Today's talk is Rob Burke, the founder of Pinball Expo as well as the Guinness Book World Record holder of the largest collection of individual pinball machines, owner uh operator of Pastimes Arcade in Gerard, Ohio, man of many talents, man of many hats. First of all, thank you, Rob, for joining me this afternoon uh for this conversation. It's a pleasure to have you on.
Yeah, we're glad to be here, man. It's always good to hear the the cold toys man in action.
So, today's main topic of discussion, we're talking Pinball Expo 2025. So, last year was a big to-do. It was the 40th anniversary. First and foremost, how do you think it went? Yeah, to be honest with you, I I would say the best way of of describing it is explosive. Uh I just didn't know what to expect. You know, 40 years of working on the same show, same promoter, you know, just crazy. H how can someone be be involved so long? But um we pulled it off and and uh I think it exceeded everyone's expectation. You know, there was so much warmth in the air and high-fiving and hugging and smiling and, you know, it was all good. There was nothing but good came out of it. And uh we had a fantastic international attendance which I never expected to be so great. So that was that was exciting for me. But all in all, it was a pleasure. And you know what the craziest thing is? After the 40th, my wife said, "What are you going to do? You going to keep going or not?" And u I said, you know, after the 40th, there was so much energy in the air and excitement, it would be a shame to stop it. So, who knows how long it'll go. You know, if I were to step down tomorrow and someone else took it over, it would never be the same. You know, they don't have the contacts and probably they don't even have the passion. You know, 40 years of putting this together, plus all the years that built up put to putting it together.
Absolutely.
So, 40 years is a monumental achievement. So,
that's crazy. How old How old are you? I'm I'm literally 40 years. Exactly.
So, you know, when you were when you were just born, I I said, I'm gonna have that show just for
Yeah. I appreciate and I'm glad you're still going because like your wife mentioned, you know, 40 nice round number. I'm I can see, you know, that being your right off into the sunset moment. But I'm glad to hear you're sticking around and you have no immediate plans for, you know, uh turning it away. But, you know, for me though, it's it's it's not only the love of the of the industry, but uh just, you know, I'd like to see people just get off with the show and enjoy it themselves. Everyone meeting everyone else. To me, what's probably more fun for me is the the connection with the international guys.
So, what can we expect this year that was maybe a little different from last year? Anything new? Anything exciting? Well, you know, once again, we're going to go to Entarium, which is where we have our our welcoming uh to do. We're doing this the Stern tour again, but Stern has told us that they're going to uh offer some unique giveaways that they will only do at the tour. Oh.
So, what they have Yeah. What they have, I don't know,
but uh I tried to get it out of they wouldn't share with me. But, uh I'm pulling some stuff off the website, which everyone's welcome to see. You know, we're bringing back again Project Pinball and uh all that money goes to charity and we've got I think there'll be either one or two games being their charity raffle plus they're having another raffle there. They have about 30 baskets full of everything from A to Z. So, it's it's really a lot of fun to check it out. Don's Pinball Podcast, he is going to be hosting something a top topper contest. So, you know, anything any more the mods is a big thing no matter what you're into. and between Electric Playground and other guys are making mods. He wants to have a competition, the first time we've done it, expo, so everyone will bring their mods to his booth and he'll have them on display and then the public will vote.
So that's going to be pretty crazy.
That'll be cool.
Ryan Tanner Walters will be back again. Ryan Tanner Walters is the he goes by the name of the pinball scientist. He's a school teacher. But what he's doing is um he's having a um showing the kids more for the younger kids how to build a pinball machine. But what's different this year is we have one of the toy manufacturers uh has a retail item build a pinball machine and they use um gumballs for for for the balls. But he's going to instruct the kids on how to build the pinball using this uh set of this toy that's um available.
Kids are going to kids are going to love that. And that's good for families, too, because people might not understand that Expo is very family friendly. It's not just a bunch of old drunken geysers, you know, stumbling around playing pinball machines.
So, that's going to be interesting. Uh, something that just came through a couple days ago that's your broadcast. The first I'm going to tell tell it to, but there's a company called U. I'm not sure how you pronounce it, but CI a Cathara guitars. They're out of Canada, but these guys use discarded playfields to make electric guitars.
Oh, interesting. So, like they're cutting up the
turn it into the body of the guitar. That's neat. I've
unbelievable.
Never heard of such a thing.
Yeah, me either. So, they're going to bring eight different models to the show. And believe it or not, these guys um made a guitar for Ed Ed Robertson, Ben Ladies.
He's one of their customers
that I I'm sure he's a huge pinball fan. Guys, you got to see this. I'm looking forward to I'm going to be running to the booth. I This is just crazy.
Um, another first for the expo is I have a guy that reached out to me from Hungary.
And he is a manufacturer of glass and he is going to bring down a crate of playfield glass. Both the non-glare as well as the just the standard glass will be for sale at Expo.
Myself, I'm literally in the market for a couple sheets of that. and you know going to expo that's going to save me shipping and I don't have to worry about FedEx or UPS you know breaking it. So
fingers crossed the pricing will be good enough that people are going to go crazy.
I hope so.
Yeah, that that should be fun. Uh another first there's a guy by the name of Mark that's coming from the Netherlands. This is crazy. And he goes by name a Euro pin but what he's doing is he he's he's getting a a rather large booth. He's bringing between 20 to 30 pinball machines that were made in Europe for the European market. So, anyone that saw my display last year for my collection in the free play area, I had a lot of these oddball games, the games from Australia and Italy and Spain, this guy is bringing these games to expo this year.
Nice.
Get your pocketbooks out. First of all, guys, you'll save on the shipping alone. I mean, whenever I brought these games over from Europe, I probably paid u Well, to air freight them is crazy money.
Yeah.
But it's not cheap. But he'll have
even container prices these days are ridiculous. So, yeah.
Yeah. So, there's no shipping charge. Just pick up the game and smile all the way uh smile all the way home.
And where else are you going to have an opportunity to buy these games? Because otherwise, you literally you'd have to get on the plane and, you know, jaunt across the pond for a long flight and ardous journey. For sure.
You got that. So, also we're doing uh the 1930s tournament again. Were you involved with that? All did you see it last year?
I did see it last year. I didn't get to play in it, but I I did get to see it. It was really cool.
So, it was really cool. And and Cliff uh out of Chicago and his wife Colleen have been very active in uh promoting in the 30s. And uh it's so crazy because the first year they came to expo with a couple 30s games, people walked up to the booth, including myself. I said, "Oh, those are kind of cool." And uh I said, you know, let's keep this thing going. So u every year they kept bringing more and more games. Last year we had a massive booth. We had
It was awesome. Yeah. I had like a makeshift speak easy set up and everything. It was really cool, man. They were dressed up with a, you know,
the flapper girl. Oh, it was crazy fun. So anyways, they're doing that again, but only on a bigger scale.
Oh.
Plus, they're having a 1930s tournament. So, you know, just to play these games, you kind of get hooked on them. You'll see, guys. cuz you'll see.
Oh, absolutely. Cuz it's a whole another skill set involved completely. Like you think you're good at pinball and you go play that and you're like, "Oh, wow. This is a whole another world."
So, the home brew is becoming back again. And um along with the home brew, I'm bringing back the mothership game that was
about halfway built last year, but uh Ernie has helped me get it another step closer. So, you know, I always like that Hercules pinball machine was made back in the 70s. And I always thought it'd be cool to have a samesiz game or larger built in with today's technology and multiball. So, can you imagine a multiball monster machine like that? So, you're going to see it at Expo. It's up and running.
Oh, it's up and running. Good. That that was going to be one of my questions that I asked because I I saw it at Expo last year and I was blown away. I mean, Brian Allen did the artwork. It looks fantastic. It's It's bigger than Hercules. It's one of those things you have to see to believe it because you take a picture of it and people don't really understand the scale,
but it wasn't playable last year, but this year it is going to be playable.
Yes. So awesome.
I have an open challenge.
I My machine is now larger than Hercules. Who wants to beat me? Go on out there, you homebrew guys. Let's see if you can make one even bigger. Emoto Harney is uh very active with Marco and uh she is working on a uh Marco booth which this is her first too. So, everyone put their increase the volume on your headset, but um several years ago, I saw Marco down at the Allentown show and um they had like they called a a supermarket where they had parts of games and return product and it was a mishmash of stuff they sold it like a scratch and dent sale if you want to call it that.
So, they're bringing that to Expo for the first time. Thank you, Emoto. I've been trying I've been honored for years to do this, but on a much larger scale and it'll be all kind of deals there, guys. So, uh,
that's exciting. Especially for that, if you're a homebrew guy that may be, you know, looking for that oddball piece that you need, anybody, you know, or Yeah. or anybody, you know, you don't know what they're going to have there, parts that discontinued,
uh, overrun, whatever they've got. They're going to clean the shelves out. So,
yeah, find yourself a deal.
Yeah, I'm very happy about that. So, uh, Emoto went one step further and, uh, she got which could be one of the largest booths in pinball expo history, a 70 foot by 80 foot booth.
Wow, that's quite the showing.
Marco will be part of that. Homebrew will be part of that and Aaron from Fast Pinball will have a little display there. But, um, that one area alone is is going to be worth spending some time on. I hope there's enough hours a day for everybody to see everything. And uh this year's um uh vendor hall uh will be perhaps even a bit larger than last year.
Oh. So last year
that's saying a lot because last year was huge.
Yeah. So last year, you know, we had the auction there. We had the band there and and I want to do some of these things because to celebrate the 40th, but the auction is is most likely not going to happen this year. And neither is neither is the band. So they took up so much room, but all that room is is gone now and it's going to be all pinball related vendors.
Good.
So you're going to see a lot of stuff, guys. It's going to blow your mind. We we have uh Hexa coming. Hexa is one of the manufacturers from France
and they will be coming and they'll be showing their games. So we'll have um uh Alice of Wonderland will be there again. Uh which is a a fun game for those who saw it last year. Yeah, that was a that was a big to-do at the show last year. There was lines galore for that one.
Oh, yeah. So, there's something else I'm going to share with you guys. There's another manufacturer coming this year for the first time. It's called Wonderland, I believe, but they're out of out of they have locations in the West Coast and in the East Coast as well, but they're producing a Alice game as well, but they're
Oh, that's right. They're the the smaller uh home version.
It's about It's about a three quarter size pinball machine. So, it's it's it's it's not it's not a home brewer. These guys legit manufacturer. And I think these games are going to sell somewhere between a,000 $1,500. But the price is right in by
Yeah, because I remember last year, last year they just kind of showed up and said, "Hey, we have an idea." And here they are a year later with a finished product. So, I'll be interested to see how that turned out for
So, those games will be on the floor. Get ready. And the surprise are just not going to end. I mean, I can't tell you everything and people won't, you know, they won't come to the show. Oh, I know it's good to be there. Why come? But, you know, we have the autograph session, which we always do, and um we're doing the flip out tournament again, which we've done last year, and we have more tournaments for the kids, so they can be involved. So, like you mentioned, and it's true, you know, the show's become more and more family friendly.
I'll tell you what else I'm excited about is um uh Pat Lawler, who last year said this is his last draw. Uh basically I asked him to do me one more favor. I said Pat as you you offer so much. So Pat Waler is coming back which could be the last time. And of course those people who don't know Pat he was at his family is probably his most famous game Twilight Zone, Whirlwind. I mean the the list just goes on and on and on. But um he's going to kind of give a talk about the history of Pat Waller and and anyone who's everybody in in the pinball uh industry or enthusiast that uh is coming to Expo, you've got to see this guy's seminar. Steve Ritchie now uh is coming back to speak. Now uh unlike other seminars most recently where he spoke about the games he did for Jersey Jack, this time he's going to speak about every game he built as a designer.
That's awesome. So, open mic with Steve Ritchie.
That's a great title for that. In fact, I actually write that down. The his first game was Airborne Adventures and and it's um he's gonna talk about that plus everything else he's done. So, hold on guys, I love that title.
Yeah, that'll that'll be a a mustsee uh or must listen to for sure.
A lot of guys come just to play the machines. Mhm.
Some people, you know, are are like the seminars, but anyone that normally doesn't go to the seminars, do me a favor,
check them out.
Tell your wife, tell your bud, say, "Hey, Rob asked me to come. I told him I'd come." Uh, check this seminar out, guys. And just, you know, you will be so impressed.
Absolutely. There's fact I was, you know, perusing the schedule and I saw one that really piqued my interest. It was the early years of Data East and Sega with Joe Camo and uh Gary Stern and I was like, "Wow." First of all, you got Joe back at the event. How'd you get Joe back?
Good catch, buddy. So, listen. I want you and everyone there in TV land to do me a favor or YouTuber land and do me a favor. Uh if you're coming to this seminar, I want you guys to come up to see Joe Kamakau and say, "Joe, we thank you for coming to Expo. You make some great stuff. It's so great to see you." Ken Lau is probably one of my favorite speakers. He's very dynamic guy, but he started with Data East went they went to Sega and eventually he ended up in the slot machine industry and that's where he made his even more claim to fame. But he was also the guy that created the Beatles pinball.
That's right.
I don't know if he's going to talk about that. Maybe Doug, if you're there, you can say, "Hey, Joe, tell us about the Beatles." He spent a million dollars out of his own pocket to make the Beatles.
Yeah.
So guys, Joe Kamakow, these are guys you don't see every day. He doesn't come every year. I'm begging everyone here on on Cool Toys Network to come there and see these guys. Another guy's coming back to the show. He was a vendor last year was Ivan Signani. Uh he was the guy out of Italy that does
oh had the amazing like tricked out machines that were gorgeous.
Most tricked out games that you'll ever see in your life. This guy is over the top. You know, for the guys listening in, at least some of the guys are fashion fashion uh kings, you know, some of the nicest clothing comes out of Italy. And I guess this is the way these guys think or whatever. But I mean, his over-the-top restorations are just absolutely amazing, guys. You got to see it. You know, that's one thing nice about Expo. You'll see people and and opportunities that you don't have any other show, you know, because of years and years of knowing these guys and pushing their pushing the right buttons to get them to come. Th this is going to be some great times. I have a guys a couple guys coming down from Mexico and they're going to talk on the pinball scene in Mexico. It's crazy. So, you know, it's just it's just interesting to hear from these guys. So, he'll be there. We have a talk on the rise of AI and pinball art.
Oh, that is a very hot topic right now. That'll
everything is a hot topic.
Yeah, I'm sure that'll peak ruffle some feathers and peak some people's interest depending on how that conversation goes.
You know, I guess what I'm waiting for is just a matter of time before someone gets gets my face and and, you know, moves my mouth and
superimposes everything. Yeah, we're we're we're living in that world, unfortunately.
And then to end up the show, Saturday night, we have again Dwight Solomon's doing his Let's Make a Deal.
I was there for last year's and it was an overthe-top fun experience
and it's a great way to end the show and and Dwight is has been a wonderful uh participant and uh being there for the show and and sharing his wealth of information. So, there's so much going on, guys. Um but um just be ready not to sleep a lot
and be ready to meet a lot of people, people you've heard about and talk to maybe at times, but uh you know the autograph session is also a great time to meet these guys and have them sign your favorite backlass or
sign the back of your t-shirt.
Yeah. Bring comfortable shoes because you're going to be out there all day every day enjoying yourself at pinball expo.
Even those that are contemplating like should I go, should I not go? You know, so much happens during that time period. It's like if you missed it, you missed so much.
Absolutely. I'll be there every day. I know you will, too. So, definitely come seek us out if you're at the expo. Definitely recommend, you know, playing a game with us.
Yeah. It'd be great to see everybody. And please come up to me and and tell me how more or less how you much enjoy your expo. But also, what I want to hear from you guys is, okay, I took your word for it. I went up to Joe Camal. I told how great he is. I told Steve Ritchie how great he is. I told Pat Lawler how great he is. And then I'll be happy because uh it's hard to get these guys. Let's face it. You know, I'm 70. These guys are probably close to that age if not more. And uh you know, it's harder. The the get up and go has gone up and went. So
it's easy to want to stay at home. I get that completely. So I appreciate your efforts bringing these guys out, these legends of the industry. For sure.
Yeah, for sure. So and there's more surprises, guys. So, uh, please make every effort to come and I think you'll you'll leave saying, "Man, this was definitely a show not to forget."
I I can't wait for it. Rob, thank you again for sitting down chatting with me and talking Expo. Like I said, I'm chomping at the bit to get there. We're almost 45 days away. Looking forward to going to see you. Going to see a bunch of awesome games. Anything else you want to end with? Well, the only thing I can say is if anyone's got any games they want to bring to the show, you know, that gives you free admission to the show, but um you know, we always look for people to bring games. So, you know, by the end of the day, we'll probably be around 4 to 500 games. So, it's it's, you know, to pay one price till you play till you drop is a pretty good deal for everybody.
Absolutely. Couldn't agree more, guys. Definitely be there again. October 15th through 18th, Pinball Expo celebrating its 41st year. Thanks.
Still rocking, guys. Still going. I don't know how, but I'm still going.