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My 2019 Chicago Pinball Expo Experience Pt. 2

Cary Hardy·video·11m 28s·analyzed·Oct 26, 2019
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

2019 Expo coverage: booth setup, new machine reveals, charity auction success.

Summary

Cary Hardy documents his 2019 Chicago Pinball Expo experience, focusing on Thursday and Friday. He describes setting up a massive Penn Stadium booth with 17 machines (completed just before public opening at 6 PM), attending a JJP Game Exchange party featuring new Elvira and Jurassic Park Premium machines, and the Pinball Live charity auction where a Total Nuclear Annihilation sold for $7,100 and Doug Duba's custom Medieval Madness LE #1 sold for $16,000, with proceeds benefiting juvenile diabetes research.

Key Claims

  • Penn Stadium booth required setup of 17 machines, all initially on their side in another part of the hall, requiring dolly transport and full assembly

    high confidence · Firsthand account of booth setup; specific detail about machine count and condition

  • Booth setup completed just before 6 PM public opening, with final canopy being installed as attendees arrived

    high confidence · Direct witness account; time-specific claim about cutting it close

  • Jurassic Park Premium is brand new and only a few units have shipped; this was Hardy's first chance to play it

    high confidence · Confirmed at the private party; Hardy expresses strong interest in owning one

  • Total Nuclear Annihilation auction machine sold for $7,100

    high confidence · Direct observation of auction; specific final price given

  • Medieval Madness LE #1 (Doug Duba's personal machine) sold for $16,000 at auction

    high confidence · Direct observation; detailed description of machine's custom modifications including RGB LEDs, powder coat, commissioned Sideshow Collectibles topper, Back Alley Creations paint work, and original prototype back panel

  • Elvira is brand new and was featured at the JJP Game Exchange room party

    high confidence · Hardy observed it at the Thursday night party in room 330

  • Hotel breakfast was not complimentary despite hotel caliber; Hardy was not charged for Thursday and Friday but would detail Saturday pricing in next video

    high confidence · Hardy's direct experience; unexpected charge discovery

Notable Quotes

  • “Oh man, that is the good thing about doing videos with YouTube from usually the waist up, is that I could be wearing pajama pants and no one would be the wiser. I'm totally wearing pajama pants right now.”

    Cary Hardy@ 0:36 — Personal aside/humor; sets casual tone for vlog

  • “We ran that booth until around, I think, the 11 o'clock range is when the expo ended for that day... we were putting the last canopy over the final row of machines, literally when people were starting to walk up to the booth to play games.”

    Cary Hardy@ 3:46 — Documents the tight timeline and last-minute completion of booth setup

  • “This is Medieval Madness LE number 1. It was built, it was manufactured, and it was put in a box for years inside Chicago Gaming.”

    Ryan (JJP/Chicago Gaming representative)@ 6:45 — Establishes provenance of the special auction machine; confirms Doug Duba ownership

  • “Doug is a firm believer on going to the community, and he wanted to update his game to look like his Monster Bash.”

    Ryan@ 7:01 — Explains motivation behind extensive custom modifications to LE #1

  • “And that machine sold for $16,000. Thank you so much. Thank you. Both machines both machines sold way over what retail would it go for so all of that money once again is going to the research for juvenile diabetes.”

    Cary Hardy@ 7:53 — Confirms charity nature of auction and emphasizes how significantly machines exceeded retail value

  • “I got to go into their inventory and just peruse and shop as if I was looking for groceries at a grocery store.”

Entities

Cary HardypersonDoug DubapersonRyanpersonMattpersonChris FranchipersonChicago Pinball ExpoeventPenn StadiumcompanyJJP Game ExchangeorganizationPinball Liveevent

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Pinball Live event providing unique vendor inventory shopping experience with curated vendor relationship; attendees able to browse and purchase parts/goods in informal setting

    high · Hardy's specific enthusiasm about 'peruse and shop' inventory access; described as favorite part of event

  • ?

    event_signal: Pinball Live charity auction event at 2019 Chicago Expo raising funds for juvenile diabetes research; two machines auctioned significantly above retail value

    high · Direct observation of auction; specific sale prices and charity details documented

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Jurassic Park Premium positioning as sought-after release generating strong collector interest; Hardy expressed immediate desire to own after first play

    medium · Hardy's strong positive reaction and ownership desire; contextual indication of premium pricing tier from earlier market knowledge

  • ?

    event_signal: Chicago Pinball Expo 2019 vendor booth setup logistics: Penn Stadium required assembly of 17 machines with limited time frame (9:30-10 AM to 6 PM opening); completed at last minute as public arrived

    high · Hardy's firsthand account of setup timeline and near-miss completion

  • ?

    community_signal: Medieval Madness LE #1 received extensive post-production customizations including RGB LED retrofit, powder coat restoration, commissioned artist topper (Sideshow Collectibles), professional paint work (Back Alley Creations), and custom back panel (Chris Franchi), demonstrating community upgrading of classic machines

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.034

0:00
I've got one day of Chicago under my belt and there is still so much to do and see. It's now Thursday. Pinball Expo is hours away from opening to the public and I have a booth to set up. Not just any booth either. If you have ever been to a show, then you know that Penn Stadium has a booth that catches the eye and draws in the crowd. But will we get this set up in time?
0:36
Oh man, that is the good thing about doing videos with YouTube from usually the waist up, is that I could be wearing pajama pants and no one would be the wiser. I'm totally wearing pajama pants right now.
0:54
What's up guys and welcome back to my channel where I talk and do everything pinball. So if that sounds interesting to you then hit that subscribe button down below. I'm back with the next video for this series and that is going to be on to Thursday of Pinball Expo. So I wake up and I go down to have my breakfast. which, honestly, for a hotel of this caliber, I'm expecting it to be a free, full-on buffet continental breakfast, because that's what I'm used to going to the Embassy Suites for Texas Pinball Festival, is a smorgasbord of all-you-can-eat breakfast, which is like my favorite thing ever. So I go down there, and sure enough, there is not, I wouldn't say a smorgasbord or a giant thing, but you had your essentials, you had your eggs, you had your bacon, you had your sausage, and some other stuff. I didn't care. I just wanted the meat and I wanted the eggs. So that's what I filled up on. The thing is, the breakfast wasn't free. No, no, no. And they don't tell you that. It's kind of a little surprise whenever they hand you the check. Now, I didn't know that it had to be paid for. So Thursday and Friday morning's breakfast never got paid because I never got a ticket. I don't think they saw me come in, grab breakfast and then leave because I just assumed it was free and but Saturday's a different story and I'll let you know what the price of that breakfast retails for on the next video. So after breakfast I head to the vendor hall to start setting up this massive booth that we have to. Now typically on a festival or a pinball gathering of sorts with Penn Stadium because I've helped before there's usually about 10 or so machines and the people that bring the machines set the machines up and we may have to set up a couple of sets of Penn Stadiums on these machines. But this time was a little different This time we had like 17 machines None of them were set up They were all upright on the other side of the damn hall that we had to go dolly over get them up all on fours install pin stadiums get the canopies up get the 75 inch screen tv that he had up on the table and it was one of those things where it literally took all day and we were kind of worried that we were not going to be able to finish in time for the expo to begin which begins at six o'clock p.m and we started probably around the 9.30 to 10 o'clock range. We worked at it all day, but the question is, did we get it up in time for the public?

Cary Hardy@ 8:55 — Highlights unique shopping experience at Pinball Live event; shows excitement about vendor access

  • “And I love it. I want this game.”

    Cary Hardy@ 4:47 — Strong endorsement of newly-released Jurassic Park Premium after first play experience

    • Sideshow Collectibles
    company
    Back Alley Creationscompany
    Chicago Gamingcompany
    Jersey Jack Pinballcompany
    Jurassic Park Premiumproduct
    Elviraproduct
    Total Nuclear Annihilationproduct
    Medieval Madness LE #1product
    Deadpool Premiumproduct
    Monster Bashproduct
    Attack from Marsproduct
    Texas Pinball Festivalevent
    Spearsorganization

    high · Ryan's detailed description of all modifications; machine had been stored in box for years before update for community

  • ?

    announcement: Jurassic Park Premium and Elvira confirmed as newly released Jersey Jack Pinball machines at 2019 Expo; very limited initial production

    high · Hardy observed both at JJP Game Exchange private party; stated 'only a few of them are going out' and 'Premium is pretty much brand new as well'

    • 3:35
    Of course we did. But by the skin of our teeth, seriously, we were putting the last canopy over the final row of machines, literally when people were starting to walk up to the booth to play games. We ran that booth until around, I think, the 11 o'clock range is when the expo ended for that day, when the vendor hall closed. Then we went to Spears, a restaurant located in the parking lot of Expo. and then we went to the party room located in room 330 this is jj with game exchanges room that had about five machines elvira which is brand new then you had your deadpool premium your monster bash and an attack from mars and of course the jurassic park premium which is still not on the line yet only a few of them are going out they're starting to get wind and get out there but But, you know, Premium is pretty much brand new as well. And this is the first time I got a chance to play the Jurassic Park Premium. And I love it. I want this game. We partied there for a couple of hours. And then we hit the sack and wanted to get ready for the next day. So Friday comes along. I wake up, have my supposed free breakfast. And then I make my way to the Pinball Live party.
    5:40
    Hey Kevin Along with having all of these games and activities with drinks and unlimited meatball subs they auctioned off two very special machines. And all the money was going to a great cause for juvenile diabetes research. You had the very final total nuclear annihilation, and that sold for... How about we'll start the bidding at $1,000. Who wants to give $1,000 for that? All right, a crap ton of people. Let's just move on.
    6:20
    All right. Okay, guys, well, if it's 71, going once, going twice, sold. Right here. $7,100. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Then you had a very special medieval madness with all the new fixings. I'll let Ryan go over all the details of why this machine is so special. This is Doug Duba's personal game, the owner of Chicago Gaming. This is Medieval Madness LE number one. It was built, it was manufactured, and it was put in a box for years inside Chicago Gaming.
    6:57
    We recently pulled it out of the box because, well, Doug is a firm believer on going to the community, and he wanted to update his game to look like his Monster Bash. So we went ahead and put in RGB LEDs. We did a full powder coat trim on it.
    7:14
    We commissioned an artist from Sideshow Collectibles to design the topper. The topper's been painted by Matt from Back Alley Creations. The back panel was done by Chris Frenchy. That is one of the three original prototype toppers that is coming with this game. It has the extra large display in it Full RGB's It is ready to go And it can come home with you It does have the Medieval Madness LE number 1 plaque It has never been played It has been sitting in a box For years guys And that machine sold for Sold $16,000 Thank you so much
    8:02
    Thank you Both machines both machines sold way over what retail would it go for so all of that money once again is going to the research for juvenile diabetes very great cost that just goes to show you that pinball is not all just about playing pinball there's a lot of good things that come out of this hobby too But one of my favorite things at Pinball Live that really got me excited, like I was walking into like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, was the fact that I got to go into their inventory and just peruse and shop as if I was looking for groceries at a grocery store.
    9:25
    Thank you. so that was awesome i got a few items that i know i needed for my games and I'm kind of glad that I only got what I did because I could have easily spent a lot of money there but I'm glad I didn't. After the pinball lot party concluded I headed back to the hotel back to the vendor hall and continued helping out with pin stadiums until the end of the night. Once again we partied in room 330 and then again we called it a night. That's gonna wrap up this video guys so I've got maybe one more video in this series to conclude my pinball expo experience. If you like what you've seen here, then hit that like button down below. And if you haven't already, do not forget to hit that subscribe button down below. That way you can be notified of whenever I upload something for your viewing pleasure.
    11:02
    Until next time, guys. Peace out. Thank you.