away, Nick. It seemed so far away at that moment in time. And now, it's 2015. It's 2015 already. And the games are still here. They're still here. They're everywhere in my house. You've got to walk sideways to get into some doorways. and you know I got a 2001 because that is a spectacular player. It's a spectacular game. When that game came out on route, man, we went crazy. But we went crazy over every game. Northstar, oh my God, what a game when that came out. Even the Bengals, I mean, that was amazing to see the six-card games develop all these features every year and make the game so much easier. I mean, we had so many hours of playing time that once they put these features on these bingos, they were very hittable. For me, at least. I got barred out of a lot of stores. I've hit the big hit on Dixieland twice. The big hit on Dixieland is the six card with the magic number and the double card lit and the nerve to go double at the end of that whole big sequence Now I said that pretty quick but I slow it down and tell you how it works On the sixth card three in a line is four games If you have the magic number, it becomes eight games. If you're on the magic card, it becomes double-double, becomes 16 games. so with that being said a four in a line is 20 regularly you got the magic number it's 40 you got the magic card you doubled that it's 80 now don't forget you can go double or nothing at the end of your five ball game so that 80 can turn into 160 which is a nice hit for a four in a row so now if you get five in a line on the six card it's 300 plays replays you have the magic number it's 600 replays you're on the double double card it's 1, 200 replays and now that double or nothing's flashing in front of your eyes and you're saying do I take the 1, 200 or do I want 2, 400 games 2, 400 replays I can play for 12 hours one card a game I can play for 6 days I play one card per game but anyway I hit that twice I hit that after but I would go double on the four in a line in other words if I had shot the one the seven and the twenty one for three in a line on the six card on the bottom horizontal row the very bottom row would give me the eight and then the sixteen and then I shoot the next ball out the selector lock relay will pull in for payout correct on the fourth ball. That would give you four in a line and select a lock pulls out. Now you can double that score. You can collect that four in a line in case you've got a big apple in your throat and you know you're going to tilt going for the five in a row. A player could collect the four in a row first. So that's when I would go double. I doubled that four in a line, which would be 44 games, I believe. and then having the magic number becomes 88 games and then being on the double-double card becomes 172. I'm not that good at math. Anyway, at that point, I double it and it stays double automatically. So when you make the last number for five in a row, you automatically get the 2, 400 games. But you got to have the nerve to double the four in a row for that 172. That was my secret to success For making them big hits People would wait and try to get double it at the end I had a pretty good feel for that double or nothing too I had some kind of rhythm thing going I had a kind of swing in my finger I would swing my finger like a trapeze artist Swing and swing and swing And bang I hit it right at that moment And I'd get that double I had some kind of remedy I got it quite frequently too I don't know why I kind of tried to study them games as a kid you know especially when I worked for some of the vendors. I used to go and watch all the tech. The guys fix all that stuff and fix them bingos, and they'd be back there, and I didn't know what it was. I was marveling at that. He had that big cigarette going in his mouth with a long edge, just keys, 100 keys in his sideband, and he'd say to me, Kid, it's got me this time. I can't figure it out. And I'd say, What's this? Get out of here. You're bothering me. But, yeah, the six-card games are great games, good money-making games. I mean, I know some other vendors that are still in business now. I still have one friend that used to run the bingos, and he told me personally, Vic, and I knew this anyway, and I don't want to say why on the air. I want to kind of keep it PG. but he told me, Vic, the bingos made more money out of any coin-op machine I ever put on route. He said they would call me, I'd open the door, be pouring up over the cash box, all into the cabinet, money galore, and this is within a day or two, I would go back to locations. These bingos were really, really making a tremendous amount of money on route. 1971, 72, 73, all them years. I mean, even years before that. I mean, I know for a fact, because I would be there all day long watching the money go in. And I knew the guy at the counter. And he had that old White Owl Cigarette, Cigar Box, rather, the White Owl Cigar Box. And there were rolls a quarter in there. And when I'd get in there at 7 in the morning, he had a full box. By 1 o'clock, he said, Kids, you've got to go to the bank for me. And I'd get the sack. He gave me a couple hundred dollars, and I'd go right across the street because Newark was a big city. Bars and banks on every block. It was big. All these games that I played were on a street called Bloomfield Avenue, which started all the way downtown Newark. It was a little Manhattan, they called it, because it was a mirror image of real New York City, Manhattan. And it started down there and went all the way through Newark and Belleville and Bloomfield and Verona and Cedar Grove. And you name it, it was miles and miles long, this grove, this stretch. And that's all that was on the street. A tremendous amount of establishment. So, I mean, it was a great place to grow up. A lot of characters. Many, many characters had hung around these places to play the bingos. but gee, just so many good times I really don't remember really there being that much trouble at all I know that a couple guys got mad and busted the glass you know, punched the glass not the back glass, you know hit the play field glass because they just lost their whole paycheck I watched Al Pace I counted as a kid we were all there $10, $10, $10 until he lost $140, which back in 1969 was a week's pay. That was a good week's pay. And then he went and got an IOU. So, I mean, I felt sorry for some of the players. Another guy that came down, he was a cook over at the Seven Hills restaurant, was a little Italian guy. He couldn't even speak English. He had broken English. And he used to bang the machine, hit the top of the machine to shake it, just the lockdown bar, bang it. I was like, what kind of shaking technique is this? I never said nothing. You don't say anything to anybody. I just wanted him to really, you know, have his time at the machine and get off so I can get on. He was a quick loser. I knew I was going to get out quick because he doubled everything. His motto was, I'm going to shoot a three-ball out fast. I'm going to shoot the three of the balls, and you're going to see I get a three in a row. man he shot so many three balls out real quick he never got a three in a row maybe once in a room ball me I was directing the ball out of the goal shooter the first ball on the landing I already had where it was going to go because I had my favorite numbers on the six card game which are 10 and 7 I love that 10 and 7 the corners are the best 3, 6, 9, 5 now 3, 6 are on a lot of corners so when you got your corners lit and you're playing a six card game you want to definitely go for 3, all top numbers and second row numbers. They're all corners. 1, 8, 4, 6. That's my favorite. The 1, 8, 4, 6 on the sixth card. I think the 1, 8 and 6 on the third card. So if you get the 1, 8, and 6, you'll have three corners on the sixth card and three corners on the third card. so the numbers to make a 5 in a row with the corners because it pays you 5 in a line to get the corners if you already play Roy he has 1, 6, and 8 he's got 3 corners on each card the 3rd and the 6th card 3 corners they only need the 10 or the 4 for 5 in a line and you can get double 5 in a line or double corners with the 1, 6, 8 and the 4 and the 10 five numbers. So there's another combination with the four corners. I don't know if you know Nick. Three, six, nine. Three, six, nine are on the fourth and the second card. So if you're playing corners, there's an opportunity for a player to win two five in the lines or four corner wins because four corner pays five in the line. Three, six, nine gives you three corners on the fourth and second and you only need the 5 or the 10. Here's that 10 again. Here's that 6 and 10. 1, 6, 8, 6 card, 3 card. It's all about combination. It's just so cool just to learn combinations and numbers. Especially if you like math or something. There's just some people, there's just a number of people out there. So, I mean, you know, this 6 card game is a combination. The numbers are really good. I mean, there's a lot of times, like Nick said, you can actually play a game, 6 cards, and you get a lot of shots at winning. Are you going to get them? I don't know, but your opportunities are going to be there You almost always Shoot for something, which is nice And this is what's going to be the draw for the people Out there that want to Are considering or thinking about a bingo Because they figure, look, I get it cheap It's an EM, I can learn more And I can play something different It's such a different game than flipper games It's nice to have the comparison And the variety, you know I mean Combinations, learning the numbers are great a 14-20-21. Big super line numbers. The best super line numbers are 9-15-25. Then three numbers will give you wins on the third and the sixth card again. And the super lines pay you, if you get three in a line, it pays you four in a line. If you get four in a line, it pays you five in a line. So, I mean, a lot of features on these little cards here already, even on these early games like Ticket to Ticket by Think has a lot of super lines. Yes. Perfect. Because you've got super lines and corners. Yep. That's really, really what you need. I mean, to throw the 7-8 quarter in there for red diagonals, that's super cool, because then you can win on 4, 6, 10, 12, the multiplication of lines that you're going to win with the red diagonals, which, for people who don't know out there, the red diagonals are really not legitimate ways to win in bingo. It's a vertical hit, but it doesn't really pertain to the true bingo game, the ones you go to these bingo bowls and play, you know, for five in the line. But it's just a feature that Bally put in there. So, I mean, ninth and tenth quarter with the Magic team really boosted up. So plenty of six-card games out there, fellas. I think there's 21 total that Bally made from 1951 to 1978, 79, when Dixieland, the last one off the run, had come out. So let's see, what are all the six-card games? I guess you got 1951 Bright Lights, 1952 Frolics, 1952 Bright Spot, 1959 Funway. The Ohio Dime Games came out in 59, Funway, a lot of fun, 1959. 9, Barrel of Fun 61, Light of Line 61, Barrel of Fun 62, then you got Shoot a Line, 28-hole bingo, really an odd game. I played it on route, didn't like it, never got used to it, weird number combinations, very difficult to win at, cool game to have. That came out in, I think, Shoot a Line 62, then Hole-in-One started really the six-card games actually, Stock Market followed in 71, and the last EM made by Bally in 1979. So there's plenty of six-card games out there. Total of about 21, somewhere in that general area. That's only a small margin of bingos that Bally produced. most other games, our 20-hole games, which Nick has the pleasure of experiencing. I played them at some of the shows. John Robinette used to come to a big show here in New Jersey that's no longer being held, and I had bought my first six-card game off John Robinette. He's a longtime bingo collector that's in Jeffrey Lawton's book. I met John Robinette on the New Jersey Turnpike I brought 200 feet of extension cord blankets I said to John we're going to make a deal I'll take the Nashville and I'll take the stock market put them both in your truck you drive halfway up the Turnpike I'll drive halfway up we'll meet at a big gas station I'll run the cord we'll plug them in I'll put the curtains over it and I'll watch that thing tick and I'll make sure it all works and sure enough it was the best John Robinette said Vic 100% working I said I love you put the games in somebody's put cabinets on the top rack and the heads in the back of his truck we just got home with them got my Nashville home this was many years ago and man was I amazed I had my own bingo in the house and Nashville's a nice game it's the game before Dixieland it's a 10 coin game I like Dixieland better because it has the extra coin the double double card which boosts your winnings up to a total of 2400 plays that's a very nice hit so I mean but Nashville is just as nice I mean I like the reds on Dixieland I like the whole coloring scheme and play feels colored I love Bikini I had Bikini Bikini is a beautiful game. I had the Futurity game. I had Golden Gate. I got Silver Sails now. I got, of course, the Gate Time. Wonderful player. I have a six-card game called New Continental Golden. That's an electronic game made by, I'm not even sure, GAA, I think. General Amusement something or other in Belgium. these games Valley produced 10, 000 Continentals digital games in 1980 I believe after Dixieland and the whole run of the 10, 000 games did not hit the USA market they went directly over to Belgium where they inherited a whole load of them games and they magnificently are producing some of the oh just so amazing digital bingos, six card games actually they made a remake of a lot of the Valley's games that they made in the 50's like Miss America I had nine Miss Bowling Turbos and two New Continental Goldens who I bought off a vendor in Newark, New Jersey and I bought the whole lot off he sent his technician over to Belgium, he bought them they put all the paperwork work back. They had it all coded for them because they all have keypads and all the money marketing going in the inside of there and coding and all is personalized for each vendor. So when he brought these back to the States the problem was everybody was used to six card games here in Newark and surrounding towns and he puts out these Miss Bowling Turbos which is a remake of Miss America. Yeah, Miss America. The original first Miss America because there's quite a few Miss Americas. But anyway, a magnificent I mean, just think about it, Nick. I know you know a lot about the mechanics. I listen to you almost every day now. And just think about what you can do feature-wise in these computerized games when you don't have to put in a giant stepping switch or cams or motors or bicycle chains to move screens. You name it. And these games, you can lose big money. I'm talking thousands of dollars. My New Continental Golden, I have fixed and maxed out at 25, 000 wins. It can go higher than that. It has a multiplier on it, 15 times the amount. In other words, if you're paying a quarter a card, you can make it five times as much, 10 times as much, or 15 times as much per card and per payout. you multiply, your payouts become huge. So when you're putting in a Susan B. Anthony in these digital bingos, dollar a pop, you're lighting up 14 maximum coin features, including the six cards, the red diagonals, and all this other stuff. They give you in-line play-fill wins. In other words, if you get the 1, with your balls in the top row, you win five in a line, if you have that feature lift. They have a super game going down the middle of the card. It's like, I forget the, oh, it's 4, 10, I'm trying to think in my head because I can't see the machine from here, and 24. You get that crazy little lightning rod shape and you pay for it, it pays you 5, 000 quarters. But you're going to pay for that feature. So, I mean, these bingos are amazing. I mean, if you guys love the DMD games or you're into solid states and you're not big on fixing these EMs, well, now, guess what? There's an alternative for you guys. And the alternative is these digital bingos. I have books on these games. I've studied with the technician that went over to Belgium. When I bought these games from the vendor in Newark, he had his technician. He called them out and he said, you're going to work with this kid. You're going to teach him everything about these games. He's buying these games. He's a collector. He loves these games. And sure enough, man, I couldn't thank this guy enough. He gave me a great deal on 11 games, gave me training. The guy was amazing. He knew so many tricks. He gave me cabinets full of boards and back glasses and extra parts that he had. And everything included was, I can't even say it. It's so cheap. It was so cheap. because he was losing his warehouse space and he had nowhere to put them. And I was right there, Johnny on the spot. I'll take them all. And I took them all. It's a shame that guy's no longer with us. I read an article that he was shot in the head and murdered in his establishment. And I was going in there quite frequently after I bought the games. I became friends with him. And what happened was I kind of got busy and didn't go up there for a while. And somebody said to me, oh, you know that guy? I said, yeah. Somebody shot him in his head right in the desk in his office there in the amusement company. I said, what? That guy is so sweet. He was like the, he was a gentle. And I found out when I read the newspaper article that he was really trying to, you know, make some extra money and kind of run some games and do something else aside from coin up, and he got affiliated with the wrong people. And it cost him dearly, so I... What a shame. Excuse me? I said, what a shame. Yeah, what a shame. He was a great guy, and I just couldn't believe it. I mean, I knew him from years ago when I was a kid. He was a little bit older than me, and his father had a route back then. I guess he started his own company because I moved out of Newark in the 80s, late 80s. I didn't go back there until I think I bought the machines in 1999 or 2000 maybe. So I went back there and I wasn't around Newark anymore. So I kind of knew him from the old days and he kind of remembered me and we kind of hit it off. He was really, really great to me, man. He was just a great guy. I just couldn't understand it. But anyway, I did end up selling 10 of them games. I actually had kept the two best for me. I kept one Miss Bowling Turbo, which I love dearly. I think I put 28 numbers in one card with the extra balls because you got up to five free balls. And on my Continental Golden new game, you can get five free balls on a six-card game. That's insane. You're going to pay dearly. And you know what it does? it actually calculates for the player the exact amount that the player is going to win digitally tells you on the back list two LED circuits and readouts and then it tells you how much it's going to cost you and then it lights up the number and flashes it on the back card so for your people out there that are trying to struggle with learning these games these digital games are really easy to pick up and learn how to play so there's Bingo Stretch Out there, guys that, they're not just the M's out there, there's quite a few electronic bingos, and they're still making them in Belgium, I mean, they're expensive. Now, I know the games that I bought off my buddy in North there, the 11 games, they were going for about I think he showed me a receipt, they were all $4, 900 at the time, or $4, 850 per game. Each. They were pretty complex games, and they were expensive. But, I think they're going for more now. They've got laser lights that there's no more switches in the holes, and you can make diamonds and shapes on the back glass and buy into these 3D games that are deep inside the back glass. You can hardly see them. They're amazing. No one's really touched the subject of digital six-card games or bingos, for that matter, but they're out there. There's opportunities to pick them up cheap, especially guys that know how to repair these computer games and circuit boarding and all this power supply stuff and all that other terminology that goes along with all this, you know, computerized games. They're out there. They're cheap. They're great. They're really complex, though. I mean, to play these games, they're endless. I mean, there's so many things you can do. You get half your payout if you want. You can collect half your payout at the three quarters of the game. You can buy into a game later. I mean, it's amazing. I mean, feature after feature after feature. You think Silver Sails got a lot of features? Or Bikini or Golden Gate or any of these other games? Even Double Up. They got a lot going on. I've been studying them 20 whole games, but I mean, these computerized games, take a look at them. They got some depth, but again, the bottom line is you'll be controlling that ball like you're playing 1951 Coney Island. That's the game My God, I got a 1951 three-card Coney Island second game made by Bally. I got it sitting in the corner of my garage there. I play that game daily. Such a great game. Talk about quick, quick pace. Three dimes in, bang, bang, bang, three cards lit, and you got three extra balls. Oh, you get a lot of numbers in some of them cards. That's a sweet player, man. Some of these standard card games, that's even more simpler than a six-card game. Guys can pick up a nice Atlantic City three-card game. Plenty of three-card games out there that Valley produced early on, 1951, 1952. Great little starter games to get yourself a feel for literally playing the games because that's what's going to make you want to keep these games. You're going to enjoy the actual game play, but you've got to learn the numbers. You've got to give yourself a chance to control that ball, move that ball down the play field. I mean, I wrote literally, I think, on Danny Leach's site, Nick, literally how to play it, six or seven, ten, twelve paragraphs on where to start, put your hands, how to make the 16, 17, 100 different ways. I mean, the game's endless. You're never going to figure out everything about gameplay, but that's what's going to keep you interested for a lifetime because as you get better, you'll enjoy the game, but you're never going to master this game. And I know that for a fact. I have lost money. I had lost out there but I remember playing for long periods of time a lot of the time especially when the six card games came out once I played Light Alliance for ten years and then they started making these other six card games with corners and super lines and magic numbers and the red diagonals they just gave me too many ways to win way too many ways really just too many it was great I was making big money going out to eat on them filling my car up great man it was great the 70's games came out forget it I did get to play a continental at a bar in the late 80's actually I was going to Monday Night Football some guy said hey you want to go to Bloomfield which is the town over from Newark I said yeah I'll meet you over there for a drink and sure enough he surprised me he was an old bingo partner of mine he says you see what I got for you he pointed in the corner and there it was Susan B. Anthony's The Dollar Pop man did I go for some money that night I went for some money that night but I went back on my own without him because he was dragging me down I had some dragged out partners that just wanted I used to complain you guys are killing me when are you going to get a hit come on camp you can do it come on get a couple more games I promise I'll hit a five in a row I hit another five in a row and he couldn't even hit a four in a row for all them hundred games I got but I loved the guys I love playing. I didn't really care. I wanted them to do better, and I wanted to win, but I love playing with partners. Partners is great. You get to really play with someone. They can call numbers for you. It makes the game easier. You know, as time went on, I didn't need no one to call numbers at the end. I knew all the numbers, what I needed. I went from number to number. I knew exactly what to do, and I took my time. I looked up, and I studied every card. Well, if I take the 22, it's going to give me three wins. If I take the 20, it'll be on the super line. There'll be more wins. You have to think a little bit even with the six cards, but not as much as with them other games, you know? Yep. So, just to backtrack for a second here, that Continental was the only digital bingo that Valley made. Is that correct? What's that New Orleans? That's not a Valley, right? I don't think so. Yeah, that guy threw a New Orleans out in the garbage. one time I went to go see that guy I bought the bingos off listen to this I went over the door's locked I'm like oh where is he the guy takes a ticket right over because I used to go there just to see what he got because I bought a after I bought them them digital ones I think I bought a I think it was a ticker tape I sold it to some guy because I bought the the stock market off Don Robin and I did I bought a ticker tape off this guy too but anyway so it was locked and I see the the New Orleans in the garbage and I'm like look at this back glass and I'm taking this, I'm taking that I took everything, basically the cabinet was tripped and I ended up getting the New Orleans glass of somebody that needed it through my travels of all my years of collecting and meeting people and I've met so many people I've been networked with people in Belgium Italy, I mean I had forward air accounts, I was shipping games across the United States for $85 a piece, back in the day with eBay and really no charge on eBay. I had a Fort Air account. I mean, I had custom-made crates with directions in them and bubble wrap and straps, all instructions on how to put games into my little crate and get it back to me. I lost my train of thought. I was wondering where I was going with that now. Finally, after a couple hours, I lost my train of thought. I'm doing pretty good. I'd say so. You were talking about New Orleans. Right, the New Orleans. So I got it to a real good home. I packed it up. I took a picture of the packing because I was so proud of myself. You could have bounced it around like a pinball machine in a game. It would have never broke that glass. It was huge, the box. I had to take a picture of it. But I got it to him safely, and he called me, and he said, let me tell you something. You are the best, man. He said it took me three hours to unpack the damn glass like this one. It is perfect, man. I love it. So, I mean, just pinball on a hole is fun, man. It's a great hobby. Let's just talk about that in general. If you want to talk about that, it's amazing. It's a young hobby. I mean, the tabletop started in the early 30s, and I love how you touch base on everything in your podcast, Nick, and it gives you a great reference point to when it started and where it's at now. But, I mean, it's been so joyful for everybody, everywhere, and it always had a bad name. You know, what happened to it back in the day. I mean, yeah, the parents, they didn't understand. It did look bad and kids were wasting money. But they really weren't being harmed. They weren't being harmed. And these games have this charming appeal. They were really designed for adults, but the children were just astonished by them. And that's what really got me. I mean, at an early age. So I'm happy the way everything has turned out, especially for pinball. After seeing it die and fade away and then come back. And I gave credit on Spooky's podcast the other night to Joe and all these DMD guys and all these young guys. And you, Nick, you're probably a lot younger than the guys I want to compliment out there. Now, you guys saved the hobby. The young guys saved this hobby. Yes, us old guys who had the EMs and were collecting for 30 years plus, and these collectors older than me, guys that have been collecting way longer than me, we held on to it because it's part of us. And because of that, when the new guys came in and exploded the hobby like it is now, it made my dream come true. and pinballs back. And that's why I push and I donate pictures and I help people. And it's a constant grind. I've done it for years through everything that's going on in my life. But it's all worth it because the bottom line is these are truly amazing games. I mean, you could collect comic books, but you can't touch them. You could get coins, but don't put your fingers on them. Name anything. Cars. They got yellow danger signs on them that shows you can't even look in them. They're not practical. You're not getting anything out of them. You're looking at, I mean, really, what are you collecting today? What are the trains? Oh, trains are good, though. You can move them around. You can enjoy them. But pinballs are really a spectacular machine. You become one with the game. You learn about the electronics. You learn about the artwork. There's so many avenues you can go on, so many eras, so many things to learn. I mean, this is a lifetime hobby. We really need to get the bingos involved here. We've got to get these bingos out. We've got to talk. I think the word you used was exposure. I heard that a while back when we were talking. I mean, if there's anything that I can do, I'm starting to feel these podcasts. This is only the second one, and I have to say I am guilty of not listening to these things. They've been out there. Spooky's been five years. I was kind of embarrassed, and I'm sorry, Charlie. but I don't know if I just didn't have the time I really didn't because you know I'm restoring my own games here 150 games, 140 hours a game you're tied up raising family, got a regular job and you're helping everybody in the general tri-state area a nd I mean you know I only could cover so much ground but I'm really enjoying these podcasts this is a quick learning thing you listen to them and you get information it gets embedded in your head quickly this is the way to go man these podcasts are valuable and I think the word is exposure they exposing everything so you know For Amusement Only is out here guys just to kind of you know initiate you and try to get you to see why, you know, we love these games and why we want them and the enjoyment they bring. They bring enjoyment to everyone. I mean, my two boys, forget it, they were bingo wizards. And making hits and calling me, Hey, Dad, he just got five in a row. We'd go upstairs and they'd come in the shower and bang, I got five in a row. Five in a row. I'm like, wow, these kids, listen to these kids. They know how to play all these games. It was amazing to share that with them. And that's what the hobby and the machines have brought to me. And they've always brought to me. It's just sheer happiness, man. Just sheer happiness. So, I mean, there's a lot of games out there still, especially the EMs. I think the DMVs are drying up, Nick. I don't know how you feel about the hobby, but I think these guys are packed up with these games. The prices are unbelievable. You've got nine new manufacturers making pinball machines. Now, I got that from one of Spooky's podcasts. I'm starting to go back now and listen to more. I love that one with Roger Sharp's son on there. Terrific stories. Did you hear that one, Nick? Yeah. That was awesome. I'm pinning up back glasses in his bedroom. My father's bringing stuff home. Oh, it's like Santa Claus is coming every night. Imagine that. Your father works in the industry like that. I mean, I was just glad that I got to work with some vendors, boy, when I was a kid. I was crazy about it. I was crazy about pinball, and I was crazy about anything going up or amusement. I mean, the shore, I would go down the shore, the Seaside Heights with my family. and my father had four sisters and four brothers. They all had four or five kids, and we all went down the same week to Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and I saved all year long for that summer vacation, and I ended up bringing out about $1.75 per night. Wow. That was six games for a quarter, five cents in the Central Arcade. now Seaside Heights had six or seven or eight arcades my favorite was the casino arcade because that was by the pool and I my parents and my whole family my whole generation of family would go to this pool we get the whole corner of the pool because we were near 70 people and I was never swimming they called me Casper the ghost I was saying they have no song on me at all I lived in the arcade six, seven years old. My father would tell me, don't you leave that arcade. And I'd say, Dad, I wouldn't leave you for the world. I'd spend a whole day roaming and lurking and wishing I had money, because you only get a quarter back then. But I saved my money for at night. I never had a hot dog. I never played miniature golf. And I never went on a ride. Every single penny went in the arcades into pinball. Well, I did play some pitching bats. I did look at some of them movies that used to flash real quick for a penny. You put your eyes in there. And they had this real cool, you squeeze a trigger and you had a little bat and you hit these home runs on these tiers. I loved that little game. A little roll-down game from the 50s. Joe Newhart's got all them great games. And they had a, what's the best pitching bat? The big super slugger? The best one at Autumn? I remember they had that in the back of the arcade. It took up so much space, man. but man, did I play that, I played that, and I remember playing everything, Buckaroo, Central Park was down there, King of Diamond, Bank of Ball, I mean the casino arcade at Seaside Heights, when I used to run up them steps from the pool, and go into the arcade, they had a giant merry-go-round there, huge, playing that organ music all day long, and clowns sitting in a cage, that you threw hardballs about 20 feet away, in a little square to knock them down, they had all these other little big ski ball section they had a lot of these machines where they had like little folding knives in them and stuff or little cigarette lighters and you put a nickel in and an arm would come up and stretch up on this hill and try to knock it down and you'd collect it like these crane type things but they were horizontal rather than vertical but mostly tons of pins rows and rows of pins and wood rails and gauntlets And that's where I first got my taste of pinball and learned about it. And I remember dragging an old heavy milk crate. That's like a sunflower on and a cow probably on. I remember I'm thinking about it now. I'm 59 years old and I'm thinking back when I was about seven. Just literally off the top of my head now, looking into the casino now through my eyes and my brain right now. and I literally would just go around and check the coin I would return maybe it would be a nickel or a dime in it I'd score a quarter once in a while I'd look around and look real sad and I'd see this older guy playing he's popping all these games I'd put on this sad face hoping he'd throw me a few free plays and sure enough it worked I'd get a couple free plays just to keep me going because I'd be in it all day because that quarter didn't go far. I would play target pool because target pool and King of Diamond were my destination games. As soon as I got the money, I went right to King of Diamond or target pool because I knew I could beat it for a few games. I was a small kid. But what happened was, we moved from a different section of town and moved right after we came back from summer vacation. And when we moved, this was where the candy store was, a soda shop. It's 50 feet. We were the last house on the block, and it had a strip of like four stores, and the corner store was the candy store. And the first thing I said to my parents were, can I have a nickel to go get an ice pop or something? And, Nick, I went in the store, and there it was, the pinball machine. I says, oh, my God. I don't have to go down to shore no more. I don't have to save all. I don't know. it was like the Beverly Hillbillies guy striking gold or something you know what I mean? that type of feeling I found and that was it I couldn't sleep I couldn't think all I knew was I gotta get I used to my mother used to give me 15 cents for the bus and 10 cents for lunch or was it 10 cents for the bus and 15 cents for lunch back in the day 7th grade and I would walk to school so far to save that dime but the only problem was the city of Newark had these bad dog catchers they were in packs of wild dogs foaming from the mouth because everybody would just let their dogs out if they got tired of them or couldn't afford them and they would roam the city and man I used to be stuck on the top of some car everywhere just to try to save a dime because every time I walked home from school these god damn dogs would find me and chase me down I was petrified of them and they knew it and once a dog knows that and the pack, a whole pack of dogs. And I'd be on that car holding that dime, saying, oh man, I got to get home. I got to play pinball while these dogs go away. Ladies used to come out with hot water. The old ladies used to throw hot water around and get me off the car, but I'd be crying almost. They wouldn't let up. They'd be vicious. So I would do anything to save money to play back then. It was crazy. And then I got affiliated with the guy who used to bring the machines in. I started working for him. I would go around, like I mentioned earlier, in the show here that he would take me in the truck and tell me, come on, we're going to count some quarters. We're going to go to Irvington. I was young, 10 years old maybe, 11 years old, and take me all day. I tell my mother, I'm going to work. I'm going to, oh, you're going to work. That's perfect. That's what we want to hear from you kids. Get out there and work. Back then, my mother didn't want us in the house. My father was working all day and night. Who saw him? So I'd get in the truck with him and go around and I'd go to all the stops that he had, every game. You know, games were coming out every month, Williams and Valley and Godless. So he had them all over the cities he had. This guy had a great, great business. And I used to stand on the corner and wait for him and hope that he would come because there was really no steady job thing. You know, if he saw me, hey, kid, come on, you can work for the day. I'll give you a couple hours. Come with me. Then he started ringing my bell. he found that where I lived right next to the candy store and he told me, mother where's your son I need him to hang some grand opening flags in the central Cadillac in Central Avenue really? oh I think he's in the back plane I'll get him I go out and work with him, hang flags move jukeboxes into bars cigarette machines fill up the jukeboxes, all the records I love the records that's why I have 7, 045 records in alphabetical order I have a big collection because I used to restore jukeboxes I still do, I have three in the house So on the way out, I said, my sister had been asking me for this record, but maybe I'll just put it in my pants. He'll never know. So I would put a record or two in my pants. When he wasn't looking, I'd be in the car. And then when he dropped me off at the end of the day, I'd have it all in there. I'd walk out. He goes, what's the matter? You look funny. I said, I'm holding my cross. I say, I've got to go to the bathroom really bad. And I walk real funny up because I had all these records stuck in my pants. And I bring them home. My sister would be playing. Oh, that's great. You got the biggest hit by four tops and the temptations. And then after a while, I started asking them for them. I didn't have to slip a couple in my head. Because he was such a grumpy old man sometimes. He was so cheap, too. He was so cheap. $2 a day. I worked 14 hours with him. It was like $1.75 or something. That was a lot of money for pinball, though. That was better than the paper route. Then I got older. I started driving his trucks. He had the half moon on the flatbed truck and a little merry-go-round. And he had the little Ferris wheel and the whip, they call it. And he had a big speaker. And he'd go around the neighborhood playing this speaker out of his truck. And all the kids would run out of the house if it was a quarter or a ride. So I'd go around town and collect quarters for him while he operated the trucks. Then I got old enough to drive him. I'd drive him to the feast for him. And I got to know him as I grew up as a boy. But once I got my license in 73, everything stopped for me. I got my license. I was really crazy about thriving and becoming independent. You know, I was figuring out what I wanted to do for the future, graduating school that year. I skipped a grade. I was graduating when I was 17, I remember. And I started college. But unfortunately, the four years from 1969 to 1973 during the riots in Newark, no one got an education. So when I got to college, I was lost. And I knew that, so I had to go to trade school right away. But the only thing is my father had no money, so I had to go pump gas in this really bad section in Newark from 4 in the afternoon to 12 at night to pay for school, which was 13 months. an HVAC school in a town a few towns away from me but the gas station was in a really bad, bad neighborhood and at 73 and 74, them years there was still a lot of residue going around the city from the riots it wasn't as bad, it wasn't as cleared up there was a lot of animosity and hatred still around so I was in a bad section, I got held up twice they stuck a shotgun in my face down there and they took all the money. And fortunately for me, they were building the same gas station where it was called Merritt, was the name of the gas station. Gas was, ready for this? Sure. 33 cent a gallon. 33, and I was driving, a dollar for three gallons, and I used to have this little Mustang convertible I used to go all week, bro. So anyway, they built another, Merritt Station, right in Bloomfield, AMU, in bingo heaven. I was like, God, I couldn't have put it in a better spot. And I started working there. All my friends were parking in there at night. I was working. The station from Florida 12 was heaven, man. It was great. You know, but getting off from work, going to play bingos, going to school the next day, you know. Things were good back then. It stopped once I got my license after that. I really stopped playing the machines. I wasn't as crazy about them. You know, you get a girlfriend, you're working now, you graduated school. I got a really great job at a school from a trade school. I started working for the world's largest air conditioning manufacturer. They were a big plant down in Edison. I was actually a junior engineer. I would design the actual air conditioning systems. They would give me a metal box because they were rooftop units. and I put the compressor in and the coils in, the wiring in. I had big power stats. I would just hook up wires into the power stat and dial my voltage I needed, whether it was 480 or 277. I had a big refrigeration gauge in this big laboratory they gave me. I was testing and designing air conditioning systems. They were building and manufacturing them like they did pins, same kind of scenario. So I got really good. Yeah, heat loads, and I got really good at it. So I didn't want to jeopardize anything. I kind of shied away from pinball and kind of was doing my own thing. But then, you know, I started working and making decent money. So I had money to play the bingos. So I played at night. I played on weekends. I met guys and I played right into my 30s. These games, they were out there. I enjoyed them and I could win and I can invest a little more. I didn't have to worry as much. The pressure was off. I had money in my pocket. I wasn't scraping cashing in Coca-Cola bottles for two cents the small ones and the big ones were a nickel when you got the big Coke bottles a nickel went a long way you know you get four or five of them you got 30 cents right there that's three cards you know I'm going to hit or get a hit on three cards build it up I used to build up from one card if I only had a dime I'd go in and I gotta get a hit I gotta get a hit and build it up I know I'll get a four in a row soon enough so very addictive very crazy I mean big, big, big time player. Everybody wanted to play with me, partners. I mean, the vendors, they hated me, but they loved me. I mean, I don't know. You brought a lot of quarters in before it died at the time because people wanted to see you play and make those big hits. Oh, people loved watching me. There were so many lurkers. They knew when Vic came in, he was going to whack it, man. Everybody was waiting. The suspense was there. And I told them, Just give me some time. Give me some quiet. I don't mind. How many of you guys look? You don't have to call no numbers. These guys just can look. I remember at the York show, Steve Smith brought the bikini, and I had mentioned something. I know you know the story, but I'll say it anyway. He wrote something on RGP, and I said, I'm going to come down here, and I'm going to get that million-dollar bikini, because that's the way he was listing it, because he restored it, and it does look like a million-dollar game. He did a great job, a remarkable job. rape that game. I'm going to beat it for the biggest hit, man. You're going to cry when I get that game. He says, yeah, right, you can't hit it. And I was down in New York, and they were all looking for me. Couldn't get on the bikini. Everybody was playing all day long. I couldn't even get on. They're like, where's Vic Camp? He's supposed to get the bikini. He wrote online. He's going to get it. And sure enough, late in the day, I got over here. A big crowd formed. Jeffrey Lawton, Bruce Moyer. I mean, everybody was there. All my tri-state collective friends. And sure enough, I end up getting it. And I got to five in a row, his second, first, or second game, and the crowd went nuts. It seemed like someone got murdered. Everybody roared. The crowd roared, and everybody looked. And even me, I was kind of stunned. I said, what the hell is going on over here? Because my back was turned. I was focused. And I pulled off a nice five in a row down there on Steve Smith's bikini. And just a great time, man. It's something that I'm going to always remember. I know he wrote something about it when he got it home. There were still like 300 or 400 games on it when he plugged it back in They started repetitiously taking them off because that's what happens. That's how you get paid off on a bingo. Everybody knows that. And he says, Rick, that just reminded me of that big hit you got. And it was great to participate in something like that. So the bingos are great games, man. I mean, there's people that are interested. There's people that love them. And sooner or later, they're going to be in everybody's collection. I don't know if I'm going to see it, but I know down the road, games are becoming few and far few between a lot now especially with the DMDs there's not a lot around prices are out of control so people are going to want to add games and these are the games that are going to go in now I mean these wedgehead guys are gobbling all these wedgeheads a pin site that's loaded with Craigslist things and Ebay stuff and everybody's check this one out in this state check this one out in that state and people are running and grabbing these games you know the bingos are out there They're just waiting. They're lurking. They're going to be picked up soon. So hopefully everybody gets to listen to your podcast. You continue with these great sessions of engineering, artwork, wiring, bells. Everything you touch base on is everything that is the makeup of these games. So hopefully something will strike their fancy curiosity or the price or something, and they're going to want this game and they're going to end up liking it. So I got a little problem here where I got a nightclub, like I said, in the beginning of this session. I don't know what to do with it. I got pictures on my phone now. I went upstairs and cleared a path. I think if someone doesn't want to take this game off my hands, I'm going to have to lug it with me to the Allentown show and put the old orphan sign on it, free, take me home. So hopefully it is a project game. It's got a nice cabinet. Playfield is, I've seen a lot better for a bingo because the bingos are usually all nice. this one is and somebody must have dropped something on it. It needs a little bit of punching up. I have all the parts off the playfield, the springs, the posts and really that's all that's on a bingo. Oh, and I wonder why I like doing bingo playfields in Waxman. There's no rebuild. Oh, I wonder why I love them bingos. Yeah, hear that guys out there? Bingos are easy to restore. There's no pop bumpers, flippers, kickers, kick out holes, drop targets, nothing. But anyway, I've got to try to get this game out of here. I'm trying to make some room. I just picked up a crosstown from the newspaper article that came out on me on April 2nd. Here in North Jersey there's Herald News and The Record. They did a little article on me about my pinball collection and it worked out well. Someone gave me a call said they had a game and it wound up being a crosstown. Everybody knows that collects wedgeheads that they are the mid-1965 classic games. They have animation. There's only a few of them. And they're just magnificent pieces. The brass metal plated parts in there. Terrific design. They were just the leaders back then. God, everybody knew that. So I couldn't resist. I went up. I looked at it and I ended up putting it into my car. Just fit in the back seat. The head went in the trunk and I took the cross down home and of course it needed an abundance of work. It was laying 30 years, wires hanging off and zero to nine units just mangled and I mean the list went on. The glass needed to be touched up and play field has a few issues but the cabinet was delicious, gorgeous coloring and I knew it had some potential. The legs came out amazing. People are coming over saying, how did you get them legs to look like that? They look brand new. Door came out good. Ball shooter rod and lift up rod. So I put a few hours into it already. I got it up and running and I went to my friend's house today or yesterday. He's moving to Florida. I have a place in Florida too. I had attended the Florida show in February, which is a whole other segment. We can go over that someday. But getting back to I went and visited my friend Petey. He has a crosstown. This is where I wanted to go with it. I'm going to be possibly buying his crosstown and making mine better. So I got a little bit of a project going on here. But the problem is with 40 games and four game rooms, there's no place to restore the game. So I have it in the middle of the aisle in my garage game room where my Silver Sails Gay Time Lady Luck Skill Pool New Continental Golden Dixieland Lighter Line and Coney Islanders so that's the garage game room I used to have all the bingos in the basement but I took them up I wanted to make a bingo room in the garage and isolate them and just have that categorized like that and it worked out great there was a heavy load coming up the steps oh man going down was easy anyway I got this cross down now I'm working on it I'm really going to make it nice getting a little harder to work on these games I'm kind of burnt out after doing 150 plus games with an average of 140 hours in them over the years so I'm taking my time I'm enjoying it but I feel like I'm working in a sardine can I got tools everywhere I can't move I'm backing into things and everybody's saying look at you and I turn around and I said to them I'm happy now I'm happy, I got a game I got something to work on I got something to bring back make it look magnificent and I'm happy now because I'm looking at this other article here in 2001 from the Game Room Magazine and it says I have 37 games in my collection, this is in 2001 and I have no room for any games so I can't buy any more games Boy, this is depressing. So this has been going on for 15 years. It's not easy to not bring games in. And it's hard to let games go these days. I mean, right now, I am holding on to everything. So many people want to buy my games. And I tell them, I love you. I'll find you games. But I'm not going to be able to sell you anything. Come down. Play them anytime you want. Call me. They'll be like your games, but I can't sell anything because of the hard hours and time that I put into them, the fine-tuning. I mean, one time I went on a rage of just polishing all the ball shooters. Can you imagine polishing 40 ball shooters' rods? You know what that's like, repetitiously doing. for maybe six days straight, four of them a day. You know what I mean? I adjust my flipper gap switches to perfection that every time you push a flipper switch on the side of my games, it's all the same feel. Over the years, I've been fine-tuning everything about the games. And these are the reasons behind me not wanting to sell anything. I really want to share them and sell them with people. And I've done it Because I've sold 120 machines or 150 machines that pitch from my collection. A lot of them I regret. I got some. I just bought back a countdown that I sold 12 years ago from a guy in work. I'd never sell it again. It's right here. I'm looking at it while we're talking. It's just beautiful. I remember having four countdowns to make that game. So the amount of work that goes into building a collection, if you're doing it yourself, is really unbelievable. the time you really need to put in it's difficult you know and if you emphasize the point how hard it is to fix these games and they're complicated and to work on, they're so tedious and the list goes on they're made to perfection if you don't put everything back the same way it's not going to work so I mean this is the reasons I'm holding on to what I have and every day I wake up I want to get a game every day now that I got to Crosstown it kind of eased my pain a little bit I've been fighting not to bring anything in because I know now I just picked up a 1978 Playboy for my wife Karen she loves that game and I also just picked up a Rockola Bubbler so now I even have less space but my mind's constantly thinking you know and I'm trying to move out some games and that's why I'm offering the nightclub up to anybody that's interested out there call me, don't call me, you can email me at campgames at yahoo.com the game needs work project game, like I said couple coils, push button yellow button for the extra ball on the front, playfield needs a little touch up and you got to put everything back on the playfield and it doesn't have legs I don't know what I do with the wooden legs so So the backless is NG. I mean, I have one for the game, but some vendor colored in all the odds and made it one card, almost like a one-ball game, actually. He was so greedy. This guy must have been so greedy, Nick. It's amazing what they did. I've seen so many massacres of bootleg stuff happening, especially the Leiter lines. For 10 years, they ran them without another six-card game coming out. So they've had every rocket ship on, every kind of design and theme on that back glass that you can think of to keep the feds away. Anyway, if anybody's interested, I'm going to the Allentown show. I'll be there Friday. Unfortunately, I won't be there two days this year. Work calls, and I've got to do some special stuff there at the building. So I'll lug it with me. If anybody's interested, just give me an email. And if I don't hear from anybody, I'm probably going to post it on Pinside. Or like I told Nick, I'm just going to bring it and put the orphan sign on it and leave it. Someone will take it. I could talk somebody into it down there. That nightclub is a fantastic game. Oh. One of my favorite bingos. With the magic corners where you rotate the numbers around, and it's got the immediate count up as soon as you shoot your fourth ball. So if you have three in a row, you shoot your fourth ball, and then you just hear it ticking up while you're angling down the play field. It's quite a feeling. It's a great game. It's wood rail, so it's lighter. And because it's an earlier game, there's fewer units. So that would be a good project for somebody. And does it use the smaller yellow extra ball button, or does it use the larger size, like on the pick-a-plays? The nightclub? Yeah. Oh, the nightclub uses the, actually, hold on one second. Trying to, it does have a yellow button. It has a yellow button and a red button. So there's only two buttons on the nightclub. Are they the same size? Same exact size. Okay. What's missing is the actual chrome button itself and the yellow plate around it. That's missing and I don't have a lock on the door. That's all that's missing from the game cabinet. No legs, of course. And play field needs to be put back together and touched up. You're going to need a back glass for it. But I had the game up and running. It was working, but that was whew. Boy, that's an old game. Maybe 18 years ago. So I was sitting and I stole a lot of bulbs from it. but it does have the I think it has the ballyhole if I'm not mistaken this particular model might have the 16 is called the ballyhole it does it also has on it the ABCD which makes the turning corners move and it also spots your numbers that gives you the 2 or the 18 and it also has a magic square D, so it gives you all four corners, which are actually four numbers in each corner that revolve clockwise, I believe, Nick, right? Clockwise. Correct. And in around, clockwise, all four numbers, so you'll be able to gain some real nice number combinations with this game. And Nick did touch base on the quick scoring. Not only is it quick, but guess what? It has double, triple, and quadruple scoring. That's insane. I remember racking up these quadruple hits, man. I mean, it's fierce. This is like a machine gun going off this replay counter. I remember distinctively now. I had two nightclubs. I made this beautiful nightclub, but I traded it for a gorgeous low-played jet spin. Amazing condition. You look on IPDB, you'll see my jet spin there. My name isn't underneath there for some reason, But just look for the best one You'll find it And Also have With the double, triple and quadruple scoring You get to have the before And after fourth and fifth ball And also Corners Having corners With a turning corners game Is magnificent It will give the player many chances At succeeding And getting some major hits or what we call inline wins. The technical term. So this is a nice game. It's got some pretty nice wood on it. It's very nice. I've got to say the door and I have pictures if someone wants to inquire beforehand feel free to email me. I'll send you some pictures out. It's a project game. You don't need a class. And I probably get a new play field. That sounds great. Well, Vic, I want to thank you for your time and your great stories, and I hope to have you on again sometime, and we'll go over some more. I think we might be having some technical difficulties here, but thankfully we're here again. So if anyone wants to contact Vic about that nightclub, it's campgames at yahoo.com. And Vic is a very nice guy, and his passion carries across everywhere that he's written articles. I highly encourage everybody to go out and check out Danny's site at danny.cyn.com. On that site, Vic has written up many great bingo reminiscences, and is planning to go highly detailed. And pinballowners.com, and he's registered their campaign. And he, on that site, has written up just incredible detail, playing information for chain, the story of where you acquired it and how. It's fantastic. So when you get a chance, go check out those sites. Somebody contact Vic, please, about that nightclub and save that game. It's incredibly fun, single card video with the turning corners or the magic squares as they're called.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v4)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f64d6375-7085-400c-9df7-cc79046882f3*